How to get to Milos: ferry or flight, and when each one wins

Milos sits in the south west Cyclades and is one of the easier islands in the group to reach, because it has both a fast boat and an airport. That is unusual for an island of this size. So the question is not really whether you can get there. It is which way suits the dates you are travelling, and the honest answer changes between July and October.

The high speed ferry from Piraeus

About two hours forty minutes. That is the quickest arrival by sea and the one most people have in mind when they picture getting to the Cyclades. Piraeus is Athens' main port and a straightforward ride from the city, so a morning sailing has you on the island with the afternoon still ahead of you.

The conventional ferry, and why we sometimes prefer it

Roughly four to seven hours, depending on the operator and how many islands the boat calls at on the way. It is cheaper, and it is steadier in wind, which is the part people underestimate. When the forecast turns it is the boat we book, because a slower crossing in a big hull is a great deal more pleasant than a fast one in a swell.

Flying from Athens

About forty minutes. Olympic Air, Aegean and Sky Express all serve the route, and in the week we checked there were 106 flights, which is a lot of capacity for an island of this size. It is the option people tend to forget Milos has, and on a short trip it can hand you most of a day back.

Which one to book

On a trip of four nights or more in high summer, the fast ferry is usually the better arrival. You see the islands on the way in, the timings are generous, and the crossing is part of the holiday rather than a transfer. On three nights, or when you are joining Milos onto the end of a longer trip, the flight earns its cost in hours.

The ends of the season change the answer

This is the part worth planning around. As the season winds down the fast boats thin out, and the schedule that looked generous in August gets sparse by late October. The plane is still there. If you are travelling in the shoulder months, check the flights before you commit to the dates, not after.

Timetables move with the season and the operator, so we check live schedules for your dates rather than working from last year's. We book the boats as part of the trip. Flights are yours to book, and once you have them we will tell you which sailing to aim for and how the day fits together.