Cycladia | Island Practical Info

CLIMATE
Rhodes is located on the southeast part of Greece. The island’s climate is mild throughout the year, with a lot of rain during the winter, something that explains its profuse vegetation. In reality the island has only two seasons: spring and summer.

May marks the beginning of the summer, which is usually very hot and kinda humid. On average, Rhodes enjoys approximately 300 days of sunshine a year. The renowned Aegean winds, the so-called “meltemia”, do not exactly affect the island, as they mainly blow in the center of the archipelagos.

TELEPHONE
The area Code for Rhodes is +30 22410, which is followed by a 5 digit number (e.g. 22410 55555). If you wish to call abroad, you have to start by dialing the other country’s national prefix (i.e. Germany is 0049, England is 0044, etc.) and continue with the area code and the number you wish to call.

CURRENCY
Euro €
Euro Coins: 1 and 2 euro coins (gold and silver color) 10, 20 and 50 cents (gold color) 1, 2 and 5 cents (copper color) 1 euro = 100 cents/centimes
Euro Bank Notes: come in 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500. It is not always easy to receive change from 200 and 500 euro notes.

BY AIR
There are multiple flights between the International Airport of Athens and the International Airport “Diagoras” of Rhodes, especially during the summer months. There are also charter flights between many countries and Rhodes, between the months of May and October. For more information contact:

Athens International Airport: +30 210 3530000
Rhodes International Airport: +30 22410 82400

BY BOAT
Rhodes is daily connected with Piraeus, by conventional and high speed boats. However, during the summer months Rhodes is also connected with the rest of the Dodecanese islands, as well as with Crete and Cyclades. A trip with a conventional boat takes about 15-17 hours, depending on the layovers. The trip with a high-speed boat takes about 11-13 hours, again depending on the layovers to other islands.

Piraeus Port Authorities: +30 210 4226000
Rhodes Port Authorities: +30 22410 22220

LOCAL BUSES
The island of Rhodes has an excellent local transportation, with buses that reach all the major cities and villages. Especially during the summer months the itineraries are doubled. There are also buses that facilitate transportation within the city of Rhodes.

City buses: +30 22410 27706
Interisland buses: +30 22410 26300

TAXI SERVICE
The main taxi stand in the city of Rhodes is near the Castle’s main entrance. You can also hail a cab, if you are on the street. Usually they will stop and serve you.

RENT A CAR OR A SCOOTER
There are numerous car and motorcycle rental agencies, all over the island. You don’t even have to book ahead. You can check them out while you are on the island. Also, all major hotels have special stands of usually major car rental agencies, like Avis or Hertz.
You need to be 21 years old to rent a car and you definitely need a valid driving license. Insurance is optional. Make sure you check the condition of the car beforehand. If you sign for its mint condition, this is how you should return it, otherwise you will be charged with damages. Also, you need to return the car with the amount of gas it had when it was delivered to you.
The mountainous and the coastal road network of Rhodes is excellent. However you should never violate the speed limits and be extra careful in the rural areas, cause the roads there are often crossed by animals and tractors. Remember that parking is difficult in the city of Rhodes, during the summer months. Always park in the designated areas, otherwise you will be fined.
Same rules apply in case you are interested in renting a motorcycle or a scooter. Only in this case you need to be extra careful and always wear a helmet.

BANKS & ATMs
Rhodes is a truly large city. In almost every block, visitors will find all major banks and, of course, ATMs. The banks are open Monday to Thursday from 8am until 2pm and on Friday from 8am until 1.30pm. ATMs work throughout the day and can be found even in places where there is no bank branch.

MONEY EXCHANGE
Banks exchange all major currencies, traveler’s cheques or Eurocheques; the commission is always lower for cash. Post offices exchange cash, but not traveler’s cheques, and usually charge lower commissions than banks. Travel agencies and larger hotels exchange cash and traveler’s cheques but usually charge a higher commission. Banknote exchange machines can be found in most tourist areas.

POST OFFICE
The Greek post is called ELTA. Post Boxes in Greece are YELLOW and usually divided into international and domestic. RED Post Boxes are rarer and they are used for URGENT mail. REGISTERED mail is handled by an employee and the customer should always be given a receipt.

POLICE STATION
In case an unfortunate incident happens to you or someone else while on the island, do not hesitate to file a report to the local police station. Additionally, if you have any problem with your accommodation you can also report it to the tourist police.

•    Municipality of Rhodes 22410 46200
•    Town Hall 22410 35945
•    Citizens Service 2241 0 27358
•    Rhodes town Police 2241 0 27423-23329
•    Afantou Police 2241 0 51111
•    Port Police 2241 0 27634
•    Port authorities of Lindos 2241 0 31201
•    Port authorities of Mandraki 2241 0 23693
•    Post Office 2241 0 24873
•    Fire Department 2241 0 23333-4
•    Tourism Information 2241 0 23655-23255
•    Greek Tourism Organization 2241 0 21921
•    Olympic Airlines 2241 0 24571
•    Airport 2241 0 88700-82302
•    Bus station east coast 2241 0 27706
•    Bus station west coast 2241 0 26300
•    Radio taxi 2241 0 64712
•    Rhodes town taxi stand 2241 0 64756
•    Faliraki taxi stand 2241 0 85444
•    Rhodes General Hospital 2241 0 80000
•    Rhodes town First Aid Station 2241 0 25555
•    Faliraki First Aid Station 2241 0 85555
•    Kallithies Medical Center 2241 0 85209
•    Koskinou Medical Center 2241 0 67111
•    Psinthos Medical Center 2241 0 50014
•    Weather Forecast: www.meteo.gr