Symi Chat

Hello all

I'm a newbie to the forum but not to Symi as my wife and I have stayed on the island on several occasions but over ten years ago!!

We are hoping to be able to arrange a short stay towards the end of this month which will be our first trip back in ten years. I guess that many things on the island have changed since our last trip which is where I'd welcome advice and guidance please!

Ferries - this seems to have changed!! What happened to the tour boats (symi 1 and symi 2?) that we used to get over on? Am I right in thinking that currently there seems to only be an 0830 daily dodek ferry out from Rhodes that returns from Symi at 1745? is this the only route over now? Does the dolphin still run?

Prices. Again I imagine that prices have no doubt risen since our last trip??!! What can one expect to pay for a basic lunch, evening meal, mythos (most importantly) etc etc?

Any advice gratefully received

Thanks

Darren

Hi Darren, welcome to the Chat Page.

There have been lots of changes on the island in the last ten years but most of them small ones and it's still the Same wonderful place you remember.

Ferries are a bit of a mess at the moment but I expect that to change in the very near future although as with all things Greek, there's no guarantee!

The Dodekanisos schedule does show just one boat a day (except for the day I need when there isn't one at all!) at the end of the month but the company has three boats and I can't see them leaving two unused so expect changes for the better sometime soon.

The two Dodekanisos high speed boats used to run twice a day each covering the Dodecanese chain, one going north from Rhodes and the other south from (usually) Patmos in the morning and then back in the afternoon with both boats passing through Symi. More recently they have had just one boat covering that run with the other concentrating on the Rhodes-Symi crossing. There will probably be something similar this year but latest schedule shows just one boat from May 21st onwards. I expect that to change.

The Dolphin finally died a couple of years ago. Few mourned its passing

The tour boats still run but may refuse to take passengers with luggage because they are not licensed as ferries.


It's difficult to comment on prices to be honest. Everyone has their own idea about what's 'basic' but I'm sure others might offer some advice. In general prices have risen in ten years as you would expect but recently bar and taverna owners have tried hard to limit increases because they understand that everyone is feeling the pinch.

Enjoy your holiday Darren!

Hi Darren
The complete ferry timetable for the end of May is not available yet, so what you can see now is definitely only a small part of what will be operating.
Symi I was sold out of service in 2004 and replaced by a small passenger/car/truck ferry called Symi. As this reached the age limit for passenger ferries it was relegated to day excursions only. It is currently in drydock in Piraeus, but when it returns you won't be able to use it if you have luggage - the Port Police now actively enforce the rules instead of turning a blind eye. It was replaced on ferry duty with the Proteus which was operating up till 2 weeks ago, is now in dry dock in Syros, and should return later in May. ANES still own Symi II but it wasn't used at all last year as the company was in financial difficulties, and it isn't known whether it will be used this year yet, but it is still moored in Mandraki Harbour in Rhodes. In theory they also own the Dolphin, Aegli, but this hasn't sailed for over 3 years and went out of service following yet another breakdown - it is now almost impossible to get spares for the engines, and in any case they burn so much fuel compared to the limited passenger capacity that they aren't economic at today's fuel prices.


So you will likely have a choice of sailings from Dodekanisos Seaways using the fast cats Dodecanese Pride and Dodecanese Express and the car ferry Panagia Skiadeni at a variety of times, from ANES using Proteus and maybe Symi II, and from Blue Star using Blue Star Naxos or Blue Star Diagoras on through services to Piraeus. There may be the odd sailing on the Tilos Sea Star as well. I'm afraid you'll just have to wait until nearer the time to find out precisely what will be sailing when.

How long is the crossing these days on the fast cats and the larger ferries?

Fast cats 40-50 minutes, large conventional ferries around 1 hour 40 minutes. There is a general move in Greece to slow down the ferries and cats to save fuel as the cost is now so high.

Thanks allan and Andy for the information so far. Am in a bit of a quandry tbh. Planned trip to symi is very last minute and for just four nights five days from 23rd to 27th May inclusive. Problem is that only blue star seem to be advertising a 3pm sailing from Rhodes on the 23rd and nothing from any of the other companies appearing on the websites. the gamble is should i book flights now or leave until the final schedules are published and risk losing the flights (which are at the right times assuming current published sailings up to 20th may.)

I need a lie down.....

Book the flights...if you can hop on the morning dodec,we have arrived at the harbour and found the dodec leaving for symi in the afternoon too,4.30 I think...not on the web site either.

All I can say Darren is that I'll be astonished if there isn't a timetable similar to the current one in operation for the dates you want to travel.

There are all kinds of negotiations, arguments, politics and not a little pig-headedness going on between various parties at the moment but the bottom line is that Symi needs the ferry connections and the ferry operators need the tourist business so I would expect something to be sorted out very soon.

As Miss Exige says, you should probably just book the flights. But then it isn't my money and I could be wrong!

Thanks again for the advice. Well I have taken the plunge today and gone ahead and booked flights and accommodation.

I hope your right about the ferries Allan!!! if not I'll have to come and pay you a visit. You won't be able to miss me i'm around 7 feet tall and covered in tattoo's!! Only jesting! I can think off worse places to be stranded!!!

Roll on the 23rd!!!

You will be fine hop in a cab right outside the airport direct to the harbour....hope you find the sunrise cafe in the village..me and Allan like beer..!

Shhhhhhh! Don't tell Darren where to find me!

You'll be in the Sunrise before me so watch out for a very tired looking seven foot tall tattooed bloke. If you see him tell him I've emigrated.

.......

And now Proteus schedule for the rest of May has appeared, starting Sunday.
Leave Rhodes either 09:00 or 10:00 every day for Symi, leave Symi either 15:00 or 16:00 every day for Rhodes

I like this a lot!