Easy-peasy!

[Jennifer]

Just wanted to share how easy we found it to arraneg our own transfers earlier this year. Travelling with 2 kids and being used to haveing it all sorted for us we were a little worried! However, it proved to be no problem. We literally were put in a tax at the airport and taken to KS (32 Euros). The taxi driver was loved and was quite happy to come back for us on the rueturn leg - he gave us his mobile no. so we could confirm what time we'd be at KS on the way home. He was there waiting for us when we arrived but was happy to wait while we had a spot of breakfast. The return fare was 40 Euros. The ferry is 10 Euros each way (children half price)

Happy holidays everyone

[Liz]

Thanks for that Jennifer - I know you've told it to me before but its nice to see again -we are going independantly for the first time this year and that is my only fear ...that I'll walk out the airport and there will be no Taxi's....or they'll be on strike....or all gone to be washed .....or all got flat tyres ;D

[Jennifer]

We had exactly the same concerns Liz and really didn't think he'd come back to collect us so we were pleasantly surprised when he remembered us when we called to confirm which ferry we'd be on. We even managed to get to the head of the queue for check in at Diagoras. I'd obviously been watching and learning from Jane and Sheila in previous years ;D

Some fellow independant travellers who were taking a late flight back to Gatwick travelled back on the Spiliani (?), which left after the two local boats and sailed into Rhodes town on the Wednesday. They reckoned it was easier to get a taxi that way.

[lynn]

What the heck is the Spilliani? Is it a Lane Lines boat? I've never heard of it before.....but it sounds interesting....

[Jennifer]

As far as we could tell it's not a Lanes line but a smaller boat doing some kind of inter island run out of Rhodes town via Halki. On the Wednesday we left in May, the Nissia boat left at 8, the DG boat about 9 and then the Spil-wotnot at about 10 arriving Rhodes town mid-day (so about right if you were aiming for a late afternoon flight).

HTH

[simon]

We are going Halki in May. The flights and accomodation are booked seperately so we have decided to make our own way from the airport by taxi and getting the boat rather than pay for a local company to pre-arrange all of this which is considerably more expensive.

We have been to Halki twice before but everything was prebooked through the tour company. It all sounds really simple to make our own way without prebooking transfers but I just wanted to be sure when we arrive at KS by taxi that we can just jump on any boat that happens to be there that is going to Halki and pay on board? We fly in from Manchester on the 7am flight.
Also, I have read somewhere on the forum that there was an issue getting a taxi that wasn't pre-booked and was reluctant to take them. Anything in this? It's just that we will be taking our baby daughter with us for the first time and I don't want any unexpected mishaps. I wouldn't be that concerned if it was just the wife and me. Thanks, Simon

[daisy]

Haven't done it myself Simon but know folks who have and haven't heard that anyone has had any trouble.getting to KS or on either ferry.

[Liz]

Hi Simon - we did it last year and it was fine ...there is a tad of reluctance from some drivers because its a long wasy back from KS 'empty' but there is a organiser at the taxi rank who sorts all the cars out -we waited about 15 mins -and yes you can get on either boat - we caught the earlier 'Nissia' boat and just paid accordingly ....the only downside was the return taxi expected to be paid quite a bit more
It was 32 Euros going and OH gave him 40 ..coming back he gave him 40 and he asked for another 5 !....in hindsight we should have got the first guys number and asked him to come back for us ..but other than that minor niggle it was all .......easy peasy ! ;D

[simon]

Thanks for this. It's put our minds at rest about the transfers now.

[j90]

Much has been said in previous years re the merits of independant travel. Only once in 12 years of travelling to Halki did we encounter problems.

Some 3 or 4 years back we were caught out when the buses and taxis went on strike. Problem, there was no way back from KS to the airport. Good old Bob from Laskarina had 3 seats on his coach and I was able to secure them by way of a small payment.

As a very last resort Alex Saklerides would have travelled with us on the ferry and taken us to KS in his car. An enormous commitment and a generous one so typical of the lovely man.

Thankfully Bob's coach did the trick. Since that time we have always been aware of how crucial buses and taxis are to the return to the airport of independant travellers.

Of course, TC run a coach from KS as I believe does Nissia connections but a seat for independants might not be so readily forthcoming.

We have often encountered some difficulty regarding taxis to KS from the airport mainly because they do not like the empty non paying return. However, the main man at the taxi rank always seems to mediate for us and we have never waited more than 10 or 15 mins.

As previously stated by others on this site, either secure the services for your return from the driver who takes you to KS or politely ask that someone on Halki, Zifos, Petros, Yanni at Kostas, Christina Saklerides etc arranges a taxi return with a negotiated price and a mobile telephone number. The price is usually more than you paid for the Airport KS run.

The Panagia Spiliani is a smaller ferry that has started a service from Nisyros via Tilos, Halki, Rhodes.

Last year it was on Halki at 0945 and returned at 1715.



Kalo Taxidi

[Tessa]

anyone travelling from Manchester on 13 May and wanting to share a taxi to KS?