Swatch-FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 2004
	Hellas Women's Open: Rhodes, 19-23 May
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latest update: 21/05/2004 12:37 +0300

Travel Information:
Downloads (in Adobe Acrobat format): Information Sheet (38kb) | Venue Plan (227kb) | Venue Profile (98kb)

Rhodes is situated 265 nautical miles from the port of Piraeus and just 10 off the coast of Asia Minor, in the southeastern Dodecanese. The island is the largest of the 22 inhabited in the group that forms the Dodecanese, one of the 51 administrative units of Greece. It is also the fourth largest (in both area and population) of the total of almost 10,000 inhabited and uninhabited islands of the country. Rhodes Town (2001 pop. 53,709) is the capital of the Dodecanese. Over one million visitors come to Rhodes each year, to enjoy the excellent climate and to experience the rich historical heritage of the island. The island first appears in recorded history during the 2nd millennium BC, when it was inhabited by the Dorians. Its chief towns were Camiros, Lindos and Ialyssos--flourishing commercial centres with colonies throughout the Mediterranean. In the 5th Century BC, the three cities are recorded as members of the Dorian League, a confederacy of Greek city-states under the leadership of Athens. The three cities broke with Athens in 412BC and united their forces, founding the city of Rhodes. In 332 BC the Rhodians allied with Alexander the Great. Rhodes prospered in the 3rd and 2nd Centuries BC, through to the times of the Roman Empire. In 295 AD, after the division of the Roman Empire, Rhodes was attached to the Byzantine Empire and remained under Byzantine control until 1309, when it was occupied by the knights of Saint John of Jerusalem. In 1552 after a bloody siege led by Suleiman I, the knights were forced to evacuate the island. Turkish rule lasted until 1912, when Rhodes was taken over by the Italian army. After World War II, the island was liberated by from the Italians by the allied forces and was reunited with Greece in 1947.

Getting there
In summertime, Rhodes' "Diagoras" International Airport receives dozens of charter flights daily from locations throughout Europe. Other air connections are available through Athens. Rhodes is served by several daily flights from Athens on Olympic Airways and Aegean Air (approximate flying time 50 minutes), as well as regional flights from Thessaloniki, Herakleion, Mykonos and Santorini. Rhodes is also Olympic Airways' hub for regional operations within the Dodecanese.
Regular daily ferries connect Rhodes with Piraeus, the port of Athens. Departures are usually in the afternoon, arriving in Rhodes the next morning. The regular ferries, operated by GA Ferries, DANE Sea Lines and Blue Star Ferries, run on varying routes through the Dodecanese, with sailing times averaging about 15 hours. In the high season, NEL Lines has a considerably faster service three times a week between Piraeus and Rhodes. Some sailings call at various Cyclades islands and some remote Dodecanese islands and subsequently may take considerably longer. Check carefully before buying a ticket. A roundabout route via the Cyclades (Milos), Crete (Aghios Nikolaos & Siteia) and other Dodecanese islands (Kassos, Karpathos & Chalki) is offered several times weekly by LANE Lines.
See Links page for travel-related links.

Accommodation
Rhodes Town has an almost inexhaustible supply of accommodation, ranging from the really budget to the magnificently luxurious. For a list of suggested hotels for qualification tournament players, please see bottom of this page.

Orientation
The central court of the Rhodes Open is located in the middle of the New Town of Rhodes, right in front of the Town Hall, and ringed by historic buildings on all sides. The Town Hall Square is located to the north of the Old Town of Rhodes, beyond Mandraki Harbour, where excursion boats and hydrofoils dock. North of the Town Hall Square is the hotel district, where most of the major hotels of Rhodes Town are situated. The outside courts of the Rhodes Open are situated north of Prefecture building and south of the East Beach of Rhodes Town. Everything (including the New Market and the commercial and banking district), is conveniently located within a couple hundred metres of the courts. Even the major tourist attraction of the Old Town is just a further two hundred metres.
A plan of the area surrounding the courts, with information on the buildings ringing Central Court, will be available from this website shortly.

Getting around
Transportation between Rhodes' "Diagoras" International Airport and hotels will be provided by the organisers for all participants, according to their travel schedules. All official hotels for the Rhodes Open are within very easy walking distance to the courts.
Taxis may be ordered by phone or hailed on the street.
Public buses serve every single village and tourist location on the island.
Numerous car-hire outlets (including all the major multi-national companies) can be found in Rhodes Town. Be advised, however, that parking in the city centre could be a nightmare. A home driving license from most countries should suffice for car rental. Motorbikes, scooters and bicycles are also available for hire from numerous outlets.

Time
Greek Summer Time, in effect from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in September, is three hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. In winter Greece is two hours ahead of GMT.

Money
Greece is a member of the Euro-zone and since 1 January 2002 its official currency is the Euro (€). The euro is also the official currency of Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. In early May, €1.00 = $1.21. Most foreign currencies can be exchanged at banks (open Monday to Friday, 08:00-13:30). Other options are exchange offices, which usually keep longer hours. Rates and commissions at travel agencies and hotels will probably not be as favourable as at banks and exchange offices. All banks have ATMs available round the clock.
Most major credit cards are widely accepted at almost every tourist-oriented establishment.

Telephones
Direct-dial phone service is available between Greece and all countries of the world. International calls may be placed from any of the cardphones located throughout Rhodes. Telephone cards are sold at kiosks and newsstands everywhere. Phone calls placed from hotel rooms may carry heavy surcharges.
Mobile phone networks in Greece are compatible with the European-wide GSM 900/1800 standards, but not with the systems available in the USA and Japan. Vodafone (formerly Panafon), Telestet and Cosmote are the three major mobile phone service providers in Greece, with coverage in Rhodes. Check with your home service provider to find out if Roaming Service is available for you. Otherwise, it's possible for very little money to easily buy Connection Packs from any of the above companies in Greece. These are compatible with GSM 900/1800 devices and include a number and a small amount of air time, which can be renewed.

Newspapers
The news stands at the arcaded front of the New Market, at Mandraki harbour, offer a very wide selection of European newspapers and magazines, most on the evening of the same day of publication. The International Herald Tribune, printed in Athens, is available every morning with an eight-page English-language supplement of the Greek daily Kathimerini. The English-language Athens News is published every Friday.

Beaches, Sightseeing & Excursions
Rhodes Town as two beaches, separated by a headland at the northern tip of the island. Both are within very easy walking distance of the courts of the Rhodes Open and have been awarded Blue Flags of the European Union for their cleanliness and facilities offered. The east beach, facing the eastern Mediterranean, tends to be more sheltered than the west beach, which is open to the prevailing north winds of the Aegean Sea. Other popular beaches on the island include Tsambika and Agathi, both on the more sheltered east coast of the island. It is from the latter of the two that the sand for the courts of the Rhodes Open has been selected.
The most impressive and popular sight of Rhodes is the Old Town, just a few hundred metres south of the courts of the Rhodes Open. The Old Town dates to the 14th to 16th centuries, but many buildings were restored during the Italian occupation of Rhodes (1912-1947).
The Acropolis of Rhodes (south-west of the Old Town, on Monte Smith) was the site of the ancient Hellenistic city of Rhodes.
Rhodes Island also has an abundance of archaeological sites, most important of which are those at Kamiros and Lindos.
Numerous excursions to locations on Rhodes Island and to neighbouring islands (such as Symi) are available out of Rhodes Town. Most can be experienced with Organised Tours, but it's also possible to enjoy the highlights of the island on your own steam.

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