Coast to Island

Germany to the Greek Islands: Flights, Ferries or by Car

Direct flights from Germany to Rhodes, Kos, Samos and Lesvos, or a ferry via Dalaman, Bodrum, Izmir or Edremit: airlines, seasons and transfers.

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On this page
  1. Short answer
  2. The three options compared
  3. 1. Flying straight to an island
  4. 2. Flying to the Turkish coast and taking the ferry
  5. With a connection: Istanbul or Athens
  6. Winter: what changes
  7. By car
  8. Budget and preparation
  9. Frequently asked questions

There are three ways to get from Germany to the Greek islands: fly straight to an island in summer, fly to Turkey’s Aegean coast and cross by ferry, or drive down and cross from the coast. This page is written mainly for people living in Germany with family on the Turkish coast. For them the most sensible option is often to fly to Dalaman, Bodrum, Izmir or Edremit and add a few days on an island to a family visit.

On this page we only used what airline, airport and ferry company websites showed in October 2026. Where we could not verify a route, we say so.

Short answer

  • Rhodes and Kos: These two islands have the most options in summer. Condor and Discover fly from many German airports; easyJet flies to Rhodes from Berlin, and from Austria Eurowings flies from Innsbruck. Condor gives the flight time from Germany to Rhodes as about 3–3.5 hours.
  • Samos and Lesvos: Condor flies to Samos from Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Hamburg and Munich, and Discover from Munich. We found no direct flight from Germany to Lesvos; Austrian flew from Vienna once a week in summer 2026.
  • Dalaman: SunExpress flies from many German airports. Dalaman is the gateway to Rhodes (via Marmaris or Fethiye) and Kastellorizo (Meis, via Kaş).
  • Bodrum: Discover flew from Frankfurt and Munich in summer 2026. The boat from Bodrum to Kos takes 20–45 minutes.
  • Edremit and Izmir: In summer 2026 SunExpress flew to Edremit from Düsseldorf, Stuttgart, Munich and Hanover; it is close to Ayvalık for Lesvos. We could not verify direct Germany–Izmir routes in airline sources.
  • Winter: All island flights whose dates we could verify are summer routes. In winter you need to connect via Athens or Istanbul, or cross by ferry via Turkey.

The three options compared

Direct flight to the island Flight to Turkey and ferry By car
Who it suits Island holiday only Island trip combined with a family visit Long summer holiday, lots of luggage
Departure options Many for Rhodes and Kos, few for Samos, none for Lesvos and Chios Good for Dalaman, fewer for Bodrum and Edremit –
Extra time None Transfer to the port and 20 minutes to 2 hours at sea Days on the road
Border checks One Schengen entry Entry into Turkey, then Turkish exit and Greek entry at the port Several borders
Winter With a connection Fewer ferry sailings –

For Turkish passport holders: which document lets you cross to which island, how a residence permit differs from visa on arrival, and the exit fee exemption are covered on Greek islands with a German residence permit.

1. Flying straight to an island

Airport websites usually only show live flight boards, not route lists. The table below is based on the airlines’ route pages, Discover’s summer 2026 timetable, Innsbruck Airport’s timetable and Fraport Greece’s airline lists. A route being listed does not mean it operates every month; check the timetable for your own dates.

Island From Germany (summer 2026) Austria Note
Rhodes Condor: Düsseldorf, Frankfurt (daily), Hamburg, Hanover, Leipzig/Halle, Munich, Stuttgart; per its FAQ also Berlin and Nuremberg. Discover: Frankfurt (up to 4 a week), Munich (up to 3). easyJet: Berlin Eurowings: Innsbruck (Tuesdays, 19 May–29 September 2026). Austrian: extra summer flights from Vienna Flight information on the airport website ran to 24 October 2026, the end of the summer timetable
Kos Condor: Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Leipzig/Halle, Munich, Nuremberg, Stuttgart. Discover: Frankfurt and Munich (up to 3 a week) Eurowings: Innsbruck (Wednesdays, 27 May–30 September 2026). Austrian: Vienna According to Condor about 3 hours 5 minutes from Frankfurt, 2 hours 40 minutes from Munich
Samos Condor: Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Munich. Discover: Munich (up to 2 a week) Austrian: Vienna According to Condor about 3 hours from Frankfurt
Lesvos Not found Austrian: Vienna, once a week, 15 June–28 September 2026 Alternative: fly to Edremit or Izmir and take the ferry from Ayvalık
Chios Not found Not found Alternative: fly to Izmir and take the ferry from Çeşme

We did not separately check flights from the Netherlands for this page.

Rhodes is the easiest island to reach; besides Condor, Discover and easyJet also fly there from Germany. For what to do once you arrive, see the Rhodes travel guide and where to stay in Rhodes. Boats run from Rhodes to Marmaris and Fethiye, so on the way back you can cross to the Turkish coast and visit your family.

Flights to Rhodes

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2. Flying to the Turkish coast and taking the ferry

Most people with relatives on the Aegean coast choose this option: spending part of a religious holiday or the summer holidays on the coast and crossing to an island for a few days. If you hold a Turkish passport and a German residence permit, you do not need visa on arrival and you can travel between the islands.

Dalaman (DLM): for Rhodes and Kastellorizo

Dalaman is the closest airport to Fethiye, Göcek, Marmaris and Kaş. The airport’s list of scheduled airlines includes AJet, Pegasus and Turkish Airlines; holiday airlines such as SunExpress are not on that list.

SunExpress routes to Dalaman (industry news based on an announcement dated August 2026):

  • Existing routes: Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne/Bonn, Munich, Stuttgart; according to the announcement these continue in summer 2027.
  • Düsseldorf: six flights a week instead of five in summer 2027.
  • Hamburg: two flights a week instead of one in summer 2027.
  • Hanover: from 1 May 2027 on Mondays and Saturdays, a new route.
  • Leipzig/Halle: from October 2026; in summer 2027 on Fridays from 30 April.
  • Vienna: again from 30 April 2027, on Fridays.

We could not find this announcement on SunExpress’s own website, so we cite the trade press.

After the airport:

  • For Rhodes: Muttaş airport buses run to Fethiye bus station (300 TL as of October 2026) and Marmaris bus station (420 TL, about 1.5 hours). The boat from Marmaris to Rhodes takes about 50–60 minutes, from Fethiye between 1 hour 25 minutes and 1 hour 45 minutes. Details: Marmaris–Rhodes ferry, Fethiye–Rhodes ferry.
  • For Kastellorizo: There is no airport bus to Kaş. You need to change in Fethiye or use a taxi, transfer or hire car for the roughly 150–180 km drive. The boat from Kaş to Kastellorizo takes about 20 minutes: Kaş–Kastellorizo ferry.

All options and the taxi fares are on the Dalaman Airport transfers page. For most people going to Kaş, or visiting several villages during a family visit, a hire car is the most practical solution.

Car hire: Dalaman Airport (DLM)

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Bodrum (BJV): for Kos

In summer 2026 Discover flew to Bodrum from Frankfurt up to three times a week and from Munich up to twice a week. Discover notes that not all routes operate throughout the season or at the same frequency. According to its own website, Condor currently does not fly direct to Turkey.

According to TAV Airports, Milas-Bodrum Airport is 36 km from Bodrum town centre. Havaş and Muttaş buses go to Bodrum, but not directly to the points where the Kos boats leave (the ports in Bodrum town and Turgutreis). The boat from Bodrum to Kos takes about 20–45 minutes depending on the vessel. Details: Bodrum Airport transfers, Bodrum–Kos ferry.

Izmir (ADB): for Chios, Samos and Lesvos

Izmir is the main airport for Çeşme (Chios), Kuşadası (Samos) and, further north, Ayvalık and Dikili (Lesvos). According to a July 2026 report by Habertürk, SunExpress planned more than 250 flights a week to Izmir in summer 2026; however, the report does not say which German cities these flights were from. We could not verify direct Germany–Izmir routes on airline websites. Check the timetable of your own departure airport.

After the airport (as of October 2026):

  • Çeşme: Havaş runs to Alaçatı and Çeşme bus station, about 100 minutes, 600 TL. The fast boat from Çeşme to Chios takes about 20–45 minutes: Çeşme–Chios ferry.
  • Kuşadası: Havaş runs via Selçuk to Kuşadası bus station, about 90 minutes, 600 TL. From Kuşadası to Vathi port on Samos takes 30–75 minutes according to sources: Kuşadası–Samos ferry.
  • Ayvalık and Dikili: No Havaş service; taxi, hire car, transfer or intercity bus from Izmir bus station.

Details on the Izmir Airport transfers page.

Edremit (EDO): for Lesvos

For anyone going from Ayvalık to Lesvos, Balıkesir Koca Seyit Airport (Edremit) is much closer than Izmir. According to a May 2026 report by Ekonomi Gazetesi, SunExpress was flying from Edremit to Düsseldorf and Stuttgart in summer 2026; on 15 May it added Munich (Wednesdays and Fridays) and on 16 May Hanover (Saturdays, and from 10 June also Wednesdays). We have not yet seen the 2027 timetable.

From Ayvalık to Lesvos takes about 45 minutes by fast boat and about 75 minutes by car ferry. Lesvos is one of the two islands you can take your car to: Ayvalık–Lesvos ferry, Dikili–Lesvos ferry.

Which airport for which island

Island Airport in Turkey Port Time at sea (approx.)
Rhodes Dalaman Marmaris or Fethiye 50–60 min / 1 h 25 min – 1 h 45 min
Kastellorizo Dalaman (or Antalya) Kaş 20 min
Kos Bodrum Bodrum, Turgutreis 20–45 min
Samos Izmir Kuşadası 30–75 min
Chios Izmir Çeşme 20–45 min (fast boat)
Lesvos Edremit or Izmir Ayvalık, Dikili 45 min (fast) / 75 min (car ferry)

To see all routes on a map, use the ferry map; for seasonal differences, see the ferry season calendar.

With a connection: Istanbul or Athens

  • Via Istanbul: Dalaman’s airline list includes Turkish Airlines, AJet and Pegasus. If no direct flight fits your dates, look at connections via Istanbul.
  • Via Athens: The airline lists of Lesvos and Samos airports include Olympic Air and Sky Express, and Lesvos also Aegean Airlines. If you want to fly to an island in winter, a connection in Athens is the most likely option.
  • Separate tickets: If you buy two separate tickets and the first flight is late, the risk is yours. Leave plenty of time in between.

Winter: what changes

All island flights whose dates we could verify end in autumn: Condor gives April or May to October for the Greek islands, Eurowings’ Innsbruck flights ended at the end of September, Austrian’s Lesvos flight ended on 28 September, and Rhodes Airport’s flight information ran to 24 October 2026. We found no direct winter flight from Germany to Rhodes, Kos, Samos, Lesvos or Chios.

On the Turkish side, SunExpress’s Leipzig/Halle–Dalaman route starts in October 2026 according to the announcement. Ferries are also less frequent in winter: routes such as Ayvalık–Lesvos, Çeşme–Chios and Marmaris–Rhodes are considered year-round (the Çeşme–Chios timetables are published up to 30 September 2027 for Ertürk, with no fast-boat sailings from 11 January to 11 February, as checked on 29 October 2026, and its car ferry on weekends to 31 January, as checked on 30 October 2026, and up to 30 September 2027 for Turyol, as checked on 24 October 2026), while on Kaş–Kastellorizo sailings can drop to as few as one a week in winter.

By car

Driving from Germany to Turkey is not the subject of this page. If you are on the coast with your car, you can only take it across on the Ayvalık–Lesvos and Çeşme–Chios routes; details are on the taking a car to the Greek islands page. If you leave a car with German plates at the port and cross on foot, mind the Turkish Ministry of Trade’s customs rule; we explain it on the residence permit page.

Budget and preparation

Trip toolkit

Tours and day trips

Tree-lined path at the entrance to Neratzia Castle, Kos Town⏱ 9 - 11 hoursGetYourGuideBodrum: Roundtrip Ferry to Kos with Hotel PickupReturn ferry with optional hotel transfer in Bodrum and a host at the port; free time on Kos without a guide.See price A cobblestone street lined with stone buildings in Rhodes Old Town⏱ 10 hoursGetYourGuideFrom Marmaris to Rhodes Same-Day Return TourHotel pickup in Marmaris, return ferry and about five hours of free time on Rhodes.See price

Before you go

Aerial view of a beach with clear turquoise waterHotels in GreeceHotels, rooms and apartments free on your dates, on Booking.com.Check availability A hand holding a smartphone in front of the sea at sunsetGreece eSIMData only, starts at first use. From $3.99 (Oct 2026).See plans

Where to stay, island by island

A palm tree and the sea in Molyvos (Mithymna), LesvosLesvosStone windmills on the shore of ChiosChiosBoats in the harbour of Kokkari, SamosSamosA beach umbrella at sunset in Tigaki, KosKosWhite buildings by the sea in Lindos, RhodesRhodesA small harbour ringed by colourful housesKastellorizo

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Frequently asked questions

Which Greek island is easiest to reach from Germany?

Rhodes. In summer Condor flies from seven German airports, and per its FAQ also from Berlin and Nuremberg; Discover flies from Frankfurt and Munich, and easyJet from Berlin.

Are there direct flights from Germany to Lesvos or Chios?

We did not find any in airline sources. For Lesvos you can fly to Edremit or Izmir and take the ferry from Ayvalık; for Chios, fly to Izmir and take the ferry from Çeşme. From Austria, Austrian flew Vienna–Lesvos once a week in summer 2026.

Which airlines fly to Dalaman?

From Germany mainly SunExpress, from Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne/Bonn, Munich, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf and Hamburg. The Hanover route starts on 1 May 2027. Turkish Airlines, AJet and Pegasus via Istanbul are also an option.

Can I land in Bodrum and cross to Kos the same day?

It is possible, but the airport is 36 km from the centre and the buses do not go directly to the piers. Unless you land early in the morning, plan the boat for the next day.

Do I need visa on arrival?

Not if you hold a Turkish passport and a valid German residence permit (with an EU passport you need no visa at all). If relatives travelling with you from Turkey have no Schengen visa, they need visa on arrival, and that visa is tied to a single island.

How do I get to an island in winter?

We found no direct flights. Fly with a connection in Athens, or fly to Turkey and use the year-round Marmaris–Rhodes, Çeşme–Chios or Ayvalık–Lesvos route.

Timetables, fares and entry rules can change; check with the official source before you travel.

Sources

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