Starting on April 20, 2013 a new ferry will join the Volos – Sporades route. The Proteus of the Symi based ANES lines is capable of carrying 130 automobiles and 400 passengers. It is scheduled to run once a day until June, then twice a day to September. Prices for passage promise to be 30% less expensive than the current fare.
The company initially applied to sail only during the summer but the Ministry of Merchant Marine insisted that the ship sail the entire year. That’s the deal.
The story was reported in the newspaper “Thessalia“. Read it here.
New ferry to enter fray
January 30, 2013 by skopelosnews
great lets hope the timetable is staggered so it doesn’t run at the same time as the Haroula..
The article states the the shipping company’s research indicates that 80% of the Volos-Sporades traffic goes to Skiathos, 18% to Skopelos and 12% to Alonissos. I hope that their day to day activities are calculated better than their mathematics.
If they should run in winter maybe a Agios Konstantinos – Sporades run would be more profitable than two ships to/from Volos during winter (unless Express Skiathos takes the winter off).
Thanks for all the great information you are providing us. Any news regarding the connexions from aghios Konstandinos ? We are traveling to Skopelos 2 or 3 times per year via Athens. Schedules for spring and summer sounds not yet available…. Any advice_info would be more than welcome. Thnaks in adavance
Christine & Marc
We will try to post schedules as soon as they are available. The problem is that we have to check this website …. http://www.hellenicseaways.gr/index.asp?a_id=977
… to look for updates.
In checking that website I see that the HSW ferry Volos-Sporades schedule until 20 May, 2013 is up. Nothing yet for Agios K.
The Thessalia story doesn’t mention it, but is the Proteus small enough to get into Loutraki? She looks like a big lass.
Actually, you read about it here first last October, courtesy, that is, of our pals at Vories Sporades and The Skiathian, who reported that ANES were bringing a ferry here this spring:
http://skopelosnews.wordpress.com/2012/10/18/a-new-ferry-for-2013/
It’s 87 metres long, but not being a ferry captain myself (although I wouldn’t say no…) I dunno if it’ll get into Loutraki.
Proteus is 9 meters longer than the Express Skiathos but about 33 meters shorter than Express Pegasus.
the schedule from Ag Kon seems to be released only a few weeks before it starts running..
The Proteus nor the Sporades have yet to appear on the ANES online booking system, but maybe they’ll post schedules soon, although as Martin said, quite often these schedules don’t appear until the day before the services begin. We’ll badger ANES for news of their schedules/ports, and post them when we have them.