isabel

I'm planning a trip for this coming September for Rhodes, Kos, Patmos and Corfu. Despite the fact that almost nobody on this forum seems to ask about those islands, I know they are popular, especially with 'package tours' from northern Europe. So I planned on September thinking they would be less crowded. But now I'm starting to worry I may be restricted by reduced schedules in terms of things like ferries and flights. For example I see that the last flight of the season from Paris to Rhodes on Easyjet is August 29. I can make that work and it looks like I can get between Kos and Italy the third week. I know ferry schedules for next year are not out yet.

So my question is - is it still 'high season' in terms of everything open, frequent ferries, etc.? What about crowds?

My plan is fly into Rhodes and base there about 6 nights, doing day trips to Symi and Chalki. Then move to Kos for a few days, then to Patmos for a couple days and back to Kos so I can fly to Corfu. I don't see any direct flights but I do see some on Agean with a stopover in Athens. Then about a week on Corfu. I was thinking of a day trip or an overnight side trip to Albania during that week. Does that plan sound doable? reasonable?

Traveler_Nick

Rhodes starts winding down mid/late August. IIRC the UK schools start early September so they start heading back third week of August. I can't remember when the French schools head back but mainly you will be seeing Italians and Germans.. Smaller crowds aren't a negative. Just means you won't be fighting the same hordes on the beaches.

Not that it matters nobody is closing for the season just yet.

From Italy Vueling normally flies from Rome to Rhodes until late September or early October. Watch the flight times since they can redefine late night.

Rhodes is a large island. Six days including a day trip out to Symi you will likely need to plan things well to see everything you want.

Pepper_von_snoot

6 days in Rodos is too much. Keith and I stayed at Rodos Park Hotel, just outside the Amboise Gate, years ago.

My wedding ring came from ilias lalaounis in Rodos. 😁😁

I think 4 days would be enough.

The beach out by the aquarium is very nice.

Thin,aristocrat 🌥

isabel

Well, there doesn't seem to be much consensus as to how many days for Rhodes. Obviously it's different for everyone.

Someone suggested that after Patmos rather than backtracking to Kos to fly out that I go to either Samos or Leros, both of which have flights to Athens. Anyone been to either of them? I like the idea of experiencing another island but not just for the sake of saying I went. I guess both have migrant camps, I wonder if that impacts tourists in any way.

Traveler_Nick

Six days including arrival and departure leaves you with four full days.

Day trip to Symi

You now have three days left for a fairly large island. Trip to Lindos? A day around the old town of Rhodes? Doesn't exactly leave a great deal for the rest of the island.

Heimdall

You won’t have a problem finding ferries between Rhodes, Kos, and Patmos in September. A day trip to Symi from Rhodes is a good idea, maybe even a night or two there instead of a day trip. A good day trip from Kos would be the island of Nisyros to see the caldera, better than the one on Santorini.

Athens is the hub for domestic flights in Greece, and Aegean Airlines helps their passengers with connecting flights. You might even consider connecting flights from Italy to Rhodes rather than one of the budget airline’s direct flights. Corfu is the outlier on your itinerary, but might be a way to get to Italy without going back through Athens.

neckervd

1 week is by far not too much for Rhodos. Everything will remain open until end September. During the month of October, many things begin to close.
Catamarans to Kos - Patmos run usually daily until mid October, later only a few days per week, in November and December only once weekly.

There ARE package tourists at Rhodos and Kos.
In Rhodos they usually stay in the unpersonnal concrete hotel buildings along the so called beach between Kallithea and Kolimbia and on both sides of Lindos (Vlycha, Lardos-Kiotari).If I stay at Rhodos in late August/early September, I never go to these places an am fine.
In Kos, the tourist ghettos are south of the airport, along the coast from Kardamena up to Kefalos.
Patmos is fine, not a package tourist Mekka and never really crowded.

If I were you, I wouldn' wait until end September if I could leave earlier. In Corfu, summer often ends in the first half of September, in Rhodos around the 20th. After these dates, it may get cloudier and even rainy from time to time. Corfu and Patmos are a bit cooler (air and seawater) than Rhodos anyway.

As to Paris - Rhodos connections, Transavia and Aegean offer direct flights (at least every 2nd day) until late October.

There are no direct Dodecannese - Corfu flights.
You have to fly from Leros or Kalymnos or Kos to Athens and then to Corfu.
If you fly from Samos (the airport is not far away from the ferry port Pythagorio), check first the ferry timetable (there are less ferries to Samos than to Leros - Kalymnos - Kos).
If the dates match, a overnight ferry ride from Patmos dp at midnight to Piraeus ar 8am (nights Tuesday/Wedn, Thursday/Fri, Sunday/Monday) might be the better solution. You could then go on to Corfu by late afternoon flight.
As an alternative, you could go by bus Athens dp 11.45 (actual timetable) to Corfu ar about 18.00..

Direct flights from Corfu to France until end September; in October to Belgium only (on Sundays).

isabel

Thanks for the additional information.Right now my plan is Rhodes the first week in Sept, Kos and Patmos the 2nd, and Corfu the 3rd. I‘d heard Rhodes and Corfu both got very crowded “in season” so that’s why I planned the trip when I did. Maybe it sounds like last week in Aug is ‘after high season’ so not too crowded and being in Corfu a few days earlier in mid-September is better? I’m not looking for no crowds, just don’t want wall to wall.

Second question is – would it be better/just as good to ferry from Patmos to Leros as to go back to Kos. I can fly from either of them to Corfu. Leros hadn’t been on my radar till someone just pointed out it was closer than going back to Kos and I’d get to see another island.

Here’s my current plan:

Fly nonstop BOS to Paris 8/24-5 (4 days there, been lots of times)

Fly nonstop Paris to Rhodes on 8/29 – spend 6 or 7 nights (2 days Rhodes town, 1 daytrip to Lindos, 1 daytrip to Symi, one possibly to Chalki, ? 1 more)

Ferry to Kos, then to Patmos – total about 6-7 nights, then fly Kos to Corfu about Sept 12-13 (on Agean with plane change in Athens). About a week there (with a possible day trip or overnight to Albania). Then about Sept 19-20 fly to Italy for rest of trip.

I could move it all up by about 4 days – arriving in Rhodes Aug 25, being in Corfu about Sept 8-13 Would that be better?

neckervd

That sounds much better.
Symi:as Symi lies along the catamaran itinerary Rhodos - Patmos anyway, you may also stay 1 night or 2 at Symi and then go on by direct catamaran to Patmos.
Leros - ATH versus Kos - ATH: whaterver you book, you have either not enough (for luggage re-check in) or too much time at ATH.