Rhodes

[kronbel]

Does anyone have any recommendations for Rhodes, Greece?

[CoralReef]

It's very easy to just walk around Old Town. The section is within walking distance of the cruise dock, and there are numerous historical sites, plus a lot of shopping.

 

If you're more ambitious, you can visit the Lindos acropolis down the coast, and still have some time for Old Town. Lindos is a beautiful historical site with classical, early Christian, Byzantine, and medieval points of interest-- plus shopping.

[cruisemom42]

It's very easy to just walk around Old Town. The section is within walking distance of the cruise dock, and there are numerous historical sites, plus a lot of shopping.

 

If you're more ambitious, you can visit the Lindos acropolis down the coast, and still have some time for Old Town. Lindos is a beautiful historical site with classical, early Christian, Byzantine, and medieval points of interest-- plus shopping.

 

Susan, did you do Lindos on your own? If so, which trip report would I find it under? I'll be stopping there next June.

[jstducky]

When I was very recently in Rhodes, I took the local bus in the morning to Lindos, walked up the Acropolis, then spent a little time in the city doing some shopping, took the local bus back to Rhodes Town and then spent the afternoon walking around Rhodes Town.

 

It was all very easy to do and very affordable as well.

 

The only thing I'd say is that it was nice and cool and breezy in Rhodes Town and it was EXTREMELY HOT in Lindos with no breeze. That was the hottest place we visited on our 12 day cruise. Also, if you have any sort of mobility issues then you probably want to skip Lindos.

 

If you're looking for a beach, there are a couple in Rhodes as well. If all you want is a place to dip your feet in the water type of thing, there is a small, teeny, tiny little beach near where the ship docks, not more than a 3 minute walk.

[tomko2]

We spent a wonderful day in the Old City; to the left of the port area is a beach if you wanted to enjoy a bit of time there. Photos of the port and Old Town in the link below (under Med. Cruise - Legend of the Seas).

Would love to go back to Rhodes!

Kathy:)

[CoralReef]

Susan, did you do Lindos on your own? If so, which trip report would I find it under? I'll be stopping there next June.

 

No, but I sure wish I had! That trip may have been our final ship tour. We thought it would be convenient to take the ship bus, and the guide was helpful... but the mandatory ceramics factory stop (not disclosed in the Celebrity excursion description) ate up more than an hour that we could have spent exploring Old Town. That tour, more than any other, helped turn us into DIY / independent tourers.

[jstducky]

Here are some pictures of Lindos and the Acropolis

[jstducky]

Susan, did you do Lindos on your own? If so, which trip report would I find it under? I'll be stopping there next June.

 

Going to Lindos on your own is very easy. The hardest part about it was finding the bus stop in Rhodes Town.

 

Basically, when you exit the port area (here's a view from the ship of the port area below), go out to the road, turn right (do not go into the city wall). Follow the road along the shoreline as long as you can (keeping the water to your right). Eventually, the road curves to the left a little and you are forced to go into the city wall, and then immediately back out of the wall on the other side. You're literally inside the city wall for 5 steps. Continue following that same road (keeping the water to your right). You'll see a bunch of ferry and commercial boats and you'll come to your first traffic lighted intersection. Look to the left, you'll see a taxi rank. Cross the street and walk towards the taxi rank. Walk past the taxi rank and you'll see a small little TI. Directly in the opposite corner from that TI is the bus station. (picture below is what the bus station looks like). Don't be concerned that the sign doesn't mention Lindos.

 

Look for the bus with a sign that says Lindos on it. The cost of a one-way ticket is 4,50 Euros. It can be either purchased on the bus from the driver, or at the ticket window.

 

When you arrive at Lindos, you arrive at Karna square (pictured). The actual down of Lindos is below. There is a bus (there are signs posted) that runs continuously (for free) betwee Karna square and the main town square in Lindos. It's fine to walk downhill to get there if you don't want to wait for the bus, but I wouldn't recommend walking uphill when you want to take the bus back. It's quite the change in elevation. As everyone (including ship tour people) needs to take this bus down to the main town square, it gets kind of busy and people pack into the bus. The ride last less than 5 minutes.

 

When you are let off at the main town square, start following the crowds to the Acropolis. You can't miss it. And there are signs (in English) pointing the way as well.

 

When you're done, catch the free bus back up to Karna Square. Then take the bus back to Rhodes Town (buying the ticket either at the ticket booth or on the bus from the driver).

 

The ride takes about 1.5 hours each way. So be prepared

 

And have bus schedules in advance so that you have enough time to get from the town to Karna Square and aren't caught waiting for an hour for the next bus to arrive.

 

Good luck and have fun!

[HUTCH 8]

Just came back from the Greek Isles

If you are looking for a driver guide I can highly recommend George Sealadakis info@rhodeswonder.com 4 passenger Mez/cab Excellant english One of the best resturants I have ever eaten in and a great beach

NOT inexpensive BUT i thought well worth the money

5 to 6 hours 220 euro's 320 euros full day BUT please verify before you book

[HUTCH 8]

Just came back from the Greek Isles

If you are looking for a driver guide I can highly recommend George Sealadakis info@rhodeswonder.com 4 passenger Mez/cab Excellant english One of the best resturants I have ever eaten in and a great beach

NOT inexpensive BUT i thought well worth the money

5 to 6 hours 220 euro's 320 euros full day BUT please verify before you book

[SW208SW]

Going to Lindos on your own is very easy. The hardest part about it was finding the bus stop in Rhodes Town.

 

Basically, when you exit the port area (here's a view from the ship of the port area below), go out to the road, turn right (do not go into the city wall). Follow the road along the shoreline as long as you can (keeping the water to your right). Eventually, the road curves to the left a little and you are forced to go into the city wall, and then immediately back out of the wall on the other side. You're literally inside the city wall for 5 steps. Continue following that same road (keeping the water to your right). You'll see a bunch of ferry and commercial boats and you'll come to your first traffic lighted intersection. Look to the left, you'll see a taxi rank. Cross the street and walk towards the taxi rank. Walk past the taxi rank and you'll see a small little TI. Directly in the opposite corner from that TI is the bus station. (picture below is what the bus station looks like). Don't be concerned that the sign doesn't mention Lindos.

 

Look for the bus with a sign that says Lindos on it. The cost of a one-way ticket is 4,50 Euros. It can be either purchased on the bus from the driver, or at the ticket window.

 

When you arrive at Lindos, you arrive at Karna square (pictured). The actual down of Lindos is below. There is a bus (there are signs posted) that runs continuously (for free) betwee Karna square and the main town square in Lindos. It's fine to walk downhill to get there if you don't want to wait for the bus, but I wouldn't recommend walking uphill when you want to take the bus back. It's quite the change in elevation. As everyone (including ship tour people) needs to take this bus down to the main town square, it gets kind of busy and people pack into the bus. The ride last less than 5 minutes.

 

When you are let off at the main town square, start following the crowds to the Acropolis. You can't miss it. And there are signs (in English) pointing the way as well.

 

When you're done, catch the free bus back up to Karna Square. Then take the bus back to Rhodes Town (buying the ticket either at the ticket booth or on the bus from the driver).

 

The ride takes about 1.5 hours each way. So be prepared

 

And have bus schedules in advance so that you have enough time to get from the town to Karna Square and aren't caught waiting for an hour for the next bus to arrive.

 

Good luck and have fun!

Hi,

thanks for the great details for finding the bus station - about how long did it take you to walk from the ship to the buses?

thanks,

linda

[jstducky]

Hi,

thanks for the great details for finding the bus station - about how long did it take you to walk from the ship to the buses?

thanks,

linda

 

about 20 minutes. however, had i known where i was going, it probably would have been 15 minutes

[Keith1010]

I highly recommend walking around the walled city which begins just a few minutes from where the ship will dock. There are some historical places to visit in the walled city and there are also various cafes, restaurants and shops and it is just a very nice place to enjoy for a few hours.

 

Keith

[rams2000]

Hi Fellow Bruin!

Thanks for your info.

What time did you leave your cruise ship, get to Lindos, and return back?

Were their others frrom your cruise also taking the bus?

Did you have a street name for the bus station? Was it Papagou and Averet?(behind the New Market)?

[jstducky]

Hi Fellow Bruin!

Thanks for your info.

What time did you leave your cruise ship, get to Lindos, and return back?

Were their others frrom your cruise also taking the bus?

Did you have a street name for the bus station? Was it Papagou and Averet?(behind the New Market)?

 

I got off of the ship as soon as we docked. We were scheduled to dock at 8:00 am, but there were high winds that day, so we were delayed about 15 minutes or so. It was close to 8:20-8:25 am before we got off the ship.

 

We took the 9:00 am bus to Lindos. I believe the next bus leaving to Lindos was at 9:30 am.

 

We had intended to return to Rodos (Rhodes Town) on the 1:00 pm bus. But the timing of the free shuttle bus, etc. just worked out perfectly that we got on the 12:15 pm bus. But we didn't really shop at Lindos, however, we did stop at a Creperie for some crepes, but didn't linger long.

 

The one thing I will say is that the both the bus out to Lindos and the return bus were pretty full. However, the bus does allow people to stand and pack in (it wasn't that bad), so as long as you can fit yourself on the bus, they will take you. There were periods of time where there were people standing, but it wasn't for long.

 

I did not see other people from our cruise ship on the bus in either direction. But part of that is because I was one of the first people off of the ship. And by the time I found the bus station (after asking multiple people), I only had 5 minutes to spare before the 9:00 am bus departing (and it was exactly on time). So my guess would be that anyone else intending to do Lindos on their own caught the 9:30 am bus. And that would make catching the return bus at 12:15 pm a lot more difficult. They most likely would have caught either the 1:00 pm or 2:30 pm bus back to Rodos.

 

The ride out and back took about 1.5 hours each way. So be prepared.

 

And unfortunately, I don't have a street name for the bus station. Sorry!

[CintiPam]

I got off of the ship as soon as we docked. We were scheduled to dock at 8:00 am, but there were high winds that day, so we were delayed about 15 minutes or so. It was close to 8:20-8:25 am before we got off the ship.

 

We took the 9:00 am bus to Lindos. I believe the next bus leaving to Lindos was at 9:30 am.

 

We had intended to return to Rodos (Rhodes Town) on the 1:00 pm bus. But the timing of the free shuttle bus, etc. just worked out perfectly that we got on the 12:15 pm bus. But we didn't really shop at Lindos, however, we did stop at a Creperie for some crepes, but didn't linger long.

 

The one thing I will say is that the both the bus out to Lindos and the return bus were pretty full. However, the bus does allow people to stand and pack in (it wasn't that bad), so as long as you can fit yourself on the bus, they will take you. There were periods of time where there were people standing, but it wasn't for long.

 

I did not see other people from our cruise ship on the bus in either direction. But part of that is because I was one of the first people off of the ship. And by the time I found the bus station (after asking multiple people), I only had 5 minutes to spare before the 9:00 am bus departing (and it was exactly on time). So my guess would be that anyone else intending to do Lindos on their own caught the 9:30 am bus. And that would make catching the return bus at 12:15 pm a lot more difficult. They most likely would have caught either the 1:00 pm or 2:30 pm bus back to Rodos.

 

The ride out and back took about 1.5 hours each way. So be prepared.

 

And unfortunately, I don't have a street name for the bus station. Sorry!

 

Wow, I am impressed with your stamina. I doubt that I would spent three hours on a bus plus time getting to and from the bus stop for just over 90 minutes somewhere.

[jstducky]

Wow, I am impressed with your stamina. I doubt that I would spent three hours on a bus plus time getting to and from the bus stop for just over 90 minutes somewhere.

 

That's what I do! Try and see as much as possible in the time I have. I relax when I'm at home. I travel when I'm on vacation. :)

 

I don't know that I'll ever be in Rhodes again, and I wanted to see the Acropolis and explore Old Town. The bus ride was just the bonus, being able to see a large section of the island from the bus. When I was in Lindos, I never felt rushed. The walk to the top couldn't have been more than 20 minutes, the walk back down about 15 minutes. 15 minutes spent at the creperie place. The rest of the time spent on top of the Acropolis.

 

Then once I was back in Rhodes Town, we walked all around the Old Town. Did some shopping, stopped and got gelato. Took a ton of pictures. Walked all the way around about half the wall. Saw the little beach area by the ship, and still got back on the ship about an hour before All Aboard! It was a good day!

[CintiPam]

That's what I do! Try and see as much as possible in the time I have. I relax when I'm at home. I travel when I'm on vacation. :) ....

 

It was a good day!

 

So true! Rhodes is a great place to visit for the history/archaelogy crowd, as well as very lovely.

[cruisemom42]

jstducky, thanks for the details. I forgot to check back on this thread for a while and just saw your DIY directions!

[hcat]

what is the shopping like in old Town Rhodes o near the ship?

[CoralReef]

what is the shopping like in old Town Rhodes o near the ship?

 

Old Town Rhodes is basically a giant bazaar. Plenty of shopping. Ceramics prices were much better there, than those at our Lindos tour's mandatory "ceramics factory tour". Also lots of textiles (esp. pashminas) & jewellery. There are also some stalls between Old Town and the ship.

[rams2000]

Thanks for the shopping info! Are prices better in Old Rhodes Town than in Istanbul?

Does anyone know where the closest taxi stand (for Lindos) is for those arriving by cruise ship? What should the price be each way?

[jstducky]

There are plenty of taxis waiting right there at the pier. But it's about 70 km from Rhodes Town to Lindos

[kaefte]

Does anyone have any recommendations for Rhodes, Greece?

 

If you haven't gone yet, I can highly recommend Rhodes Private Tours. Contact Nicholas at request@rhodesprivatetours.com and visit their website www.rhodesprivatetours.com. We spent a wonderful day with our driver/guide who gave us an impressive tour in the time we had available. Take the full-day tour if possible and visit Lindos and the Acropolis; enjoy magnificent beauty of St. Paul's Bay; and lunch at the seaside restaurant, Argo. Nicholas won't let you down!

[CoralReef]

Thanks for the shopping info! Are prices better in Old Rhodes Town than in Istanbul?

Does anyone know where the closest taxi stand (for Lindos) is for those arriving by cruise ship? What should the price be each way?

 

If you are going to Lindos, I suggest you do your shopping there. Across the highway from Lindos old town (where there is plenty of shopping!) is a large grocery/souvenir store with the best prices we saw anywhere in Greece & Turkey. The olives and olive oil soap were an especially good deal, but pretty much anything they had was cheaper than elsewhere.