rho.flights Rhodes Airport
rho.flights Rhodes Airport

Guide to Rhodes Airport

Rhodes International Airport “Diagoras” (RHO) opened in 1977 at Paradisi, replacing the old Maritsa airfield, and is named after Diagoras of Rhodes, the ancient Olympic boxing champion. It is the fourth-busiest airport in Greece after Athens, Heraklion and Thessaloniki and the main gateway to the Dodecanese, with around six million passengers a year, almost all of them between April and October.

The single terminal was extended by Fraport Greece, which has run the airport since 2017. Arrivals are on the ground floor and departures upstairs; the runway lies along the shore, so most landings offer a view of the west coast and, on clear days, the Turkish mainland across the strait.

Transport

The airport is 14 km from Rhodes Town on the west coast. A taxi to town costs from about €30, the KTEL bus runs to Rhodes Town for €2.60, and the east- and south-coast resorts are best reached by pre-booked transfer or hire car.

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Parking

The car park is right in front of the terminal, with short-stay rates from about €3 an hour and long-stay from around €12 a day. Drop-off outside the door is limited to a few minutes; private meet-and-greet operators nearby offer cheaper weekly rates.

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Car rental

International and local rental companies have desks in the arrivals hall, with the cars parked a short walk away. Book early for July and August, especially for automatics, and expect a full-to-full fuel policy.

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Local tips

  • Charter flights arrive and depart in waves, late morning and Saturday afternoons in July and August, so security queues can reach 45 minutes. Arrive two and a half hours before a non-Schengen flight (UK, Israel) and two hours before an EU flight.
  • The car park has no shade. A windscreen sunshade and a towel over the steering wheel are the difference between a hot car and a burnt hand when you get back.
  • The airport bus stop is across the road from the arrivals exit, not outside the door. People regularly miss a bus while waiting on the wrong side.
  • Non-Schengen departures (UK, Israel) go through passport control after security, and those are the queues that grow. Do not linger in the shops if your flight is to London or Tel Aviv.
  • With hours to kill before an evening flight, Kremasti beach and its tavernas are five minutes away by taxi, and the west-coast sunsets are the best on the island.

See also

Prices and timetables are indicative and change seasonally. Confirm before you travel.