Kos or Rhodes? Which Island to Choose, and How to Add Turkey

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Choose Rhodes if you want a medieval walled town, Lindos and the widest choice of flights and resorts; choose Kos if you want a smaller, flatter island with sandy north-coast beaches, easy cycling and the quickest hop to Turkey. Both work well with the Turkish coast: Kos pairs with Bodrum, a 20 to 45 minute crossing, and Rhodes with Marmaris (about an hour) or Fethiye (about 1.5 hours).

Short answer

• Rhodes is about 1,400 km², nearly five times the size of Kos (about 295 km²). It has more to see, above all the UNESCO-listed Old Town and Lindos, but the sights are further apart.
• Kos is compact and mostly flat. Kos Town, the Asklepion and the north-coast beaches are reachable by bike or bus, and Tigaki’s shallow water suits small children.
• From Turkey: Bodrum to Kos takes about 20 to 45 minutes, typically €25–35 one way. Marmaris to Rhodes takes 50 to 60 minutes, €63 for a same-day return (fares as of October 2026).
• Flights: easyJet listed eight UK airports for Rhodes and six for Kos in October 2026. Every UK route we could date is summer-only.
• Day trip to Turkey: easier from Kos, with up to four boats a day in each direction in the 2026 summer timetable. From Rhodes, Marmaris works on most days, with one morning boat out and one afternoon boat back.
• Clocks: Greece goes back to winter time on 25 October 2026. From then on, Turkey is one hour ahead of both islands.

Kos and Rhodes at a glance

Getting there from Turkey

Bodrum to Kos

Boats leave from Bodrum Cruise Port or the smaller Castle Port beside Bodrum Castle and arrive in Kos Town harbour, beside Neratzia Castle. Operators include Tilos Travel (Sea Star Kos), Bodrum Ferryboat and Dentur Avrasya. Tilos Travel’s 2026 timetable has four sailings a day each way until 24 October and two a day from 25 October to 1 November; the 2026–27 winter timetable was not yet published in mid-October. Port charges are sometimes added to the fare at checkout. Details: Bodrum to Kos ferry.

Marmaris or Fethiye to Rhodes

From Marmaris, fast ferries dock in Rhodes Town beside the Old Town walls. Yeşil Marmaris Lines’ fare table for 21 September 2026 to 31 March 2027 lists €63 for one way or a same-day return and €90 for a return on a different day (adults, checked 30 October 2026). See Marmaris to Rhodes ferry.

From Fethiye, Tilos Travel’s Sea Star catamarans ran daily from 27 April to 24 October 2026, with a second boat from 22 May to 20 September. Ertürk’s fare table (14 October 2026) adds €85 for a different-day return. See Fethiye to Rhodes ferry.

Flights from the UK and Europe

Rhodes has the widest choice: in October 2026 easyJet listed eight UK airports, from Belfast to London Gatwick (4 h 05 min), and Rhodes is in Jet2’s summer 2026 programme. For Kos, easyJet listed six UK airports, and Jet2 added Saturday flights from Leeds Bradford between 4 July and 26 September 2026. Every UK route we could date is summer-only; in winter, connect via Athens or fly to Turkey and take the ferry. See our flights guide.

Beaches

Kos has the easier beach holiday. Tigaki, about 11 km from town, is a Blue Flag beach with shallow water that Discover Greece describes as suitable for children, and it is popular with windsurfers and kitesurfers. Marmari, about 14 km out, is a roughly 3 km stretch of white sand. Paradise in Kefalos Bay is one of the busiest beaches on the island, and at Therma, south-east of town, hot spring water mixes with the sea in a stone-ringed pool.

Rhodes has more variety. Discover Greece names Elli, the town beach about 15 minutes’ walk from the Old Town; Anthony Quinn Bay for snorkelling; Faliraki, a long resort beach with beach bars and water sports; Agathi, with shallow water for families; Lindos beach below the acropolis; and Prasonisi at the southern tip, where windsurfers and kitesurfers gather.

Sights and history

Rhodes wins here. Its medieval Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988, is ringed by about 4 km of walls built by the Knights of St John and holds the Palace of the Grand Master and the Street of the Knights. About 50 km south, the acropolis of Lindos rises above a whitewashed village, and ancient Kamiros lies on the west coast.

Kos is smaller in scale. The Asklepion, the healing sanctuary linked to Hippocrates, lies about 3.4 km from town. In town you have the Ancient Agora, the Roman Odeon, Casa Romana with its mosaics and the Knights’ Neratzia Castle, though whether you could go inside was unclear in October 2026.

Summer opening hours at the main Rhodes sites run until 31 October; from 1 November they close at 15:30 and on Tuesdays.

Getting around: car or no car

On Kos you can manage without a car. The municipality reports more than 10 miles of cycle paths, and KTEL buses run to Tigaki, Marmari, Mastichari, Kardamena and Kefalos. A car helps for Zia, Antimachia and Kefalos.

On Rhodes, KTEL buses run down the east coast to Lindos, about 1 hour 40 minutes according to Visit Greece, and municipal RODA buses cover the town, the west coast and the airport. For Kamiros, the Valley of the Butterflies and the far south, a car saves a lot of time.

Car hire

Car hire: Rhodes

DiscoverCars compares offers from several rental companies in one search. Check the pick-up point, deposit and insurance terms before you book.

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Nightlife or quiet

In Kos Town, the streets north of the harbour are the liveliest, with bars open late; the seafront south of the castle is calmer. Marmari and Kefalos are much quieter. On Rhodes, Faliraki is the big resort with beach bars and water sports, while Lindos and the villages of the south suit a slower pace, apart from the coach crowds in Lindos at midday in high season.

Combining with the Turkish coast

Kos and Bodrum

This is the simplest pairing. Fly to Bodrum (easyJet lists Bristol, Edinburgh, Liverpool, London Gatwick, London Luton and Manchester) or to Kos, and cross in under an hour. Boats using Bodrum’s Castle Port land you next to Bodrum Castle and its Museum of Underwater Archaeology. The Bodrum travel guide covers the town.

Rhodes and Marmaris or Fethiye

Fly to Dalaman, which has the widest choice of UK departure airports on the Turkish side (easyJet listed eleven in October 2026), then cross from Marmaris or Fethiye. The airport bus reaches Fethiye in about an hour. Marmaris has the shorter, more frequent crossing; its passenger port is about 15 minutes’ walk from the centre, the castle museum and the bazaar. Fethiye suits travellers staying in Fethiye, Ölüdeniz or Göcek, but the boat is longer and less frequent. See the Marmaris travel guide and the Fethiye travel guide.

Either way you cross the Schengen border each time. GOV.UK says UK passports must be valid for at least 150 days after arrival in Turkey.

Day trips to Turkey

Allow about an hour at the port on each side for check-in and passport control. Türkiye accepts national ID cards from 21 countries, including Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland; UK citizens need a passport. Full plans: Kos to Bodrum day trip, Rhodes to Marmaris day trip and, for entry rules by nationality, day trips to Turkey from the Greek islands. Fethiye is not a day trip from Rhodes in October: the 2026 morning boat from Rhodes ran only from 22 May to 20 September.

Island days out work too: the three islands boat trip from Kos and the Symi day trip from Rhodes.

Where to stay

For a short stay with a ferry at either end, stay in town: Kos Town harbour and Rhodes Town are both a short walk from the boats. For a beach week, Tigaki or Marmari on Kos and Faliraki or Ixia on Rhodes are the resort areas. Compare areas in where to stay in Kos and where to stay in Rhodes.

Organised tours

If you can walk to the harbour, a direct ferry ticket is usually simpler than a tour. Tours help if you are staying in a resort and want transfers handled.

⏱ 6 hoursGetYourGuide

From Kos: Independent Day Trip to Bodrum

Return boat ticket with the paperwork handled and free time in Bodrum, but no guide; you meet at the port in Kos Town.

Check price & availability →

⏱ 8 hoursGetYourGuide

Rhodes: Marmaris Day Trip by High-Speed Boat

Sea Dreams' own return crossing with port tax included and an optional shopping tour; compare it with the direct same-day fare.

Check price & availability →

⏱ 7.5 hoursGetYourGuide

From Rhodes: Lindos Round-Trip Bus Transfer with Free Time

Hotel pickup and a coach to Lindos with free time; acropolis entry is an optional extra, so compare it with the KTEL bus.

Check price & availability →

Which should you choose?

Choose Kos if:

• you are travelling with small children and want shallow, sandy beaches and a flat island
• you want to get around by bike and bus rather than hire a car
• you are flying into Bodrum, or want the easiest possible day in Turkey
• you have three or four days rather than a week

Choose Rhodes if:

• history matters most: the walled Old Town, the Palace of the Grand Master and Lindos
• you want the widest choice of flights and resorts, from Faliraki to Lindos
• you are flying into Dalaman or staying in Marmaris or Fethiye
• you have a week or more, ideally with a hire car for some of it

Do both if you have ten days or more. Our island hopping from Turkey plan shows how to combine islands with the Turkish coast, and which Greek island helps if you are weighing up others.

Trip toolkit

Before you go

Hotels in RhodesHotels, rooms and apartments free on your dates, on Booking.com.Check availability ↗Greece eSIMData only, starts at first use. From $3.99 (Oct 2026).See plans ↗

Where to stay, island by island

RhodesKos

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FAQ

Is Kos or Rhodes better for families?

Both work. Kos is flatter and smaller, Tigaki has shallow water, and bikes and buses cover most needs. Rhodes has big family resorts at Faliraki and the shallow beach at Agathi, but distances are longer. See also Greek islands with kids from Turkey.

Which island is closer to Turkey?

Kos. Bodrum to Kos takes about 20 to 45 minutes, against 50 to 60 minutes from Marmaris to Rhodes.

Can I take a car from Turkey to Kos or Rhodes?

Not to Rhodes: the Marmaris and Fethiye boats carry no vehicles. To Kos, according to Ertürk (email, 25 October 2026), the Turkish Sea Lines agency’s ferry from Bodrum accepts vehicles; the other Bodrum–Kos boats do not. Ask Turkish Sea Lines about days and fares, or hire a car on the island.

Which is better in October?

Rhodes keeps summer hours at its main sites until 31 October and still has a Marmaris boat most days in November. Kos keeps four Bodrum sailings a day until 24 October and two until 1 November. On Kos, some hotels and boat trips close from late October.

Timetables, prices and entry rules change; check the official source before you travel.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Rhodes (island area) (accessed Oct 2026)
• Wikipedia: Kos (island area) (accessed Oct 2026)
• Tilos Travel: 2025–2026 Aegean islands sailing plan (Bodrum–Kos) (accessed Oct 2026)
• Ferryscanner: Kos to Bodrum (accessed Oct 2026)
• Feribotseferleri.com.tr: Bodrum–Kos sailings (accessed Oct 2026)
• Ferryhopper: Bodrum to Kos (accessed Oct 2026)
• Yeşil Marmaris Lines: Marmaris–Rhodes ferry ticket (accessed Oct 2026)
• Sea Dreams: Rhodes–Marmaris timetable and fares (accessed Oct 2026)
• Sea Dreams: October 2026 Marmaris schedule (accessed Oct 2026)
• Sea Dreams: November 2026 Marmaris schedule (accessed Oct 2026)
• Sea Dreams: December 2026 Marmaris schedule (accessed Oct 2026)
• Tilos Travel: Fethiye–Rhodes timetable 2026 (accessed Oct 2026)
• Ertürk: Fethiye–Rhodes fares (accessed Oct 2026)
• easyJet: Flights to Rhodes (accessed Oct 2026)
• easyJet: Flights to Kos (accessed Oct 2026)
• easyJet: Flights to Bodrum (accessed Oct 2026)
• easyJet: Flights to Dalaman (accessed Oct 2026)
• Jet2: Greece programme for Summer 26 (2 Feb 2026) (accessed Oct 2026)
• Muttaş: line 48-25 Fethiye Otogar – Dalaman Airport (accessed Oct 2026)
• UNESCO: Medieval City of Rhodes (accessed Oct 2026)
• Greek Ministry of Culture: Palace of the Grand Master (accessed Oct 2026)
• Visit Greece: Lindos (accessed Oct 2026)
• Hellenic Heritage (ODAP): Kamiros (accessed Oct 2026)
• Discover Greece: Rhodes (accessed Oct 2026)
• Greek Ministry of Culture archaeological museums: Asklepion of Kos, hours and tickets (accessed Oct 2026)
• Kos Municipality: Ancient Agora (accessed Oct 2026)
• Kos Municipality: Castle of the Knights (accessed Oct 2026)
• Kos Municipality: Cycling in Kos (accessed Oct 2026)
• Kos Municipality: Therma beach (accessed Oct 2026)
• Discover Greece: 12 best beaches in Kos (accessed Oct 2026)
• The Mediterranean Traveller: Where to stay on Kos (accessed Oct 2026)
• Municipality of Rhodes: Rhodes Public Transport app (accessed Oct 2026)
• GOV.UK: Turkey entry requirements (accessed Oct 2026)
• GOV.UK: Greece entry requirements (accessed Oct 2026)
• Republic of Türkiye MFA: Countries whose citizens may enter with national ID cards (accessed Oct 2026)
• Greek City Times: clocks go back on 25 October 2026 (accessed Oct 2026)
• GetYourGuide: From Kos, Independent Day Trip to Bodrum (accessed Oct 2026)
• GetYourGuide: Rhodes, Marmaris Day Trip by High-Speed Boat (accessed Oct 2026)
• GetYourGuide: From Rhodes, Lindos Round-Trip Bus Transfer with Free Time (accessed Oct 2026)
• Ertürk Lines, email, 25 October 2026