Transport options on Rhodes

Whether by plane or boat... we're in Rhodes. And we have several options for getting further afield - public buses, rental cars or taxis. If you have a tour organised through a tour operator, there will probably be a bus for your flight that will take you directly to the various accommodation locations, or a tour operator delegate will take care of you. If you will be self-transporting from the airport, there is a bus service that connects the airport to the capital of Rhodes and ties in fairly well with the arrival and departure times of each flight. There is a regular public bus service from the capital of Rhodes to other towns and resorts. If you prefer convenience, you can book a taxi or have a rental car delivered to the airport.

Mass bus services on Rhodes are provided by two transport companies, RODA and KTEL, each of which focuses on a different part of the coastline. Transport links between the island's major towns and the major tourist resorts are usually smooth, with buses running regularly and going directly to the resorts. There may be some complications if you are heading to smaller resorts such as Gennadi, Pastida etc. or inland. Not many buses go here. And you certainly can't get to the smaller beaches and more remote sights by public bus. For these types of trips, a rented car or scooter is best. Bus services are regular in Rhodes and tickets are bought from the driver. The price of the fare depends on the distance travelled, for example, a trip Rhodes - Lindos will cost about 3.50 Euros, Rhodes - Faliraki will cost 2.20 Euros.

Renting a car is a very popular and convenient way to explore the beauty of Rhodes. Renting a car or scooter is quite common on the island and tourists have no major problems with it. There are many car rental companies on Rhodes, from small local renters to large international companies. The conditions for renting a car are similar from one rental company to another, you pay for the rental per day regardless of the number of kilometers driven, you pay for the gas yourself, the cars are usually in good condition and often they will even deliver it to you free of charge in front of your hotel or other agreed location. Of course, you should also have full insurance for your chosen means of transport with zero deductible. It wouldn't be nice to get your car scraped in a car park and then spend the rest of your holiday haggling with the rental company over your excess. So beware of suspiciously low prices. Most of the time, car rental is around 40 Euro/day and scooter or moped rental is around 25 Euro/day (if you rent for more days, the price usually goes down). And speaking of payments... beware, you pay the fines for traffic violations yourself!

If you're going on holiday with a travel agent, your delegate will probably recommend one of the rental companies, or even arrange for you to sign a contract. However, the price will be higher (you also pay a commission to the delegate). If you speak English or German, you can arrange the car hire yourself. Many of the rental companies also accept online bookings, which has the advantage that you can study the terms and conditions at home and be sure that you will have a car or moped available for your holiday. In the peak tourist season, it may happen that some days all cars and scooters are rented out and you will be left with the most expensive cars for the wealthy clientele.

Another possible mode of transport, although less common on Rhodes, is the taxi. Taxis are used by tourists especially at night when they return from a night out. Compared to other European countries, these services are considered relatively cheap. For example, a trip from the capital to Lindos costs approximately 30 Euros. Please note, however, that it is not possible to flag down a taxi on the street. The way it works in Rhodes is that there are several taxi ranks scattered around the capital and around the island. There is usually a staff member present who calls out the destination station in order to fill the taxi as much as possible. So don't be shy, and if the destination suits you, get in the car. You can also pre-book a taxi by phone. Taxis can be recognised by their distinctive blue colour.

Basic traffic rules in Greece

Greece has similar traffic rules to other European countries, so with your knowledge of Czech traffic laws you have a good basis. The maximum speed limit is 50 km/h in the village, 80 km/h outside the village and 100 km/h on Class 1 roads with fast traffic. and on motorways max. 120 km/h. However, it is advisable to be cautious when driving, as local Greeks sometimes have a peculiar driving style, honking their horns a lot, often exceeding the speed limit, failing to stop at stop signs or parking where it is forbidden. Don't let them get you down, it might not pay off. You must wear a seatbelt in the front seat and have a car seat for children (usually free with a rental car). A helmet is required when riding a motorcycle. And for drivers, there is a ban on talking on the phone while driving. Although a certain level of alcohol in the driver's blood is tolerated in Greece (generally 0.5 per millilitres, 0.2 per millilitres for beginners and motorcyclists), it is not recommended to consume alcohol before driving, as being at fault in a drink-driving accident is severely punished.

In the experience of car rental companies, who occasionally have to deal with fines from their clients, tourists in Greece make the most mistakes when parking. In addition to the classic "no parking" and "no stopping" signs, you may also see yellow lines painted directly on the road. Do not park where yellow lines are painted. If you find a pink piece of paper behind the wiper when you return to your car, it is probably an €80 fine for bad parking. You need to go to the post office with the slip and pay the fine there (in which case the fine is reduced to 40 Euro). If you throw the ticket away, the police will request the contract and your personal details from the rental company and then recover the fine in full. Plus one piece of advice... don't be fooled by where others park. In fact, the Greek police sometimes do this, letting locals stand on the ban and only ticketing rental cars. Less common are speeding tickets or not wearing seatbelts for the driver or passenger. Some of the fines are: violation of parking ban 80 Euro, talking on mobile phone while driving 100 Euro, speeding up to 350 Euro, not wearing seat belt 350 Euro, not stopping at stop sign 700 Euro.

Road network on Rhodes

As far as the basic road network on Rhodes is concerned, it is designed in a very practical and simple way. Rhodes is a relatively small island, 75 km long and 30 km wide, and getting anywhere is a matter of a few kilometres. There is a main road that runs along the coast, and you can drive around the whole island - these roads are designated as national roads. On the south-east coast, transport is provided by the main Rhodes - Lindos - Kattavia road. The road runs approximately 2 to 3 km off the coast and exits from this state road to the various tourist resorts. This is a very pleasant solution, because the individual resorts are not burdened by excessive traffic and at the same time you can quickly get to the main road and from there to wherever you want. The exception in this case is the capital city of Rhodes, which is practically always full of tourists and cars. If you don't use public transport for a trip to the capital, but use your car, leave it in a parking lot in front of the town and don't go into the centre at all. Often it takes almost as long to navigate through the heavy traffic near the capital as it does to drive from one end of the island to the other. The Rhodes-Kamiros-Kattavia national road runs along the northwest coast. The road almost lines the coastline itself, but unlike the eastern side of the island, there are smaller and less touristy resorts, so traffic is weaker in this part of the island. Smaller, but still good enough roads then go inland.