Greek islands (Santorini / Mykonos) help
 

Hi everyone,

My wife and I are planning to visit the Greek islands (first time) and are trying to figure out logistics and any hotel recommendations. We will be flying into Santorini from Rome and then a few nights later heading to Mykonos from Santorini.

1. Does anyone have any good hotel recommendations in Santorini and / or Mykonos?
2. We've been trying to figure out how to get from Santorini to Mykonos. Based on our research, we've determined the best route is a 2.5 hr ferry but we're confused what port the ferry leaves at in Santorini and arrives at in Mykonos. I've seen references to the Santorini port as Thira, Fira, and Athinios. On Let's Ferry when I look to book it says "From: Thira - Santorini (JTR)" "To: Mykonos (JMK)", which isn't that clear to me.

Any help on the logistics and hotel accommodations would be greatly appreciated!!

For accurate suggestions pertaining to hotels please tell us what your travel dates will be, what your maximum daily room budget is in EURO, where on each island you prefer to stay and what sort of amenities/facilites/services you require at your hotel. Otherwise it's just a wild guess. For example, Santorini's accomodations range from €25-2000/night!

Santorini has 2 names. The 2nd one is Thira. Fira is the name of the largest village where all the social/commercial activity is centered. Athinios is the name of the ferry port. The Old Port, or Skala, is reserved for arriving Cruise Ship passengers. JTR and JMK are the acronyms for the airports on these islands, not the islands themselves nor the ferry ports.

Arriving at the ferry port there will be a bus waiting that will take you into Fira, and from there you can take another bus to your village of choice. Or you can have your hotel book you a seat with a shuttle van service. Or you can take a taxi. The most a taxi will cost, depending on where you are going, is around €30.

For accurate suggestions pertaining to hotels please tell us what your travel dates will be, what your maximum daily room budget is in EURO, where on each island you prefer to stay and what sort of amenities/facilities/services you require at your hotel. Otherwise it's just a wild guess. For example, Santorini's accommodations range from €25-2000/night!

Santorini has 2 names. The 2nd one is Thira. Fira is the name of the largest village where all the social/commercial activity is centered. Athinios is the name of the ferry port. The Old Port, or Skala, is reserved for arriving Cruise Ship passengers. JTR and JMK are the acronyms for the airports on these islands, not the islands themselves nor the ferry ports.

Arriving at the ferry port there will be a bus waiting that will take you into Fira, and from there you can take another bus to your village of choice. Or you can have your hotel book you a seat with a shuttle van service. Or you can take a taxi. The most a taxi will cost, depending on where you are going, is around €30.

Almost all the ferries to Mykonos arrive at Tourlos, the new port. The only exceptions are the small passenger-only catamarans, which are best avoided anyway, especially when seas are rough. The passenger-only ferries land at the old port, which is nearer the center of Mykonos Town, but the two ports are only about 1½ miles apart, connected by taxis, buses, and the SeaBus water taxi.

The passenger-only catamarans I know of operating on the Santorini - Mykonos route this summer are SeaJet 2 and Sifnos Jet, the latter a recently acquired ferry by Sea Jets Consortium. It's possible Superjet and/or FlyingCat 4, also passenger-only catamarans, may be on that route this summer, but so far I don't see them on the timetables. The larger Sea Jets ferries, e.g. Champion Jet are car ferries, and smoother sailing. There are rumours that a large conventional ferry will be on that route for the first time this summer.

Thank you for your replies! Our budget is around 250 Euros per night. We will be traveling the last two weeks of September 2018 and will be staying in Santorini for 3-4 nights and then Mykonos for 3-4 nights . To be honest, where on the islands to stay is one of the things we were hoping to get advice on. We are looking for somewhere where we can relax with great views of the scenery, volcano, sunset, etc. but also somewhere that is accessible and close to the beach, good restaurants, etc. The Greek islands will be the last leg of our trip to Europe and we were hoping it would be the most relaxing.

We stayed at Petasos beach resort in Mykonos. Great hotel with many restaurants in walking distance and the bus to town across the street from the hotel. We stayed at Cliffside suites in Firostefani. A great area on the caldera

The beaches are on the other side of the island away from the cliffs with a view of the caldera and volcano. You'll have to choose one over the other. Use the filter system at www.booking.com to search village by village for a hotel in your price range that offers the services/facilities/amenities you require. There are lots of reviews there and you can find more on the Trip Advisor website. I'm not sure what €250 buys you next September but if you want the caldera view your best options are Firostefani and Imerovigli.

Many people choose Santorini for the views, and Mykonos for the beaches. By late September nightlife will be winding down on both islands.

It's a little easier to decide where to stay on Mykonos, because the best beaches are near Mykonos Town, with good bus service to them. From Fabrikia Square there are frequent buses to Agios Ioannis, Paradise, and several other beaches, so you can choose which one to visit each day. If you want to stay out late it would be better to find a hotel in town where you can walk almost everywhere. Sorry, I can't help with hotels on Mykonos, because I just grab one from a room renter when I arrive at Tourlos port.

We had a wonderful time at the Hotel Rochari in Mykonos and Hotel Afroessa in Imerovigli, Santorini (a wonderful location to stay, in my book), both of which I'd have no hesitation to recommend and likely within your stated budget (as I recall from our visit few years ago)

We also enjoyed staying at Petassos Beach Resort in Mykonos. Buses to town left from there frequently. We saw no party scene and the other guests were from Northern Europe and Greece.We enjoyed Mykonos.
We stayed in Oia on Santorini and disliked the whole over over touristed experience, including Esperas Hotel. All guests at the hotel were from the US.
But we have much preferred the islands of Crete, Paros, Naxos, Syros, and Rhodes over Mykonos and Santorini. ( not all on same trip.)

Thank you all for your advice and responses! This has been very helpful.

Would anyone happen to have experience taking the ferry in Santorini / Mykonos. We’d be looking to go from Santorini to Mykonos and then from Mykonos to Athens. The quickest way seems to be using SeaJet. Has anyone used before? Is this reliable? Also, how difficult is it to retrieve your tickets? (Online it says you must pickup at the port unless you want to pay a very hefty mail fee)

It's very simple to pick up ferry tickets with the reference number you are given when you prebook tickets online. It's even simpler to just buy the tickets over the counter when you are on the island. In either case you will have to go to an island ticket agency. Buying the tickets over the counter takes only minutes, and you will be given the latest ferry and weather conditions to help you make a choice.

Hello,

In Mykonos I stayed at Almyra Guest Houses, modern and relaxing vibes. Sea view as well. Spend 4 days there, it was great! ;) In Santorini check out Villa Galinia in Akrotiri and Nissos Thira in Fira. I've been to both but didn't have the chance to stay much, only 1 night at each one. Hadn't booked early and it was very difficult to find a room during high season :/ It ruined Santorini for me a bit. Make sure to book your accommodation months before arrival. About the ferry tickets there are some companies that offer e-tickets, so you don't have to go and get the printed version. You save time in the morning before departure and frankly you don't have to worry about losing your ticket. Since you are going both to Mykonos and Santorini you might like to check this pass offered by Hellenic Seaways ferries. Island hopping around the Cyclades is a bliss, you might as well add some other destinations in your itinerary -if you got plenty of days. Have a great time!

You don't need to wait until the morning of departure to pick up ferry tickets. I normally buy them a day or two ahead, and there is no danger doing that in the last two weeks of September when none of the ferries are full. Sea Jets is a good choice for Santorini - Mykonos as long as you avoid SeaJet2 and Superjet.

When travelling from Mykonos to Athens you have a choice of two ports: Rafina or Piraeus. Rafina is better if you are going to the airport, while Piraeus is closer to central Athens. I prefer a large conventional ferry over a highspeed, even when it takes a little longer to get there.

I prefer the large conventional ferry over a highspeed as well. haven't used a Sea Jet before. I've been on a Flying Cat though... and I don't want to repeat that experience... I took that one to get to Amorgos because it was a bit far away from Piraeus. It was like flying above the waves literally. Felt seek from the moment we entered. So, that kind of ferry is a no-no for me. I love being able to get out on the deck and gaze at the Aegean Sea. Last time I did another big trip to Astypalaia, booked a cabin to sleep for some hours at night, I liked it better. Got to see other island ports before arrival as well... Plus I got some of the best pics while passing by :)