For those coming from the US:

Once you fly into Athens, there are two ways to get to Paros - flight or ferry. We prefer flying into Athens and then taking the short connecting flight (30 minutes) to Paros. If you wish to take the ferry, you would need to take a taxi from the Athens airport to the ferry port (50 min). The ferry is cheap and beautiful, and can be a nice break from the airport, but it takes longer (4 hours).

If you search for flights from the US with Paros as your final destination (ex. JFK→PAS) - at least when using Google flights - the price is often freakishly high. It may be cheaper to build your own itinerary. You'll want to book two entirely separate tickets.

First, search for tickets from major US city airports (EWR, JFK, DCA) to Athens, Greece (ATH). Separately, search for tickets from Athens (ATH) to Paros (PAS). The ticket to from Athens to Paros should be <$200 round trip. Pay close attention to the airport code – there is only one airport in Paros and the code is PAS.

Check to make sure the timing lines up with your flight to and from Athens. Pay attention to the dates as you will most likely arrive in Athens the following morning after you leave the US, and give yourself ample time between flights (>2.5 hours). You will need the extra time since these flights aren’t part of the same itinerary, meaning you will need to “self-transfer”. When you arrive in Athens, you’ll proceed as if Athens is your final destination: go through customs and grab checked bags. Then in the same fashion you’ll need to get on your flight to Paros as if it is your only flight, check in and check your bags and go through security before getting to your gate.

You can book a ferry at ferries.gr from either Piraeus port (55 min from Athens airport) or Rafina port (40 min from Athens airport) with either Sea Jets, Blue Star Ferries, or Golden Star Ferries. You can easily get a taxi at the Athens airport to take you to the ferry port. Plan to get to the port an hour before your departure. Tickets can be booked in advance, but no need to book earlier than 3 months as ferry timetables won't be available.

When booking your ferry, make sure you note the duration of the trip. Not all ferries are high speed; you don't want to pick a trip that will take more than a few hours. Beware if you get sick on boats! Even people who don't typically get motion sickness often have trouble on ferries in Greece.

Once in Paros, to get to your hotel, you can either set up a transfer service with your hotel or grab a taxi at the airport.

We strongly recommend staying in the town of Naousa, which is a classic Cycladic fishing town with shops, restaurants, and nightlife. If you stay in Naousa, you will be walking distance to everything you may need (beach, food) as well as the welcome party and the shuttle pick-up point. There are many other towns outside of Naousa that you could stay in, like Ambelas or Paroikia, but you would need to rent an ATV or car.

Accommodations on the islands are typically smaller boutique-type hotels or apartments. Check the "Accomodation" page for a list of options.

Everywhere within Naousa is walkable! You will be walking distance to everything that you will need.

It is not necessary, but if you'd like to explore other parts of the island or if you plan to stay for longer, we would highly recommend renting an ATV! We have used "Chaniotis Rentals" (parosrentals.gr) and they were able to drop off/pick up the ATV from our hotel. There are many other ATV, moped, and car rental companies. Parking is free and easy to find.

In typical Greek island fashion, taxis are available but are not the most convenient way to get around. Your hotel reception should be able to organize taxis for you if you need.

The local bus information can be found here: Paros Ktel.