Suzy_Q

Hi all,

My sister and I (26 & 30 years old) are traveling to Greece from NYC on June 13 - 23 this year. Our flights are booked and we are just trying to figure out how to best split our time between the two islands given our flight times, and the TBD ferry times. Key question is where we stay on the 17th, as per below:

Fri 6/14: Leaving NYC
Sat 6/15: Arriving in Athens and connecting flight to Mykonos. Arriving Mykonos at 7:20pm. Overnight Mykonos.
Sun 6/16: Overnight Mykonos
Mon 6/17: Overnight Mykonos or Santorini??
Tues 6/18: Overnight Santorini
Weds 6/19: Overnight Santorini
Thurs 6/20: Overnight Santorini
Fri 6/21: Morning flight from Santorini to Athens arriving 12pm. Overnight Athens
Sat 6/22: Overnight Athens
Sun 6/23: Afternoon flight back to NYC

Based on this, do you think we should spend 3 nights in Mykonos and 3 in Santorini? Or do a 2/4 split? Ideally, we would love to find a morning ferry on 6/18 to get to Santorini early, since we have a early departure from Santorini on 6/21 and we want to spend enough time there. But so far, we have only seen afternoon and evening ferries from Mykonos to Santorini on the 17th and 18th. Is it still too early to have a full ferry schedule for June available? I have checked a few websites - based on the older posts - and only seen 3 or so ferries on both the 17th and 18th.

We were thinking of taking a later afternoon ferry into Santorini on the 17th, since it seems like Santorini has more things to do. But is two nights in Mykonos too little?

We still have to book hotels, so I would really appreciate some insight into this, especially the ferry schedules. Thank you in advance!

Heimdall

For the ferry from Mykonos to Santorini, what you see now is pretty much what you will get on 17/18 June. None of those ferries are based at Mykonos, so there are rarely morning departures. The only other possibility I can think of is Hellenic Seaways' FlyingCat 3, which may or may not operate between those two islands this year. Hellenic Seaways will probably announce its summer timetable sometime in April.

Personally I think your 3/3 split between Mykonos and Santorini is about right. You don't arrive on Mykonos until late on the 15th, so you won't be able to do much that day except go out in the evening. Try to take a day trip to Delos if you can, and it will have to be on Sunday, because the archaeological site is closed on Mondays. You can see the site in the morning and still get back to Mykonos for some beach time in the afternoon.

HappyTrvlr

Or maybe give the extra day to Mykonos for Delos trip. We stayed on Santorini four nights, too long.

Suzy_Q

Thanks HappyTrvlr, I was thinking that too. We want to experience the nightlife a bit, but nothing crazy, so we were initially hesitant to stay on Mykonos for too long.

Any information on whether the full ferry schedules are still coming for June, or if this is it?

Heimdall

<i>Any information on whether the full ferry schedules are still coming for June, or if this is it?</i>

See my first post. ;-)

Suzy_Q

Apologies Heimdall, I didn't scroll all the way up and missed your post!

Thanks for the information, that is exactly what I wanted to know. We looked into flying, but all the flights require a connection in Athens, which seems like a waste of time, and they were very expensive.

I think we'll stick to the 3/3 split then and try to book the earliest ferry out of Mykonos on the 18th. I'm looking at the 2:50pm ferry on SpeedJet. How is that company? Or am I better of taking the 5:35pm on the Flying Cat, which seems to have the better reviews from what I've seen?

How much in advance should I book the ferry?

Heimdall

Actually FlyingCat 4 is scheduled to leave only five minutes later, at 14:55, and arrives on Santorini early than Superjet. Superjet has a tendency to run late, because it makes more stops than FlyingCat 4. Between the two, opt for FlyingCat 4.

Don't rush into making a booking, at least until Hellenic Seaways' plans for FlyingCat 3 are known. Last summer it left Mykonos at 09:50, but Hellenic Seaways tends to change its itinerary from year-to-year. If you wish to prebook, you can wait until sometime in May, and the best website to use is http://www.hellenicseaways.gr/index.asp?a_id=209. Timetables for FlyingCat 4 are already there in Information > Routes and Timetables > Heraklion to Cyclades.

Heimdall

When you do book you will be given a reference number. Take that to the ferry agent on Mykonos where your paper tickets will be issued. This is normal practice, and there is no need (or advantage) to have the tickets mailed to you.

amer_can

Re: Delos trip.. Yes, do the tour, either with a guide or alone, in the morning..PM is super hot.. Hats and H2O are critical but the experience is well worth the effort!!

Suzy_Q

Heimdall, that was very helpful information. Thank you again! We'll look again in May and hope for an earlier time. But we'll stick to Hellenic, as we definitely don't want to deal with delays.

Since you seem to be an expert, one more logistical question for you. We are taking Delta to get to Athens, arriving at 4:20pm. And then we have a flight to Mykonos on Aegean at 6:45pm. Is that enough time to go through Greek customs, get out bags and re-check them for the domestic flight?

Amer_can, thanks to you too for the tip. Will it be quite hot in mid-June in Mykonos and Santorini? We're hoping to use the pool, even if the ocean will still be cold!

Heimdall

All the boats for Mykonos leave in the morning, at 9, 10, & 11 am. I like to take the 9 am boat, which gets you to Delos before the excursion boats and tour groups arrive. During that golden hour between 9 and 10 you have the island almost to yourself. You can take any boat back to Mykonos, the last one leaving about 3 pm. You will probably need only about 3-4 hours on the island, so if you get there at 9 am you can leave before it gets hot. Bone up with one of the guidebooks and it is easy to do it yourself. If you want more information than you will ever remember, take a tour. ;-)

Heimdall

We cross-posted. As long as your Delta flight is timely or no more than one hour late you will have plenty of time for the transfer. You can check in online with Aegean up to 48 hours in advance and print out your boarding passes. Then all you have to do is collect your bags, leave them at the Aegean dropoff point near the check-in desks and head for the departure gate.

If your first stop in Europe is in another Schengen country you will have already gone through passport control, but if not, the procedure is fairly quick at Athens Airport. Customs is simply walking through the green door, and from there it is 5 min walk upstairs to the check-in counters. Domestic departure gates are another 10 minutes walk, with security at the gate itself. Athens Airport is very efficient.

By mid-June the sea is warm enough for swimming, but not as warm as Florida or the Caribbean. I love swimming in the sea, because it is crystal clear and very clean.

Suzy_Q

Thanks again Heimdall. We're connecting in Amsterdam, and have almost a 2 hour stop there, so hopefully we're not delayed on that leg.

As long as it's around 80 degrees...I'll be happy!