An easy guide for the ferry to Rhodes, Ports description and recommendations for local public transportation services. Explore the website and find all necessary details for the Ferry to Rhodes; Destinations and Routes with schedules and prices, Accommodation options with real time Availability and helpful tips for transfer opportunities in Rhodes!
We have prepared a small user guide that will help passengers to get to Rhodes as easily and pleasantly as possible.
Find useful information on how to get to Rhodes, local public transportation options to reach your overnight hotel in Rhodes, port addresses and embarkation offices, ferry schedules and prices, and real-time departures and arrivals.
The port of Rhodes has daily connections to the port of Piraeus (Athens). The trip lasts approx. 12 hours with short stops at the islands of Leros, Kalymnos and Kos. Rhodes is also connected directly to all the other islands of the Dodecanese, Crete and Turkey (Marmaris and Fethiye).
Getting to Rhodes by ferry is the best option you have and it can be a very nice and exciting experience and especially if you are doing some island-hopping too. Greek islanders are seasoned ferry experts and they prefer to travel by ferry because of the convenience and flexibility it affords!
Cars are allowed on most ferries for an additional fee and children usually travel for half price!
- There is a choice of modern Conventional and High-speed catamaran ferries with stops along the way.
Give a departure port and a date and find all possible ferry destinations!
Notice: Each year and depending on the period, there may be more or fewer connections. The biggest shipping companies (carrierrs) announce the new ferry schedules by the end of December and the rest of them by January-March each year!
Public transportation services on Rhodes
Rhodes harbors and ports
- Rhodes has four ports, three of them in Rhodes City and one in the west coast near ancient Kamiros
- Central Port: located in the city of Rhodes serves exclusively international traffic consisting of scheduled services to/from Turkey.
- Kolona Port: opposite and north of the central port, serves intra-Dodecanese traffic.
- Akandia Port: the new port of the island (south and next to the central port) with passengers terminal. At the moment serves cruise ships on peak days.
- Kamiros Skala Dock: 30 km southwest of the city near Kamiros serves mainly the island of Chalki with local boats.
Road network on Rhodes
The network in Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of land area.
There are four major arteries:
- Rhodes - Kamiros, Province: Two lanes, runs through the west coast north to south and connect Rhodes City with Diagoras Airport and Kamiros.
- Rhodes - Lindos, Road 95: Four and two lane runs mainly inland north to south and connects Rhodes town with Lindos.
- Rhodes - Kallithea, Province: Two lanes, runs through the east coast north to south and connect Rhodes City with Faliraki Resort.
- Tsairi - Airport: Four and two lane runs inland east to west and connects the east coast with the west and the airport.
Public Bus Services on Rhodes
- The central bus station is located at the back of the New Markets / (Nea Agora) building.
- Tickets can be purchased from the bus station kiosk as well from mini-markets and other kiosks.
- Bus services are handled by two city operators:
- RODA (blue-white): Serve Rhodes Town, suburban areas (Faliraki, Ialysos, Kremasti, Airport, Pastida, Maritsa, Paradeisi) and the entire west coast.
- Timetables: Click on timetables
- Terminal: Averof Street near Rimini Sq.
- Tel.: +30 2241026300, +30 2241024129
- KTEL (yellow-orange): Serve villages and resorts in the east coast.
- Timetables
- Terminal: Rimini Square, 17 M. Konstantinou str., Rhodes city
- Τel: +30 2241024268, +30 2241027706
Taxis on Rhodes
- Taxi stations are located in certain places in the city and in central sites of other cities and villages of the island.
- In the city of Rhodes taxi stations are located at: Papagou & Eleftherias str. in Mandraki Square, next to old port, Tel. +30 2241027666.
- Specially adjusted vehicle including driver and escort for disabled: +30 2241072571, +30 6949745436.
- Book in advance online Taxi in Rhodes
- Diagoras Radio Taxi: +30 2241065555
- Taxis in Rhodes Town: +30 2241069800
- Taxi Stations around the Island: Afandou +30 2241051777, Faliraki: +30 2241085444, Ialyssos: +30 2241092515, Ixia: +30 2241069600, Kremasti: +30 2241094528,
- Lardos: +30 2244044047, Lindos: +30 2244031466, Pefki: +30 2244048450, Kiotari: +30 2241069600, Vlicha: +30 2241069600
Note: All above information for Rhodes was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice.
Schedules, prices and availability to Rhodes
Book your ferry tickets to Rhodes with any ferry company that suits you better and enjoy your journey in Greece! The “Easy-Way” booking system of go-ferry.com, allows the most reliable online ferry reservations and offers cheaper, faster and better services.
With go-ferry.com you are able to connect online with the reservation systems of the most Greek shipping companies, to compare prices, to find information about routes and vessels, to look for alternative routes and to print instantly your Rhodes ferry confirmation.
Ferry timetables may change by season, so take an optical canvassing via our search engine to receive the latest cull of dates, schedules, prices and availability. With so many accommodation options to cull from, you can be sure to find the best deal for the ferry to or from Rhodes at a price that fits your budget.
Complete the under bellow fields and click on "search" to compare the prices of all operators that run to and from Rhodes by ferry!
Book in advance your ticket to Rhodes
Arrange your ferry journey in advance
It is very important that you have organized your ferry ride in advance, having arranged all the details. You don't want something to go wrong, and you can achieve perfect holidays with a great organization. In addition to hotel accommodation and air-tickets, when you book the boat tickets you know that everything is under control even before leaving home.
There are many reasons why you should arrange to book in advance your ferry ticket. Here are some of the most important:
Pay for Hotel in Rhodes without using it!
During the high season in Greece, and especially in July and August, it is likely that you won't find ferry tickets to popular destinations, such as Rhodes, if you don't book them in advance. So, don't make the mistake to book your hotel on Rhodes without having booked the ferry pass. The last thing you want is to get to the port and not find an available ferry!
Save time in Rhodes!
Although we charge a commission for acquiring ferry bookings, this allows you not only to secure your tickets but also to save time in Rhodes; besides receiving a service and attention of first.
Have a bigger choice of Ferry Tickets!
Buying in advance gives you a better chance of getting the tickets, on the ferry you prefer and at the schedule you want. It does not make sense that your trip to Rhodes is interrupted by not finding available ferry departures, but it is possible.
Find more Ferry routes!
If you want to organize your vacations to Rhodes, it is wise to check all the possible routes and timelines in order to make the right combinations between Rhodes and other destinations as well as between the air and the ferry tickets. Online, you can have an overview of all the routes going to or from Rhodes.
Get the best deal!
Ferry tickets to Rhodes can be expensive, so it’s natural to want to get the best deal on them. It has become a regular practice for ferries to announce special rates and deep discounts for booking ferry tickets to or from Rhodes up to 3-6 months in advance.
Feeling Great having your ferry ticket in your pocket!
You will feel a great feeling when having the ferry confirmation to or from Rhodes in your hands. The reservation with us will allow you to secure your ticket, you will be relieved to have the confirmation in your hands or on your smartphone!
Available accommodation options
Find out about the ferry types that are running to Rhodes, choose the ideal accommodation option on the ferry to Rhodes and get fresh and relaxed at your destination. Comfortable armchairs, business class comfort seats, outside and inside cabins or economy deck chairs. There is a range of accommodation options to choose for a day or night ferry to or from Rhodes.
About Rhodes
Rhodes, the largest of the Dodecanese islands, is not an ordinary holiday resort but a cosmopolitan place with an international reputation.
Indeed, this relatively limited space, endowed with innumerable natural beauties, is rightly considered a tourists' paradise. Holidays here are not restricted to the three summer months, as the sunny period lasts much longer.
In Rhodes everyone can choose their preferred type of holiday -- the intensity of an excellently equipped major resort or the peace and quiet of a small, traditional seaside or mountain village. Swimming in the crystal-clear waters of Rhodes is equally fascinating on populous beaches or on isolated pebbled seashores.
Lovers of history will be drawn to the remarkable monuments all over the island, signs of its long history. Those who prefer mobility will find an adequate network of roads enabling them to reach almost every corner of the island. Daily air and sea communications with other islands, numerous tourist agencies open limitless horizons to the traveller.
Given its present reality, Rhodes would resemble a rose (rhodon in Greek) rather than the mythical nymph after whom the island was allegedly named.
Strategically placed, the island has had a tumultuous past linked to the sea. Rhodes was already inhabited in prehistoric times. The island gradually expanded its influence and became the main commercial link in the Mediterranean. In 408 BC the island's three important Doric cities, Ialissos, Lindos and Kamiros, united to found the city of Rhodes on the island's northeastern edge. This marked a new era in the history of the island.
The Sun-worshipping city of Rhodes became an important political, commercial and religious centre. Its golden era lasted from the 5th to the 3rd century BC. Rhodes extended its rule, minted its own coins, introduced the first maritime law rules, advanced the arts, theatre and sports. Its School of Rhetoric became famous and attracted many well-known Romans and Greeks.
In the 2nd century BC Rhodes became an ally of Rome. This led to a gradual weakening of the island, which from the 2nd century AD became a Roman prefecture.
St Paul visited the island and recruited the first Christians in 57 AD. When the Roman Empire split in 395 AD, Rhodes and the other islands of the "Provincia insularum" were included in the Byzantine Empire. New seafarers attacked and often looted the city in the following centuries.
The Knights of the Order of St. John were established in Rhodes in 1309. Their stay has endowed the city with a series of majestic buildings protected by a fortified wall. From 1522 onwards the Dodecanese islands formed part of the Ottoman Empire until, in 1912, they fell under Italian rule. The Treaty of Paris ended foreign occupation, and in March 1948 the islands were united with Greece.
What to see in Rhodes
The City
Present-day Rhodes is a medieval/modern amalgam which impresses and fascinates visitors. Its medieval aspect, fortified behind an impressive wall, merges harmoniously with the refined, cosmopolitan air of a modern resort with luxurious hotels, broad avenues with rows of trees, and rich commercial stores.
The old town
It's fascinating to walk in the medieval town, full of impressive 15th-century buildings, stone-paved lanes with arches and vaults, rows of little shops -- as a modern touch to the medieval picture -- offering a surprising variety of commodities.
Perhaps the best starting-point for a journey through medieval Rhodes is the wall (14th century and 5 km long).
As we cross one of the most famous gates, Pili Eleftherias (Freedom Gate) we encounter traces of the Temple of Venus (3rd century BC), also the Inn of the Auvergne Knights, the Arsenal, the Museum of Decorative Arts (folklore exhibits from the Dodecanese islands), the Byzantine Museum (in a 13th-century church), and the majestic Harbour Gate . The Archaeological Museum (tel. 0241/27.674), housed in the 15th-century building of the Knights' Hospital, includes collections of coins, pots and sculptures from the Mycenaean up to the Roman era. We note the kneeling Venus of Rhodes (1st century AD) and the sepulchral column of Tymarista and Crito.
The Knights' Road, official street of the medieval city, follows the ancient road to the end (the Acropolis) but to the Palace of the Grand Masters.
Along the road lay the Inns of the Knights of Seven Languages, of which four still remain.
The Palace of the Grand Masters or Knights' Palace (14th c.) is a palace and fortress that dominates the old town. It was destroyed in 1856 and rebuilt in 1939. Floors are covered with ancient mosaics from the island of Cos. There is an interesting collection of 16th and 17th-century Western furniture, and an impressive arcade used as a place for meetings and as a majestic entrance. The Palace has been renovated and is used to house important international functions.
Other remarkable sights in the old town are the Mosque of Suleiman, an old church with a beautiful Italian door, the Castellania (16th- century building now housing the Library) with its beautiful fountain,St Catherine's Hospital, the Admiralty Palace to its right, and finally the Folk Dance Theatre working to preserve traditional music, dances and costumes in their purest form.
The new town
On entering Mandraki (yacht harbour), the most picturesque of the three ports of the city, we are welcomed by two bronze deer. Erected where probably the famous Colossus of Rhodes used to stand, they have become the modern emblem of the town.
Nearby on the mole stands the lighthouse tower of St. Nicholas and the three old colourful windmills.
Numerous monumental buildings surround Mandraki and add to its majestic air - among others the New Market (Nea Agora), a polygonal building with internal courtyard, the Archbishop's Palace, the Evangelismos (Annunciation) church, the Central Post Office, Town Hall, Theatre and Government-House (Italian-period building now used as Prefecture) all four impressive buildings along the pier. At the north end of the town stands the Institute of Marine Biology (Aquarium).
The ancient city
Although ancient Rhodes was a large city relatively few ruins have been found. The ancient Acropolis stood on the eastern side of the Monte Smith hill, overlooking the city. Further on, one sees the Stadium (3rd century BC) and the curiously square sized Odeum (both rebuilt). Performances of ancient drama are held every summer in the Odeum. There are also a few ruins of the temples of Polias Athena, Pythian Apollo and Zeus.
Sights near the city
Only 3 km from the city lies the luscious greenery of Rodini Park, with lots of flower-gardens, picturesque lanes and ponds. From Rodini one can visit the Tomb of the Ptolemies and the ruins of a Roman aquaduct.
East Coast
Most visitors to the island's east coast flock to Lindos (47 km from the city of Rhodes), built on the ruins of the ancient Doric town of the same name.
In medieval times Lindos was the second most important centre of the island, after the city of Rhodes itself. The ancient Acropolis was then built into a castle. It is said that St. Paul the Apostle landed here when he came to the island of Rhodes accordingly, the tiny harbour on the other side of the village has been named "Agios Pavlos".
Under the steep cliff of the Acropolis lies the present townlet, charming with its whitewashed houses and pebbled courtyards. Houses retain traditional interiors, heavy ironwork on balconies and brown windows. Some 15th-century houses have been officially declared traditional buildings to be preserved. One should also visit the Church of the Virgin Mary (Panagia) of Lindos and the Chapel of Agios Pavlos.
A series of steps leads to the Acropolis. Inside the main gate we discern the ruins of the Knights' Lodge and the Byzantine church of St. John. Outside theDoric Stoa the prow of a Lindian Hellenistic trireme has been carved in a rock (4.5m x 5m). We cross the Doric Stoa (5th century BC) with its 42 columns (20 have been restored) and climb the majestic staircase to a higher terrace with Propylaean ruins (5th century BC).
From this point we reach the Sanctuary of Lindian Athena, with its elegant bi-prostyle temple on the edge of the cliff (4th century). Ruins of an ancient theatre have been found on the slope of the Acropolis.
There are other beauties on this part of the island besides antiquities.
- Koskinou (10 km) is an inland village with charming traditional houses.
- Kalithea (10.5 km.) is built around a colourful pine-covered bay with old spas.
- Faliraki (14 km) is a cosmopolitan resort with an exquisite beach.
- Ladiko boasts a beautiful coast.
- Afandou (21 km) is an old Rhodian village with an interesting church and a golf course.
- To the right of the Kolimbia coast a road leads to the enchanting Seven Springs (Epta Piges), a cool oasis with pine and plane-trees and crystal-clear waters.
- Tsambika is a beautiful sandy coast but also a mountain, with a Virgin Mary monastery on its top.
- Arhangelos (29 km) is noteworthy for its beautiful traditional houses, ceramics and carpet workshops.
- Haraki, a charming fishing village, lies at the beginning of the marvellous coast which leads to the Vliha Bay, and includes the medieval castle of Faraklos.
To the south of Lindos we meet traditional villages and charming coastlines here and there, until the road abandons the coastline and turns left towards Katavia (80 km), a major village in southern Rhodes.
But the journey is not over yet. It's worthwhile following the unpaved earth road leading to the Prassonissi peninsula, full of sand dunes and accessible only in the summer, as the sea transforms it into a true island in winter.
West Coast
Populous resorts, important archaeological sites and picturesque villages await us on this side of the island as well. Following the road to the west we cross the great coast where most of the island's hotels are clustered and reach Trianda (8 km) or Ialissos, a townlet surrounded by orchards. The beach of Ialissos marks the end of the great chain of hotels starting from the beach of the city of Rhodes.
Here one should visit the church of the Dormition of Theotokos (Virgin Mary) with its famous woodcarved temple, and then follow the winding picturesque road which crosses the pine-wood up to the Acropolis of Ialissos (6 km) - the important Doric city built on the flat top of Mt Filerimos, strategically overlooking the island. Places of archaeological interest include the temple of Polias Athena (3rd century BC), the Baptismal Font of an early Christian church, the brilliantly restored church of Panagia Filerimos, the monastery, the ruins of a medieval castle, the Doric fountain and the ancient necropolis.
Further to the west on the coast road, after Kremasti and Paradissi, one should go up left and reach the lush greenery of the famous Petaloudes (Butterflies) valley (25 km), unique in the whole of Greece. Millions of butterflies gather here in the summer. The slightest sound drives them in flocks from among the trees and shrubs -- a rare sight.
Returning to the coast road we reach the side-road leading to Ancient Kamiros, third in importance as a commercial centre in Antiquity (34 km). Archaeologists discovered this city, forgotten for centuries, in 1928. We discern parts of houses and buildings, the Agora, with its Doric Stoa (3rd century), a hellenistic temenos with Doric Temple, ruins of an aqueduct and remnants of the peripheral temple of Kamiriad Athena. Beside the foundations of that temple stands the Panagia Monastery, near to a proto-Christian Catacomb.
The west road continues for a while along the coast, reaches the village Scala Kamirou (51 km), then turns inland. From this village, with picturesque windmills and a panoramic view of the opposite islets, one can reach Chalki by caique.
The traveller will be pleasantly surprised by the amphitheatric Kritinia village (55 km), with a nearby medieval castle, then Siana, (69 km), full of old stone houses, and Monolithos, built on the pine-covered slopes of Mt. Ataviros. A nearby medieval castle, built on a steep cliff, imposes its presence. To the south one crosses endless green fields to reach Apolakia (84 km), famous for its marriage feasts, and finally -- from the opposite side Katavia (102 km).
Inland
Not only coastal Rhodes is worthy of visit. An inland journey uncovers beautiful traditional villages, untouched by the cosmopolitan spirit of tourist resorts.
If we start out from Agios Syllas monastery, lost among the pine and beech, we can reach Profitis Ilias (altitude 720 m) with its monastery and panoramic view of the sea. This is an enchanting journey, leading to idyllic villages on hilltops or built on gentle slopes, with stone houses, whitewashed or ochre. Villages like Apolona, Agios Isidoros, Embonas, Laerma, Askiplio, Messanagros, Psinthos and Salakos, stay in the visitor's memory for ever, each with its own charms but all with equally gentle and hospitable inhabitants.
Useful Information
Beaches
Kalithea, Faliraki, Afantou, Kolimbia, Tsambika, Agia Agathi, Haraki
and Plimmiri are some of the beautiful beaches of Rhodes.
Sports
Windsurfing is a popular sport. If you don't have a surfboard, you can rent one on the island. Also you can join tennis, golf and all water sports like water-skiing.
Night Life
Everything you could ask for is here. Discos, bars, pubs and a Casino, all do their best to give you a great time.
General
Rhodes is 260 nautical miles from Piraeus. From Piraeus there are daily ferries to Rhodes during the summer (duration: 19hours). For more information contact the Coastguard of Piraeus tel. 210 4226000-4. For information about local connections from Rhodes, contact Olympic Airways in Rhodes tel. 22410 24.555 (for flights) and the Coastguard of Rhodes tel. 22410 27690.
Useful telephone numbers
Automatic dialing code: 22410
Port Authority: 28888
Police Station: 27423
Town Hall: 35945
First Aid: 25555
Greek National Tourist Office: 23555
Transportation
From Athens there are quite a few flights every day.The duration of the flight is 55 minutes. For more information contact Olympic Airways in Athens tel. (01) 9666666 or Olympic Airways in Rhodes tel. 22410 24.555. Also by plane from Thessaloniki there are 2-3 flights a week during the whole year. The duration of the flight is 1 hour and 10 min. For more information contact Olympic Airways in Thessaloniki tel. 2310 260. 1219.
