Holidays in Rhodes 2021 - our review. Prices, hotels, all inclusive

Travel dates: June 14-25
Company: 2 people

Our vacation in Rhodes took almost two weeks in June. There are a lot of days, lying on the beach is somehow not to our liking, and the island is small - and it so happened that we climbed it up and down.

Therefore, this introduction will be followed by a detailed and reliable text about Rhodes - what are the prices, where to go, is it possible to do without a car and a dozen more closed questions. If you have something to add, please in the comments! :)

Season in Rhodes - when is the best time to relax?

Regions in Greece are warming up differently as summer approaches. But Rhodes warms up first and cools down the longest. He beats Crete by a degree or two.

The season in Rhodes opens in May and lasts until October. What we liked about the weather was that even on the hottest afternoon it was not stuffy, and the winds "diluted" the heat. The island is blown from all sides - this saves in the afternoon in the "hot" July and August, but in the evenings in May-June it makes you put on something more substantial than a T-shirt.

We decided that if we go again, it will also be in June or September. And the prices are lower and the weather is more bearable. By the way, at the beginning of June everyone is already swimming in the Mediterranean Sea. Of course, you need to get used to the water, but then you don't want to go out.

Air and water temperature in Rhodes by months:

This is me, drinking water on the beach in front of the Mitsis La Vita Beach Hotel / Smelling flowers in the Old Town of Rhodes

Prices for tours to Rhodes in 2021

Rhodes is less popular than Crete, because flights from the regions of Russia are much worse established (well, everything is always ok with Moscow). For comparison: we took a tour with a direct flight from Kazan, and already for the summer of 2020, the charters to Rhodes were removed, leaving only Crete.

You can quickly find out if there are tours departing from your city on online aggregators. They collect all available offers, indicate prices directly from the tour operator and suggest favorable dates for a vacation:

• Travelata
• Level.Travel
• Onlinetours

By the way, the prices for tours to Greece are very reasonable. Our trip to Rhodes cost ... 26 800 rubles FOR TWO for 11 nights in June. This is to the question of whether there are last-minute ones 🙂 Although, like last-minute ones - we caught such a sale 10-12 days before departure.

How much is a vacation in Rhodes in 2021?
(July-August for 7 nights for two)

Flights to Rhodes

It will not work to take and fly to Rhodes - you need a visa. Any Schengen cartoon (valid, of course) will do. If he is absent, you will have to visit the consulate or the nearest visa center to apply for the Greek Schengen.

If we consider the prices for an independent vacation in Rhodes, then in the season of 2021 the distribution of air tickets is something like this:

• Moscow-Rhodes - from 16,000 rubles per person round trip
• Peter-Rhodes - from 18,000 rubles

S7, Aegean and Royal Flight charter fly non-stop. From the regions, tickets come out at 22 thousand and above, plus, there are no direct flights.

Pebble beach near the Old Town / Our excursion to the island of Symi (more details below)

Schengen visa to Greece

One of the most loyal in the Schengen family. A simple set of documents (yes, yes) and a high percentage of issuing visas for a long period, even for beginners in travel business. To my mother, who until then had traveled only to Turkey and Georgia and never to Europe, a Schengen visa to Greece was approved for six months.

Visa cost: € 35 + service fee of 1470 rubles, if applied at a visa center.

Hotels in Rhodes - where to stay?

But first about the resorts. I will not paint each one to details like "50 km to the capital, 3 shops, many Russians", because a separate thematic text is planned. Therefore, I will designate the "fattest" criteria. Rhodes, by the way, is not a Russian island at all - it is Polish, German and British.

✓ Rhodes town - all the infrastructure is here. And buy a SIM card, and shop in Sephora, and drink coffee in Starbucks. Plus, decent hotels from the Mitsis chain and not far from the airport. But right there - the Old Town, where many tourists swarm; the port where liners with one-day tourists arrive; the pebbly beach is not the most equipped, and the Aegean Sea is not the calmest. I would conclude that the capital is good for a savage holiday. Booked an apartment, rented a car and go, watch and explore.

✓ Faliraki - all the action and entertainment is here. Nightlife, clubs, youth on one side of the scale - and a wide sandy beach and beautiful Anthony Queen Cove on the other. In Faliraki, there are a lot of "starless" or 1-2 stars hotels, where tour operators offer inexpensive tours. For lack of anything better, the resort is a haven for family tourists (for more details, see the section "Holidays in Rhodes with Children").

✓ Kolymbia - a small village, where of the remarkable - the central street with tall eucalyptus trees and a pebble beach. We lived just in Kolimbia, and we liked it: quiet, calm, taverns with delicious food, views of the olive groves (like savannah!). Such a retirement vacation.

✓ Lindos - Instagram town with snow-white houses at the foot of the hill and the ancient acropolis at the top. There are also a lot of people here, because 1) it is historical, 2) the pictures are beautiful, 3) an excellent sandy beach with a gentle entrance. Near which, however, not a single sane in terms of "price-quality" hotel.

✓ Archangelos - as the nearest (4 km) settlement to the idyllic sandy beach of Tsambika. The beach is wonderful, and there is no infrastructure around, except for a couple of taverns, there are no hotels at all.

A small sign on what hotel prices to focus on in 2021:
(in season)

View from the fortress in Rhodes / Symi Island

A selection of hotels in Rhodes

Important to remember! Since 2018, a tourist tax has been introduced in Greece. Paid by any tourist upon check-in at the hotel. Depends on stardom and length of stay (multiply by the number of your nights): 5 stars - € 4 per room 4 stars - € 3 2-3 stars - € 0.5 and € 1.5, respectively.

What to be prepared for? 1-2 * hotels in Rhodes may not have ... a remote control from an air conditioner. Issued, again, for an additional fee - 2-7 euros per night! Perfect beginners in Greek holidays will be surprised that some "fours" and "fives", even on all inclusive, may refuse free sun beds and umbrellas, because the beaches are public. There is not a lot of animation, both for adults and children. In short, don't expect Greece to be Turkey.

So, a selection of hotels in Rhodes (prices are for a tour for two for 7 nights; per night in a room with self-booking):

• 2 * Mon Repos Hotel (Faliraki) - a reliable "deuce", not as scary as it sounds :) A worthy option for outdoor activities.

Tour price: from 58 000 rubles
Price per night: from 4800 rubles

• 3 * Evi Hotel (Faliraki) is a very popular hotel, if only because more than half of our bus left here! Works for "all inclusive".

Tour price: from 60 000 rubles

• 2 * Achilion Hotel (Rhodes) - apartments with a kitchenette, a frequent choice of tourists. Almost 1 line - 3-5 minutes to the beach.

Price per night: from 4800 rubles

• 4 * Calypso Palace (Faliraki) - the hotel is conveniently located, near the center of Faliraki, near the water park. Private beach (which means that sunbeds are free).

Tour price: from 155,000 rubles

• 5 * Mitsis Grand (Rhodes) - one of the rare hotels at all with more or less territory, 1 line, but even he - oh, horror! - across the street from the beach. Selling out very quickly.

Price per night: from 16,000 rubles

• 4 * Princess Sun (Kiotari) is an all-inclusive hotel. A bit far from the sea, but a kilometer is compensated by a private beach with free sun loungers.

Tour price: from 95,000 rubles
Price per night: from 19,000 rubles

• 12 Islands Villas (Kolimbia) - nice colorful villas in the Greek style opposite our hotel. We would have lived :) True, not even the 3rd line, but the 23rd - to go to the beach for about 10 minutes. It makes sense to go here with a company of 4 people.

Tour price (for four): from 290,000 rubles
Price per night (for four): from 50,000 rubles

Any of the hotels can be booked independently on Booking or RoomGuru.

"Fortune" in Rhodes

Our hotel Loutanis and the pool where we spent the evenings 🙂

"Fortune" is a kind of tour when you do not know the name of the hotel until the arrival. Only the number of stars and the resort is selected in advance, and upon arrival they settle in any free hotel that suits the conditions. The reward - the price of the ticket is nowhere lower, but then how lucky: there may be a nice little hotel near the sea, or maybe a provincial hotel.

We were lucky! We went to Rhodes in Fortuna (2-star), and we got a normal Loutanis (by the way, it is 3 *). I will not recommend it, because it does not correspond to the price given by tour aggregators. But 30-40 thousand for two is quite. Our friends were assigned to 2 * Tivoli - nothing too: a clean hotel with a large swimming pool, the only thing to walk 15-20 minutes to the beach along the road.

Rhodes prices in 2021

Rhodes is a cross between Spain and Turkey. The price tag is acceptable, while you still have to try to relax very cheaply. Before examining the main items of expenses - food, transport, excursions - I will shove a few items that did not fit anywhere:

• Local SIM card for 2 GB - 10 euros. We bought in Rhodes, near the Zara store in electrical engineering.
• A set of sun loungers on the beach - 10 euros.

Food prices

The food on the island is tasty and inexpensive - gyros, Greek salad and coffee

Holidays in Greece in Rhodes are notable for delicious and inexpensive food compared to the rest of Europe.

I will give the order of prices "in a cafe / in a restaurant":

• Chicken souvlaki - 8/12 euros
• Meat mix for two - 20/40 euros
• Tzatziki - 2.5 / 4 euros
• Eggplant salad (appetizer) - 2.5 / 5 euros
• Greek salad - 4/8 euros
• Pizza - 7/13 euros
• Small cappuccino - 2 / 3.5 euros
• Cocktail - 5/8 euro
• Local beer, 0.5 - 3.2 / 4.5 euros
• Glass of ouzo - 2.5 / 4.2 euros
• And only the gyros in pita equalizes everyone - 2.5 / 3 euros

Outcome: in a cafe you can eat for ≈ 15 euros for two without drinks (portions are huge). In the restaurant, the same will be calculated for 25 euros.

From fast food - except for pits - there is McDonald's. The combo set costs 6.8-7.5 euros, Big Mac - 3.8 euros, large fries - 2.3 euros, latte in Maccafe - 2.1 euros. Or bakeries where you can get a roll or a pie for ≈ 1 euro. Coffee in Starbucks (cappuccino valve) - 4 euros.

The restaurant is located in the Kolimbia area - here we have repeatedly ate a salad of tuna, pizza and gyros

Our favorite places in Rhodes (write-save):

• Hermes Greek Grill House (Rhodes) - I advise! Greek salad (€ 4) - a huge, meat mix (€ 9.9) - too, pita (€ 2.3) - delicious (sorry, they only serve with pork).
• Pitafan (Rhodes) - takeaway pits, tourists recommend, but we never made it.
• Nikos Pizzeria (Kolimbia) - hot recommendation! Order Fisherman salad (with seafood, € 6.8) and Margarita pizza (€ 6.9) - all strictly one position for two, otherwise you can overeat :)
• Gelati di bello (Kolimbia) - excellent homemade ice cream (€ 2-5), pancakes and coffee (€ 2). The establishment is run by a hospitable family coming from Rome for the season.
• Taverna tsambikos (Tsambika) - our friends liked it very much.
• Musikorama (Faliraki) - tasty, but small portions, you can.
• Food Box (Kolimbia) - a van with pits (€ 3), when you need it here and now; there is pita with chicken, which is a rarity on the island.

Our usual purchase in the store and delicious cheeses for 200 rubles, which we brought home

About products.
Small shops for everyday purchases - well, there to buy half a watermelon, or yogurt - are in every village. In Kolimbia, it was Flevaris, at the bend. There is a giant Lidl near Rhodes: it is for solid races / arrivals by car, because the location is not very convenient.

Prices in supermarkets in Rhodes:

• Tomatoes, kg - 1.25-1.5 euros
• Sweet cherry, kg - 3 euros
• Bananas, kg - 1-1.5 euros
• A bottle of wine - from 3 to 10 euros
• Beer in a bottle - 1.3-1.8 euros
• Bottle of water, 1.5 l - 0.3-0.8 euros
• Milk, l - 1.5 euro
• Greek yogurt, 200 gr - 0.8-1 euro
• Grana cheese padano, 200 gr - 3-3.5 euros
• Brie and Camembert, 125 gr - 3 euro
• Eggs, 10 pcs - 1.5 euros
• A jar of sun-dried tomatoes - 2 euros
• Chicken, kg - 2 euros
• Olive oil, l - 4-8 euros

An ordinary market on the island where we bought fruits, homemade olive oil as a gift

Deserve special mention local markets ("Like agora" if you ask the Greeks)! The most famous, and not at all touristy, unfolds on Saturdays for only 4 hours - from 8 to 12. On Google Maps it is designated as the Vegetable Market of Rhodes. Having previously tasted :), we bought vegetables, fruits, homemade olive oil, olives, olives - everything is fresh and tasty.

Market prices:

• Olive oil, 1.5 l - 6-8 euros
• Strawberries, 500 gr - 2 euros
• Tomatoes-cucumbers-peppers, kg - 1 euro
• Avocado, kg - 5 euros
• All varieties of olives, kg - 7-9 euros
• Potatoes, kg - 0.5 euro

All inclusive - is it worth taking?

Lunch at our hotel Loutanis - 3 stars

Difficult question. And in no case should you answer it, being equal to the Turkish All - this is generally not the same coat (starting with paid sun beds and ending with animation in its infancy). What exactly - a chic hotel, so that there are slides, and a kids club, and the territory is green, and the beach is own, and the food is varied - you cannot find in Rhodes.

By the way, among the Greeks, all inclusiveness is actively functioning in 1-2 stars. It may even exist despite your belief that it does not exist. So, we flew to our hotel on a tour without meals, someone - only for breakfast, but it turned out that for 10 euros per day per person you can get access to the buffet.

For myself, I came to the conclusion that it is still not worth taking.

1) All inclusive in Greece is not an uninterrupted meal 24/7 both in the hotel and in the beach bar, but three meals on a schedule and toast during a break. No burgers and cocktails by the sea, maximum by the pool.

2) I was sad every time we extended all inclusive, because it meant that the day would pass without a slice of divine pizza and pita from that very tavern ...

✓ Prices for all-inclusive holidays in Rhodes in 2021 - from 65,000 rubles per week for two.

What to see in Rhodes? sights

One day excursion to the island of Symi (more details)

• Symi island - another instagram place, only the whole island. On the one hand - the Panormitis monastery, on the other - the turquoise sea, colorful houses in the same style, streets leading up the mountain, a viewing point at the top. And restaurants, restaurants, restaurants where everyone tastes the huge local shrimp.
  How to get there? You can take a guided tour, or you can go to the port in Rhodes yourself and buy ferry tickets - 23 euros per person.
• Anthony Quinn Cove - sooo beautiful bay, where they swim and snorkel. As from pictures from Google about the wild beaches of the Amalfi coast!
  How to get there? By car.
• Rhodes old town - can be compared with the Old City of Jerusalem: a lot of stones, narrow streets, dilapidated, fortresses, houses and cafes. Goes to the port and the former fort, and from there you can go to windmills and another fort. Wandering around is definitely worth it! By the way, somewhere here, in the harbor, was the Colossus of Rhodes.
  How to get there? By bus / car to the capital. Further - on foot.

Views from the Tsambika viewpoint / Lindos city worth a visit

• Lindos - I wrote about the city in the section "Where is it better to stay". Similar to Santorini. Honestly, in the heat all impressions are blurred, and I remember the ascent to the acropolis (the second largest in the country) with horror. Here is a photo with a sad donkey exactly describes the mood :) It is interesting to walk around Lindos, take pictures of courtyards and doors, and then run to the local beach to cool off.
  How to get there? By bus or car (the schedule is in the "Transport" section).
• Viewpoint on Mount Tsambika - a view of the beach of the same name and the blue expanse of the sea, beautiful! Here is a small chapel. On Googlemaps, the point can be found as Kyra Tsambika.
  How to get there? By car, then climb about 300 steps.

A beach in the south of Rhodes that connects two seas / there are many kite surfers

• Kiss of the 2 seas (Prasonisi) - if you imagined how the blue-dark Aegean Sea meets the blue Mediterranean, and they do not mix, then ... it is not. A wide sandy strip lies between them.From afar (from the parking lot) the views are good, but up close you can see that heaps of garbage are gathering on the sand. They say that the Aegean Sea is restless, and the Mediterranean is calm and quiet. Nevertheless, both kite and wind surfers train there.
  Lesson: € 50 and € 30 rent of equipment for an hour for kiting; € 40 for 2 hours with a windsurf instructor.
  How to get there? Bus or car.
• Mount Filerimos - stands out with a tall cross near the monastery. We didn't climb, but tourists love this place.
  How to get there? Car or sightseeing tour.
• 7 sources - this is something like a spring making its way from seven places. The spring itself, as tourists say, is weak during the season. It is much more exciting to walk through the tunnel through the mountain. Is free.
  How to get there? Auto or excursion.
• Valley of the Butterflies - the place is famous for the fact that flocks of butterflies live there in the gorge. But the main plus is in the shady forest, river and waterfalls. It's cool and just nice to walk there. Entrance to the park - € 5.
  How to get there? Auto or excursion.

The port of Rhodes has developed ferry network, on which you can sail to neighboring islands and to another country. For example:

• Kos and Kalymnos islands - for 49 euros per person
• Halki and Tilos islands - 29 euros
• Turkish Marmaris - 75 euros. Swim for an hour or two, no more. Marmaris can be seen directly from the coast of Rhodes :)

And in Faliraki there is aquapark, so called - Waterpark. Declares that it is the largest in Europe. An adult can have fun for 24 euros per day, a child under 12 - for 16 euros. From shops in Rhodes - Zara, Sephora, etc., everything is standard and everything in Rhodes (city). Curious shop "Everything for 1 Euro" - it is next to RODA Bus Station.

Rhodes beaches

There are definitely more pebble beaches in Rhodes. Someone thinks that Afandou and Stegna are sandy, but for me a large gray-brown embankment is not sand. I liked the beaches of Lindos and Tsambika: the entrance to the water without pebbles, gentle. But in Kolimbia and Rhodes, the sunset is rocky, covered with medium pebbles. And the very bottom - in large slimy cobblestones, as anyone, but I "did not go" - I am afraid of sea reptiles that can hide under them (if anything, that's what I think).

Holidays in Rhodes with children

Beach next to our hotel
There are enough tourists with children on Rhodes. There are horror stories on the Internet, in the spirit of "what are you, but there are winds and waves!", But somehow this does not affect the flow of family. Probably because the Mediterranean Sea is calm, like a boa constrictor, and only occasionally indulges in "lambs".

The biggest injustice, as for me, is that there are no hotels near the best children's beaches (Lindos and Tsambika)! Therefore, everyone goes to Faliraki, despite the fact that it is noisy and youthful, and settles on the outskirts. Here is a list of reliable kids' hotels in Rhodes (and they are not cheap):

• 4 * Esperides Beach
• 4 * Sun Palace
• 4 * Apollo Beach

It is noted that Rhodes is a salvation for allergy sufferers. The island is not as blooming and green as the rest of Greece. Plus, the local cuisine is familiar and similar to ours, there will be no problems with food.

Transport on the island

Transport on the island is well established, but if you are a company (2-4 people), it is easier to rent a car (online in advance during the season)

The length of the island is 70 km, so for a vacation you can go around it entirely. Especially if you rent a car. When we were preparing for the trip, we read that a vacation in Rhodes is impossible without renting a car. Disheartened - we do not drive, and found fellow travelers, with whom we shared the cost.

But in the end, I do not agree with the statement about the vital necessity of the machine. See:

• From the airport you can get to Rhodes by the RODA bus (€ 2.5); or by taxi for € 25. From there - also by bus to the resorts (see the schedule and cost in the photo):

✓ Rhodes-Lindos - 5.5 euros

✓ Rhodes-Faliraki - 2.4 euros

Hanging with suitcases? It's kind of difficult ... We think so too and recommend a transfer from KiwiTaxi. You will be met with a sign, taken to the hotel, and they will tell you something interesting! We used the transfer in Athens - convenient. The car to Faliraki starts from 30 euros, cheaper than a taxi.

• On the same buses you can see the island itself - Faliraki, Lindos, Prasonisi. There is a route to Filerimos and Tsambika.
• Alternatively, you can take an excursion - choose what is closer to you - history or nature - on Tripster (conducted by local Russian-speaking residents).
• Bicycle rental for a day - 8-10 euros.
• Scooter for a day - 13-15 euros.

Rent a Car

Our car Volkswagen up - took in the first week of rest

In Rhodes, in each village there are several rental offices. As already mentioned, we do not drive, and our friends used to rent a car. Got Volkswagen Up! on the handle for 125 euros for 5 days (it took ≈ 50 euros for gasoline). True, it is not clear whether there was insurance, friends are not strong in English :)

On RentalCars - an international car rental service - it was possible to book the same thing, but for a euro per day cheaper and with insurance. In addition, during the season there is a chance to face the lack of a car in local rentals - this is how they disassemble.

General figures-facts:

• Car rental - 20-25 euros per day, if you take it for a few days IN THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON. In July and August, the price tag jumps to 35-40 euros!
• The price of gasoline is an average of 1.7 euros per liter.
• Locals drive adequately, they did not notice cameras on the roads, there are many free parking lots (including in Rhodes).

What to bring from Greece?

Our souvenirs from Greece to Russia

What we brought: forbidden (3 packs of grana padano cheese), homemade olive oil from the market and sun-dried tomatoes.

What else is being transported: olives in a vacuum and everything connected with them - oil, cosmetics. The Greeks have no equal in this since antiquity. From souvenirs - towels and napkins with Greek patterns, wooden cutlery sets, figurines and trinkets in the form of a phallus (this is in bulk in shops). There are many jewelry shops in Rhodes with unusual decorations. And of course, vineyards, mainly around Mount Attaviros. You can buy a bottle of wine.