Mykonos- 8 Things I’m Going to do Differently This Time
HELLO BEAUTIFUL HUMANS! So happy to be back here with y’all as the traveling kicks back up for me! I am so excited for this next adventure… Mykonos Season 2! hahah If you’ve been following along on my Instagram or TikTok accounts, you might remember when I spontaneously booked a one way ticket to Mykonos, Greece BY MYSELF only 5 days before leaving the country. (such an Annie thing to do, right?) Well, that trip actually kindled the flame for this next visit! Except this time, I will be on the beautiful island of Mykonos for a much longer stay. So, for anyone who is looking to vacay or visit Mykonos, I hope my “lessons learned” can help make your trip even better!
Things i would do differently:
Fly into Athens, not Mykonos directly, and then take a ferry to Mykonos. I actually did do this last year, but its the first tip in booking your trip that you might not think of if you’ve never been to the area. If you fly into the Athens International Airport, the nearest port is Rafina port and you can take a bus to the port straight from the airport. The other port (Pireas Port) is on the other side of the peninsula and takes about 45 minutes to get to versus the 20 minutes it takes to get to Rafina port. So be sure you book your ferry out of the correct port! By flying into Athens and ferrying to Mykonos, you’ll save a few hundred dollars to a thousand at minimum.
Do not book any excursions or ferry’s on separate islands beforehand- i actually lost a lot of money doing this because a lot of those things are non-refundable. it’s a tricky game to play because you have to book ferry’s in advance before they book up. Last year I had booked ferry tickets to other islands and a few excursions on those islands all at the same time as booking my initial flight, but ended up not wanting to leave Mykonos. So, if you have a hard-pressed schedule you want to stick to, booking days in advance might actually be the best route. But, if you’re on the same kind of vibe as I was (and will be this time as well) and want to be more “spontaneous” and “go with the flow” then I suggest waiting to book until 24-48 hours before. i ended up paying for 4 ferry’s that i never went on (which adds up to about 320€ ~$380).
* Side note: I am noticing that things are booking up A LOT faster this summer, so it might be beneficial to book a little further in advance, especially if you have a group or are traveling with more than just yourself.
*I used Ferry Scanner or the Ferry Hopper App to book my ferries, but there are a bunch of reputable sites as well.
3. Pack less, buy more while there- next time i’m straight up traveling with my toiletries and makeup, and then just 1 pair of shoes, 2 dresses, 1 shorts, 1-2 swim suits, a cover up, and 1-2 shirts (plus 1 strapless bra and however many pairs of underwear i need). i would pack one bag inside my backpack so on the way back i’d have something to put my purchased things in. i wish i bought more clothes while i was there but i couldn’t because i didn’t have anywhere to put it. depends on your preference ofcourse, but i loooove coming back with clothes from other countries because then i wear it in the future and am reminded of my trip:)
4. Rent a moped, scooter or ATV- so to get anywhere, you need either pre-arranged taxis, transfers (aka company drivers) or a moped or ATV. There are no Ubers or ride share apps here that are reliable or safe, so if you want dependable transportation, the cheapest way to do it is through renting a vehicle! The roads are WIIILD here but tbh it’s a good investment to rent a moped or a 4 wheeler for your stay. There’s a 10 min “certification test” you have to take to get your liscense but then you’re good to go!!! i spent so much on taxis and transfers… it’s regrettable hahaha but aye. now i know.
5. Stay in hostle most of the time- so i stayed in an EPIC hotel, Votsalaki Resort, and after night one i was IN LOVE. I got lucky by visiting a bumpin hostle on the beach one day (Paraga Beach Host) which is how i met a handful of friends who i hungout with the rest of the week… buuut if i were to do it again, i would just do the hostle game for the whole time. What i paid for ONE NIGHT is what you could get 10 nights at the hostle for…. lol. sooooo ya. if you’re trying to be on a budget, this is KEY! Solo travelers are staying in hostels most of the time, and families/couples stay in hotels. so depending what you wanna get out of your trip!! If you want to meet people and have an adventure… hostels all the way!
*For this trip, I will be working with a few luxury hotels and resorts throughout my stay, but other than that, we will be finding hostels! PS similar to what I said earlier, things are booking up REALLY fast this summer, so get on your accommodation bookings ASAP!
6. Reach out to hotels/resorts earlier to potential discounts- OKAYYY listen up… the age of “micro influencing” is here, my friends. If you are someone who is even semi-comfortable posting on social media and sharing things/products/experiences that you personally have/love, I would highly recommend that you try this! SHOOT YO SHOT, FRIEND! And this goes for more than just hotel bookings! For instance, if you’re booking a trip and know you’ll be doing a little shopping beforehand, reach out to local boutiques near you or smaller stores and let them know your situation! If you’ve never reached out to brands for discounts or freebies and need help with this, I have a free email template HERE (Collab Email Template) you can use to help you get the wording right!! ◡̈
7. Here’s one that I am GLAD I did last year, and I will certainly do again: MAKE CONNECTIONS. Meet people! Don’t be shy. This is one of my favorite things about traveling; the friendships you make. I find that it is easier to get out of your bubble when i’m traveling alone, because you don’t have a guaranteed “safe space.” But, this is still so possible and so rewarding to do even if you’re with a group! The connections I made past year while in Greece are ones ill keep forever! (literally I got a matching tattoo with one of the girls I met while I was there and I will always cherish that!) Not only that, but you never know who’s sitting next to you at the pool unless you ask! There are connections and friends to be made all around you while traveling, so take advantage of that!
8. Stay longer- this is a no brainer. Buuuut in all honesty, in order to get the most out of greece and experience multiple islands, a trip longer than 10 days would have been necessary! I spent the entire time in mykonos because there was sooo much to do and so much to experience and i didn’t want to half ass 2 islands just to get to 2 islands.. i wanted the full experience! I definitely got the full mykonos experience, so no regrets there!!!
* Definitely will be going for longer this time! From mid July to probably the end of September or so! WOO! I cannot wait to see what this experience has to offer!
I hope this helps! Stay tuned for my Mykonos Recommendation post that will be coming soon!
CHEERS FRIENDS, happy traveling!
