By Plane
In addition to its year-round service between Rhodes and Athens and Thessaloniki, Olympic Airways offers summer service between Rhodes and the following Greek locales: Iraklion (Crete), Karpathos, and Santorini. The local Olympic office is at 9 Ierou Lohou (tel. 22410/24-57). Flights fill quickly, so reserve in advance. Aegean Airlines (tel. 801/112-0000 in Greece; www.aegeanair.com), in addition to flights to Rhodes, offers at least high-season flights between Rhodes and Thessaloniki and Iraklion, Crete. Tickets for any flight in or out of Rhodes can be purchased directly from Triton Holidays, near Mandraki Harbor, 9 Plastira, Rhodes city (tel. 22410/21-690; www.tritondmc.gr). Triton will either send your tickets to you or have them waiting for you at the airport.
The Rhodes Paradissi Airport (tel. 22410/83-214) is 13km (8 miles) southwest of the city and is served from 6am to 10:30pm by bus. The bus to the city center (Plateia Rimini) is 6€. A taxi costs 22€. By the way, some taxi drivers resist taking passengers to hotels in the Old Town (because of the slow going in the old streets) -- they will even claim they can't enter; note their number and threaten to report them, and they will usually relent. Otherwise, make arrangements with your hotel to be met at one of the main gates.
By Boat
Rhodes is a major port with sea links to Athens, Crete, and the islands of the Aegean, as well as to Cyprus, Turkey, and Israel. Service and schedules are always changing; check with the tourist office or a travel agency for the latest information.
In late spring and throughout the summer, there are daily sailings -- some with high-speed hydrofoils or catamarans -- from and to Rhodes and many of the Dodecanense and other islands in the eastern Aegean: Kos, Kalimnos, Kastellorizo, Leros, Nissiros, Patmos, Samos, Simi, and Tilos. The advantage of hydrofoils and catamarans is that they make the voyage in half the time, but when the wind blows, the sailings are canceled. Air quality is also poor, especially compared to that on larger open-deck excursion boats or ferries. For more detailed information about the most active ship line, Dodekanisos Seaways, see www.12ne.gr.
Wherever it is you want to go, whether by ferry, hydrofoil, catamaran, or excursion boat, schedules and tickets are available from Triton Holidays . Although several agents in Rhodes city and island can issue air and sea tickets, Triton has had a "special relationship" with Frommer's people from the original "$5 a Day" guide!
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
