Itinerary Feedback for May/June 2025 Trip

One comment about renting a car on Milos: Some of the seafront villages are remote and might require renting a vehicle that is a bit more rugged than a standard economy car rental. The rental companies don't want you driving their lightweight cars on undeveloped roads. I don't know what the roads to Sarakiniko are like, but make sure your car is "approved" for rough terrain if you think it might be an issue.

I think it's a shame to only stay 2 nights in Sifnos. But since it's your choice..

I know a lot of people who regret having chosen Milos instead of Sifnos which is more authentic and pleasant, I hope that won't be the case for you.

In Milos will you rely on buses or will you rent a car?
The part of Milos that Lee is talking about is almost the entire southern half of the island which is classified as a Natura 2000 area, it is very sparsely inhabited and the roads are unmaintained dirt tracks. Car rental companies do not allow you to go there unless you rent a 4x4 vehicle. Saraniko beach is not in this area and the road is good.

You should also know that the bus service in Milos is not very good, for example at the end of May there are only 3 buses per day to Saraniko beach. That being said, since cruise ships now stop in Milos (including the "Celestyal Journey / 1200 passengers" on Fridays), there are additional buses to take cruise passengers to Sarakiniko beach. So this is just to warn your daughter that it will not be exactly like the Instagram photos with the beautiful lady all alone jumping into the water from the white rocks.

If you are hesitant about Sifnos, I have a plan B for you that can make the organization easier: Kimolos

You can reach Kimolos in 30 minutes by ferry with the Osia Methodia from the port of Pollonia, north of Milos (a ferry every 2 or 3 hours). And you can take the ferry with a car if you rent a car. It is 2.50€ per passenger and 10€ for the car, so to speak, nothing.

Kimolos is a small island with quite few accommodations but I love it... and there are also rocky beaches to jump into the water.
From an organizational point of view it allows you to return to Milos more easily before going to Athens by flight or ferry.

Some pictures of Kimolos:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/2RkQAShQQfW4EGT48

Kimolos website:

https://www.gokimolos.gr/en/

Think about it.

But if you are going to Sifnos, Appolonia is the best base to explore the island. This is where all the buses leave from (actually from Artemonas, the village next to it) and the bus service is excellent in Sifnos

I shouldn't say that but.... A long time ago, I got stuck in Sifnos due to bad weather and cancelled ferries. I had a return flight to France the next day... I missed it.
Also be aware that in case of bad weather flights can also be cancelled, especially in Milos which has a very short and poorly oriented runway.

Hi JoLui!

I was planning to rent a car in Milos and I'm not hesitant about Sifnos at all! I thought Milos would require more days since it's bigger. I am definitely not looking to be near a cruise ship or its passengers and there is a huge one on Milos on 5/30. Thanks so much for the reminder to look that up.

My husband really wants to go to Sifnos, I just didn't have anything specific planned to do there so I didn't write much about it. If you have suggestions, let me know!

Do you think it's better to spend two nights on Milos and three on Sifnos? I'm not sure Kimolos has enough to keep my extremely energetic kids busy, but it looks like a lot of boat tours from Milos go there so we could at least see it.

Another options is to fly to Milos on 5/29 and go straight to the ferry for Sifnos so we're on Sifnos while the cruise ship is in Milos. And then end in Milos and fly back to Athens? That might be a huge pain. I don't know how hard it is to connect plane to ferry there...

Sara,

"That might be a huge pain. I don't know how hard it is to connect
plane to ferry there..."

My opinion is that by wanting to visit 2 islands in such a short time (5 nights) you are creating your own difficulties and looking for complicated, time-consuming, and risky solutions.

"I thought Milos would require more days since it's bigger"

About half of the island is very difficult, if not impossible to access as you can see on the map in the link below with the areas marked "No Service" which means that car rental companies will not provide you with any assistance in these areas. So thinking that it will require more days to visit Milos is a mistake.

https://rent-a-car-milos.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/MILOS-MAP.jpg

Instead of returning to Athens on May 29th, you can also return on the 28th in the late afternoon, spend a night in Athens or Piraeus before taking a ferry early the next morning to Sifnos or Milos.

You would be on the island in the morning of May 29th and you will have had the experience of the ferry trip which is part of the pleasures of traveling in the Greek islands.

So you could stay for example 3 nights in Sifnos, then take a ferry to Milos on June 1st, stay 3 nights in Milos and return to Athens by ferry or flight on June 4th.

Don't worry, you're not the only one struggling with planning a trip to the Greek islands, ferry and flight schedules, etc.
It's always a lot more complicated than getting from one place to another on the mainland.
Even I, who have been island hopping for about 35 years, I'm still spending weeks planning possible itineraries.

You still have plenty of time to think about it.

We split our time between Sifnos and Milos and found far more to do and explore on Sifnos.

Nothing wrong with Milos as it's a lovely island but as posted above bus service is very limited and more of the island is difficult to access without a proper vehicle.

It does have some must see sights as the Ancient Catacombs, colorful fishing villages like Klima, ancient amphitheater, the site where the Venus di Milo was found a wonderful museum on the island's mining history. Also some very unique geological formations and beach areas.

Still if it was me I would spend more time on Sifnos as the villages there are very "Greek" especially Kastro which overlooks the beautiful Church of the & Martyrs.

With just a short amount of time to spend you'll lose precious time moving from Milos to Sifnos even though the islands are close to each other.

However, do what's best for the family and I hope you enjoy your time on a Greek Island(s)

Thank you both! That is all very helpful and we do have some time to map out how many days in each location before committing to anything. I think this is why my preference was to stay in the Peloponnese and keep it simple! Next trip.....