The Mykonos to Tinos ferry is fast, convenient, and enjoyable. Booking tickets is a breeze and in this article, I’ll give you all the practical information you need about the Mykonos and Tinos ferry terminals, how to get to and from both ferry ports, the different ferry operators and timings, and tips about the journey on the ferry.
Mykonos to Tinos: Distance, Time, Timetables
The Cyclades islands of Mykonos and Tinos are so close together, you can get from Mykonos to Tinos by Ferry in only 15 minutes. During the summer months, you can choose from the different ferry company timetables that together have around 10 sailings a day!
On average, there are 52 sailings a week taking between 15 and 29 minutes covering the 11 miles (18km), or 10 nautical miles.
If you’re planning a day trip to Tinos from Mykonos, you’ll need to be sure to factor in the 45 minutes you need to be at the Tinos port before the ferry returns to Mykonos.
I’ve been able to have a comfortable amount of time driving around Tinos island having hopped over from Mykonos in the morning, and then taken a late afternoon ferry to Athens.
Ferry Tickets
I find the easiest way of keeping all my Greek island ferry tickets together is to use Ferryhopper.com. I book online when I need to, I cancel online, and I show my electronic ticket to the ferry staff on my phone.
Being very cautious, I also print out a copy of all my tickets, just in case I lose my phone!
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Why do I always use FerryHopper? I have had many dealings with all levels of the company and they are honest, delightful people who have created a simple, fast system with fantastic customer service for the lowest price available for all Greek ferry tickets.
It’s possible to buy ferry tickets at the ticket office at the Port so long as they haven’t sold out and if you have time to join the queue. See below for traveling with a pet or vehicle.
Tip: Ferry tickets, like airline tickets and hotel rooms, usually increase in price as the window between booking time and the start of the journey narrows.
This is not always the case, but it is always the case that ferry ticket prices increase in the summer months.
It’s always a good idea to book as early as you can in order to secure cheap ferry tickets.
Ferry Companies
There are five ferry companies that run ferries from Mykonos to Tinos year-round (except for SeaJets which remains seasonal).
These are
⛴️ Blue Star Ferries
⛴️ Cyclades Fast Ferries
⛴️ SeaJets
⛴️ Golden Star Ferries
⛴️ Minoan Lines
Mykonos Ferry Port
Ferries arrive and leave from Mykonos at the New Port at Tourlos, 2 kilometers from Mykonos Chora (Town). If you’ve been to Mykonos before you’ll know that getting around the island by taxi is an expensive business!
I have had to use taxis when I’ve arrived with a lot of luggage and it’s too early or late for the SeaBus.
Taxis can’t enter Mykonos Town – you need to walk along the waterfront of the old port to get to the city gate where there’s a taxi rank.
It’s possible to walk the path between the New and Old Ports and if you don’t have much luggage, this is a simple option. However, it’s 30 minutes and much of the path is on a busy road with no footpath.
The best option to get around Mykonos in general, is the SeaBus. For 2 Euros you can get this fast little ferry from the New to the Old Ports.
The ticket office is beside the ferry dock on the inner side of the harbor at Tourlos, across the road from where the cruise ships and inter-island ferries dock.
At the Mykonos Ferry Port, you’ll be placed in a rag-tag line with people on one side and vehicles on the other and told when to get on the ferry.
Getting on and off Greek ferries is a rushed operation – they only stop for a few minutes so make sure you’re at the Port in plenty of time.
Aboard the Ferry from Mykonos to Tinos
🛅 Luggage
You enter Greek ferries via a ramp in the hold and you’ll be directed to where to place your luggage. Ferries often go onwards to other ports so there may be several places for luggage storage in the hold, and each will be labeled.
🎫 Ticket Checking
As you enter the ferry you’ll be asked to show your ticket and then you’ll head upstairs to the open decks and inside seating areas.
💺 Seating
Seat type can be allocated, as can cabins (but not for such a short journey). People generally move around and between inside and outside areas.
🧥 What to Wear
It is extremely windy on deck and you will need a warm jacket – I always take a thin, warm, waterproof jacket with a hood.
📶 Food, Drink, and WiFi
Mykonos to Tinos is such a short ferry route that you may not be offered these but you can generally get a coffee and pastry.
You can pay for your WiFi access code either from the Concierge on Fast Ferries or from the cafeteria staff on the Seajets, Golden Star Ferries, Minoan Lines, and Blue Star Ferries.
Taking a Vehicle on the Mykonos to Tinos Ferry
Unfortunately, most rental agencies will not let you take your rental vehicle off the island and it voids your insurance. Local operators are easier to negotiate with on this issue than larger chains.
Every kind of vehicle travels on these ferries between islands and you’ll be asked to select the kind of vehicle you’re bringing on the booking screen of the online booking website.
These are your main options on most ferry routes:
- 🚗 Small car: < 3.5 meters in length and up to 2 meters in height
- 🚗 Medium car: < 4.25 meters in length and up to 2 meters in height
- 🚗 Family car: > 4.25 meters in length and up to 2 meters in height
Taking a Pet on the Mykonos to Tinos Ferry
When you buy your online ticket (or queue needlessly for a long time at a ticket office), you are asked if you have vehicles and pets.
The cost is adjusted accordingly but quite often, there’s no fee even though all animals must have a ticket.
For ferry companies currently servicing the Mykonos Tinos route allow pets on board. These are:
🐕 Blue Star Ferries
🐕 Cyclades Fast Ferries
🐕 SeaJets
🐕 Golden Star Ferries
🐕 Minoan Lines
🐾 You need to select less than 6kg, 6 kg-10 kg, or more than 10kg for your pet’s weight.
🐾 The number of pet tickets per ferry journey is limited and they sell out fast.
🐾 You’ll see when you book that you’ll need to have a carrier or a muzzle for some large dogs, and if your dog will be in a special aminal section of the ferry or with you.
Disembarking the Ferry at Tinos Port
You will be marshaled by staff and oftentimes also by PA announcements to begin moving down to the hold to collect your luggage and line up for disembarkation.
I don’t much like the periods when I’m waiting in the hold for the ferry to dock but eventually the enormous ramps are lowered and everyone is rushed off the ferry!
(You become very used to this procedure once you’ve been on a few Greek ferries).
Tinos Port is connected to Tinos Chora (Town) and it’s easy to walk across the road to a car hire agency or to find your accommodation in the town, or the bus station.
If you arrive back at the Port with some time to spare before lining up for the return ferry journey, there are a couple of bars/cafes across the road from the Port with home-cooked cakes and house wines.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the ferry ride from Mykonos to Tinos?
The ferry ride from Mykonos to Tinos depends upon the ferry operator. Conventional ferries take an average of 29 minutes, but a high-speed ferry can cover the distance from Mykonos to Tinos in 15 minutes.
How far is Tinos from Mykonos by boat?
The distance from Mykonos to Tinos is 11 miles (18km), or 10 nautical miles. The Tinos ferry timetables include several fast ferries that cover the distance in 15 minutes but the average time to cover the route from Mykonos to Tinos is 29 minutes.
What is the best ferry from Athens to Tinos?
The best ferry from Athens to Tinos is operated by Fast Ferries. Fast Ferries leave from Rafina Port to the northeast of Athens and disembark passengers at Tinos Port beside Tinos Chora (Town).
Fast Ferries offers several snack bars, wifi, power outlets, and quality leather seating and lounges.
Cyclades Fast Ferries is as its name suggests, a ferry operator that makes the journey from Athens to Tinos in the shortest time, in 3 hours and 15 minutes.
How long is the ferry from Athens to Tinos?
The ferry companies operate from three ports in and around Athens – Piraeus, Rafina, and Lavrio – and the trip duration depends upon whether you’ve booked a ticket on one of the fast ferries or the conventional ferries.
Blue Star Ferries operates a service from Athens to Tinos from Lavrio Port that takes 6 hrs 10 minutes.
Blue Star Ferries operates the Athens to Tinos route from Piraeus Port and the journey takes 4 hrs 45 m with Seajets taking 5 hrs 5 m for the same trip.
Rafina Port has the most sailings between Athens and Tinos with four ferry companies operating high-speed ferries that take between 1 hr 45 m and 5 hr 45 m.
How many days do you need in Tinos?
3-4 days. Two days on Tinos island is the minimum time it takes to visit the main attractions in Tinos Chora (Town) and see the inland villages like Pyrgos and the astonishing dovecotes.
Tinos is the best Greek island for hiking and spending time hiking the ancient paths or at the many pristine beaches will take another day or two.
What is the closest Greek island to Mykonos?
The closest Greek island to Mykonos is the sacred island of Delos where it is not possible to stay overnight. Tinos is the closest habited island with Naxos, Paros, Ermopouli, and Iraklia also nearby.
Can you fly to Tinos Greece?
You cannot fly to Tinos Island, Greece, as it has no airport. There is an airport on nearby Mykonos island and from Mykonos, you need to take a ferry to Tinos.
A fast ferry can cover the distance of the Mykonos Tinos route in 15-20 minutes, the quickest crossing time is 15 minutes and depends upon weather conditions.
What ferries go to Tinos?
In addition to the Mykonos to Tinos ferry there are also ferries to Tinos from Rafina, Lavrio, and Piraeus ports in Athens, and from the islands of Syros, Andros, Ikaria, Crete, Ios, Karlovassi, Samos, Kea, Kos, Koufonissi, Kythnos, Milos, Naxos, Paros, Sifnos, Santorini, and Euboea.
Where do ferries go from Mykonos?
Ferries from Mykonos go to many popular Greek islands and so it’s easy to add Mykonos to an island-hopping itinerary.
Apart from the Mykonos to Tinos route, you can get a ferry to any of the three ports of Athens, Delos, Naxos, Paros, Amorgos, the Lesser Cyclades islands, and further afield islands like Santorini.
There are many more options in high season than in low season.
What day trips can you do from Mykonos?
You can take day trips from Mykonos to some of the most popular Greek islands including Delos, Tinos, Paros, Naxos, Santorini, Amorgos, and the Lesser Cyclades islands to name just a few.
It’s sometimes necessary to take a boat tour instead of a ferry because the ferry schedule between islands may not leave enough time to visit the island.
It’s always possible to return by plane to Mykonos airport from some islands if the ferry connection doesn’t work to make a day trip possible.
How many ferry ports does Mykonos have?
Mykonos has only one ferry port for large ferries and cruise ships at Tourolos, called “New Port.” Mykonos’ “Old Port”, in front of Mykonos Chora (Town) still docks small ferries such as the Delos Ferry and the SeaBus.
Can you walk into Mykonos from the port?
If you’ve been a foot passenger on a ferry that has docked at the New Port in Tourlos in Mykonos, you can walk the 2 kilometers into Mykonos from the New Port, or else take a bus (very crowded) or taxi (very expensive).
Most people take the SeaBus between the New Port and the Old Port in front of Mykonos Town, which only costs 2 Euros per trip.
The walk into Mykonos follows a footpath along the water between the two Ports for some of the time but the rest of the time it is along the main road that has no footpath and takes about 30 minutes.
