Do you need a car in Rhodes?
Yes — Rhodes is the largest island in the Dodecanese, and its medieval Old Town, however striking, is only a small slice of what the island offers. Lindos, Prasonisi, the Seven Springs, and the mountain villages are all a drive away, and the KTEL bus network thins out fast once you leave the eastern coastal towns. An International Driving Permit is a legal requirement for non-European visitors, including Israelis and Americans. If you're staying inside the Old Town walls or sticking to Faliraki, you can manage without a car — but the moment you want Lindos and the rest of the island, rent one.
- Rent a car for Rhodes beyond the Old Town — Lindos, Prasonisi, the Seven Springs, and the mountain villages all require your own wheels.
- An International Driving Permit is a legal requirement for non-European visitors, including Israelis and Americans — rental desks and police both check for it.
- KTEL buses cover the eastern coast towns like Faliraki and Lindos reasonably well in season, but service to the west coast, the interior, and the villages is sparse.
- The Old Town itself is car-free inside its medieval walls — you can skip the car for a day or two there, but you'll need one to see the rest of the island.
Rhodes is a big island — the Old Town is only the beginning
Rhodes is the largest island in the Dodecanese, and its walled Old Town, however photogenic, is really just a starting point. Lindos, with its clifftop acropolis, sits about 50 km south along the coast. Prasonisi, at the island's southern tip, draws windsurfers to where two seas meet. The Seven Springs (Epta Piges), the Valley of the Butterflies (Petaloudes), Tsambika beach, and Kallithea Springs are all scattered further out. Without your own wheels, you'll see the Old Town and little else.
The Old Town is a car-free medieval fortress
Rhodes' Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site — a walled medieval city with narrow cobblestone streets built centuries before cars existed. Vehicles are barred from most of the interior, including the area around the Palace of the Grand Master, and even where technically allowed, driving through them is impractical. This isn't a downside if you're only exploring the Old Town: it's built for walking. But it means any car you rent stays parked outside the walls while you're inside them.
An International Driving Permit is a legal requirement, not a suggestion
Greece legally requires non-European visitors — including Israelis, Americans, and other non-EU/EEA licence holders — to carry an International Driving Permit alongside their home licence. Rental companies on Rhodes check for it at the counter, and traffic police enforce it on the road, especially around the airport and near the Old Town. Turning up without one risks being refused the car outright, and driving without it can void your insurance if you're stopped or involved in an accident.
KTEL buses work for the east coast, not for the rest of the island
The KTEL bus network connects Rhodes Town to Faliraki and Lindos along the eastern coast reasonably well in season, with several buses a day. But once you look beyond that corridor — Prasonisi in the south, the Seven Springs and Petaloudes inland, or the villages and the west coast — schedules become sparse, often just one bus a day or none at all. A car turns a full-day bus logistics puzzle into a straightforward drive.
Park outside the walls, not inside them
There's no driving into the Old Town itself, so plan to park in one of the lots and garages just outside the city walls, near the New Town or the port, and walk in. Street parking close to the walls fills up fast in high season, and circling for a spot near the entrances wastes time better spent inside.
