Travelling to Symi

[grantdmc]

Hi everybody. I haven't been to Symi for a few years and have always previously gone with a tour operator. Now that I have got use to going it alone, before I book my flights, I would be grateful if anybody could tell me the frequency of boats going from Rhodes to Symi and the best times to book my flights for. I would be very grateful for some advice.

[Allan]

Hi and welcome to Symi Chat.

Our travel guru, Andy Ward, will no doubt be along in a while with a more definitive answer but the fact is that no one knows! It's just too early to tell. There is usually at least one ferry per day every day during the peak season but the number of ferries and the times of day vary from day to day. The relatively stable timetables we'd been used to changed dramatically for 2015 and there is every chance they will change again for 2016.

You can be fairly sure there will be an evening ferry on Wednesday during the season to cater for the UK 'changeover day' flights. The same goes but with less certainty for the other weekdays except perhaps Monday.

To be honest, if you book flights now to get cheap prices, as I do, then it is a gamble. You could wait until next March/April time when the timetables should be available but then you risk losing the cheap air fares and/or your accommodation.

So far my gamble has always paid off but I do know that one of these years it won't and I'll be faced with an extra overnight stay on Rhodes at one end of the holiday or the other.

Sorry I can't be more positive.

[Andy W]

Ferry frequency depends on the time of year. The island's season really runs from May to October. At the beginning and end there may be fewer sailings, but always at least one a day. As Allan says, nobody knows what will run in 2016 - not even the ferry companies which will only now be starting to compile their timetables. These will go to local mayors for consultation in the New Year and subject to government approval will be made public in March/April.
What you can rely on is a morning ferry from Rhodes to Symi, leaving between 08:30 and 09:00, and an afternoon sailing back.
There's a very high probability that the Blue Star passenger and vehicle ferries will continue to leave Rhodes at 15:00 on Wednesday and 19:00 on Fridays calling at Symi on their way to Athens (Piraeus). They call at Symi around 08:00 on the same days of the week on their way to Rhodes. This is a year round service, government subsidised, and any delay in announcing the timetable is usually due to contract negotiations.
Finally in past years Dodekanisos Seaways have run evening sailings from Rhodes to Symi on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 18:30 or 19:00, returning from Symi in the mornings on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays at 06:30-07:45.
Journey time is between 45 to 90 minutes depending on which ferry you use. Some sailings, run primarily for day trippers, go via Panormitis Monastery and take a couple of hours longer -but you do get to see the Monastery!
Don't try and cut the gap between ferry and flight too tight, weather can delay boats on occasion.

[grantdmc]

Thank you. What happened to the Anes ferries?

[Andy W]

A bad attack of insolvency around 2011 left ANES with no choice but to shift its focus to more profitable routes in order to survive.
The Agios Nektarios has always run between Piraeus and Aegina, and still does. She's never even visited Symi.
The Proteus has been moved to the Sporades and seems successful running between Volos and Alonissos, Skiathos and Skopelos.
The Symi II remains in Mandraki Harbour, Rhodes but did get drydocked last summer so might reappear in service at some point.
Basically if you wanted to get to Symi in 2015 (or 14 or 13) it was a choice of Dodekanisos Seaways or Blue Star as the only two companies with licensed ferries on the route. Dodekanisos Seaways now have a largish passenger/vehicle ferry, the Panagia Skiadeni, which is dedicated to the Rhodes-Symi route, as well as the high speed catamarans you will probably remember.
They are supposed to be getting a third catamaran, but whether it will arrive this year I don't know.

You are not allowed to use the day excursion boats from Rhodes to travel to Symi except as a daytripper, so no single tickets or period returns, and no baggage. This is enforced by the Port Police/Coastguard who are much more visible than in the past at both ends of the route. This isn't a problem really as the Panagia Skiadeni runs at the same times as the day excursion boats, is faster, and much better fitted out.
Keep an eye out here and I'll produce summary ferry timetables once they are issued, or the Symi Visitor Travel Blog can be found at http://symivisitor-accommodation.com/blog/
and this includes flight information, and how to get from Rhodes Airport to whichever ferry you plan on using.