Long weekend possible with ferries etc?

[andyblueflame]

Not sure if this has been asked before so apologies if it has!,

I've just found out here that Jet2 fly from Birmningham to Rhodes from next year onwards on a Monday and Thursday, we are already have our main holiday booked elsewhere in 2017 but wondered if we could fly out on a Thursday and back home on a Monday to squeeze in a cheeky long weekend (so 4 nights) encompassing either the early or late May bank holiday (not sure what the weather is like early May?) so as to only need 2 days off work, basically would it be at all possible to get to and from Halki via ferry etc from anywhere around Rhodes on a Thursday and Monday? (I appreciate that accomodation is generally Wednesday - Wednesday but I can probably sort that issue).

Many thanks,
Andy

[muriman]

Andy, the tricky bit would be timing details. Your flight would not arrive in Rhodes until late evening and you would need to stay a night in Rhodes or at Kamira Skala, then get ferry on the Friday (which might be Friday morning if one was running a day trip, or the scheduled weekday 1430 crossing. On the way back on the Monday you might be able to latch on to an afternoon crossing if there was a return day-trip operating, arrive KS about 1715-1730, then plenty of time to get to Diagoras airport; but if not, you would have to get the scheduled early morning crossing. I haven't checked the Prevelis schedule, that might help but from memory I don't think so, and anyway it wouldn't be published for next year until much nearer the date. Catamaran from Rhodes town would not help assuming this year's schedule as it does not run to/from Halki on the days you would want.

[muriman]

I forgot to add - there's always the water taxi. Lots of euros needed (perhaps at a 2017 exchange rate, whatever that might be?) but might be worth it if there were a lot of people.

[andyblueflame]

Thanks muriman!, Thursday night in Kameros Scala would be no great hardship but would want to get on a ferry on the friday morning and back anytime on the monday to make the trip worth doing!

[Deleted]

No ongoing guarantee of a FRiday am ferry. There is always the weather. About 27 years ago I went for a week and succeeded in getting one day on Halki. Never again.

[Deleted]

Water taxi very expensive. Often he is not on the island. Sometimes when he is on the island he says he can't be bothered. Reliability zero.

[carol]

There are a lot of ifs and buts about this, it sounds great in theory but at that time of the year the local ferries are much less frequent than in high summer and they don't publish their timetables much more than a week in advance, the Prevelis which we are using this year still hasn't got dates after the very beginning of September so no chance in May !! As Sth said the weather is definitely another factor, May this year wasn't great but who knows next year could be glorious. It really all depends if you can take the risk and book very late, not very encouraging I know

[Kinygos]

"a cheeky long weekend"
You can NEVER predict the ferries. Even now "someone" who knows about ferries has tried to use an early morning ferry on a Wednesday (this is not a scheduled one) and it has not happened because the ferry concerned was in Kamiros Skala; it had not come over. This is despite being assured that it would be there by the captain. I was called upon to act as taxi driver when said person had to take the tourist return "Halki" ferry which, of course, arrived long after the bus had gone. Further, it happened twice!
I always advocate plan "B", but with what you are talking about you cannot have a plan "B"; sth is correct about the Water Taxi.
The weather may stop you getting there but, far worse, it may stop you getting back.
I arrived in mid May this year and it was cloudy and windy.

In my opinion, if you have to be at work "a cheeky long weekend" is far too risky.

[andyblueflame]

Thanks Kinygos, point taken!
Accomodation issues aside do you think that what I'm considering would be possible (ferry wise) at any point during the summer i.e late May-late Sept?
Andy

[Deleted]

The great risk you take going all the way to Halki for a weekend, besides all the potential problems with connections etc., is that you may well come home feeling extremely angry with yourself and bitterly disappointed that you did not allow for a longer stay. You know what the place is like, the booked time is never enough. We all know this - I've been going there 30 years, had a home there for 16 and still don't want to leave. Have to keep reminding myself there is another life elsewhere.

[Liz]

A few years ago we did a Rhodes/Halki stay ... we crossed to Halki on a Thursday but even up to the Thursday morning we were relying on friends on Halki to tell us if there was a ferry ( that was from KS, maybe from Rhodes is a bit more reliable ) so I'd have a plan B in case you don't get across .. our return was a bit hit n miss too ... we went from the choice of 3 ferries to 1 at 5.30 am !! ... that was a shock to the system.....Last year we did 4 days in Crete .. which was well worth it but then there's not the transfer as there is for Halki ... I think unless the weather is horrendous you would get across at some point but be prepared for delays and possibly leaving early

[andyblueflame]

That's pretty much what I'd suspected but thanks for the kind info Liz!