Rhodes Airport is officially called Diagoras and has the code RHO. It sits by the village of Paradisi on the west coast, 14 kilometres southwest of the town according to the tourist board, so getting from Rhodes Airport to Rhodes Town only takes about 20 minutes by car.
From here you can continue by bus, taxi, transfer or hire car. The bus runs directly to Rhodes Town and along the west coast, whereas you’ll need to change in town if you want to take the bus to the east coast resorts such as Faliraki and Lindos.
Planning your trip to Rhodes at the last minute? 🇬🇷
Here are some of the best things to do, hotels and other tips for your trip to Rhodes.
🎡 Top Activities & Tours:
1. Discover the medieval town on a guided walking tour of the Old Town so you get the history too
2. Skip the queue with a ticket to the Acropolis of Lindos and audio guide
3. Take a day trip by speedboat to Symi and see the colourful harbour town
🛌 Best Hotels:
1. Spirit of the Knights Boutique Hotel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ is a charming boutique hotel in a 15th-century knights' building
2. Best Western Plaza Hotel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ has a central location, a great pool and an excellent breakfast buffet
3. Hotel Atlantis City ⭐️⭐️⭐️ is a practical city hotel with clean rooms at a good price
🚗 Explore the island's bays and villages at your own pace with a hire car
Below you’ll find all the options with prices, journey times and where to find them at the airport. Prices are in euros.
Contents
Quick overview
- Bus to Rhodes Town: the municipal bus company RODA runs from the airport to the central bus station for about 3 to 3.50 euros and takes about 30 to 40 minutes.
- Bus to Ialyssos and Ixia: the airport bus runs along the west coast, so you can get off along the way.
- Bus to Faliraki, Kolymbia and Lindos: change in Rhodes Town to the KTEL buses, where a ticket costs around 2.50 euros to Faliraki and 6 euros to Lindos.
- Taxi: about 25 to 35 euros to Rhodes Town and about 75 to 90 euros to Lindos.
- Private transfer: a fixed price booked in advance, and the driver waits for you in the arrivals hall.
- Package holiday: the tour operator’s coach takes you to your hotel, but it usually stops at several hotels along the way.
- Hire car: desks in the arrivals area, and a car is the easiest choice if you want to explore the island.
Arriving at Rhodes Airport
The arrivals area at Rhodes Airport is easy to find your way around, and once you’ve collected your luggage, you walk straight out to the forecourt in front of the terminal. This is where the taxis, the bus and the tour operators’ coaches wait, and the whole airport is open around the clock.
According to the airport’s page about the bus, the bus stop is between the old and the new terminal buildings, and the taxi rank is right in front of the arrivals hall. Follow the signs for the bus and taxis when you come out.
According to the airport’s list of car hire companies, Auto Holidays, Avance, Avis Budget, Enterprise, Hertz and Sixt have desks in the arrivals area. Some companies have offices outside the airport and take you there by shuttle bus, so check your confirmation to see where you need to meet.
If you’ve booked a transfer, the driver will usually be waiting with your name on a sign when you come out of the baggage hall. In summer, lots of charter flights land at the same time, so there can be long queues at the baggage carousels and the taxi rank.
Journey times from Rhodes Airport to Rhodes Town and the resorts
The airport is in the northern part of the island, so Rhodes Town, Ialyssos and Ixia are close by, while Lindos and the south coast are a good hour’s drive away. Here are the approximate times by car or taxi without traffic:
- Rhodes Town and Old Town: about 15 kilometres and 20 to 25 minutes.
- Ialyssos: about 7 kilometres and 10 to 15 minutes.
- Ixia: about 9 kilometres and around a quarter of an hour.
- Faliraki: about 17 kilometres and 20 to 25 minutes.
- Kolymbia: about 28 kilometres and 30 to 35 minutes.
- Lindos: about 50 kilometres and around an hour.
- Lardos and Pefkos: about 55 to 60 kilometres and an hour to an hour and a quarter.
- Kiotari: about 60 kilometres and just over an hour.
- Prasonisi: about 95 kilometres and an hour and a half or a little more.
To Faliraki and the east coast, the car cuts across the island and bypasses Rhodes Town, so a taxi is quick. By bus, on the other hand, you first have to go into town and change, and then the journey to Faliraki can easily take an hour or more.
If you’re unsure where on the island to stay, read my guide to the best areas to stay in Rhodes. In it, I go through Rhodes Town, Faliraki, Lindos, Ixia and Ialyssos as well as Kolymbia, with hotels in several price ranges.
1. The bus from Rhodes Airport to Rhodes Town
The bus between the airport and Rhodes Town is run by RODA, the municipal bus company serving the town and the west coast. It’s the cheapest way into town, and the journey takes around 30 to 40 minutes, as the bus makes plenty of stops along the coast road.
According to RODA’s timetables for the west coast, buses run from early morning until late in the evening, usually once or twice an hour. The timetable changes between summer and winter and between weekdays and weekends, so check the departures before you travel.
Fares and tickets
A single ticket to Rhodes Town costs around 3 to 3.50 euros. At the central bus station in Rhodes Town you can buy your ticket at the ticket office, but ticket sales at the airport have changed over the years, so ask the driver before you board and have cash ready.
The bus is a good choice if you’re travelling light and staying in Rhodes Town. In high season it can be full, and it doesn’t wait for delayed flights, so if you land late, a taxi or a pre-booked transfer is the safe option.
Where should you get off?
The bus terminates at the central bus station on Averof by the Nea Agora market hall, right next to Mandraki Harbour. From here it’s a 5 to 10-minute walk to the Liberty Gate and the Old Town, so you can walk to many of the hotels in the centre.
The streets of the Old Town are cobbled, and cars can’t get all the way to every hotel inside the walls. If you have a heavy suitcase, ask your hotel where the taxi can drop you off.
Right by the bus station is the simple Hotel Hermes, which is handy if you land late or are catching the bus onwards the next morning. From here you can walk to both Mandraki Harbour and the Old Town in a few minutes.
2. The bus to Ialyssos, Ixia and Kremasti
The airport bus follows the coast road through Kremasti, Ialyssos and Ixia on its way to Rhodes Town, so if you’re staying on the northern west coast, you can get off along the way. Ask the driver about the nearest stop to your hotel when you board.
Ialyssos is only 10 to 15 minutes from the airport by car, and Ixia lies a little further north, closer to Rhodes Town. Many of the large resort hotels line the beach road, and some of them are some distance from the bus stops, so check the distance before you choose the bus.
A taxi costs more than the bus, but the journey is so short that it’s the easiest option with children and lots of luggage. The wind often blows in from the sea here, which is why Ixia and Ialyssos are popular with windsurfers and kitesurfers.
3. Bus to Faliraki and Kolymbia, changing in Rhodes Town
The east coast is served by the regional buses run by KTEL Rhodes, and their routes start in Rhodes Town and don’t pass the airport. To reach Faliraki, Kolymbia and the other towns on the east coast, you therefore first take the airport bus from Rhodes Airport to Rhodes Town and change there.
KTEL’s buses leave from the stands at the central bus station by Nea Agora, where the airport bus terminates, so the change is short. Ask at the ticket office which stand your bus leaves from and when the next departure is.
To Faliraki
According to KTEL Rhodes’ timetables, a ticket from Rhodes Town to Faliraki costs around 2.50 euros, and buses run throughout the day, with the most departures in summer. The journey takes about 20 to 30 minutes, and the bus stops at several places in Faliraki, so ask the driver for the stop closest to your hotel.
With luggage, two buses and waiting time, the whole trip from the airport to Faliraki can easily take an hour or more, whereas a taxi drives straight across the island in 20 to 25 minutes. If there are two or more of you, the taxi is therefore often worth the money.
If you want to stay right in the centre, Atma Beach Rooms & Suites sits by the main square in Faliraki, right on the beach. Faliraki is the liveliest resort on the island, so check how close your hotel is to the bars if you’d like a quiet night’s sleep.
To Kolymbia
A ticket to Kolymbia costs around 2.80 euros, and the journey from Rhodes Town takes about 35 to 45 minutes. Some buses stop at the Kolymbia turn-off on the main road, while others go down to the beach, so ask your hotel which stop you should use.
Kolymbia is a quiet family resort, and many of the hotels are spread along the beach a fair distance from the main road. With children and suitcases, a taxi or a transfer from the airport is therefore far easier than two buses.
4. Bus to Lindos, Pefkos, Lardos and Kiotari
The buses to Lindos and the south-east coast also leave from Rhodes Town, and they pass Faliraki and Kolymbia on the way. According to KTEL Rhodes, a ticket to Lindos costs around 6 euros, and the journey takes about an hour to an hour and a quarter.
To Lindos
In Lindos, the bus stops at the Krana stop on the road at the entrance to the town. Cars aren’t allowed into the village itself, so from here you walk to the main square in about 5 minutes, and the rest of the way to your hotel is along narrow alleys and steps.
With a suitcase, it can be a steep walk to many of the houses, so ask your hotel whether they can help with your luggage. A couple of hundred metres from the stop is the adults-only hotel Casita Casita Lindos with a pool, so you avoid the longest alleys with your suitcase.
If you want to see the acropolis and St. Paul’s Bay once you’ve arrived, I’ve gathered prices, opening hours and tips in my guide to things to see in Rhodes.
To Pefkos, Lardos, Kiotari and Prasonisi
Further south, there are fewer buses, especially outside the summer season. According to KTEL Rhodes, a ticket from Rhodes Town costs around 6.20 euros to Lardos, 6.60 euros to Pefkos and 7.50 euros to Kiotari, and the journey takes about an hour and a half.
Buses to Prasonisi on the southern tip of the island are rare, so a hire car or a transfer is the realistic choice here. With luggage and a change in Rhodes Town, the bus to the south-east coast turns into a long day, so consider a taxi or transfer, especially if there are several of you.
5. Taxi from Rhodes Airport
Taxis queue right outside the arrivals hall. They run on the meter with a starting fee and a price per kilometre, and there’s usually a small surcharge for trips to and from the airport and for heavy luggage.
Between midnight and 5 am, the meter switches to a higher night rate. On the long journeys to the resorts, it’s common to agree on the fare before you set off, so ask the driver before you get in and ask for a receipt.
The official travel advice for Greece recommends that you only use licensed taxis or well-known ride services. Here are approximate prices for a whole car from the airport, which depend on the time of day, your luggage and exactly where you’re going:
- Rhodes Town and the Old Town: about 25 to 35 euros and 20 to 25 minutes.
- Ialyssos and Ixia: about 20 to 30 euros and 10 to 15 minutes.
- Faliraki: about 30 to 40 euros and 20 to 25 minutes.
- Kolymbia: about 45 to 55 euros and 30 to 35 minutes.
- Lindos: about 75 to 90 euros and around an hour.
- Lardos and Pefkos: about 80 to 95 euros and an hour to an hour and a quarter.
- Kiotari: about 85 to 100 euros and just over an hour.
- Prasonisi: about 130 to 150 euros and an hour and a half or more.
A taxi is the easiest way to get from Rhodes Airport to Rhodes Town, Ialyssos, Ixia and Faliraki, especially if there are several of you or you land late. To Lindos and the south coast it’s a long drive, so it pays to compare with a pre-booked transfer, where you know the price in advance.
6. Private transfer
A private transfer is a pre-booked car with a driver who waits for you in the arrivals hall holding a sign with your name and takes you straight to your hotel. The price is fixed and depends on the distance and the size of the car, so you don’t have to haggle or worry about the night rate.
Book a private transfer from Rhodes Airport here.
A transfer is a particularly good choice if you’re travelling with children, landing late or heading to Lindos, Pefkos, Lardos or Kiotari. Book well in advance and add your flight number when you book, so the driver can keep track if your flight is delayed.
7. Transfer with your package holiday
If you’ve booked a package holiday, the transfer is usually included. The tour operator’s reps normally stand by the exit from the arrivals hall, and they’ll tell you which coach to take.
The coaches stop at several hotels, so if you’re going to Lindos or Kiotari, the journey can take considerably longer than by taxi. On your way home, the coach picks you up at your hotel, and the tour operator will give you the time.
If you’ve booked your hotel yourself, many hotels offer an airport pick-up for a fee. Ask the hotel for the price and compare it with a taxi or a private transfer.
8. Car Hire from Rhodes Airport
Rhodes is big enough for a hire car to make sense if you want to see Seven Springs, Kamiros, Prasonisi and the smaller beaches on your own. Buses rarely go to those places. Compare prices on car hire at Booking.com before you travel, and check your confirmation to see where you collect the car.
In high season it pays to book well in advance, especially if you want an automatic or a larger car for the family.
The route from the airport
From the airport you drive north along the coast past Ialyssos and Ixia and reach Rhodes Town in 20 to 25 minutes. For the east coast, you cross the island towards Faliraki and then head south on the main road to Kolymbia, Lindos, Lardos and Kiotari.
The west coast south of the airport towards Kamiros and Monolithos is quieter, with fewer towns. To Prasonisi on the southern tip, allow an hour and a half or more, so fill up before you drive down there.
Parking in Rhodes Town and Lindos
The Old Town in Rhodes Town is mostly pedestrianised, and parking in the centre is difficult. The municipality points drivers to a large free car park at Akantia near the old commercial harbour, from where a free minibus runs into town.
If you’re staying in Rhodes Town for the first few days, it pays to pick up the car when you leave town. In Lindos, cars aren’t allowed into the village, and the roadside car parks fill up quickly in summer, so arrive early.
What you need to know about driving on Rhodes
The main roads are good, but many locals drive fast and overtake closely. Official travel advice says you should take care in traffic and that hire cars can be broken into, so never leave luggage, passports or valuables in the car.
Many rental agreements don’t cover damage to the underside and tyres or driving on gravel roads, so read the terms before you head out to the smaller beaches.
Getting Back to Rhodes Airport
The airport bus runs from the central bus station in Rhodes Town from early morning until late evening, and the journey takes about 30 to 40 minutes. A taxi from the Old Town takes 20 to 25 minutes without traffic, and if you have an early flight before the bus starts running, your hotel reception can book a taxi for you.
If you’re staying on the east coast, the bus means going into Rhodes Town first and changing, so for an early flight a taxi or transfer is the safe choice. If you’re on a package holiday, the tour operator will pick you up at your hotel.
In summer there are often long queues at check-in and security, so arrive in good time. If you’re returning a hire car, allow extra time to fill up and drop off the car, especially if the rental company has its office outside the airport.
If you’re changing planes in Athens, you’ll find the metro, bus and taxi options in my guide to Athens Airport to the city centre. If you want to sail on to the neighbouring island of Kos, you can read about the hotels on Kos, and if you’re heading to Crete afterwards, I’ve put together transport from the airports on Crete.
Which Option Should You Choose?
Here’s my recommendation based on where you’re staying:
Rhodes Town and the Old Town: Take the airport bus to the central bus station for about 3 to 3.50 euros, or take a taxi for about 25 to 35 euros.
Ialyssos and Ixia: Take the airport bus and get off along the way, or take a taxi, which takes 10 to 15 minutes.
Faliraki: Take a taxi if there are two or more of you. The bus with a change in Rhodes Town is cheap, but can easily take an hour or more.
Kolymbia: Taxi or transfer, or the bus with a change in Rhodes Town if you have plenty of time and are travelling light.
Lindos: Private transfer or taxi. If you’re travelling light, you can take the bus with a change in Rhodes Town for around 6 euros.
Pefkos, Lardos and Kiotari: Transfer, taxi or hire car, as the buses run less often.
Prasonisi and touring the island: Pick up your hire car at the airport.
If you land late: Taxi or a pre-booked transfer, as the buses don’t run all night and don’t wait for delayed flights.
Travel ressources & websites I use all the time 👇
• Booking.com has the best offers on hotels and unique places to stay
• GetYourGuide is the best place to book tours & activities with free cancellation
• Welcome Pickups is the best & safest place to pre-book airport transfers
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