Planning a Trip

Getting There

By Plane -- Kos is now serviced by both Olympic Airways (Kos town office, 22 Vas. Pavlou; tel. 22420/28-331) and Aegean Airlines (tel. 22420/51-654). Although Olympic has experimented with expanded service and may do so again, at present its only direct flights to Kos are from Athens and Rhodes. From Hippocrates Airport (tel. 22420/51-229), a public bus will take you the 26km (16 miles) to the town center for 4€ ($5.20); or you can take a taxi for about 18€ ($23).

By Boat -- As the transportation hub of the Dodecanese, Kos offers (weather permitting) a full menu of options: car ferries, passenger ferries, hydrofoils (Flying Dolphins), excursion boats, and caiques. Though most schedules and routes are always in flux, the good news is that you can, with more or less patience, make your way to Kos from virtually anywhere in the Aegean. Currently, the only ports linked to Kos with year-round nonstop and at least daily ferry service are Piraeus, Rhodes, Kalimnos, and Bodrum. Leros and Patmos enjoy the same frequency but with a stop or two along the way. The Kos harbor is strewn with travel agents who can assist you; or check current schedules with the Municipal Tourism Office .

Visitor Information

The Municipal Tourism Office (tel. 22420/24-460; fax 22420/21-111), on Vas. Yioryiou, facing the harbor near the hydrofoil pier, is your one-stop source of information in Kos. It's open May through October, Monday to Friday from 8am to 2:30pm and 5 to 8pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 2pm; and November through April, Monday to Friday from 8am to 2:30pm. Hotel and pension owners keep the office informed of what rooms are available in the town and environs; you must, however, book your room directly with the hotel. Be sure to pick up a free map of Kos. For a more extensive and detailed guide to Kos -- beaches, archaeological sites, birds, wildflowers, tavernas, and much more -- pick up a copy of Where and How in Kos, available at most news kiosks for 4€ ($5.20).

Getting Around

By Bus -- The Kos town (DEAS) buses offer service within roughly 6.4km (4 miles) of the town center, whereas the Kos island (KTEL) buses will get you nearly everywhere else. For the latest schedules, consult the town bus office, on the harbor at 7 Akti Kountourioti (tel. 22420/26-276); or the island bus station, at 7 Kleopatras (tel. 22420/22-292), around the corner from the Olympic Airways office. The majority of DEAS town buses leave from the central bus stop on the south side of the harbor.

By Bicycle -- This is a congenial island for cyclists. Much of Kos is quite flat, and the one main road from Kos town to Kefalos has all but emptied the older competing routes of traffic. As bike trails are provided until well beyond Kos town, you can also avoid the congested east-end beach roads. But don't expect to pedal one-way and then hoist your bike onto a bus, because that won't work here. Rentals are available throughout Kos town and can be arranged through your hotel. Prices range from 5€ to 15€ ($6.50-$20) per day.

By Moped & Motorcycle -- It's easy to rent a moped through your hotel or a travel agent. Or, as with bicycles, you can walk toward the harbor and look for an agency. Rentals range from 18€ to 25€ ($23-$33). You can also call Motoway, 9 Vas. Yioryiou (tel. 22420/20-031), for mopeds and motorcycles.

By Car -- It's unlikely that you'd need to rent a car for more than 1 or 2 days on Kos, even if you wanted to see all its sights and never lift a foot. Numerous companies, including Avis (tel. 22420/24-272), Europcar (tel. 22420/24-070), and Hertz (tel. 22420/28-002), rent cars and all-terrain vehicles. Expect to pay at least 95€ ($124) per day including insurance and fuel. Gas stations are open Monday through Saturday from 7am to 7pm; there are also several stations open (in rotation) in Kos town on Sunday; ask your hotelier or the tourist office for directions.

By Taxi -- For a taxi, drop by or call the harbor taxi stand beneath the minaret and across from the castle (tel. 22420/23-333 or 22420/27-777). All Kos drivers are required to know English, but then again, you were once required to know trigonometry.

Orientation

Kos town is built around the harbor from which the town fans out. In the center are an ancient city (polis) consisting of ruins, an old city limited mostly to pedestrians, and the new city with wide, tree-lined streets. Most of the town's hotels are near the water, either on the road north to Lambi or on the road south and east to Psalidi. If you stand facing the harbor, with the castle on your right, Lambi is to your left and Psalidi on your right. In general, the neighborhoods to your right are less overrun and defined by tourists. This area, although quite central, is overall more residential and pleasant. The relatively uncontrolled area to your left (except for the occasional calm oasis, like that occupied by the Pension Alexis) has been largely given over to tourism. Knowing this will help you find most of the tourist-oriented services by day and action by night, as well as where to find a bit of calm when you want to call it quits. Most recommended places to stay lie to your left, east of the castle.

Fast Facts

Of the three banks that exchange currency, Ionian Bank of Greece, El. Venizelou, has the most extensive hours: Monday through Friday from 8am to 2pm and 6 to 8pm. The hospital is at 32 Hippokratous (tel. 22420/22-300). Del Mare Internet Cafe, 4a Megalo Alexandrou (tel. 22420/24-244; www.cybercafe.gr) is open daily from 9am to 2am. Happy Wash, 20 Mitropoleos, across from Ayios Nikolaos (tel. 22420/23-424), is open May through October, daily from 8am to 9pm; and November through April, daily from 9am to 1:30pm and 4 to 9pm. The post office on Vas. Pavlou (at El. Venizelou) is open Monday through Friday from 7:30am to 2:30pm. Across from the castle, the tourist police (tel. 22420/22-444) are available 24 hours to address any outstanding need or emergency, even trouble finding a room.