The Skiathos bus, stop by stop

One road, one main route, 27 stops numbered 0 to 26. Stop 0 is the terminus in Skiathos Town, beside the primary school at the New Port end of the seafront, about 200m north of the Bourtzi — look for the small wooden-roofed shelter. Stop 26 is Koukounaries. Because the numbering starts at zero, people say "26 stops".

Stops are signed with the number and often, though not always, the name of the nearest beach. You signal the driver to be picked up, as at a request stop.

The operation was taken over by Skiathos Transports in mid-2022 and rebuilt for 2023: 13 new air-conditioned buses, luggage space included at no extra charge, voice stop announcements, QR codes at stops and a live tracker on the operator's site that tells you when the next bus is due at a given stop.

Beyond the main south-coast route there are three shorter lines: Skiathos Port to Evangelistria Monastery, Skiathos Port to Xanemos beach near the runway, and Troulos to Aselinos on the north coast.

There are only two fares.

• €2 — Skiathos Town to any stop up to and including Agia Paraskevi, stop 16. Also the Evangelistria and Xanemos lines.
• €3 — Skiathos Town to stops 17 to 26, including Koukounaries. Also the airport and Aselinos.

Children under 6 travel free.

Timetables are re-set several times within a season, stepping up through May and back down in October. Treat everything below as the shape of the year rather than a timetable.

• Season opens 1 May — first bus from town 07:00, every 30 minutes, last out 23:30. One source
• Through May — tightens to every 20 minutes, then every 15, with the last bus moving to midnight. One source
• Late June to early September — every 15 minutes, roughly 07:00 to midnight. Corroborated Some sources claim a 10-minute headway and a 01:00 finish at absolute peak; we would not plan around that.
• Return direction runs about 30 minutes behind the outbound — first bus back from Koukounaries around 07:30. One source
• From 3 October — back to every 30 minutes, last from town 23:00. One source
• Airport line — roughly every 30 minutes, 06:45 to 23:15, in high season. One source
• November to April — a much-reduced local service. Frequency unverified.

End to end, stop 0 to stop 26, takes about 25–30 minutes, stretching past 30 when the bus is full and stopping everywhere.

Frequently asked questions

How many bus stops are there on Skiathos?

27, numbered 0 to 26 along the single south-coast road. Stop 0 is the terminus in Skiathos Town by the New Port; stop 26 is Koukounaries. Because the numbering starts at zero people usually say 26 stops.

How much is the bus in Skiathos?

There are only two fares. €2 takes you from Skiathos Town to any stop up to and including Agia Paraskevi at stop 16, and also covers the Evangelistria and Xanemos lines. €3 covers stops 17 to 26 including Koukounaries, plus the airport and Aselinos. Children under 6 go free.

Can you pay by card on the Skiathos bus?

No — as of summer 2025 the bus was cash-only, paid to the driver or conductor as you board. Bring small notes and coins. There are staffed ticket kiosks at stops 0, 4 and 26 and at the airport, but whether those take cards is unverified.

Which bus stop is Koukounaries?

Stop 26, the terminus. Banana beach, also called Krassa, has no separate stop — walk from the terminus car park over the headland for 5–10 minutes on a dirt path that forks, one branch to Banana and the other to Little Banana.

Which bus stop is Agia Paraskevi in Skiathos?

Stop 16. This is one of the few stop numbers that is firmly corroborated, because it is also the fare boundary — €2 up to and including stop 16, €3 beyond it.

How long does the bus take from Skiathos Town to Koukounaries?

About 25–30 minutes end to end, stretching beyond 30 when the bus is full and stopping at everything. In July and August expect to stand, especially from about 5pm when the beaches empty back towards town.

How often does the Skiathos bus run?

Every 15 minutes from late June to early September, roughly 07:00 to midnight. The season opens on 1 May at every 30 minutes and tightens through the month; from 3 October it drops back to every 30 minutes. Timetables are re-set several times within a season, so check the operator's live tracker before relying on one.