GETTING TO MYKONOS ISLAND GREECE

 

Getting There By Plane -- Olympic Airways (tel. 210/966-6666 or 210/936-9111; www.olympic-airways.gr) has several flights daily (once daily in off season) between Mykonos and Athens, and one flight daily from Mykonos to Iraklion (Crete) and Santorini. Book flights in advance and reconfirm with Olympic in Athens or on Mykonos (tel. 22890/22-490 or 22890/22-237). The Mykonos office is near the south bus station; it's open Monday through Friday from 8am to 3:30pm. Travel agencies on the port sell Olympic tickets as well. Aegean Airlines (tel. 210/998-8300 or 210/998-2888; www.aegeanair.com) has initiated service to Mykonos, daily in summer. By Boat -- Mykonos now has two ports: the old port in Mykonos town, and the new port north of Mykonos town at Tourlos. Check before you travel to find out which port your boat will use. From Piraeus, Ventouris Lines (tel. 210/482-5815 or 210/482-8001) has departures at least once daily, usually at 8am, with a second on summer afternoons. From Rafina, Strintzis Lines has daily ferry service; schedules can be checked with the port police (tel. 22890/22-218). There are daily ferry connections between Mykonos and Andros, Paros, Syros, and Tinos; five to seven trips a week to Ios; four a week to Iraklio, Crete; several a week to Kos and Rhodes; and two a week to Ikaria, Samos, Skiathos, Skyros, and Thessaloniki. Hellas Flying Dolphins offers service from Piraeus (tel. 210/419-9100 or 210/419-9000; www.dolphins.gr) in summer. On Mykonos, your best bet for getting up-to-date lists of sailings is to check at individual agencies. Or you can check with the port authority by National Bank (tel. 22890/22-218), tourist police at the north end of the harbor (tel. 22890/22-482), or tourist office, also on the harbor (tel. 22890/23-990; fax 22890/22-229). Hydrofoil service to Crete, Ios, Paros, and Santorini is often irregular. For information, check at Piraeus Port Authority (tel. 210/451-1311 or 210/422-6000; phone seldom answered); Piraeus Port Police (tel. 210/451-1310); Rafina Port Police (tel. 22940/23-300), or Mykonos Port Police (tel. 22890/22-218). Warning: Check each travel agency's current schedule, because most ferry tickets are not interchangeable. Reputable agencies on the main square in Mykonos (Hora) town include Sunspots Travel (tel. 22890/24-196; fax 22890/23-790); Delia Travel (tel. 22890/22-490; fax 22890/24-440); Sea & Sky Travel (tel. 22890/22-853; fax 22890/24-753); and Veronis Agency (tel. 22890/22-687; fax 22890/23-763). Visitor Information Mykonos Accommodations Center, at the corner of Enoplon Dhinameon and Malamatenias (tel. 22890/23-160; www.mykonos-accommodation.com), helps visitors find accommodations. It also functions as a tourist information center. Windmills Travel (tel. 22890/23-877; www.windmills.gr) has an office at Fabrica Square where you can get general information, book accommodations, arrange excursions, and rent a car or moped. Look for the free Mykonos Summertime magazine, available in cafes, shops, and hotels throughout the island. Finding an Address--Although some shops hand out maps of Mykonos town, you'll probably do better finding restaurants, hotels, and attractions by asking people to point you in the right direction -- and saying efcharisto (thank you) when they do. Don't panic at how to pronounce efcharisto; think of it as a name and say "F. Harry Stowe." Most streets do not have their names posted. Also, maps leave off lots of small, twisting, streets -- and Mykonos has almost nothing but small, twisting, streets! The map published by Stamatis Bozinakis, sold at most kiosks for 2€ ($2.60), is quite decent. The useful Mykonos Sky Map is free at some hotels and shops.