Symi Chat

Please could you experienced Symi visitors give us a little advice?

As we are travelling indepedantly this time we will need to get from the airport to Rhodes Town.

Are the buses frequent and cheap and do they allow luggage? Or would we be better getting a taxi? If so, what is a typical cost for the journey?

Adriana has suggested leaving our cases at The Plaza Hotel so we can go walkabout whilst we wait for the 19:00 Proteus. How far is the walk from The Plaza when we pick up our cases, to the Commercial harbour where we get the Proteus? Don't really want to be blowing money on taxis left right and centre on our first day, if we can avoid it.

We were in Rhodes last year and travelled independently. The taxi's wait outside and are quite cheap - can't remember off hand I think about 15 euro's max maybe not even that much.
I would say take a taxi rather than bus because the buses have loads of stops etc.... and when you just want to get to ferry 'd just get there as quickly as possible.

The taxi fare from the airport to Rhodes town is 18 Euros this year.

The bus is as cheap as chips (we always used to use it When We Were Young) but if you're going to take one taxi ride I suggest you make it the one from the airport. From the Plaza to the Commercial Harbour will take you max 30minutes on foot assuming you're not carrying vast quantites of luggage. That way you're in control of your own destiny - if you rely on a taxi from the Plaza and it's late/doesn't turn up you'll be biting your fingernails to the quick.

Don't be surprised if you end up sharing a taxi but still paying full fare. There have been recent changes in the law which governs this practice but they may not have filtered through yet.

If you do decide on the bus from the airport you need to turn left out of the terminal and walk up to the road (5 mins max), where the bus stop is situated immediately opposite the airport slip road. You'll probably have to put your cases in the hold - the driver will open it up for you. The timetable is online at

Thanks all. Very helpful advice.

http://www.ando.gr/upload/files/eot/Taxi.pdf is the current Rhodes taxi price list.

The Hermes opposite allows people to leave luggage there but as they are in the throes of renovating the coffee shop it is a bit of an awkward arrangement. A taxi from the Mandraki rank to the commercial harbour is about 3.50 (metered). If the hotel calls one for you it is usually 5 euros and as the Proteus has now been relegated to the most remote part of the commercial harbour, about as far as they can go and still be in Rhodes, it is well worth the expense as it is not a pleasant walk. It seems that the needs of passing trade on cruise ships who might buy the odd souvenir in the Old Town take precedence over the needs of visitors who need to catch ferries to other islands and presumably, in the minds of the powers that be, are unlikely to be spending much dosh on the island of Rhodes. Grrrr.

Thanks Adriana. Looks like it is a taxi then.