Travelling To Kos

It is easy to get to Kos from most anywhere in the Aegean, as it is the Dodecanese transportation hub. Services available include hydrofoils and car and passenger ferries. There are daily ferry services from the Port of Piraeus, near Athens, as well as from Rhodes, Bodrum and Kalimnos. The services from Leros and Patmos run at the same frequency, but there are usually stops at other ports along the way. Olympic Airways also provides scheduled flights to Rhodes and Athens.

Other than its mountainous centre, most of the island of Kos is quite flat, making it ideal for cycling. Most vehicular traffic from the town of Kos to Kefalos uses the one main road, leaving the older routes relatively free of traffic. Cycle rental can be arranged by your hotel, and rental locations can also be found throughout Kos Town.

By car

The roads connecting the resort areas are reasonably good and the main road between Kos Town, the airport and Kefalos is the only route that is ever particularly busy.

By rail

KTEL operates two tourist trains: the green train makes a trip round Kos Town, while the blue train takes passengers to the Asklepieion. Both trains are slow and rather pricey, but the blue train is the only public transport from Kos Town to the Asklepieion and therefore used by many tourists.

By bus

The Kos Town buses operate from the central bus stop, which is on the harbours south side. These buses offer service up to a distance of around four miles from the centre. The KTEL, or Kos Island buses, provide service to most other spots on the island. The latest schedules can be found at the town bus office at Akti Kountourioti 7, on the harbour, and at the island bus station which is just around the corner from the Olympic Airways office, at Odos Kleopatras 7.

By air

Hippocrates Airport is about 15 miles southwest of Kos. Olympic Airways provides the only scheduled service, with direct flights to and from Rhodes and Athens. At present there are three flights a day from Athens and several weekly flights from Rhodes. From the airport, you can take a bus or a taxi to the town centre. Olympic Airways provides free bus service from Kos Town to the airport, requiring that you arrive at its office two hours prior to the departure of your flight.

Taxis

Taxis are plentiful, particularly around the harbour area in Kos Town. You can drop by the harbour taxi stand or telephone a taxi company in advance for service. The stand is located across from the castle, beneath the minaret. Your hotel can also arrange a taxi for you. All taxi drivers are supposed to be able to speak English, but there are a number who do not. Fares are fixed, but its always a good idea to confirm the price before getting in the taxi.