Karystos is located on the southern coast of the island of Euboea (pronounced Evia), which means that you need to take a ferryboat to get there. The ferries you need leave from the port of RAFINA (ΡΑΦΗΝΑ), located on the eastern coast of Attica, the peninsula on which Athens is located. You can get to Rafina either straight from the airport or from Athens. If you have enough funds, you can use taxis in both cases. The cheapest way to get to Rafina, however, is by bus.
Buses (coach) from Athens
The best place to catch the bus to Rafina is the ETHNIKI AMINA
METRO STATION. You need to get on the Blue Line (No. 3, see the included map of Athens metro lines) that goes from the center of Athens, i.e. Monastiraki (for those unfamiliar with Athens, the triangle between Monastiraki, Sintagma, and Omonia is usually considered to be the 'center'-see the map) to the Airport in the direction of the Airport. Once you get off at the Ethniki Amina stop, you need to use the exit on your right that leads to the Ministry of Transportation (NOT the one that goes to the Ministry of Defense). Once you’ve reached the street level you need to immediately turn left from the escalators and you will see a pedestrian island with a bus stop on it. Left from the bus stop (which is there for city buses) is a signpost with a simple metal yellow sign saying KTEL (KTEΛ) and Attica Regional Buses. This is where you wait for the bus. Buses to Rafina run on every 30 min or so and their destination is visibly marked in front. Keep in mind that you need to flag the bus down unless you see other people doing it before you. The ride lasts approximately 1h but this can vary broadly depending on the time of day and traffic. You need to get off at the last stop, which is in the port itself. The price of the bus ticket is currently 2.10 euros.
An alternative place to catch the same bus to Rafina is its starting point in the center of
Athens on MAVROMATEON STREET (marked in red on the map to your right). The street is located just a few blocks away from the National Archaeological Museum. The best way to get there is using the trolleys no. 3, 5, 11, or 13 (they all go through the center and you need to get off one stop after the Museum; Mavromateon is the street parallel to the one trolleys use, behind the School of Economics) or the Green Line (also known as Line 1 or Elektriko) of the metro, in which case you need to get off at Viktoria station (see the map) traveling in the direction of Kifissia and walk two blocks up from the exit. Catching the bus there instead of Ethniki Amina might be a better solution if you are already in Athens and have a lot of luggage. There are many KTEL buses starting from Mavromateon Street and most of them are going to one of Attica's sea ports, so be sure you find the Rafina bus. If you are already in Athens, you can also get a cab to take you to Mavromateon Street. The cabs inside Athens are cheap, but getting one is often a challenge.
Taxi from Athens
On the same metro stop (Ethniki Amina) there’s a taxi station where you can get a cab to Rafina. Cabs are usually parked between the exit from the metro and the KTEL station, so you can’t miss them. The fare to Rafina is about 13 euros, although that may vary (some cab drivers tend to charge foreigners a bit more).
Buses from the airport
There is a direct bus line connecting Athens airport with Rafina’s port. Buses run on every h
our, more or less, depending on the season. Once at the airport you will be able to get directions on how to reach the bus stop, which is attached to the terminal building (see ground plan to your right). This is the link where you can see departure times of KTEL buses from Athens and the Airport to Rafina: http://www.ktelattikis.gr/routes.php
Taxi from the airport
I wouldn’t recommend those, if you can avoid it. When taking a cab from the airport you are liable to pay extra fees, many of which are obscure. With all the fees included your fare shouldn’t be more than 20-25 euros, but that’s just an estimate.
Boat from Rafina
Once you are in the port of Rafina, which is conveniently the last bus stop, you need to get to one of the numerous ticket agencies. Be careful, you need to get a ticket TO MARMARI and not Karystos. The price (currently) is about 6 euros one way. The ferry ride is approximately 1 hour long.
Bus from Marmari to Karystos
Once you’re in Marmari you will need to take a bus to get to Karystos. It is a very short ride (c. 10 min) and the bus fare is 1.50 euros. The bus to Karystos is parked in the port and you will see it the moment you get off the ferry (there are no other buses there). You need to stay on the bus until the last stop, which is in the center of Karystos, just above the town church. Once you are there the SEEP house is just a block away but somebody will come to meet you.
Taxi from Marmari to Karystos
Keep in mind that, unfortunately, the latest two or three ferries in the day are usually not met by the bus. Also, there are no buses between Marmari and Karystos on Sundays. If the only ferry you can catch is a late one and you get to Marmari when the buses have stopped running for the day there are two options: (1) if we have rented the field car already and are not otherwise prevented then somebody will come to pick you up from the port, (2) if option 1 is unavailable, you will have to get a cab from the port (they are usually parked right next to the place where the ferries dock) and the taxi fare is 10-12 euros (fixed price, no taximeter). You need to tell the cab driver to take you to the church (Ayios Nikolaos) in Karystos (church = ekklissia) and then somebody will meet you there.
