Mykonos – known for its nightlife and windmill – and Rhodes – the most popular of the Dodecanese Islands – are two of the beautiful Greek islands. Many travelers want to visit both of them during their trip to Greece.

But getting from Mykonos to Rhodes is quite a logistical nightmare. There is no way to travel directly between the two islands – whether by plane or ferry – and the possible options require time and patience.

Summary

It’s definitely cheaper to travel between Mykonos and Rhodes by ferry via Athens . You can take advantage of this stop-over to stay in Athens for couple of days, too. If you are in a hurry, the flights aren’t very expensive either, but also connect through Athens.

By ferry

Option 1: Via Athens (Piraeus)

Hop on a ferry from Mykonos to Athens – at least 4h 30 min and €34 per person, one way (economy)– and then get on a ferry from Athens to Rhodes – at least 12 hours and €43 per person, one way (deck). Of course you’ll be waiting for the connection in Athens so this will probably turn out in about one day of traveling.


Read more about:
>>Free Things to do in Athens
>>Dealing with the Port of Piraeus

Options 2: Via Naxos

Get on the ferry from Mykonos to Naxos – 45 min and €27.20 per person, one way (economy)– and then catch the ferry from Naxos to Rhodes .

And there comes a nightmare. There used to be only two ferries between Naxos and Rhodes: Thu at 12:35 a.m. and Mon at 9:35 a.m. The journey took 13 hours. However, the schedule hasn’t yet been updated for the summer of 2012 and the ferry booking websites don’t list the route either; which only leads to the conclusion that the Mykonos – Naxos – Rhodes route is no longer possible.

>>read more about Naxos

Option 3: Via Samos

Catch a ferry to Samos (port of Vathy) from Mykonos . There used to be a ferry linking the two islands daily, except on Mon and the travel time was at least 4 h 40 min. However, the schedule for the summer of 2012 is not yet available and searching on the ferry booking websites doesn’t offer any journey either.

From Samos (port of Karlovassi) catch could also catch a ferry to Rhodes. There used to be one running each Sat at 11:50 a.m. and the travel time was 9 hours. However, with no update for the summer of 2012 and no journey listed by the ferry booking websites either, the only conclusion is that the Mykonos – Samos – Rhodes route is not possible anymore, either.

>>read more about Samos

By plane

If your travel time is limited and you really want a quick and easy solution, get on a flight from Mykonos to Rhodes via Athens.

Mykonos to Athens takes 35 min and costs from €67 one way in mid-July 2012, on Aegean Airlines . There are two flights a day.

Then catch the flight to Rhodes, also on Aegean Airlines. One way tickets start at €38 per person in mid-July 2012 and the flight takes 1 hour. There are three connections per day.

Please remember that the price depends on how far in advance you purchase the ticket. Sometimes it’s possible to find “Saver” tickets (which are the cheapest) but most often you’ll find the “Semiflex” ones, which are about twice as expensive as the “Saver” ones.

Notes:
* the article was first published in June 2010; the latest price updates have been made as of June 2012.
** you could also travel via Paros, but the schedule for the Paros to Rhodes ferry route hasn’t been made public for the summer of 2012 yet, so it’s hard to say if it’s a viable route.

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