Start with the Symi berth, then your Rhodes destination
For a Symi-town departure, Dodekanisos Seaways identifies Gialos by the Clock Tower for Dodekanisos Express and Dodekanisos Pride, and Petalo for Panagia Skiadeni. The latter can switch to Gialos by the Clock Tower in adverse weather. PANORMITIS is a separate timetable destination: a departure there is not a departure from the town harbour. Before choosing a return, decide whether your next stop is Rhodes Town, a resort or the airport; the fastest crossing may still arrive too late for your onward plan.
Dodekanisos Seaways: vessel-specific departure portsReturn times differ even on consecutive dates
In the operator’s timetable checked on 26 October 2026, Dodekanisos Express leaves SYMI at 19:45 on 26 October and reaches Rhodes at 20:35. On 27 October it leaves SYMI at 15:40 and reaches Rhodes at 16:30. Both examples have a 50-minute crossing, but they leave very different amounts of the afternoon available on Rhodes. They are date-specific examples, not a daily service promise or a reason to assume an evening return will always be offered. Read the SYMI departure column, not its arrival column.
Dodekanisos Seaways: dated ferry itinerariesPlan the return around what happens after landing
Swipe or scroll sideways to compare every column.
| Your decision | Best preparation | Risk to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Stay in Rhodes Town | Choose a room and establish its approach from the notified arrival port. | Booking a difficult luggage route immediately after a late arrival. |
| Continue to a coastal resort | Arrange the actual port-to-resort journey and any late check-in. | Assuming a city bus terminal is the same place as the ferry berth. |
| Fly from Rhodes Airport | Include disembarkation, the road transfer and the airline’s airport deadline; consider a Rhodes night first. | Treating two separate tickets as a protected ferry-to-flight connection. |
| Board another ferry | Verify both vessels’ ports and the intervening transfer before buying. | Assuming every ship uses one shared “Rhodes port” gate. |
Leaving Chorio, Pedi or Nimborio with luggage
Arrange the journey back to the main-town berth before the departure day if your room is outside Gialos. Chorio is uphill from the harbour, with Kali Strata’s approximately 500 stone steps connecting the settlements. A pleasant sightseeing descent is not automatically an easy route with suitcases, a buggy or a mobility aid. Pedi and Nimborio are separate settlements, so a waterfront room there does not mean you can step directly onto the Rhodes ferry. Use the actual vessel and berth in any pickup arrangement.
Dodekanisos Seaways: Symi settlements and beachesBe at the ship 60 minutes before departure
Dodekanisos Seaways requires the full hour for foot passengers as well as passengers with vehicles. Have the QR ticket and valid boarding documents ready, and leave the final beach or lunch stop early enough to reach that boarding point. An incoming catamaran can call briefly before continuing; the published time of arrival at Symi is not its departure time. Keep the operator’s contact notices available in case the berth or sailing changes.
Dodekanisos Seaways: tickets, boarding and luggage termsRhodes arrival: do not confuse Kolona with Akantia
The company’s port guide associates Kolona with Dodekanisos Express and Dodekanisos Pride, and Akantia with Panagia Skiadeni. Use those vessel-specific locations to plan the transfer, then follow the notified arrival instructions if the operation changes. Tell a pickup driver the vessel and port rather than only “ferry from Symi”. For a town stay, compare the walk to the actual accommodation entrance; for an airport or resort journey, make a separate transfer arrangement. We do not copy the old indicative taxi and bus prices embedded in the port guide.
Dodekanisos Seaways: vessel-specific departure portsFlying home: an earlier return to Rhodes is the cautious choice
Our recommendation is to return to Rhodes before your flight day when missing the flight would be expensive. This is contingency advice, not a compulsory overnight rule or a guaranteed buffer. If you choose a same-day connection, work backwards from the airline’s airport deadline and allow for disembarkation and the port-to-airport journey as well as the crossing. Bad weather can alter or cancel a sailing; an advertised arrival time is not insurance against that risk.
Costs, cancellations and season limits
Budget for the directed Symi–Rhodes ticket and your transfers at both ends, not just the fare shown for Rhodes–Symi. Add any vehicle booking separately. The operator’s terms distinguish voluntary ticket cancellation from a sailing cancelled or changed because of a sailing prohibition; use the terms attached to your ticket rather than assuming every fare is refundable on the day. The current dated itinerary includes late-October and early-November services, but it does not certify a daily winter pattern, future-season departures or available seats. No fixed fare is quoted.
Dodekanisos Seaways: tickets, boarding and luggage terms