symi 2015

[Kojak]

Just paid the final amount for Symi on 13th May. Last week I was thinking it was a long time to my May holiday. now it's getting closer!

[DiamondChris]

Any update on Ferry timetables yet?

Kojak: I presume you are waiting to book?

[Allan]

They should be out any time now according to Andy: http://symivisitor-accommodation.com/blog/

[Andy W]

On past performance the Dodekanisos Seaways ferry times for April, including Easter, will appear either this week or (more likely now) next. May usually follows a few days later, then the main part of the summer is released in late April. Blue Star times for the period up to the end of May are available right now.

It's a more complex process than you'd think - the ferry companies have to decide what they want to do, make sure they will have ships available to do it with, consult with local mayors and their own local sales agents, make a formal application to the Ministry and Port Police, and can only advertise the sailings once they have official approval. Combine this with a change of government to one with radically different policies from its predecessors things may be a bit slower this year, though local newspapers in the region still expect timetables "very soon".

If any other operators intend to enter or re-enter the Symi market, they've yet to make any formal applications.

Chris - Kojak's May visit, in line with his personal traditions, is an Olympic Holidays package, so he doesn't have to book his own ferries. He knows all about it though because he does book for himself when he visits in November.

[Andy W]

And indeed Dodekanisos Seaways have this morning issued a timetable for the whole summer. So far it is only available in Greek, in pdf form. I'll translate it and produce combined timetables (with Blue Star included). Personally I'm not happy as I now need a hotel room off Symi at the beginning and end of my own May journey, and regulars may complain that ALL the early morning sailings from Symi to Rhodes and evening sailings from Rhodes to Symi are done by the Skiadeni, which is good news for taxi drivers as Akandia isn't really in walking distance to anywhere except the residential/light industrial bits of Rhodes Town, at least not with baggage.
On past performance things may change before some of the timetables actually start though.
On the plus side, a through ferry from Symi to Samos once a week looks good.

[DiamondChris]

As always, very useful information Andy although as I have not been to Symi before, I'm not quite sure I understand the consequences of the sailing times you mention for yourself in May. Are they changing the Port they leave from?

Will this new timetable include later in the season? I am hoping to get to Symi on September 24th so do these later months produce different schedules? I need an early Thursday morning ferry from Rhodes to Symi on the 24trh and back again on Thursday 1st October to Rhodes, preferably early but anytime is better than no time!!

Thanks for all your advice and help.

[Kojak]

Not happy with the Skiadeni morning and evening timetable. With the Express or Pride we used to get to Symi early enough to have a full evening on Symi. Now it looks like it's back to the 9pm arrival. I presume that the morning Symi - Rhodes departure will now be even earlier. To cap it all, Olympic Holidays have just informed me that my 09.00 September flight from Manchester will now take off at 06.50hrs...

[DiamondChris]

I am a little confused too so hopefully Andy can clarify? I am not good with timetables! But thank you so much for the pdf - very useful.

If I have it correct there is no Thursday ferry from Rhodes to Symi mid September to early October on the Express or Pride now?

I need to get to Symi Thursday 24th Sept and it seems, if I am correct, that the Skiadeni may leave Rhodes at 9am arriving Symi 10.30.? Which Port would this leave from? And am I picking up on social media that this is a longer and rather unreliable service.

I then need to return from Symi to Rhodes on Thursday 1st October. Again, if I am reading it correctly it seems the Pride will actually leave Symi at 13.30.?

Trust me to book for the one day, for my first trip, where the normal ferries dont seem to run!

[Andy W]

As usual it is social media that's unreliable, Chris. The Panagia Skiadeni had serious problems which caused its summer season to be cut short in early September last year, but it isn't "unreliable" - it failed to complete its journey twice in three years, and since then the entire control system for the engines (which was what had failed) has been replaced over the winter. It is a lot bigger than the catamarans, and takes 90 minutes as against 50 minutes.
According to the timetable as issued so far on Thursdays in September the Panagia Skiadeni will leave at 09:00 from the Akandia section of Rhodes Town port - this is the section used for vehicle and car ferries (which the Skiadeni is) as it has room to hold the cars and trucks prior to boarding. It's a long way from the centre of town and you would really need a taxi to get there. It has separate bits of quayside for Panagia Skiadeni, ANEK ferries to Crete, and Blue Star, so tell the taxi driver which boat you want, saves a lot of walking. There's a ticket hut on site that will hand out tickets pre-booked on line and sell tickets on the day.
Coming back the timetable indeed shows a Samos-Rhodes sailing by the Pride calling at Symi at 13:30 on the day you want to leave. This will take you to the Kolonna quay in Rhodes Town port.

My personal problem is that I'm not arriving via Rhodes airport, but via Kos, and there is now no service at all between Symi and Kos on the dates I need to travel, so I'll have to spend the first and last nights on Kos. However these timetables are rarely cast in stone and will probably change several times before I travel, let alone before you visit in September.

[DiamondChris]

Thank you so much for confirming that Andy. We booked Hotel Hermes for our overnight stay in Rhodes before the morning ferry so, as you say, a taxi it will be.

Will the Skiadeni be bookable through the same Dodecanese Seaways website that the Express & Pride are on? Thanks.

[Allan]

I'm sure Andy will be producing his Rhodes - Symi - Rhodes combined timetable from the published full lists very soon but if anyone wants to plough through the released timetable the PDF version now available in English at http://tinyurl.com/n5n8y3n

And yes Kojak, the morning return is VERY early!

[JuliaB]

We're having to re-think our island-hopping in the light of the new timetables . . . for the first time we booked flights to Kos this year but our planned route doesn't fit with the published schedules.

[Oor Willie]

Same problem for us Julia decided to try going via Kos for a change and it looks like it was a bad idea

[biggus]

we`re going Glasgow - Kos land late Tuesday, over night in Kos, afternoon ferry to Symi there Wednesday, back to Kos on the Friday morning for Saturday night flight back to Glasgow, perfect!!

[Andy W]

Well there will be the Diagoras coming through Kos to Symi at about 5am on the Wednesday, that would gain another day.

Chris- yes, The Panagia Skiandeni is another member of the Dodekanisos Seaways fleet and is booked in the same way as the other two ships.

[Gemma1]

Not happy with the Skiadeni morning and evening timetable. With the Express or Pride we used to get to Symi early enough to have a full evening on Symi. Now it looks like it's back to the 9pm arrival. I presume that the morning Symi - Rhodes departure will now be even earlier. To cap it all, Olympic Holidays have just informed me that my 09.00 September flight from Manchester will now take off at 06.50hrs...

I was looking at the Olympic website at the weekend and noticed the flight had changed to 0650 which is similar to what happened last year. I'm so glad I decided to book the late afternoon flight now, don't think I could stand another night sitting in Manchester airport, which is what happened last year when I caught the 2330 train from Leeds. Symi isn't the easiest of places to get to!

[Kojak]

Having cheerfully got very cheap parking at Manchester for May and September I had to phone to change the arrival time for September due to a change in flight times. It was then that I noticed that my cheap deal is not for Park & Ride but Meet & Greet - even better - I just drive into the drop off point at Departures and hand over to a chauffeur!

[Joe Le Taxi]

Mrs Taxi and I will be on Symi in September. Up in the village as usual. Ah,The Olive Tree, Georgio's,The Windmill,Zoi's.Oh,and Yianni's.Six months isn't so long I suppose.

[Glen]

Kojak,

Sounds like with your flight being brought forward you will be landing early enough to get the afternoon Bluestar, if you wanted to make your own way to get to Symi earlier.
Would mean booking your own ticket and taking a hit on tne cost of course.

Glen

[Andy W]

Since the Blue Star is the cheapest way to get to Symi, that's not such a huge hit of course, especially given the favourable exchange rate.