Andros on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Yes, Andros works well on a budget if you stay in Gavrio or a simple room in Batsi and spend your days walking. Plan on about €70 per person per day (bed €30, food €25, sights €5, transport €10), with the rental car shared.
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | €30 | €60 | €140 |
| Food & drink | €25 | €40 | €70 |
| Sights & tickets | €5 | €15 | €35 |
| Local transport | €10 | €25 | €40 |
| Per person, per day | €70 | €140 | €285 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Andros day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Walk down the marble main street of Chora to Riva Square and the Unknown Sailor statue
- Cross the stone arch bridge to the ruins of Kato Kastro and look out to the Tourlitis lighthouse
- Hike one of the waymarked Andros Routes, such as the loop through Stenies and Apoikia
- Fill your bottle at the Sariza spring in Apoikia
- Walk the shaded path past the Pithara waterfalls and old water mills
- Swim at Paraporti or Nimborio beside Chora, or at Batsi town beach
Cheap eats
- Coffee in a village kafeneio: €2–3
- Froutalia (potato and sausage omelette) to share as part of a taverna meal: within the €15–25 per person
- Taverna meal with house wine: about €15–25 per person
- Almond sweets (amygdalota) from a Chora pastry shop: a few euros
- Picnic of local cheese, bread and fruit from a village shop: well under €10
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay in Gavrio, where simple rooms cost about €50–80 a night for a double, or in rooms to let in Batsi. Prices drop clearly outside July and August. There are few or no hostels on the island, so rooms and small family-run studios are the budget option.
Getting around cheaply
The cheapest way to the island is the conventional ferry from Rafina (about 2 hours; fast boats are quicker and dearer). Rafina is about 30 minutes from Athens airport by KTEL bus or taxi. On the island the KTEL bus is a few euros per ride but infrequent; sharing a small rental car (about €35–60 a day in high season) is the realistic budget option for groups.
A sample budget day
- Morning: walk the Stenies–Apoikia loop from Chora and fill up at the Sariza spring (free)
- Lunch: picnic from a village shop, or coffee and a snack in Menites (about €8–10)
- Afternoon: Pithara waterfalls and a swim at Nimborio (free)
- Evening: taverna dinner in Chora with froutalia and wine (about €15–20)
- Total: about €35–40 plus your bed and your share of the car, so roughly €70
More ways to save
- Travel in May, June or September, when rooms are cheaper and trails are pleasant.
- Book ferries online in advance for August weekends, when boats from Rafina fill up.
- Choose one base for the whole stay; Batsi is central for the west coast and close to the port.
- Share a rental car between two or more people to cut the biggest daily cost.
- Eat in village tavernas away from the harbour fronts for lower prices.
- Buy local cheese and sweets in village shops rather than in the port.
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Common questions
Can you visit Andros on a budget?
Yes. Stay in Gavrio or Batsi, share a car, walk the free trails and eat in village tavernas for about €70 a day.
Can you get around Andros without a car?
Only partly. KTEL buses link Gavrio, Batsi, Chora and Korthi a few times a day, but trailheads and many beaches need a car or taxi.
Where is the cheapest place to stay on Andros?
Gavrio, the port, where simple doubles cost about €50–80 a night.