Samos or Chios? Which Island to Choose, and How to Add Turkey

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Choose Samos if you want a green, mountainous island with UNESCO-listed ancient sites close together and Ephesus a short boat ride away; choose Chios if you want medieval mastic villages, a car ferry from Turkey and a crossing that still runs through the winter. Both sit a short hop from the Turkish coast: Samos from Kuşadası, Chios from Çeşme.

Short answer

• Size: Chios is about 842 km² and Samos about 477 km² (Wikipedia), so Chios is nearly twice as big. Samos rises to 1,434 m on Mount Kerkis; Chios to 1,297 m on Mount Pelineon.
• From Turkey: Kuşadası to Samos takes 30 to 75 minutes to Vathy depending on the source, with one-way adult fares from about €37–39 in summer 2026. Çeşme to Chios takes about 20 to 45 minutes on the fast boats, with adult fares of about €38–40 one way and €50 return (autumn 2026).
• Cars: only Chios. The Kuşadası boats carry no vehicles, while Chios has car ferries from Çeşme (Ertürk’s Apostolos S. and Turyol’s Chios). Turyol lists a car at €100 one way on Çeşme–Chios (checked 1 November 2026).
• Winter: Chios is far easier. Çeşme–Chios runs all year. Kuşadası–Samos has daily boats until 1 November 2026, then only Meander’s weekly Saturday/Sunday round trip from 7 November to 27 December, and nothing published for January to March 2027 (as of 28 October 2026).
• Day trip to Turkey: Samos to Ephesus works on the morning boat from Vathy (09:30 daily from 15 May to 27 September 2026, Tilos Travel). Chios to Çeşme works only on days with a morning boat, for example Fridays and Saturdays in November to January on Ertürk’s Apostolos S. (checked 30 October 2026).
• Sights: Samos has the UNESCO-listed Pythagorio, Tunnel of Eupalinos and Heraion within about 6 km of each other. Chios has Nea Moni (UNESCO), the mastic villages of Pyrgi and Mesta, Anavatos and Kambos.
• Clocks: Greece goes back to winter time on 25 October 2026. From then until 28 March 2027 Turkey is one hour ahead of both islands.

Samos and Chios at a glance

Getting there from Turkey

Kuşadası to Samos

Boats from Kuşadası land at Vathy (north-east) or Pythagorio (south-east), depending on operator and date. Operators are Meander Travel, Tilos Travel (Sea Star Samos), IDO and Aegean Shipping Company. As of 28 October 2026, Meander leaves Kuşadası at 09:15 for Vathy every day up to and including 1 November and returns at 17:00; Tilos Travel lists 08:15 from Kuşadası and 17:30 from Samos daily until 1 November. From 7 November to 27 December Meander sails on Saturdays at 09:15 and returns on Sundays at 17:00. This is a passenger route. Timetables and fares: Kuşadası to Samos ferry.

Çeşme to Chios

Boats leave from Ulusoy Port in Çeşme and arrive in the middle of Chios Town. Ertürk Lines runs the route all year with its fast boat and the car ferries Apostolos S. and Ertürk-1; Turyol and Tilos Travel (Sea Star Makri) also sail. In November 2026 Ertürk’s fast boat runs mostly Wednesday to Sunday and Turyol on Tuesdays and Thursday to Sunday; in December Ertürk runs mostly Friday to Sunday, and its fast boat does not run from 11 January to 11 February 2027 (checked 24–30 October 2026). Timetables and fares: Çeşme to Chios ferry.

Taking a car

Only Chios works. Ertürk’s car ferry Apostolos S. is listed on Fridays to Sundays in November (plus 3–4 and 10–11 November) and on Fridays to Sundays in December and January up to 31 January 2027; Turyol’s Chios sails Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays until 3 January 2027. Turyol told us by email on 31 October 2026 that its ships on Çeşme–Chios take vehicles up to 16 m with no height limit, including motorhomes over 3.5 t. Limits on other operators’ ships are unconfirmed. For Samos you rent a car on the island. Fares and rules: taking a car to the Greek islands.

Beaches

Chios has the more organised beach options near town. Karfas, 7 to 10 km south of Chios Town depending on the source, is the main sandy resort beach and the busiest in summer. Mavra Volia near Emporios, about 28 km away, is the island’s best-known volcanic beach; sources describe it both as black sand and as black pebbles, so water shoes help. Lithi on the west coast has sand, and Daskalopetra near Vrontados is the closest pebble beach to town.

Samos is more rugged. Lemonakia, just west of Kokkari, is a sandy cove with loungers and a snack bar, and Tsamadou, about 3 km from Kokkari, is a fine-pebble cove reached by a path. Potami near Karlovasi has about 730 m of pebbles, clear but cool water and frequent waves. Psili Ammos, about 11 km south of Vathy, is a long sandy beach sheltered by cliffs. The north coast is often windy, which suits windsurfers.

Sights and history

Samos has three UNESCO-listed highlights within about 6 km of each other on the south-east coast: the harbour town of Pythagorio, the 6th-century BC Tunnel of Eupalinos (about 1,036 m long) and the sanctuary of Hera, the Heraion. As of 22 October 2026 the ministry’s ticketing site lists both the tunnel and the Heraion as closed on Tuesdays, and the tunnel as closed from 1 November to 31 March (visits by appointment only). Inland, Manolates and Vourliotes sit on the slopes of Mount Ambelos and fit into one half-day by car.

Chios is about villages and monasteries. Pyrgi, about 24 km south of town, is the largest of the 24 mastic villages and is known for the black-and-white patterns scratched into its house fronts. Mesta, about 35 km from town, is a medieval village built like a fortress. Nea Moni, an 11th-century Byzantine monastery about 11 km from town, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990, and the abandoned hilltop village of Anavatos pairs naturally with it. The Chios Mastic Museum reopened on 3 June 2026.

From November to March, state sites are free on the first and third Sunday of each month.

Getting around

On Samos, KTEL buses link Vathy, Pythagorio, Kokkari and Karlovasi, and you can reach the Heraion by bus. For the mountain villages and the west coast, a hire car is worth it; offices are in Vathy and Pythagorio.

On Chios, you do not need a car for a night or two in town, but for the mastic villages, Nea Moni and Anavatos, or several beaches in one day, a car changes everything. KTEL buses serve the mastic villages, Anavatos and the north, but many lines run only once or twice a day, so check the return time first. Published fare guides in October 2026 put a taxi from town to Karfas at about €10–15 and to distant villages such as Pyrgi or Mesta at roughly €30–50; Uber and Bolt are generally not available.

Flights and winter

Samos airport (SMI) is near Pythagorio. Jet2 started flying there in summer 2026 from Manchester (1 May to 30 October), Birmingham (4 May to 26 October) and London Stansted (7 May to 29 October); we found no UK winter flights. We found no UK or German-speaking nonstop route to Chios in any airline source. From the evening of 15 November 2026 to 15 March 2027 Chios airport is closed to scheduled flights for runway works (our report). Out of season, the realistic way to Chios is a flight to İzmir and the ferry from Çeşme: see İzmir airport transfers and our flights guide.

Day trips to Turkey

Full plans: Samos to Ephesus day trip and Chios to Çeşme day trip. For entry rules by nationality, see day trips to Turkey from the Greek islands.

Entry

Both islands are in the Schengen Area. Since 10 April 2026 the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) records fingerprints and a photo of non-EU travellers at the border, so allow extra time when a ferry from Turkey arrives. Visa-exempt non-EU visitors, including UK citizens, can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Details by nationality are on the ferry pages linked above.

Where to stay

For a short stay with a ferry at one end, stay in the port town: Vathy or Pythagorio on Samos, Chios Town on Chios. For a beach week, Kokkari or the coast near Pythagorio on Samos and Karfas on Chios. Compare areas in where to stay in Samos and where to stay in Chios.

Which should you choose?

Choose Samos if:

• you want ancient sites close together: Pythagorio, the tunnel and the Heraion are all within about 6 km
• you like green, hilly scenery, walking and mountain villages
• you want to pair the island with Ephesus on a morning boat in summer
• you are travelling between May and October and do not need a car ferry

Choose Chios if:

• you want to take your own car or motorhome across from Çeşme
• you are travelling in winter, when Çeşme–Chios keeps running and Kuşadası–Samos does not
• you want medieval villages, Nea Moni and the mastic story
• you are flying into İzmir and want the shortest crossing from Çeşme

Do both if you have ten days or more: island hopping from Turkey shows how to combine islands with the Turkish coast. Still undecided between other pairs? See Lesvos or Chios, Kos or Rhodes and which Greek island.

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FAQ

Is Samos or Chios better for families?

Both work. Chios has Karfas, the main sandy resort beach, and a town base close to the ferry. Samos has sandy coves near Kokkari and Psili Ammos south of Vathy, but the north coast is often windy. See also Greek islands with kids from Turkey.

Which island is closer to Turkey?

Both are very close. Çeşme to Chios takes about 20 to 45 minutes on the fast boats; Kuşadası to Samos takes 30 to 75 minutes to Vathy, depending on the source.

Can I take a car from Turkey to Samos or Chios?

Not to Samos: the Kuşadası boats carry no vehicles, so rent a car on the island. To Chios, yes: Ertürk’s Apostolos S. and Turyol’s Chios carry cars in the 2026 timetables.

Which is better in winter?

Chios. Çeşme–Chios runs all year, while Kuşadası–Samos had only a weekly round trip from 7 November to 27 December 2026 and nothing published for January to March 2027 as of 28 October 2026. Samos’s Tunnel of Eupalinos is also closed from 1 November to 31 March, except by appointment.

Timetables, prices and entry rules change; check the official source before you travel.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Samos (area and highest point) (accessed 7 Nov 2026)
• Wikipedia: Chios (area and highest point) (accessed 7 Nov 2026)
• Operators’ timetables and fares (Meander Travel, Tilos Travel, Ertürk Lines, Turyol), with the dates we checked them, are listed in our Kuşadası to Samos and Çeşme to Chios ferry guides
• Sights, opening hours, tickets, buses and beaches: our Samos travel guide and Chios travel guide, which list their primary sources (Hellenic Heritage hh.gr, UNESCO, Greek Ministry of Culture, Discover Greece, Greeka, KTEL)
• Turyol, email, 31 October 2026 (vehicle limits)