Athens to Rhodes

What to expect when visiting Rhodes

Rhodes is a Greek fairytale island off the southern coast of Anatolia, Turkey. As the capital of the Dodecanese group of islands, Rhodes boasts of such a colourful history. War-torn walls and towers, stone-paved roads, a beautifully preserved medieval castle — everywhere you look will take you back in time!

Summer can be very busy on this so-called Knights’ Island surrounded by pristine waters and charming beaches. We recommend exploring the Old Town early in the morning to skip the crowd of tourists visiting Rhodes.

2 ways to get from Athens to Rhodes

When travelling from Athens to Rhodes, there’s really no better option than flying. It’s fast, cheap, and convenient, a much better choice than taking a 16-hour ferry.

We highly recommend that you book a flight as early as you can to secure the cheapest rates possible!

TIP: If you decide to travel by plane, please consider including a carbon compensation fee to reduce your impact on the environment.

Athens Airport is located 35 km southeast of Athens city centre.

There are 3 possible ways you can complete this leg of the journey: a 40-minute train for €10 ($10.90), a 1-hour bus for €6.50 ($7.10), or a 35-minute taxi with rates from €66 ($72).

We recommend taking the train for the shortest travel time. Head to the nearest Metro Line 3 Station so that you can skip the usual traffic going to the airport. Trains run from 05:40-23:30 with a 30-minute interval.

Olympic, Sky Express, Volotea, and Hahn Air fly from Athens to Rhodes daily.

Travel time takes just 1 hour, and ticket prices start from €43 ($47).

Again, it’s best to book your flight months in advance to score the lowest airfares.

Flights arrive at Rhodes – Diagoras International Airport.

To get to Rhodes city centre, you’ll have to travel 20 km northeast from Rhodes Airport. You can take either a taxi (25 minutes) or a bus (40 minutes).

The taxi is a quick and easy way to reach your hotel. You’ll have to pay around €25 ($27) for the ride, but we think you’ll be grateful for the time and stress you get to save with this option!

A bus ride only costs €2.50 ($2.70). However, the travel time is double than that of a taxi ride because the bus makes too many stops along the way. If you don’t mind all these stops, then you can find the buses near door 1 of the airport terminal. Just turn left and walk around 300m.

Buses park at Averof Street in Rhodes city centre.

An alternative to taking the flight is a ferry ride from Athens to Rhodes.

We honestly don’t think the ferry offers any advantage when it comes to speed and value. However, if you’re looking for 15h 30m of quiet time on the sea, then this is the best choice for you!

To travel by ferry from Athens to Rhodes, you’ll first have to travel 15 km southwest to Piraeus Port. We recommend taking the train because it is cheap and convenient.

From Athens city centre, take a Metro green line (Line 1) train from either Monastiraki or Omonia station. Get off at Piraeus Station, and walk a few minutes across the street to the port.

Travel time is around 30 minutes, and the train ticket costs €1.50 ($1.60).

There is always at least one ferry sailing from Piraeus to Rhodes whatever season it is.

Keep in mind, however, that the travel time takes 15h 30m. The ferry makes a stop on some islands along the way to pick up and drop off passengers. Whether this travel time is worth it or not depends on how you plan to spend your time on the ferry.

If you’re planning to get away from the world for a while and be lulled to sleep by the waves, then this option is definitely worth considering!

Ferry rates start from €66 ($72). Although it’s more expensive than a flight, all ferries are overnight, so you can also think of it as saving a night on accommodation.

Below are the ferry schedules from May to October. If you’re travelling outside those months, it’s best to check with your hotel for the latest departure times.