Using a car hire in Mykonos is the easiest way to get around and as the town is so small you could travel the entire island in a day if that was what you wanted. Don't let the size of the island fool you though, there is still plenty to see and do there are plenty of activities which you can spend the full day enjoying and really make the most of a full holiday in this unique little town.Known for stunning beach's, wildy beautiful views and a lively nightlife. There really is so much to experience and Auto Europe can be the one to help you explore. With great rates and plenty of locations to choose from. Mykonos makes for the idyllic destination and could be the perfect start to your adventure, described by many as Europes adult playground. You may even want to travel onto places such as Santorini or Athens for more exploring around the beautiful country of Greece. Check out what kind of experience other Auto Europe customers had on the island by reading the ratings and comments they posted on our Mykonos car hire reviews page.
There is little to no traffic in the centre of Mykonos as vehicles are not allowed into the centre other than taxis and this is only as far as the harbor front. As the centre is only small this doesn’t cause issues as it’s easy to travel the centre on foot. There is little traffic in the rest of the town as car transport isn’t extremely popular, the locals tend to use motorbikes or bicycles to get around which frees up the traffic on the roads. If you are looking to avoid traffic, there are many public transport options and travelling on foot is also recommended as Mykonos is only a small town you could hop on public transport and travel your destinations on foot. For more information on driving in Mykonos please see our Driving in Greece information page.
There are several areas to park your car rental in Mykonos, please refer to the following list. If these are not appropriate there are also many areas to park just outside of Mykonos town. As it is only a small town this shouldn’t cause you too many problems. Or alternatively check whether your hotel has parking in the area.
Mykonos airport is located around a 10 minute drive from the centre of town. The airport runs services to and from numerous international destinations but its journeys are mostly seasonal. The airport has been operating since 1971 but has recently undergone an expansion and upgrade project.
Mykonos International Airport (JMK)
Website: www.jmk-airport.gr
Address: Mykonos Airport, Mikonos 846 00, Greece
Phone: +30 22890-25635, 26492
Fax:+ 30 22890-27489
Email: info@mykonos-airport.org
Airlines operating at Mykonos airport: Aegan Airlines, Alitalia, Arkia, Astra Airlines, Atlas Global, Austrian Airlines, Bluebird Airways, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Condor, Easyjet, Easyjet Switzerland, Edelweiss Air, Ellinair, Eurowings, Iberia Express, Laudamotion, Middle East Airlines, Neos, Olympic Air, Qatar Airways, Ryanair, Scandanavian Airlines, Sky Express, Swiss International Air Lines, Thomas Cook Airlines, Transavia, Transavia France, TUi Fly Belgium, Volotea, Vueling.
You would be mistaken if you thought that because Mykonos is a small island that there wouldnt be much to do. The city is packed with things to do and see for all including:
There are plenty of little trips you can take your car hire in Mykonos to. You could even take a trip on to Athens while in Greece. Alternatively some of the most popular trips on the island are:
Little Venice
Little Venice is a stunning little neighbourhood with beautiful old houses along the edge of the sea not far from the famous windmills. With stunning 18th century fishing houses hanging over the sea, which are now popular restaurants, bars and shops, it truly is a picturesque town. These houses are what derived the name “Little Venice” as it is built right along the waterfront you can see the similarities between the beautiful Italian city. Although the mornings can be quite quiet and tranquil by afternoon you will struggle to find a seat in the restaurants, this becomes even busier around sunset due to the pulsing nightlife and brilliant sunset view. Party animals are known to come to Little Venice for the bars and entertainment and stay well into the early hours.It truly is easy to fall in love with Little Venice and an unmissable trip.
Mykonos Windmills
The windmills operated on most of the Cycladic islands from the 16th century to as far as the late 19th century. They were created to make the most of the high winds in the area to make flour to be sold to local bakeries. The windmills are representative of some of the most historic manufacturing units in Greece. They can be seen from all areas of the island and are iconic in Mykonos. There are currently 16 preserved windmills which can be seen from all areas of the island, 7 of which are in the area of Kato Milli standing in a row. Two of these can be visited including Geronymos Mill and Bonis Mill. From the windmills you can also get great views of Mykonos town old harbour and Little Venice.
Armenistis Lighthouse
The lighthouse is around the northwest part of the island above Homonymous cape. It was built 1891 following a ship wreck where 11 members of the crew were lost. The mechanism used to create the light was running until 1983, the mechanism was then replaced by electricity but the original machinery at the Aegan Maritime Museum. The site has stunning beauty and offers full view of Tinos and the Aegean sea, its great for a romantic picnic, view the wildflowers or to watch the ships pass on their way to the harbour.
Mykonos is a rather small island being only 90sqkm overall. It is the smallest of a group of islands known as the Cyclades. The island is situated 150km east of Athens and is in the centre of the Aegean sea. The island elevates to around 341km at its highest point. There are no rivers to be found in Mykonos but there are however 2 artificial lakes which were created from streams, which is where the island sources water. Daily it produces around 4,500 cubic metres of water, which is done by reverse osmosis of the sea water. The island is home to around 12,500 permanent settlers but can become quite busy during the summer due to tourists. In ancient times the soil of the island was known for granite rocks, it was said that in Greek mythology that during the battle of the gods and the giants, Hercules killed the giants and buried them under these rocks.
Greek mythology also states that the island was named after the local hero Mykons, who was considered to be a son or grandson of the god Apollo. The first inhabitants of the island were the Cares dating back to around 3,000 BC, succeeded by many others. However the Lonians were the first to properly settle in the early 11th century. During the Roman Empire the Romans took the island and used it to form part of the great Byzantine Empire, until the 12th century. In around 1204 Myknos was occupied by the Ghizi overlord, the Catalans then ransacked the island in around 1292. The land was then given to the venetians in around 1390. The island was then attacked in around 1537 by the Barbossa and the Ottomans then arrived on the island. The governors and councils then tried to keep a balance between both the Venetians and the Ottomans, until the castle of Tinos fell into the hands of the Ottomans. The last of the Venetians then withdrew in 1718. Mykonos then formed part of the free Greek state since 1830 after the Greek Revolution. Economy on the island then proceeded to decline in the late 19th century due to events such as the opening of Corinth Canal and also World War 1. This pushed inhabitants of the island to search for work in mainland Greece rather than Mykonos. Tourism then became the answer to the economy issues.
There are many ways to travel around the island of Mykonos and as it is such a small island it makes it much easier to take either public transport or make your own way around.
Car Rental
To rent a car in Mykonos would be the most recommended way of transport as getting taxis in the town can be difficult. Cars are not allowed in the centre of town, but as this is only small it wouldn’t be an issue to park your vehicle and explore the town on foot. Prices for car rental increase during high season. You can find rental companies at the aiport but there are also several others across the island, more so close to the ports and bus stations.
Taxi
Taxis can be found in places such as bus stations and ports, but waits can be longer during the summer season. As it is only a small town taxis are fewer so please be sure to book in advance when possible.
Bus
Bus can be the cheapest way to travel the city, there are 2 main bus stations which service the tourist areas as well as popular villages and beaches. There are also pick ups at the old and new ports. In summer the buses run to popular beach spot Paradise Beach also. The buses are less frequent when not in high season so please be sure to check the latest bus times available as they also change slightly every few weeks.
Boat
Mykonos Cruises offer sea taxi services between the islands most popular beaches. Departure from Platys Gialos takes you between other beaches such as Ornos, Paraga, Paradise, Super Paradise, Agari and Elia. Return trips working out relatively cheap at a maximum of 7 euros. There is also a sea bus which runs hourly between the New Port and Hora.
Motorbike
Locals generally use bikes or scooters as this is the easiest way to travel the city. It allows you to get around the more remote parts of the island and also allows you to avoid heavy traffic. Also as Mykonos is only a very small city bikes can get your around the city in one day and are cheap to rent. Please be sure to book your vehicle in advance so as not to be disappointed.