There are basically 2 ways to get from Athens to Milos: by ferry or by plane. I am explaining below which one is the best and most efficient method, depending on your situation and how much time and money you want to spend.
I truly believe that the absolute Best Way to get from Athens to Milos is by taking the fast ferry.
Here are the 3 options you have basically:
| How Long It Takes | Cost* | |
| Ferry (FAST) (from Piraeus port) | 2.5 to 3.5 hours | 75 euros |
| Ferry (SLOW) (from Rafina port) | 7 hours | 48 euros |
| Flight (from Athens Intl. Airport) | 40 minutes | 100 to 250 euros |
There are several ferries per day from Athens to Milos that take from 2.5 to 7 hours (depending on which ferry you choose), and they all depart from Piraeus port. Riding the ferry in Greece is a relatively quick and easy way to travel to the island compared to the check-in process at the airport, in my opinion. As a rule of thumb, if the ferry to a Greek island takes more than 5 hours, then it’s better if you fly to the island.
You can always search directly from here the available ferries to Milos:
- Ferryhopper is the largest and most safe website in Greece to book your ferry tickets from Athens to Milos, but you can also use it just for checking timetables and prices between Athens and all greek islands.
- Booking.com Flights has all the available options for flights from Athens to Milos (MLO is Milos’s airport code) with all possible airlines (Aegean, Olympic, Sky Express)
Get my secrets for Greece and Santorini in your email!
READ ALSO
Best Hotels in Milos
Best Beaches in Milos
Santorini to Milos Ferries
Best Greek Islands Near Athens
Best Greek Island Tours from Athens
Obviously, all the things that are in this post also apply to the return trip from Milos to Athens.
Keep reading…
ATHENS TO MILOS TIPS:
- Best way To get From Athens to Milos: By the fast Ferry (2.5 hours) because it’s simply faster and cheaper than flying; the flight is still worth checking as it’s roughly 40 minutes but you need to consider the check-in process that can take more than 1.5 hours in Athens Airport
- Best Website for Ferry Prices & Timetables: Ferryhopper
- Athens has only 1 port with ferries to Milos: Piraeus (or Pireas – PIR). Piraeus is the only port with ferry options to Milos but Rafina could be added any time so check on Ferryhopper
- The ferry port for Milos in Piraeus Port is E7 (on Google Maps)
(but always check your ticket as this may change)
- Between April-October there can be more than 4 ferries a day from Athens to Milos (from Piraeus Port) ; there are far fewer ferry options in the winter (November-March)
- How long is the ferry ride from Athens to Milos: it varies from 2.5 hours (the fast ferry is usually a Seajet ferry) to 7 hours; the same obviously applies to the ferry from Milos to Athens
- How much does it cost to take a ferry from Athens to Milos: it obviously changes every year but in general, it can cost from 48 euros to 80 euros per person
- You must book your ferry online and you can then enter the ferry with the barcode that will be on the email that will be sent to you. This will be clearly written on the email you will receive from Ferryhopper and it is now the system that most ferry companies use BUT some smaller companies may ask you to get a printout from a kiosk that is outside of the ferry and it is this print out that will allow you to enter the ferry. As a rule of thumb, if your ticket you got through email from Ferryhopper has a barcode then you can enter the ferry directly.
- How long is the flight from Athens to Milos: the flight is around 40 minutes long, and checking in is usually quick but you have to be 2 hours in advance to the airport, as with any flight in the world.
- Best Way to go from Athens Airport to Athens main ferry port (Piraeus) to take any ferry is by taking the Athens Airport Bus X96 (X96 Bus Route – X96 Bus runs every 20-30 mins) – X96 Bus ticket costs 6 euros (adult) and 3 euros (kids) or buy an ATH.ENA Card
- Direct International Flights to Milos: there are no international flights to Milos as the airport serves only domestic flights to and from Athens
- The Best Airline to fly from Athens to Milos is Aegean Airlines (Check flights on Booking.com Flights)
- Strikes in Greece: strikes can happen anytime in Greece and for any means of public transportation within short notice; usually, they may happen on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays; yes, they may mess up your trip but they are necessary for the hard-working people of Greece so that they can have decent salaries and benefits for their lives. So, get over it and try to find some alternatives for your trip (a taxi is usually the best option).
- Strong Winds – Ferries Cancellations: in case there are strong winds (which can be pretty common in August in Greece), then the Greek Port Authorities may stop all ferries from departing, so bear in mind this is also a possibility that can mess up your trip; as an average there might be 4-5 days during the summer months that this can happen so get prepared
- Business Seats on Ferries in Greece: in my opinion, they are not worth the extra money as you only get a bit more space and a slightly quiet area to sit but even the standard seats are very spacious
- The Ferry Schedule for all greek islands is announced only 2-3 months before the actual trips, so if you cannot find any scheduled ferries for your trip 3 years from now, please check again 2 months before your actual trip.
Ok, so let’s see all the available options from Athens to Milos (that also apply to the return trip Milos to Athens):
Athens to Milos Ferry Schedule
The Ferry Schedule from Athens to Milos is only announced a few months before the actual dates of the trips, which means that the times for the busy summer months of May, June, July, August and September are only announced around February or March of the same year.
However, there are not that many changes usually as there are ferries that depart sometime in the morning and go through several islands.
Here is an Example of a Ferry Schedule from Athens to Milos in September from Ferryhopper:
This is just an example of a ferry schedule though!
For the latest Ferry schedule, always check on Ferryhopper.
The winter ferry schedule is less frequent, with probably 1 ferry a day.
BLUE STAR FERRIES
Bluestar Ferries cannot actually take you to Milos (but this may change so always check Ferryhopper for the latest schedules)
No matter how bumpy or windy it is, you won’t feel much on Bluestar Ferries, but in case there are strong winds the Greek Port Authorities may not allow any ferries to depart, for safety reasons.
Almost all ferries from Athens to Milos, visit other islands before they arrive at Milos, which can give you a very good glimpse of some other greek islands too before they arrive at their destination. You don’t get to see much but it’s nice to feel like you are on a small cruise!
The best way to check for the available Blue Star Ferry times schedule is to visit the Ferryhopper website.
They run all 365 days per year but they don’t operate to Milos, unfortunately.
Check the exact timetables on Ferryhopper.
BE CAREFUL THOUGH:
As long as the email you receive from Ferryhopper has a barcode on it, you will be fine to enter the ferry with these ones. It will be very clear on the email you will receive from them, though. Otherwise, you will get instructions on how to get the printout ticket as some smaller ferry companies don’t have a barcode system on their tickets (very old-fashioned indeed…). This is not a problem however and all you have to do is to go to a kiosk outside of the ferry itself and people there will print out the ticket for you. Ferryhopper will give you instructions on where to go exactly.
How much the Blue Star Ferry ticket cost?
For the latest prices always check the Ferryhopper website.
FLIGHTS TO MILOS
The best and cheapest website to book or search for flights to Milos is Booking.com Flights, as it has all the available options. There are usually 2-3 flights per day from Athens to Milos in the high season.
A few useful info to have in mind when booking your flight to Milos:
- Milos Aiport on Google Maps
- Athens Airport Code is : ATH (Athens)
- Milos Airport Code is: MLO
- Every plane that lands on Milos, takes off after 40 minutes to fly back to Athens.
- The exact times of the flights change and they are not the same throughout the year, so make sure you get the right times from Booking.com Flights as it will give you all the available flights immediately.
- There are more flights from Athens to Milos between April – October (high season)
- If you book your tickets well in advance (6 months) you could probably find some very good deals with return tickets.
- The cost of the flight from Athens to Milos may come up to 250 euros during the high season (April-October)
The airlines that fly from Athens to Milos (April-October) are:
- Aegean Airlines (Olympic Air is basically the same airline with different brand name)
- Sky Express
There are no direct international flights to Milos as its airport cannot accommodate those.
The only flights that it serves are to and from Athens only.
In my honest opinion, it’s not worth flying to Milos and you should only choose it instead of the ferry, if you get sea sickness. The time you will spend going to the Athens airport (2 hours in advance) and the whole check in process, is not worth it in my opinion. The fast ferries only get 2.5 hours to get to Milos and they are much hassle free than taking a flight.
HOW TO GET FROM ATHENS AIRPORT TO PIRAEUS PORT
The easiest and cheapest option to get to Athens ferry port called Piraeus is by taking the bus X96 that stops just outside of the Athens airport.
X96 bus takes between 50 mins to 80 mins (depending on the traffic) to go to the Athens ferry port (Piraeus) and the X96 bus route to Piraeus ferry port is the following:
This is how to get from the Athens Aiport Exit to the X96 and X95 bus stops just outside of the airport:
Milos Ferries depart from E9 Port Gate so you have to stop at the bus station which is called: STATION ISAP (this is also a metro station).
Or in greek : ΣΤΑΘΜΟΣ ΗΣΑΠ
In case you feel lost you can just ask the bus driver (they always speak english if you speak with a very clear accent like an italian mafioso in a away… ????)
But in reality you will find some brand new GPS screens showing you where you actually are:
The X96 bus runs 24/7 and there is a bus every 30 mins roughly (in Greece time runs in a very strange way…so never expect something to be on time…that’s just a small tip from greeks…you’d better get used to that unfortunately).
But there is a X96 bus every 20-30 minutes, so there will be one for you too!
For the X96 bus, you have to buy tickets from a kiosk which is just outside of the bus stop (and also just outside of the airport, just follow the “Bus” signs in the airport).
For adults the Athens bus ticket (called “ATH.ENA) costs 6 euros and for kids (under 6) it costs 3 euros.
You can also take a taxi from the Athens airport to the Piraeus Ferry port which costs 50-60 euros but it’s really not recommended because it’s not worth it in my opinion…
The X96 bus is pretty fast and it costs only 6 euros!
Also, BE CAREFUL:
Sometimes the X96 Athens Airport Buses say: “AEROLIMENAS-PEIRAIAS”
Don’t get confused.
This is a greek version of saying: “Airport – Pireaus” , so it’s the same really…
HOW TO GET FROM ATHENS AIRPORT TO CENTRAL ATHENS
To go from Athens Airport to Syntagma Square (the most central point in Athens), you have to take either the metro from the airport (it’s actually overground for some stations and then it goes underground) or the bus X95 which will take you to Syntagma Square within 30-40 mins.
The X95 bus stop is next to the X96 bus stop and the tickets are exactly the same and are sold from the same kiosk.
This is Bus X95 route (from Athens airport to Syntagma square – central Athens):
You can also take the metro line 3 to get to Syntagma Square from the Athens Airport.
Check on this link the timetables for Athens metro lines
These are the timetables of Athens Metro Line 3 to and from the Airport (there is a train every 36 minutes):
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How long is the ferry ride from Athens to Milos?
The ferry ride to Milos is usually around 3 hours with the fast ferry (Seajet) but it can also be up to 7.5 hours with the slower but cheaper ferry (Aegean Sea Lines).
What is the best way to travel from Athens to Milos?
The best way to travel from Athens to Milos is by the fast ferry (normally the Seajet Ferries) because it is relatively quick and easier than going through the hassle of another flight.
Is it better to fly or ferry to Milos?
It is better to take the ferry to Milos because the fast ferry takes around 3 hours which overall is the same time you’d spend with the plane (including the check in process and security) and flying is way more expensive. Also, by taking the ferry you get the opportunity to see a few more greek islands before arriving in Milos.
CONCLUSION
You basically have 2 options to get from Athens to Milos: by plane or by a ferry. My honest recommendation is to take the fast ferry instead of flying because a flight costs around 2 times a ferry ticket and you won’t be saving much time, to be honest.
If you do take the fast ferry, make sure you have plenty of movies loaded on your tablet, crosswords and books in hand… (it’s also a good idea to have some food with you because even though there are some snack shops they might not have everything…). You also get to see some other greek islands before you arrive in Milos (ok…it’s just the port but you can still take a selfie with another greek island on the background).
For me, the best way to check timetables and even book your ferry tickets online has been Ferryhopper for the last few years, and I highly recommend it to everyone looking to get a ferry to Milos from Athens.
