To simplify the lists below, several companies/boats have been left out. DANE provides a once-weekly link between Rhodes, Kós, Sámos and Thessaloníki in each direction, while NEL also plies once weekly (north, then south) between Rhodes, Kós, Sámos, Híos, Lésvos, Límnos and Alexandhroúpoli.
NISSOS KALYMNOS
The small, slow but reliable Nissos Kalymnos (cars carried) is the most regular lifeline of the smaller islands (aside from Kárpathos and Kássos) - it visits them all twice a week between mid-March and mid-Jan. This ship can be poorly publicized on islands other than its home port; if you encounter difficulties obtaining information, you should phone the central agency on Kálymnos (tel 02430/29 612). Specimen schedules, observed for some years now, are as follows:
Mid-March to April and mid-Sept to mid-Jan : Mon and Fri 7am, leaves Kálymnos for Kós, Níssyros, Tílos, Symi, Rhodes; out to Kastellórizo late afternoon, turns around at midnight. Tues and Sat 9am, departs Rhodes for Symi, Tílos, Níssyros, Kós, Kálymnos, with a Tues evening return trip to Astypálea. Wed and Sun departs Kálymnos 7am for Léros, Lipsí, Pátmos, Arkí (Wed only), Agathónissi, Pythagório (Sámos), returning from Sámos at 2.30pm bound for Kálymnos via the same islands. Thurs 7am from Kálymnos to Astypálea, returns immediately.
May to mid-June : Mon and Fri 7am, leaves Kálymnos for Kós, Níssyros, Tílos, Symi, Rhodes; out to Kastellórizo late afternoon, turns around at midnight. Tues and Sat 9am, departs Rhodes for Symi, Tílos, Níssyros, Kós, Kálymnos, with an evening return trip both days to Astypálea. Wed and Sun departs Kálymnos 7am for Léros, Lipsí, Pátmos, Arkí (Wed only), Agathónissi, Pythagório (Sámos), returning from Sámos at 2.30pm bound for Kálymnos via the same islands. Thurs, idle.
Mid-June to mid-Sept : Mon and Thurs 7am, leaves Kálymnos for Kós, Níssyros, Tílos, Symi, Rhodes; out to Kastellórizo late afternoon, turns around at midnight. Tues and Fri 9am, departs Rhodes for Symi, Tílos, Níssyros, Kós, Kálymnos, with an evening return trip both days to Astypálea. Wed and Sun departs Kálymnos 7am for Léros, Lipsí, Pátmos, Arkí (Wed only), Agathónissi, Pythagório (Sámos), returning from Sámos at 2.30pm bound for Kálymnos via the same islands. Sat, 7am from Kálymnos to Astypálea, returning immediately,
LARGE FERRIES
Note that the following frequencies are only valid for the period mid-June to mid-Sept; in spring or autumn some of the more esoteric links, such as Astypálea to Níssyros, or Foúrni to Kós, do not operate.
Agathoníssi 1 weekly on Miniotis Lines to Arkí, Lipsí, Pátmos, Sámos (Pythagório).
Astypálea 3-5 weekly to Amorgós, Náxos, Páros and Pireás, 1 weekly to Syros, on one of two companies; 1-2 weekly to Kós, Kálymnos, Rhodes and Níssyros on DANE or G&A.
Hálki 2 weekly to Ródhos Town, Kárpathos (both ports), Kássos, Crete and Mílos on LANE, all subject to cancellation in bad weather. Once-daily kaďki (6am) to Rhodes (Kámiros Skála).
Kálymnos Similar ferry service to Kós, plus 3 daily ro-ro ferries, well-spaced, to Mastihári; daily morning kaďki to Psérimos; and a daily kaďki (1pm) from Myrtiés to Xirókambos on Léros.
Kárpathos (both ports) and Kássos 2-3 weekly with each other, Crete (Áyios Nikólaos and/or Sitía), Mílos and Ródhos Town, on LANE; 1-2 weekly to Hálki on LANE.
Kastellórizo (Méyisti) 1 weekly to Rhodes, then Pireás indirectly, via select Dodecanese and Cyclades.
Kós 7-14 weekly to Rhodes, Kálymnos, Léros, Pátmos and Pireás on G&A or DANE; 3 weekly to Ikaría (Áyios Kírykos) on G&A; 1-2 weekly to Foúrni and Lipsí on G&A; 1 weekly to Tílos, Níssyros, Astypálea and Symi on DANE and G&A; 1 weekly to Náxos, Páros, Syros on G&A; 3 daily ro-ro ferries year-round from Mastihári to Kálymnos; 4-7 weekly excursion kaďkia to Níssyros; 4 weekly islanders' kaďkia from Kardhámena to Níssyros.
Léros 7-14 weekly to Pireás, Pátmos, Kálymnos, Kós and Rhodes on G&A or DANE; 3 weekly to Ikaría (Áyios Kírykos); 2 weekly to Foúrni; 1 weekly to Symi, Tílos on DANE; 1 weekly to Lipsí on G&A; seasonal daily excursion boats from Ayía Marína to Lipsí and Pátmos (2pm), and from Xirókambos to Myrtiés on Kálymnos (7.30am).
Lipsí 1 weekly to Léros, Kós, Pátmos, Ikaría (Áyios Kírykos), Tílos, Níssyros on G&A; 1 weekly to Sámos (Vathy) on Hellas Ferries.
Níssyros and Tílos Same as for Symi, plus excursion boats between Níssyros and Kós as follows: to Kardhámena nearly daily at 3.30-4pm; 4-7 weekly to Kós town (all of these are seasonal). The islanders' somewhat less expensive "shopping" kaďki, the Chrissula , leaves 4-5 times weekly at 7am. Unless you're bound for the airport it's not really cheaper to use Kardhámena services when you consider the bus to Kós Town - ¬7.50 to Kardhámena on an excursion boat, versus ¬9 to Kós.
Pátmos Similar ferry service to Léros, with the addition of 1 weekly to Sámos (Vathy) on Hellas Ferries, 1 weekly to Arkí, seasonal tourist boats to Sámos (Pythagório), Lipsí, Arkí and Maráthi on a daily basis; Mon-Thurs only to Arkí in low season.
Rhodes 7-14 weekly to Kós, Kálymnos and Pireás on G&A or DANE; at least 1 daily to Léros and Pátmos on G&A or DANE; 2 weekly to Kárpathos, Kássos, Hálki, Crete (Sitía or Áyios Nikólaos), Mílos on LANE; 2 weekly to Foúrni and Ikaría (Áyios Kírykos) on G&A; 1-2 weekly to Symi, Lipsí, Tílos, Níssyros, Astypálea on G&A or DANE; 1 weekly to Náxos, Páros, Syros.
Symi 1-2 weekly to Rhodes, Tílos, Níssyros, Kós, Kálymnos, Léros, Pátmos and Pireás on G&A Ferries or DANE; at least daily catamaran or hydrofoil run by ANES to Rhodes.
CATAMARANS
Two high-speed catamarans ply the Dodecanese: The Dodecanese Express , also known as O Spanos after the supermarket chain which owns it, and the Sea Star . The Dodecanese Express , based on Rhodes, can carry 4-5 cars and a slightly larger number of two-wheelers; it's a sleek, new, Norwegian-built craft, with a limited amount of deck space (but no deck chairs). The Sea Star does not carry vehicles, and is the much less reliable of the two, fitfully serving the line Tílos-Rhodes with occasionally other nearby islands thrown in.
2001 was the Dodecanese Express 's second season, and departure patterns seem to have settled down as follows: daily 8.30am departure from Rhodes to Kós, Kálymnos, Léros and Pátmos, calling at Lipsí 4 days weekly (usually northbound) and Tílos and Níssyros once weekly, both inbound and outbound, usually Wed; returns from Pátmos shortly after 1pm, arrives Rhodes 6.30-7.30pm. In spring or autumn it may call at Lipsí just once or twice weekly, serving Symi and Kastellórizo instead twice weekly. It has never called at Astypálea, Agathoníssi, Hálki, Kárpathos or Sámos (Pythagório) and is unlikely to in the future.
HYDROFOILS
Two hydrofoil companies, Kyriakoulis Maritime and Laoumtzis Flying Dolphins, serve the Dodecanese between mid-May and mid-Oct, operating out of Rhodes, Kálymnos and Sámos (Kyriakoulis only), plus Kós (both companies).
Kyriakoulis Maritime has ten craft in theory, inherited from the amalgamation of previously existing companies Samos Hydrofoils and Dodecanese Hydrofoils, but only about six of these are active at any given time. Schedules are complicated but fairly predictable. In peak season, there is a daily link Rhodes-Kós and back, north in the morning and south in the evening; on successive weekend days it may detour via Symi or Níssyros. Another craft leaves Kálymnos between 7 and 11am for Kós and a selection of islands north to Pythagório on Sámos, returning between 12.30 and 2pm; while the third craft, based in Pythagório, leaves Kós between 1 and 2pm, returning to Sámos via Kálymnos, Léros, Lipsí and Pátmos. Several days a week, this craft calls at Foúrni as well, and twice a week Agathoníssi is served. Still another craft based on Kálymnos leaves at dawn for Rhodes via Kós, returning between 4 and 6pm; once or twice a week it will call at Hálki and Tílos either direction. There is also a nominal Saturday service from Kálymnos to Astypálea, but owing to weather conditions and lack of passenger demand this tends to run at most three times in any summer. Some of the unusual runs to the smaller islands can get completely booked by transfers of package-tour groups. For current routes and schedules, phone 02420/25 920 (Kós), tel 02410/78 052 (Rhodes) or tel 02730/80 620 (Sámos).
Laoumtzis Flying Dolphins , based in Kós, has two craft with a fairly set pattern. One craft always leaves Kós at around 8am for Rhodes, returning shortly after 5pm. Twice weekly there are diversions via Symi in each direction, and on Sat there's the "milk run" via Níssyros, Tílos and Hálki, designed to get package patrons to/from their weekend charters. Twice a week the other craft provides an express run up to Pátmos in the morning, returning in the late afternoon. For exact details ring 02420/26 388.
INTERNATIONAL FERRIES
Kós 2-14 weekly to Bodrum, Turkey (45min). Greek boat or Laoumtzis hydrofoil leaves 9am, returns 4pm; ¬29.50 return, Greek tax inclusive; no cheap day-return or one-ways, no Turkish port tax. Identically priced Turkish boat ( Fahri Kaptan ) or hydrofoil, departs Bodrum 9am or so, leaves Kós 4.30pm; this provides the only service in winter.
Rhodes Daily in summer to Marmaris, Turkey (1hr) by Greek hydrofoil; ¬29.40 one-way, ¬41.20 return, plus $10 Turkish port tax. There is no longer a regularly scheduled Turkish car ferry; this must be arranged specially and will work out expensive, so drivers may be better off going to Kós and using the Fahri Kaptan to Bodrum. Also 2-3 weekly to Limassol, Cyprus (18hr) and Haifa, Israel (39hr).
FLIGHTS
Note: All are on Olympic Aviation/Olympic Airways unless stated otherwise.
Kárpathos 1-2 daily to Rhodes; 3 weekly to Kássos; 3-5 weekly to Athens.
Kássos 3 weekly to Kárpathos; 5 weekly to Rhodes.
Kastellórizo (Meyísti) 1 daily to Rhodes June-Sept, 3 weekly otherwise.
Kós 3 daily to Athens.
Léros 4-6 weekly to Athens.
Rhodes On Olympic, 5 daily to Athens; 2 weekly to Iráklion (April-Oct); 2-5 weekly to Thíra; 3 weekly to Thessaloníki; 2 weekly to Mykonos (June-Sept). On Aegean-Cronus, 5 daily to Athens; 1-2 daily to Iráklion; 1 daily to Thessaloníki.
