Traveling to a Greek Island (Skyros) in 2020

So, here I am in a ferry boat for yet another summer. Still, considering it’s 2020, someone could argue that’s close to a miracle!

Yet, another miracle did happen. The fact that I managed to put all of our stuff in the car.

Every year I visit the Greek island of Skyros with the family having one and only goal: to keep the passenger’s seat empty. This year, I failed once again.

Yet, I did pretty well in the back seat row where there weren’t any complaints. Additionally, for the first time, the mother and daughter didn’t sleep during the trip until the port of Kymi, where we would board the ferry boat. It was certainly a pleasant change for me.

Friends, who have made the same trip wonder how come we make the whole trip without a single stop.

When my daughter was younger, she used to sleep three out of the six hours of the trip, so we had to keep her busy for just three more hours. Of course, for as long as she was asleep, the car needed to cover as much distance as possible. Every minute was important.

The older she becomes, the less she sleeps. So, nowadays, in 2020, she stayed awake during the whole trip. I have to admit that my young kid hasn’t caused any trouble during these long-distance trips for so many years even this year that she didn’t sleep. Of course, her mother is sitting right next to her, while I am driving.

The trip from Thessaloniki to Evia’s Kymi is 550km. Google Maps estimate that we need 6 hours to cover that distance which has always been on point. Even before they completed Tempi’s tunnels.

That got me thinking since I never needed more than 6 hours for this trip. To arrive in Lamia, it always took me three hours, either before the tunnels were built, or after. I’m curious, do we save time thanks to these tunnels, or are we just avoiding the dangerous, old road of Tempi’s valley?

Whatever the case, the road to Evia’s Kymi is very easy. However, that convenience doesn’t come for free, as I pay about 25 euros for tolls.

Starting from Chalkida’s landmark bridge the road reminds me of… dare I say, Chalkidiki’s roads? Especially for those of you who are traveling to Sithonia, they do ring a bell. Ah, and given we’re on the subject, like Chalkidiki, it doesn’t have. 🙂 [Greek expression]

Slightly before Kymi’s port, the road reminds us of the rockslides that the place suffers from.

In the last few years, we’ve decided to travel on the last ferry boat at 9 pm. We find it way more convenient to arrive on the island late at night and go to sleep almost immediately. Previously we took the boat at 6pm, arriving in Skyros at the awkward 8 pm when we neither felt sleepy, nor did we feel rested to meet relatives and friends or make up the house.

As an added advantage, we enjoy the port on sunset.

In the beginning, I talked of 2020 that made us doubtful since March if we would manage to visit the island this year, because of the pandemic. The uncertainty still exists of course given the signs are present in everyday life. But for me, the part of this trip that set it apart was the 10-20 cars that were aboard the ship. At other times the cargo area would be so packed that to open the door I would have to wait until the cars nearby left or other times I would not be able to even reach it.

The next two hours on the ferry boat would certainly be a lot different than previous years!

And that’s how we arrived at Skyros island this year. Maybe it’s not the most popular destination, but for all of us who seek peaceful and relaxing summer vacations. I’d say it feels almost like paradise. Enjoy your summer, everyone!