Mykonos, Greece by Richard Martin

Catching the Bus

During the busiest times a bus runs from the airport to Fabrika, one of the two bus stations in Mykonos Town (otherwise known as Chora). Like the taxis, the busses are good value for money if one is already there but as they are very infrequent, this is unlikely.

For travelling around the island itself, the busses are a little better and more frequent. Fabrica bus station has busses going to Platys Gialos, Paraga, Paradise, Ornos and Agios Ioannis, most with one or two busses departing every hour. In the evening, there are hourly departures to Platys Gialos and Paradise, from which much of the south side of the island is accessible.

The Northern bus station on Mykonos situated near the old port has departures for Ano Mera, Elia (departing at 11AM, noon, 2PM, 4PM, 6PM and 7PM, returning 30 minutes later) and Kalafatis. If you need to get from one bus station to the other, it requires a short walk across the town.

If you intend to purchase your ticket directly from the bus driver, be warned you will need the exact change ready however you can also buy a ticket prior to boarding from a ticket vending machine, special kiosks, mini markets and many other shops around Chora. If you find yourself without the change needed while on the bus, don’t be tempted to try to sneak on as tickets are checked regularly.

Hiring a car or Scooter

While the public transport on Mykonos is great for getting to and around the southern beaches, it is not so good when it comes to discovering the rest of the island. The east, west and northern beaches are generally less populated as a result which is one good reason to want to visit them.

There are many little spots and hidden beaches that are great to explore and some of which have nearby small, local restaurants and taverns that offer a change from the usual tourist scene. To do this, it is best to hire a car or a scooter for one or more days to enable you to get around more freely. There are a number of rental agencies available, most of whom are located either near Fabrika Bus Station or behind the Archaeological Museum.

This article is a contribution of Hotel Palladium, a boutique hotel mykonos.

The post A Traveller’s Guide To Mykonos Island | Greece appeared first on Best of European Union.

Of course for some time that has been the train, which might take just a little longer but it is considerably more comfortable and compared with flying it is relatively free from hassle. Alternatively you can drive, but would you really want to drive in Paris? If you have never done so than just accept that it can be a terrifying experience, and if you have done so, then you will know that already. Liberté, égalité, fraternité may be the French motto, and although Parisian drivers may practice the first of those two, in that there are no rules and everyone is equal no matter what colour traffic lights they are facing, there are very few signs of brotherhood; it is every man and woman for themselves.

Thankfully there is now a third way to get to Paris from London; since July 2012 you have been able to travel by bus. The iDBUS SNCF service was launched on 23rd July (tickets went on sale on 10th July) and it connects London with Paris and Lille. You can also take other busses from Paris or Lille to Amsterdam and Brussels.

You can choose to travel by day or overnight and the journey time for the former is 8.35 hours and for the latter is 9.00 hours, and apart from promotions the prices are fixed. The cheapest price for a single journey is £45 and there is a four for three deals, which awards one free ticket for each three that are purchased. There is even a special promotional deal with some tickets being available for just £3.

The iDBUS is no ordinary bus; it offers the ultimate in long distance coach travel, with comfortable reclining seats, individual air conditioning, TV screens, power points, free Wi-Fi and all the usual amenities. There is no need to be concerned about noisy fellow passengers either; alcoholic drinks are not allowed and music can only be listened through headphones; noisy use of mobile phones is also discouraged. Safety is also taken seriously; each seat has a three point seat belt and drivers are specially trained, they can also speak English and French fluently.

This is a guest post by Claire Sim a new Londoner, travel passionate and animal lover. She blogs about Pets and Travelling in Europe. If you want Claire to write you specific content you can send her a direct message or contact her on Twitter (Claire_Sim).

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