Greece Trip Report – Mykonos
My family & I recently visited Greece (June 2024) using a combination of points/miles and regular spend. Here’s the scoop… Flights to Europe are usually expensive – so for our flights, I use points.
Hotels in Europe often have max occupancy of 2 so you need a suite or 2 rooms. So many times we pay out right for the hotels when that makes more sense than using a gazillion points for a suite.
Flights To & From Greece Using Points
One of the biggest costs of a European vacation is the flights (usually). For this reason, we use our credit card points to fly to Europe.
Chicago – Naples, Italy (with a layover at London)
Wait! I thought you said to Greece.
I did 😉 But we got there in a very round about way because a few months before our vacation I decided I didn’t actually want to include Italy in our trip and I wanted to be 100% focused on Greece. So we got there in a roundabout way.
British Airways Business Class
Chicago – London – Naples, Italy
Originally 102,250 points each + $350 taxes & fees
Booked during 30% transfer bonus from American Express to British Airways
So only needed about 79K points per person
Booked July 2023 for June 2024 travel
We stayed in Naples, Italy for 1 night (having some of the BEST pasta we’ve ever had) and hopped on a Ryanair flight the next morning to fly to Mykonos.
Athens – Chicago (with a layover in Amsterdam)
KLM Business Class
Athens – Amsterdam – Chicago
Originally 59,000 points each + $313 taxes & fees
Booked during a 20% transfer bonus from Capital One to FlyingBlue (KLM loyalty program)
So only needed about 49K points per person
Booked July 2023 for June 2024 travel
Overall Greece Itinerary
Mykonos 2 nights
Naxos 3 nights
Paros 3 nights
Athens 2 nights
We decided on this itinerary because we visited Greece 7 years ago & did: Santorini, Naxos & Mykonos. We didn’t feel the need to do Santorini again knowing how crowded it would be. We need to fly into somewhere with an airport (very few islands have them) so we picked Mykonos. We loved Naxos and knew we had to return. And Paros & Athens were new to us and therefore important to add.
Mykonos, Greece
Last time we visited Mykonos we stayed in Platis Gialos Beach. We loved it so much, we returned. This is a very family friendly area. You won’t find the crazy party beach clubs. You’ll find a cove with a bunch of restaurants, shops and normal beach clubs.
Where we stayed: Myconian Ambassador
Rating: 5*
How we booked: Booked the lowest category room via Amex Fine Hotel + Resort (FHR) program. With the American Express Platinum card, we get $200 credit for one FHR booking each year. This program comes with early check in when available, breakfast included, upgrades when available, 4pm guaranteed late check out & $100 food beverage/resort credit.
Apparently we hit the upgrade jackpot, because we found out when we arrived at the hotel that we were upgraded to a suite with a private pool overlooking the sea. We loved the room, the included breakfast was 10/10 (champagne at breakfast, yes please), service was phenomenal, and we love the location in Platis Gialos. Would LOVE to return to this hotel one day!
*Last time we stayed in Mykonos we stayed at Argo hotel. This hotel has a much lower price point. It doesn’t have ocean views, but it’s a 5 minute walk to beach, gorgeous/clean, incredible staff, great pool and one of the best Greek breakfasts around. We absolutely loved it also and would 100% recommend it.
Mykonos Highlights:
– Spent day at Platis Gialos Beach with chair rental from Yialo-Yialo (the restaurants on the beach boardwalk rent chairs/umbrellas and then have full service food/drinks). Chair rental was $15 per bed + included an umbrella. We had amazing service from George all day. The pizza was the best pizza of our entire trip! Water is crystal clear.
– We made reservations at our favorite restaurant from our last trip, Avli Tou Thodori. It is in the Platis Gialos cove, so only a 5 minute walk from our hotel. I requested one of the beach front tables (it’s literally 2 couches and a table IN the sand). We had an incredible night here with dinner and lounging.
-A night in Mykonos town. Mykonos only has about 35 actual taxis. The best options for getting around are bus or private transfer. We booked private transfers to & from Mykonos town arranged by our hotel. Both times huge, Mercedes party vans showed up with the rope lighting. Hysterical!
Going into Mykonos town is definitely a must. The Greek stone walkways, the shops (*Only Mykonos & Athens have Luxury Designer shopping), and tons of restaurants. While I love Mykonos town, the crowds are insane due to cruises being able to dock in Mykonos. We did enjoy having dinner here 1 night and visiting the “Venice” area, but 1 night is enough for me.
Island Hopping
I used Ferry Hopper to book our ferry tickets about 1 month prior to our departure. I personally get very seasick and therefore always stick to the large, slow ferries.
Our resort offered free transfer in their van from the hotel to the port. The service was excellent, walking us all the way to the exact spot our ferry would arrive.
Our ferry was about 20 minutes late. In general, there is no need to get to the ferry port too early. BUT do not be late. They board super fast and are in & out within minutes. It’s an amazing process to watch.
We booked the EKATERINI P. fro Mykonos to Naxos. This is a 1 hour and 15 minute ferry.
The options for your seats will be open seating, numbered seating and business class. I booked numbered seating to ensure we’d have somewhere to sit. It was only $1 more per person. However, this ferry was very empty and that wasn’t necessary at all. This was my favorite ferry of the trip. Large, super clean, food & drink options, even a cute little shopping boutique.
We paid $36 euro per person.
With Ferry Hopper, your ticket is on your phone. You will board the ferry, all the luggage stays in the bottom level, then show your phone/ticket, then walk up the steps to the seating area (or sometimes there’s an escalator – but not always).
Leaving your luggage with everyone else’s at the bottom of the ship is very standard but definitely feels weird.
Next up… Naxos.
