Rhodes and Corfu things to do?

[chicagomike87]

We are going on the NCL Jade later this month. Do you have recommendations for things to do or excursions in Rhodes and Corfu Greece?

[jas283a]

10 hours ago, chicagomike87 said:

We are going on the NCL Jade later this month. Do you have recommendations for things to do or excursions in Rhodes and Corfu Greece?

We also went on the Jade in July. Corfu was our favorite port stop and Rhodes was probably #3.

 

Rhodes Are you into history? If so, the Grandmaster medieval castle is a must. We explored the city on our own using our phone to navigate there. There’s lots of beach options, as well as another Acropolis an hour away.
 

Corfu We did a ship tour where we went to Achileon palace and then had lunch at a local taverna. Honestly the palace was just OK for us, the rest was amazing  Loved wandering their downtown “Venetian” area. We didn’t have time, but there are 2 fortresses in the main town that would’ve been fun to explore as well (and I would if we ever went back). And also plenty of beach options. 
 

The heat was a problem in both ports (honestly our whole trip), but that should be so much less of a problem when you’re going. Though if you’re thinking beach (a good option), that might not work as well. 

[Hlitner]

Rhodes is actually a fabulous cruise port on many levels.  You will dock very close (short walk) to the walled Old Town which can easily be explored on your own (or on a tour).  That part of town has the Palace/Castle , plenty of restaurants, shops, etc.  Many first time visitors are happy to just spend their day in this city.  Otherwise it is a relatively large island with lots of decent beaches (many with facilities).  The most popular excursion or tour outside Rhodes Town would be to Lindos which has some ruins, a great view, and a few excellent nearby beaches.

 

Corfu is not quite as exciting as Rhodes.  But you can shuttle into town, go to a beach (this is not as much of a beach resort island as Rhodes)  or take some kind of tour/excursion that will show you other parts of the island.  To be honest, Corfu is not our favorite island except for the fact that it is the jumping off place for yacht cruises around the Ionian Islands.  We have done a couple of these yacht cruises and do love the Ionian Islands (not nearly as tourist spoiled as the island groups visited by large cruise ships).  

 

One thing for any first time visitor to Greece (and the islands ) who are concerned about language.  English is widely spoken and understood and most restaurants/cafes will have English menus.  So language should not be a driving reason to make you book a tour/excursion.  It is also possible to rent a car on most of the islands (reservations often necessary) which can be an inexpensive way to explore a lot of places.  We recently (August) rented a car on Rhodes, Santorini, Naxos and Paros because we like the flexibility.  Technically you do need an International Drivers Permit (available at AAA or CAA) to rent a car in Greece.

 

Hank

[ssbeard1]

16 hours ago, chicagomike87 said:

We are going on the NCL Jade later this month. Do you have recommendations for things to do or excursions in Rhodes and Corfu Greece?

In Rhodes we did a small group yacht tour through half priced tours.    It was great and highly recommend.     On Corfu our booked tour canceled last minute.  We walked around the town.   Check out Toms Olive Wood - if interested I can give vague directions.  

[zebra]

On 10/2/2021 at 10:09 AM, Hlitner said:

Rhodes is actually a fabulous cruise port on many levels.  You will dock very close (short walk) to the walled Old Town which can easily be explored on your own (or on a tour).  That part of town has the Palace/Castle , plenty of restaurants, shops, etc.  Many first time visitors are happy to just spend their day in this city.  Otherwise it is a relatively large island with lots of decent beaches (many with facilities).  The most popular excursion or tour outside Rhodes Town would be to Lindos which has some ruins, a great view, and a few excellent nearby beaches.

 

Corfu is not quite as exciting as Rhodes.  But you can shuttle into town, go to a beach (this is not as much of a beach resort island as Rhodes)  or take some kind of tour/excursion that will show you other parts of the island.  To be honest, Corfu is not our favorite island except for the fact that it is the jumping off place for yacht cruises around the Ionian Islands.  We have done a couple of these yacht cruises and do love the Ionian Islands (not nearly as tourist spoiled as the island groups visited by large cruise ships).  

 

One thing for any first time visitor to Greece (and the islands ) who are concerned about language.  English is widely spoken and understood and most restaurants/cafes will have English menus.  So language should not be a driving reason to make you book a tour/excursion.  It is also possible to rent a car on most of the islands (reservations often necessary) which can be an inexpensive way to explore a lot of places.  We recently (August) rented a car on Rhodes, Santorini, Naxos and Paros because we like the flexibility.  Technically you do need an International Drivers Permit (available at AAA or CAA) to rent a car in Greece.

 

Hank

Hank, we will be doing Rhodes next year and are very interested in spending a few hours in Lindos as well.  Do you know which tour operator is the best for this?

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, zebra said:

Hank, we will be doing Rhodes next year and are very interested in spending a few hours in Lindos as well.  Do you know which tour operator is the best for this?

My goodness no.  I may be one of the worst folks on earth to ask for tour operator recommendations since we never take tours in Greece (or in most places).   When we were recently in Rhodes (twice in 2 weeks) we simply rented a car and drove ourselves out past Lindos.  When we were driving past Lindos and saw how far the available parking was from the ruins (not to mention the hike up to those ruins) DW and I just looked at each other and headed to a decent beach (it was a very hot day).  But speaking of Lindos, folks need to be aware that no matter how you get there it does involve a substantial walk (lots of up uphill) to get to the top (and ruins).    Years ago, the first time we went and visited those ruins, I was appalled at how commercial the area had become (it is much worse now) with various vendors selling mostly tourist-oriented junk.  It has become the major tourist trap on Rhodes but folks probably should visit the place once.

 

One additional thought.  For those folks who are still somewhat locked down (because of COVID) and living under all kinds of restrictions...you would not believe what Lindos was like in August.  The place was so packed with tourists that finding a decent parking space (for cars or buses) was difficult.  There were few masks (almost nobody wears masks outdoors in Greece) and no social distancing.  Those that were really caught up in the COVID restriction stuff must have been completely shocked and may have needed medical care for anxiety.

 

Hank

[iancal]

Both are fabulous.

 

Strongly recommend that you do a little research on your own to see what interest you.

 

Rhodes City is very nice.  Can take up at least a few hours.  Then there is Lindos.

 

Corfu...different. Not too much in town other than the fort and wondering the streets.  Beautiful island.  you could rent a car.  We used Europcar...left out the port and about 500m.  If there are lots of cruise ships in town skip visiting the town in the AM.  You will be like a sheep following the crowds.  Leave it until the late afternoon.  We were in Corfu for a week,  Went once in the AM, left in 10 minutes and returned a few days later...in the afternoon.  Much, much less crowded.

[cruisemom42]

15 hours ago, zebra said:

Hank, we will be doing Rhodes next year and are very interested in spending a few hours in Lindos as well.  Do you know which tour operator is the best for this?

 

Keep in mind that Lindos is at the opposite end of the island from Rhodes and it does take a while to get there -- about an hour by car or you can take a local bus that takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes.  So if you aren't planning to spend a substantial amount of time there, I'd reconsider whether it's worth it.

 

I will echo Hank that the acropolis ascent is very steep and the path is narrow and can be somewhat scary for anyone with a fear of heights. Also, not as inspiring at the top since much of the original architecture is gone, used to make medieval and later fortifications. 

[roothy123]

It's out of date and old, and not as comprehensive as I'd like.  However, you may want to google Tom's Port Guide Rhodes to get an introduction to Rhodes. Tom's guides (no longer issuing them, but old ones are available if you search for them) are geared towards cruisers, so very helpful.

 

[meliss35]

Hlitner - We will be in Rhodes in April and interested in renting a car for the day. Who did you rent from? Was it walking distance to the ship?  Is it possible to spend the morning walking around the old town of Rhodes and then driving to Lindos? We are in port from 8am to 5pm. How many hours would you think we would need to walk around the old town? Should we go to Lindos first and then the old town? thanks!!

[Hlitner]

On 10/26/2021 at 1:34 PM, meliss35 said:

Hlitner - We will be in Rhodes in April and interested in renting a car for the day. Who did you rent from? Was it walking distance to the ship?  Is it possible to spend the morning walking around the old town of Rhodes and then driving to Lindos? We are in port from 8am to 5pm. How many hours would you think we would need to walk around the old town? Should we go to Lindos first and then the old town? thanks!!

We booked our car rental through carrentals.com (part of the Expedia family) and the actual local rental car company is called "SurPrice Car Rentals."  They did have a good price and everything was fine but not sure I would recommend doing it this way.  The company did not have an office at the port but they delivered our car (right outside the port) on time and did the paperwork at the car.  We returned the car to the same area (the main street right outside the port) and we were met by a lady who quickly checked-in our car.  There are also quite a few other local companies across the street from the port (with small offices).  As is normal on Greek Islands there are many smaller local rental car companies that will often beat the majors in terms of price and service.

 

I would not recommend spending the morning in Rhodes Town and then renting a car/driving to Lindos in the afternoon.  Why?  It violates one of my basic rules of independent travel (when on a cruise) which is to go to your most distant place early in the day and work your way back towards the port during the day.  If something goes wrong with your drive to Lindos in the morning you would have plenty of time to deal with the matter...but that would not be so if something happened (like a flat tire) later in the afternoon.   I will also warn you that parking at Lindos can be a big hassle (if it is a busy day) and you might find yourself with a long walk from a parking area to the ruins (which involve a long uphill walk).  While there are some parking areas relatively close to the bottom of Lindos they can often be full and a real mess because of buses, rental cars, tours, etc.   We actually drove out to Lindos in the morning (we had a very long day) and the area around near the ruins and parking were just overrun with tourists.  DW and I decided to skip Lindos (we have been there a few times) and explore other parts of the island.  Eventually we went to a decent beach (it was a very hot day) before heading back to the port.

 

I do think the best way to see Lindos on a crowded day is as part of a small group tour!  The main reason I say this is because of the parking situation.  But once you do park near Lindos it is easy to find your way to the top as you just follow the herds of other tourists.  Sometimes it seems like everyone on Rhodes goes to Lindos at the same time :).   As to how much time for Old Town that depends on how much you do and whether you want to enjoy a long lunch.  But even without a meal I think most folks would went at least 3 hours if planning to see the usual sites.  On some previous trips we have actually spent the entire day in Rhodes Town (Old and new) because we sometimes enjoy a long decent lunch.   If you do rent a car it is very useful to have a working cell phone or other GPS system.  Just getting out of Rhodes Town and on the proper road can be confusing without GPS or a decent map reader.   We have our cell phones with T-Mobile (which works just about everywhere) which we normally use as our GPS.