JohnnyRocket

After much planning and re-planning, we have finally (99% sure ) have our 2 1/2 weeks in Greece this coming July planned as far as the general area in Greece we want to visit and have thus started a new thread.

We will be landing in Athens then flying non-stop to Rhodes the same day (about an hour flight). We want to stay five days in Rhodes then spend another nine or ten days visiting two (or maybe three) other islands in the Dodecanese, before returning to Athens, where we will stay two days, before flying home.

We need your suggestions on which islands in the Dodecanese we should visit for those nine/ten days in combination with Rhodes. Kos and Karpathos look very beautiful and interesting and are not that far from Rhodes, but we know there are many other islands we can choose from. We enjoy beaches, history, ancient sites, good food and quaint villages that are great for evening walks with other locals and travellers.

Thank you.

travelerjan

Johnny if you are gong from Santorini to Rhodes, you had better do some of your own research rather than just relying upon responses here. I have heard from some Greeks that the BLUE STAR ferry route from Santorini - Rhodes 3x a week may have been cancelled ... if so, then there is NO ferry between those 2 ports except 1x per week that takes more than 24 hours. Do some homework b efore you lock in your choice.

I also agree that Rhodes may be jampacked, it has direct flights from UK and Europe and a lot of Package-holiday crowds therefore. They will not stay in Rhodes Old Town but will be there by day, as will the daily Cruise-ship(s) brining in another 3-4000 cruisers. Just be aware. As for other island options:

KOS - if you check Trip Advisor Kos category, or look at any candid Guidebook such as ROUGH GUIDE (the best choice), you'll know that this island has almost given itself over to package-holiday companies, and thus all the beaches are lined with unlovely concrete buildings to house these bargain-hunters.

KARPATHOS - Not a package-holiday place because of poor connections; you can mainly only get there from Rhodes, and then must go BACK to Rhodes to go anywhere else.

My thought would be to avoid that scene by taking a ferry NORTH, to the Next chain, the N.E. Aegean Group. YOu would do this by taking a ferry to PATMOS the northernmost Dodecanese. You can then get a ferry next Day to SAMOS, which has a world of possibilities. Great map - There are about 3 beach places there which are package-holiday " Brit hives" (Pythagoras, Matharakampos, somewhat Karlovassi), but plenty of room in between. I've stayed in Vathy ... there is some bus service, but car rental is the best. The bonus for SAMOS is that it's a great "springboard" to Other islands, from the port of VATHY -- in 1 week, we did a day trip to EPHESUS, the ruin in Turkey, Then Day trip to PATMOS, then 2 days on CHIOS ... now ifyou want an island that will not be tourist-jammed, the latter is the place. Fascinating ... worth a longer stay. To head back to the mainland, from Karlovassi in Samos, there are almost daily ferries to Mykonos.

Of course, doing some homework regarding ferries, (go to gtp.gr and learn how to use it) you'd find quite another option -- turn your itinerary upside down. Do NOT do Athens first ... instead, upon arrival, get the soonest available domestic flight to RHODES. After that you could go to KOS next door for 2 days, then -- 3 x a week - there's a Blue Star ferry to SANTORINI. From there you could do 1-2 Cycladic isles leading back to PIRAEUS, whereupon you would do ATHENS at the last, which is what veterans always advise. But what do we know.

Heimdall

I spent two weeks on Kos once, and was unimpressed. In fact that was my first time in Greece, and on that first impression probably would not have gone back to Greece had I not later started island-hopping in the Cyclades. While on Kos I did take a day trip to Nisyros, which was more interesting, and has a bigger volcano than Santorini. Other islands near Rhodes to consider visiting are Simi and Tilos.

Karpathos would be interesting, I suppose, if you want to visit an island with little tourism. As travelerjan wrote, there aren't daily ferries, but it does have Aegean Airlines flights from/to Athens five days per week. Incidentally, Blue Star ferries is resuming ferries between Santorini and Rhodes this year, three times per week: https://www.bluestarferries.com/en/travel-with-us/domestic-lines/timetables/piraeus-santorini-kos-rhodes.html?destination=&anchor=content-category

littlejane

I've been to Kos, Kalymnos, Patmos, Rhodes (a few times), Nisyros and Symi (the last two just on day trips, and both well worth a day trip but probably not suitable for a longer stay). Of those Rhodes is the island with the most to do and see, and Kalymnos was the most charming by far for me, but it is very small and a couple of nights would be enough. Rhodes old town is fabulous especially if you can avoid the relentless pursuit of the restaurant owners trying to get you to eat in their place. Lindos is a good place as a second base on Rhodes as it has a totally different vibe - by night all of the diners eat at rooftop restaurants looking out over the town and the other rooftop restaurants and dominated by a floodlit acropolis. I'm not overwhelmed by the Dodecanese as an island group - especially if it is your first time in Greece I think the Cyclades are more akin to the picture postcard Greece you may have in your mind, and they are less overrun with package tourism. What made you abandon your Plan A?

crazyh

One island not mentioned is Astypalea. It's Chora is one of the most beautiful in Greece and the island doesn't get the tourism level like the Big Name Islands nearby do. Still Greek and traditional. I also agree with Traveler Jan about Chios. While it's not part of the Dodecanese it's not that far to get to and/or combine. I was there for 10 days and it's landscape and scenery are outstanding, not to mention the Mastic Villages, abandoned village Anavatos, other abandoned villages, beaches and lots more.

JohnnyRocket

littlejane, I have one word to answer your question: Rhodes.

It looks breathtaking and has everything we would want from a Greek experience. From it's medieval, walled, well preserved city to its gorgeous beaches, Lindos and other quaint villages, we want to spend time there and thus do not want to spend days ferrying between Rhodes and the Cyclades. We will stay within the Dodecanese as it has some other gorgeous islands as well, as you and others have suggested. Thanks for your advice and sharing your experiences.

Thanks also to travelerjan, crazyh and Heimdallals for your suggestions. You all are so thoughtful and helpful and your advice really does make it easier for us to plan (and re-plan) our trip. Your personal experiences are really helpful to humanize what travelling is all about.

travelerjan

JOnny if the walls are important to you as they wre to me, DO take the earlier advice to book Medieval INN. It's one of the few that are far from the "cruise ship gates" and tucked away down one of those arched alleys. Tip: ask for upper floor... the rooms on the street level are darker and not well ventilated.

Retsina

I'm coming from the position of island hopping in the Dodecanese islands many times by direct flights to Athens, Samos, Kos, and Rhodes. Have stayed on every island from Karpathos to Thassos(NE Aegean), no daytrips either, exceptions are Kastellorizo, Chios, Arki and Agathonisi which I have only seen from the decks of a ferry, or the coast of Turkey.

Karpathos is a bit out of the area, basically enroute to Crete with an infrequent ferry, not really suitable for your time limits.

What is within your limits are islands from Rhodes to Samos. The basic choice in that area is large tourist developed islands like Rhodes, Kos, Samos, and others in between which are much smaller. A couple of these smaller islands are a niche market like Chalki and Symi.

Your short time makes it difficult to suggest the smaller islands For example Rhodes > Symi > Tilos > Nisyros > Kos. That would take a minimum 3 weeks.

Something really simple like Rhodes and Kos is time efficient and enough to see on each island to fill your two weeks.

travelerjan

I have visited Samos 3x, Rhodes 2x, have only daytripped to Patmos but since then have good friend who has a summer home there and has shared a good deal about his experience there, spent nearly 3 days on Chios ...have twice traveled the route from Rhodes north, have Greek friends who used to go to Kos often years ago, and then went to Kos recently and discussed it with me.

JohnnyRocket

Well, remember what I said about planning and re-planning?

Well, we have our flights to Athens booked as well as our flight to Rhodes from Athens on the same day we arrive. However, instead of spending all of our time in the Dodecanese we will be including Santorini in our plans as the couple we are traveling with really want to go there for a few days.

So, we will be spending 5 days in Rhodes then 3 days in Santorini and 5 days in Naxos and one day in Athens. Two questions:

1. What is the best way to travel to Santorini from Rhodes?
2. Which island close to Rhodes should we visit to spend the other 3 days we have available?

Thanks.

travelerjan

(1) --Well, since the good news that BLUE STAR is restoring its route between Santorini & Rhodes, that would be my choice of ferry. When last scheduled, it went 3 x a week leaving about 5 pm (1700), arriving about midnight.

(2) -- About other islands, Do you mean they must be in the Rhodes area??? The Only good day trip is to Symi, and that's mainly to look at the houses in the port town, nothing else much of interest that I've heard or read about. Are these 3 days BEFORE your 5 days with friends in Rhodes? In that case y ou'd have to return to Rhodes -- a wasted of time backtracking. That would make Patmos not worthwhile. .... Or can they be Used AFTER Rhodes & Santorini? In that case you'd have MANY moe islands to choose from .... From Santorini you could visit Milos, Folegandros, Amorgos -- and from most of these In High Season you could get a fast-ferry to Naxos. OR, you could go to Naxos first and then visit one of thsse 3. There is of course SIFNOS and SERIFOS ... 2 of my faves ... not ferries every day from Santorini, but in High Season, possible to get to these from Paros rather readily. If you leave the "gap" in your schedule either between Santorini & Naxos or after Naxos, you have many choices.

Heimdall

The best way to travel between Rhodes and Santorini is connecting flights via Athens, because they run several times each day. Neither flight would be more than an hour, so if you have a short layover time at Athens Airport it would be quicker than the Blue Star ferry. It also means you can arrive on Santorini at a reasonable time of day rather than in the middle of the night.

Sometimes Aegean Airlines has some very good deals for connecting flights, but if the cost is too much you will have to adjust your itinerary to the days Blue Star sails that route.