Car Rental Rhodes

Location guide for Rhodes

Car Rental Rhodes

Introduction

Rhodes is the capital of the Greek island with the same name and which lies the Mediterranean Sea. The old city is surrounded by medieval city walls. There are remains of a city wall (acropolis), an amphitheatre, and the temples of Pythion Apollo and Aphrodite. Elsewhere on Rhodes you can also find remnants from Greek Antiquity, like the city of Kameiros. That is why UNESCO has declared the whole island a world heritage.
Most visitors come first and foremost for the beaches, which on Rhodes are not made of sand but of gravel. There are sandy beaches on the south side of the island. That part of the island is much more quiet than the north. There are also sandy beaches near the popular seaside resort of Faliráki in the north.
The interior of the island is mountainous and sparsely populated. The highest mountain is Attavyros (1,215 m).

Population

The island has about 120,000 inhabitants, half of whom live in Rhodes City.

Location

Rhodes is the eastern-most Greek island (Meyísti lies even more to the east, but it is a small island). It is located at only 18 kilometres off the Turkish south-western coast. Rhodes is 80 kilometres long and at its widest point is 38 kilometres wide.

Economy

Tourism plays a main role in the local economy. About 80% of the island's revenues come from tourism. In addition, Rhodes has an important port where agricultural products from the interior are exported, like cotton, fruit, grain and tobacco. The tobacco is partly processed into cigarettes on the island itself. In addition, there is a soap industry and a tapestry industry. Viniculture on Rhodes is modest in size.

Airports

Diagoras International Airport is located on the west coast, 14 kilometres to the south-west of Rhodes City. There are daily flights to Athens and Thessaloniki and, especially during the summer, there are many flights to other cities in Europe.

Public transport

The entire island has a good network of bus lines. The central bus station of Rhodes City is located at the Neá Agorá, the New Market. Every half an hour there is a bus to Faliráki. There are stops at all the major hotels along the east coast of Rhodes. You can buy tickets at the central bus station, but often also on the bus itself. Make sure you have exact change.

Traffic and parking

The main roads on the island go from Rhodes City along the east and west coast. Those roads are excellent, but as soon as you move inland the roads become smaller and curvier. Often, they are paved with grave. Do not drive too fast and make sure you have enough fuel. In and around Rhodes City, the roads are often busy.
In the old centre of Rhodes City, cars are not allowed, but motorbikes and mopeds are. Parking in the centre of Rhodes City is difficult, but elsewhere you have no trouble finding a parking space.

Hotels

Faliráki is very popular among youngsters, especially the British, whose drinking habits cause a lot of problems. There are good hotels in the centre of the city. Because that is also the entertainment centre, you may want to check how noisy your hotel room is.
The south of the island is much quieter than the north. Here there are a few hotels, as well as lots of cottages for rent. Sometimes these cottages are very isolated, and a rental car may come in quite handy.

External Sources

For more information about Rhodes City, we recommend Google, and the following sources:

• Wikipedia, Rhodes (City)
• Wikipedia, Rhodes (island)
• City of Rhodes (English and Greek)
• Rhodos Tourism (Greek, English and German)