On Mykonos, the taxi, Uber and the bus are less rivals than layers of the same small system. The island's taxis are licensed, metered by distance and found at two ranks in town and a stand at the airport; Uber on Mykonos is Uber Taxi, which requests those same taxis through the app; and the KTEL buses run from three terminals in town to most of the beaches and villages. A pre-booked private car sits on top: fixed price, a named chauffeur and a car that is there at the time you set, from US$115 in a business sedan for the airport run into Mykonos Town.
Which one to use depends on where you are going and when. The beaches on the south coast are well served by bus and boat; the north coast and the villas on the hills are not. An afternoon trip in June is easy by any means; an August evening return from a beach club is not. This guide goes trip by trip, with distances routed on the public OSRM server, and says plainly when the bus or a taxi is the better call.
Should I use a taxi, Uber or a private car in Mykonos?
Use the bus or a taxi for short, flexible trips by one or two people with light bags. Uber on Mykonos requests the same licensed taxis, with card payment in the app. Book a private car for arrivals and departures, villas on hillside roads, groups, child seats and evenings out, when waiting for a free taxi is the risk.
| Trip | Our pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Airport to Chora, light bags, off-peak | Taxi from the stand or the bus | Short ride; the bus stops in front of the terminal |
| Airport to a villa, family with luggage | Pre-booked SUV | One car, six seats and six bags, child seats fitted |
| Old port to new port | Sea bus | €2 every 30 minutes, luggage allowed |
| Ferry arrival at Tourlos with suitcases | Pre-booked car | Met at the right port, no queue |
| Chora to Paradise or Platys Gialos | KTEL bus from Fabrika | Frequent in season, cheap |
| Chora to Agios Sostis or Fokos | Taxi or private car | Not on the main bus lines |
| Dinner in Little Venice from a villa | Evening out package | Car on call, drive home included |
| Beach club return at sunset, group of eight | Pre-booked Sprinter or two SUVs | Taxis scarce at that hour |
See Mykonos prices and reserve
The island's taxis
The Municipality of Mykonos describes the taxi as clearly the most restful way to travel, and also the most expensive, with prices that depend on the distance travelled. It lists the two town ranks, in Chora in front of the OTE building and at Fabrika, where the buses for the southern beaches start, and two taxi numbers answered around the clock. At the airport, the taxi stand is outside the arrivals building, according to Mykonos Airport.
The island's taxis serve everyone, including app users. In practice that means a taxi is excellent when one is free and frustrating when it is not. Mornings and early afternoons outside August are usually easy; the hours around sunset and after midnight in high season are not.
Uber on Mykonos
Uber's Mykonos page offers Uber Taxi: you request a local licensed taxi through the app, available to request 24/7, and pay by card or PayPal, with the option to tip. Its FAQ says taxis through the app carry up to six passengers, and that if no taxis are available when you request, you should consider another ride option. For a visitor, the app's value is payment and tracking rather than extra cars. Our guide to Uber in Mykonos goes into availability and the busiest moments in detail.
The buses and the sea bus
The KTEL bus is the island's budget backbone, and for many trips it is genuinely the best option. The municipality lists three terminals in town:
- Fabrika, at Agios Loukas square in the south of town, for the southern beaches.
- The square behind the OTE building, at the entrance to town from the port, for Ano Mera, Kalafatis and Elia in the east.
- Beside the quay at the old port, for the new port at Tourlos and Agios Stefanos just north of town.
In peak season, the municipality says, buses run to the busiest destinations until 04:00. Routes and timetables are on the Mykonos Bus site. Between the old port and the new port, the municipal sea bus runs every 30 minutes for €2, luggage allowed, according to the same transport page.
Distances from Mykonos Town
The island is small, and the drives are short when the roads are clear. These are routed estimates from the public OSRM server on a clear road, from Mykonos Town. In July and August, allow much more in the late afternoon and evening.
| Destination | Distance | Clear-road time | Bus from town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mykonos Airport (JMK) | about 5 km (3 mi) | about 8 min | Yes, stop in front of arrivals |
| New port, Tourlos | about 3 km (2 mi) | about 7 min | Yes, plus the sea bus |
| Psarou and Platys Gialos | about 5 km (3 mi) | about 10 min | Platys Gialos, from Fabrika |
| Paradise | about 7 km (4 mi) | about 13 min | Yes, from Fabrika |
| Agios Ioannis | about 6 km (4 mi) | about 11 min | Yes |
| Ano Mera | about 9 km (5 mi) | about 12 min | Yes, from behind the OTE |
| Elia | about 11 km (7 mi) | about 16 min | Yes, from behind the OTE |
| Kalafatis | about 12 km (7 mi) | about 17 min | Yes, from behind the OTE |
| Panormos | about 7 km (5 mi) | about 12 min | Yes |
| Agios Sostis | about 8 km (5 mi) | about 14 min | Not on the main lines |
| Fokos | about 11 km (7 mi) | about 16 min | Not on the main lines |
| Armenistis lighthouse | about 8 km (5 mi) | about 18 min | Not on the main lines |
Bus destinations are those listed on the Mykonos Bus site, the municipality's transport page and, for the airport, the airport's own bus page.
Trip by trip
Arriving at the airport. For one or two light travellers off-peak, walk out to the taxi stand or take the bus into town; Mykonos Airport's bus page says the stop is in front of the terminal and tickets are bought from the driver. For a family with luggage, a villa outside town, a late connection from Athens or a party of five or more, a pre-booked car removes the uncertainty: the chauffeur tracks the flight, waits at arrivals with a name board, and waiting after a tracked landing is complimentary. The JMK to Mykonos Town transfer costs US$115 in a Business Sedan, US$150 in a Business SUV, US$185 in a First Class SUV, US$205 in a First Class Sedan and US$300 in an Executive Sprinter. See airport transfers.
Ferries. The old port on the town waterfront serves the Delos boats; most larger ferries use the new port at Tourlos. Your ticket names the port. With light bags and a hotel in town, the sea bus or KTEL bus from Tourlos is fine. With suitcases, a pre-booked car meets you at the right quay; see cruise and ferry port transfers.
The south coast beaches. Paradise, Platys Gialos and neighbouring Psarou are among the island's busiest beaches, and Paradise and Platys Gialos are on the bus lines from Fabrika. Boats from Platys Gialos also link beaches along that coast, which the municipality describes as a comfortable and popular way to reach them. A car makes sense mainly for the return: at sunset, when everyone leaves the beach clubs together, a car booked for a set time is far easier than waiting for a taxi.
The north and east. Panormos and Ano Mera are on bus routes; Agios Sostis, Fokos and the Armenistis lighthouse are not on the main lines, and some of the last stretches are narrow. For those, a taxi is fine if you can arrange the return; otherwise a car by the hour, from US$90 in a business sedan with a 3-hour minimum, keeps the car with you.
Evenings in Chora. Cars cannot enter Chora's lanes, so every option drops you at the edge of town. The difference is the return journey. The evening out and event night package, from US$450 in a business sedan to US$900 in an Executive Sprinter, keeps the car on call for dinner in Little Venice, the bars and the drive home. The chauffeur follows local rules on everything inside the vehicle. See event transportation.
Delos. The boats to Delos leave from the old port on the town waterfront, so from a hotel in Chora you simply walk. From a villa, a taxi or a pre-booked car to the harbour is the easy answer, with the return timed to the boat back; our day tours guide covers the boat times and how a Delos day fits around a drive across the island. Boats run only when the weather allows, and strong summer winds can cancel them, so keep the car booking flexible on that morning.
Villas. Many villas sit on steep, narrow roads. The SUV classes are the usual villa cars. Before confirming an Executive Sprinter, the desk checks the address with the local partner, and where a van cannot reach the door, we offer two SUVs or a meeting point at the nearest wide road. See Sprinter van with driver.
Families with children
Families face the island's hardest combination: luggage, car seats and children who are tired after a long journey via Athens. A taxi from the stand may or may not have room for a stroller and four cases, and child seats cannot be assumed. With a pre-booked car, ask for child or booster seats when you book and give the children's ages, and the partner fits them before pickup. A Business SUV at US$150 from the airport carries six passengers and six large bags, enough for a family of five with room to spare.
During the stay, the bus works well for beach days with older children and light bags. For the evening, the car on call through the evening out package means nobody waits at the edge of Chora with a sleeping child.
Outside the summer season
Mykonos is a different island between November and March. The airport publishes reduced terminal operating hours for the quieter months, which vary by day of the week, so check them on Mykonos Airport's website before you book flights. Check the bus timetable for the season as well. With fewer flights and visitors, taxis are easier to find, and the case for a pre-booked car rests mostly on fixed timing for flights and ferries, and on villa arrivals after dark. The same fixed fares apply all year.
What about renting a car or an ATV?
The municipality's transport page lists dozens of local car and motorbike rental companies, and many visitors rent for a day or two. It suits confident drivers who want to explore the quieter north and east coasts. The trade-offs are the island's narrow, winding roads, parking at the edge of Chora and at the popular beaches in summer, and the question of who drives home after dinner. For arrivals, departures and evenings, most visitors are happier being driven, and a rental for the quiet days in between works well alongside a pre-booked car for the airport. Our chauffeur vs car rental guide sets out the wider case.
What a private car costs on Mykonos
| Booking | Business Sedan | Business SUV | First Class Sedan | First Class SUV | Executive Sprinter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JMK to Mykonos Town | US$115 | US$150 | US$205 | US$185 | US$300 |
| JMK round trip | US$220 | US$285 | US$390 | US$355 | US$570 |
| By the hour, 3-hour minimum | US$90 | US$115 | US$145 | US$135 | US$180 |
| Evening out and event night | US$450 | US$575 | US$725 | US$675 | US$900 |
| Full-day chauffeur | US$665 | US$850 | US$1,070 | US$995 | US$1,325 |
Every price is per vehicle and includes the chauffeur, taxes, standard gratuity and meet and greet; parking is billed at cost. Villas and hotels outside town are quoted instantly in the web booker at a fixed price. For an island tour, see our Mykonos day tours with a private driver. Our chauffeur vs taxi comparison explains the general reasoning.
Booking and cancellation
Enter the airport and your flight, the port and your ferry, or your villa; choose the vehicle by passengers and large bags using the fleet page; and reserve. Published fares go to checkout in US$, other addresses through the web booker, with confirmation by email. Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup, 10% at 72 hours or less, 50% at 48 hours or less, and 100% at 24 hours or less or for a no-show, refunded to the original card.
Rides in Mykonos are operated by licensed, commercially insured local chauffeur partners vetted through the Limousine Worldwide network; Elly8.net takes the booking, fixes the price and runs the 24/7 desk. Villa managers and hotels book guests on account through hotel accounts. The same desk serves Athens and Santorini, and on the Spanish mainland our Seville taxi vs Uber vs private car guide covers a very different city.
Frequently asked questions
How do taxis work in Mykonos?
Island taxis are licensed and charge by distance travelled, according to the Municipality of Mykonos. They work from two ranks in town, in front of the OTE building and at Fabrika, from the stand outside the airport arrivals building, and by phone on two 24-hour numbers.
Is Uber cheaper than a taxi in Mykonos?
Uber on Mykonos is Uber Taxi, which requests the island's own licensed taxis through the app. It is a way to book and pay for the same taxis by card, rather than a separate, cheaper service, and it depends on a taxi being free when you request.
What is the cheapest way from Mykonos airport to town?
The bus, which stops in front of the terminal, with tickets sold on board. For two or more people, a taxi from the stand is quick when the line is short. A pre-booked car costs from US$115 in a business sedan and removes the wait at busy times.
Can I get to the beaches without a car?
Yes, to many of them. KTEL buses from Fabrika serve the southern beaches, buses from behind the OTE building serve Ano Mera, Elia and Kalafatis, and boats link beaches along the south coast. Agios Sostis, Fokos and the lighthouse are easier by car.
When is a private car worth it on Mykonos?
For arrivals and departures with luggage, villas on hillside roads, ferry arrivals at the new port, groups, child seats, and evenings out when taxis are scarce. The airport transfer costs from US$115 to US$300 per vehicle, fixed in US dollars.
Can a car drive into Mykonos Town?
No. Chora's lanes are footpaths, so taxis, buses and chauffeured cars all stop at the edge of town, near the old port or Fabrika. If your hotel is inside the lanes, the chauffeur helps with your bags to the hotel's meeting point.
