Pelion on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Pelion is a good budget destination, especially if you base yourself in Volos. A realistic minimum is about €80 per person per day: bed €35, food €25, sights €5 and transport €15 (a share of a rental car and fuel).
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | €35 | €60 | €130 |
| Food & drink | €25 | €40 | €70 |
| Sights & tickets | €5 | €15 | €30 |
| Local transport | €15 | €25 | €45 |
| Per person, per day | €80 | €140 | €275 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Pelion day-cost table.
Free things to do
- The Argonafton promenade and the Argo replica in Volos
- The main square of Makrinitsa, the 'balcony of Pelion'
- The giant plane tree in the square of Agia Paraskevi, Tsagarada
- The kalderimi walk from Tsagarada to Damouchari
- Mylopotamos beach and its rock passage
- The beech forest at the Hania pass
Cheap eats
- Tsipouro rounds with meze in a Volos tsipouradiko: about €15-25 per person
- Spetsofai (country sausage with peppers) in a village taverna
- Wild-greens pies from bakeries: a few euros a slice
- Souvlaki or gyros pita in Volos: about €3-4
- Local apples, chestnuts and spoon sweets from village shops
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay in Volos centre, with doubles about €55-85, next to the tsipouradika and the KTEL bus station. Simple rooms in villages such as Portaria and Agios Ioannis can be good value outside August.
Getting around cheaply
KTEL buses run from Athens (about 4 hours, roughly €30) and Thessaloniki to Volos. In Pelion, buses reach Portaria and Makrinitsa several times a day; for the east coast, share a rental car (from about €35-50 a day).
A sample budget day
- Morning: KTEL bus to Makrinitsa and coffee on the square (about €6 including bus)
- Lunch: walk down to Portaria and eat a pie and salad (about €10)
- Afternoon: bus back to Volos and the Athanasakeio Museum (about €6)
- Evening: tsipouro rounds with meze on the Volos waterfront (about €20)
- Total: about €80 including a shared room in Volos
More ways to save
- Visit outside the 15 August holiday, when Greek families fill the coast.
- Walk between villages on kalderimia instead of driving every leg.
- Arrange a taxi only for the steep return from Damouchari, sharing it if you can.
- Buy picnic food in Volos markets before heading to the beaches.
- Choose rooms with kitchens in the east-coast villages.
- Ask for local wine by the carafe in tavernas.
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Common questions
Can I visit Pelion on a budget?
Yes: stay in Volos, use KTEL buses to the nearest villages and eat in tsipouradika, for about €80 a day.
How do I get to Pelion from Athens?
Take the KTEL bus to Volos (about 4 hours, roughly €30) or drive about 3.5 hours on the motorway.
What are the best free things to do in Pelion?
The Volos promenade, Makrinitsa's square, the kalderimi walks, the Tsagarada plane tree and beaches such as Mylopotamos.