Ferries 2011

[animalwelfare]

hello,
booked a flight end of march to visit Halki in spring time (Will I be the first ?) The official online ferry-time-tables only shows the winter schedule. Does anybody know, if the Kamiros ferry runs every day in march ?
Maybe I have to wait some further days for new schedule (Anek, Blue Star, Catamaran... ect. )
Maria

[ermioni]

Hi Maria,

The catamaran timetable is out. Have a look: www.12ne.gr/en/index.asp

Ermioni

[animalwelfare]

thanks, that`s great !
does anybody know, if the kamiros-ferry runs on weekend? and the water-taxi, when does it start ?
Gr. Maria

[ermioni]

Hi Maria,

I read somewhere that the ANEK boat has a schedule from Rhodes on Sunday mornings, leaving at 8 a.m. and reaching Chalki around 10 a.m.

I'm not sure if this holds for March as well. Please check with ANEK.

Ermioni

[animalwelfare]

Thanks again,
yes I checked, called and mailed and got answers. At the time everything is undefinated. The Kamiros-ferry runs 4 times a week, but not on weekends. (Mo, Tue, Thur, Fr.) The ANEK / Ierapetra is waiting for the new schedule. Now it doesn`t go on Sundays, but we have to wait few days, maybe then they can tell me.
Hope the summer schedule is better.
Maria

[pda]

Sorry AW I am already here !

There's supposed to be a problem with funding for the big ferry & no timetable has been agreed yet. I heard from one person that they were not going to run at all & from another that they were running three times per week. Politics

Don't think the caique's will run at weekends till the main season starts.

Catamaran is reliable on tues & thurs till July.

Have fun. Weather beautiful today on Halki.

[ermioni]

Hi Maria,

The ANEK boat will run on an emergency timetable in March. Check with openseas.gr closer to your travelling time.

This coming Sunday e.g. there will be a boat from Rhodes to Chalki.

Ermioni

[animalwelfare]

thanks,
found out that the ANEK/ Ierapetra now runs on Sundays 8.00 am from Rodes to Halki. And the new Catamaran schedule is online. Good for us, flying to Kos on Friday, then go with the daily Catamaran trip to Rodes and then springtime in Halki.

[ermioni]

Hello everyone,

I know that boat timetables are constantly being discussed.

Now it's my turn to ask the experts if I can reasonably - that's by Greek reasoning, I know - expect to get off the island on a Sunday in early October in time for an evening flight leaving Rhodes at 8.30 p.m.

None of the online schedules known to me show any boats on Sunday at all.

Any help and/or experience from last year will be appreciated.

Ermioni

[animalwelfare]

hello,
too long time until October !. I think, October is still the summer schedule but who knows ?
The schedule change too often during the year.
Got "my" ferry-schedule for March 3 days before flying. I called and e-mailed to ANEK, Ierapetra, Dodecanissos Express (Catamaran) and the Harbour police from Rhodos. I mailed to Zifos Travel (they were up to date) I recommend you to do that 3 or 4 weeks before you go.
Last year early October there were storms so that the ferries didn`t leave the harbor. This can happen too.
Good luck - its always adventure to get there.
Maria

[muriman]

Ermioni, as Maria says it's too early to tell what will happen in October, but for what it's worth, when I have previously been in Halki in early October the ferries have still often been operating "day tripper" services, including Sundays. If that happens there would be an option of leaving in the morning or the early evening. But these services will presumably depend on whether there is enough demand at that time of year, and I think it will only be possible to get definite information a day or so before the Sunday! This may not be reliable enough for the purposes of getting a flight from Diagoras. Deciding what to do might also depend on the October timetable for the "big ferry" to Rhodes; there might be a Sunday service but it will be some time before the October timetable is known. If I had to guess, I'd say yes (to use your words) you could "reasonably expect" to get off the island on a Sunday in early October - but whether a reasonable expectation is sufficient for the purposes of getting an evening flight......? That's a difficult question. Sorry that may not be much help!

[Deleted]

Perfectly put Muriman and that is the way it has always been. My rule is - "never" rely on an absolute guarantee of a last minute departure from Halki when connecting with "any" flight, regardless of the time of year but particularly in the early and later months. I have had and seen many last days of holiday spoiled by worry and uncertainty over departure plans. Its not worth it - get over to Rhodes and spend the last day chilled out. It is a fantastic island with much to do and see. It caters for all tastes and not just a b****y awful airport and some areas of beer swilling tourists.

[pda]

Sounds good to me.
I will be there in Oct with some walking buddy's. Plan is to leave on the thurs cat & ramble about before a sat flight but.......
You never know till the week. Weather & timetables change.

On another note Rhodes is nice out of the main season, later the better.

[ermioni]

Thank you all very much for your assessment of the prospective October ferry situation.

I shall already have an overnight stay on either Kos or Rhodes coming to Chalki so I still hope I can make it in one go when I leave.

Actually, I am still undecided between Chalki, Kastelorizo and Tilos and as it stands now whichever island has the best ferry connection will get "acceptance of tender".

Ermioni

[muriman]

Kastellorizo is Different with a capital D, though my knowledge of it is now out of date (visited a couple of times many years ago). Ferry connections can be sparse in October but there were flight connections operated by the old Olympic Airways; if you were to go there you might want to check the possibility of flying out to Rhodes (but beware a practice of reserving seats on small planes for local people). I think both ferries and flights were subsidised by the government to help keep the island linked to Greece despite its location.