Hostels for couples
 

I'm on a tight budget as I am a recent college grad and I am going to the Cyclades Islands this summer but am having a hard time finding hostels that have private rooms and a double bed for couples. It seems that most hostels are shares or only have twin beds. Any hostel/hotel/website suggestions for accommodation in Athens, Mykonos, Santorini and Paros or Milos?

What's your budget?

For the most part, hostels by their nature don't have single rooms with double beds. Those are called hotels and there are plenty of cheap rooms available in the islands. Yes, what's your budget?

And when exactly are you travelling? The best deals on rooms are when you arive at the port, but I wouldn't want to try that in August. You should be able to find a double room on Paros or Naxos for €20-30/night, twice that on Mykonos or Santorini.

I am traveling June 12-22 with my boyfriend and looking to spend about $20 each per night. Understandably some islands will be more expensive than others, but hotels seem to be around $100 a night and I can't find hostels with private rooms

You probably won't find very many hotels online for two people for $40 in June, but what will be available to you in June is for you to arrive without a reservation and deal with the touts that meet the ferries on the islands.

On Santorini check Villa Manos, Villa Fotini, Summertime Pension, Casa Francesca and Anemomilos Villa.

On Paros check Alexandra's Rooms.

Also (in Europe) anything listed as a 'double bed' is most likely two twin beds shoved together. Nothing to stop you from doing that yourself.

Brotherleelove is correct. The small family-run domatia (rooms for rent) with the lowest prices don't advertise on the internet, so you will never even hear about them until you get to the island. Those that do advertise on the internet list the full price of the room - if you book at that price, you are paying over the odds.

Except for Mykonos and Santorini, you should have no trouble finding a double room for around €30/night, which is about US$40 at the current exchange rate. There is plenty of spare capacity in mid-June, so the room owners will be falling all over themselves to get your business. Ask the price for one night, then negotiate a reduction for a longer stay.

In Athens, you might try the Student and Travellers Inn, which is in the Plaka district. http://studenttravellersinn.com/index.html

Thank you- all of this information is very helpful. I am deciding between going to Paros and going to Sifnos in between Santorini and Mykonos. Any suggestions on which island between Paros and Sifnos you would recommend? Just looking for nice beaches/scenery and something less touristy but still fun and relaxing.

I think which island will deplend on which ferries you can get ... Paros has daily ferries, Sifnos you have to inquire ... Sifnos is less touristy ... Both have good beaches ... in Paros it's easier to reach them if you rent a 4-wheeler or scooters. Sifnos u can manage with local busss.

<i>I am traveling June 12-22...</i>

That's 10 days by my math, and presumably you want to spend at least two of them in Athens. That leaves about a week for the islands. You can comfortably visit two islands in a week, three (at a stretch) if they are all on the same ferry route.

Sifnos is on a different ferry route from the others, and you would have difficulty combining it with Mykonos and Santorini without going through a fourth island (e.g. Paros), so I would eliminate it straight away. The other factor is your tight budget, and with Mykonos and Santorini you have picked the two most expensive islands in Greece.

Mykonos, Paros, Ios, and Santorini are all on the same highspeed ferry (FlyingCat 4) route, so a combination of two or three of those would make the most sense.

Without knowing your priorities, it's impossible to make a recommendation. If beaches/partying, Ios would be a good substitute for Mykonos - at half the price. Paros is also cheaper, and has an excellent bus system - you don't need a scooter or car unless you want to spend your whole time sightseeing. Base yourself on the east coast around Pounda Beach or Drios for the best beaches, or Parikia for the best bus connections. If you want to see what goes on at Pounda, look it up on YouTube. ;-)