Where to stay in Rhodes
Rhodes airport sits at Paradisi, about 15 km by road from Rhodes town, and most of the choice runs down the east coast from the town to Lindos and the south. The base decides how much of the holiday happens in the car.
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How the areas differ
Rhodes town has two halves. The Old Town is the walled medieval town of the Knights, with pedestrian streets such as Sokratous, Ermou and the Street of the Knights. The new town north of the walls has the seafront, Mandraki harbour and Elli beach, under 1 km from the Old Town.
On the west coast, Ixia and Ialysos form a strip of large hotels between the town and the airport. The municipality describes Ialysos as a town whose economy rests on tourism, with many large hotels and the island's two conference centres. On the east coast, Faliraki is the resort on its own bay, 14 km from Rhodes town.
Lindos is one of the island's most important traditional settlements, on a narrow strip of land below its acropolis; Pefkos lies about 6 km away by road. Further south, Kiotari and Gennadi lie in South Rhodes, the island's largest and emptiest district, with 11.4 people per km2 against 83.7 for the island as a whole.
Staying with a rental car
Distances first. By road, the airport is about 7 km from Ialysos, about 10 km from Ixia, about 15 km from Rhodes town and about 18 km from Faliraki. Lindos is about 50 km away, Kiotari about 61 km and Prasonisi about 93 km.
Since 14 April 2026 the Old Town has been closed to every vehicle without a valid entry permit. The municipality issues permits to residents, taxis, suppliers, shop owners inside the walls and vehicles that hotels contract for arrivals and departures; a visitor's rental car is not on that list. The police run checks every day.
The free municipal car park at Akantia, by the old commercial harbour, has a free minibus every 20 minutes to the Town Hall, with stops at the moat, the tourist port and Kolona. In the new town, drivers pay for street spaces at the meter or through parking.rhodes.gr.
For Ixia, Faliraki, Lindos and the south we found no official parking source, so ask the host whether a space comes with the booking. For the roads, the Lindos drive and the rules, GetCar's guide Driving and Parking in Rhodes: the Old Town Ban, Lindos and Where to Leave the Car goes further.
What the tourist tax and registration rules mean for a guest
Greece charges a climate crisis resilience fee per night and per room or property, and the guest pays it before departure. Article 44 of the Code of indirect taxes (Law 5177/2025) sets the amounts, unchanged in the consolidated text of May 2026. From April to October a short-term rental pays EUR 8 a night, or EUR 15 for a detached house over 80 m2, rented rooms EUR 2, tourist furnished residences EUR 8, or EUR 15 from 80 m2, tourist villas EUR 15, and hotels EUR 2 to EUR 15 by stars. From November to March short-term rentals and tourist residences pay EUR 2 or EUR 4, villas EUR 4 and hotels EUR 0.50 to EUR 4.
Hotels and professional hosts also charge the municipal visitor fee on the rent of stays under six months, which the guest pays: 0.5% under national law, and private hosts who let one or two properties do not charge it. The Rhodes council raised it to 0.75% for every kind of accommodation, with no difference by area, in decision 352/2024 of 28 November 2024; the decision sets no end date, and no later one was found as of September 2026.
Every short-term rental must show its 11-digit property registry number, the AMA, on every platform and advert; licensed properties show a 16-digit ΕΣΛ or a 7-digit ΜΑΓ number instead. Since 1 October 2025, Law 5170/2025 has required smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, a first aid kit, a guide to emergency numbers and civil liability insurance, with a EUR 5,000 fine for a host who fails the rules. A listing with no number is worth a question.
When to book what
Book the base around the flights and the car. Early departures favour Ialysos or Ixia, 7 to 10 km from the terminal. An Old Town hotel works when the car can stay at Akantia; the free minibus starts at 07:00 on weekdays, and a late loop back to the car park runs until 01:30. Lindos and the south suit a booking of a week or more, given the drive.
The fee drops from November to March, when a short-term rental pays EUR 2 a night instead of EUR 8. Compare prices on this page before booking.
Which area for which trip
The medieval town on foot, with the car at Akantia: the Old Town.
A family base with services and a town beach: the new town near Elli.
Large hotels and early or late flights: Ixia and Ialysos.
A beach resort with everything on foot: Faliraki.
A whitewashed village, villas and a slower week: Lindos and Pefkos.
Space, quiet beaches and long drives: the south.
Questions
Where should a driver stay in Rhodes?
Outside the Old Town walls. Ixia and Ialysos are closest to the airport, the new town pairs paid street parking with the Old Town on foot, and Lindos and the south suit a car every day.
How much is the climate fee for a hotel in Rhodes?
From April to October EUR 2 a night at one or two stars, EUR 5 at three, EUR 10 at four and EUR 15 at five; from November to March EUR 0.50 to EUR 4. The fee is charged per room and night.
Can an Old Town hotel guest drive to the hotel?
Not in a rental car. Since 14 April 2026 vehicles need a valid entry permit, and the municipality issues them to categories such as residents, taxis and vehicles that hotels contract. Ask the hotel how arrival works before booking.
How far is Lindos from Rhodes airport?
About 50 km by road, and Kiotari about 61 km. Ialysos is about 7 km from the airport and Rhodes town about 15 km.
What is the visitor fee on a Rhodes stay?
A municipal fee on the rent of stays under six months, which the guest pays. The national rate is 0.5%, and the Rhodes council raised it to 0.75% for every kind of accommodation (decision 352/2024). Private hosts who let one or two properties do not charge it.