Kos to Bodrum Ferry (and Bodrum to the Greek Islands)

Stand on the walls of Bodrum Castle on a clear day and Kos is right there, a long low island across the strait with a town at its eastern end. The ferry takes about 20 minutes on a fast boat, which is less time than the passport queue sometimes takes. It is the easiest way to add Greece to a Bodrum trip, or Turkey to a Greek one, and it is also a proper international border with all the paperwork that implies. This guide covers both halves of that sentence.

At a glance

Crossing time

About 20 minutes by fast catamaran; up to an hour on a conventional boat

Frequency

Several operators, daily in season (roughly April to October); reduced or occasional in winter. Check current schedules

Fare

Tens of dollars each way; day returns are usually cheaper than two singles. Port taxes may be added

Documents

Passport (not a copy). Schengen stamp on arrival in Kos; Turkish entry check on return

Bodrum port

International ferry terminal in Bodrum town, next to the castle

Kos port

Kos Town harbor, a short walk from the castle and the old town

Rental car

Generally no. Walk on; rent a bike or scooter in Kos if you need wheels

How the crossing works

Several Turkish and Greek companies run the route, between them offering a few departures a day in high season. The fast catamarans do it in around 20 minutes; the older conventional ferries take closer to an hour and are the ones that can carry vehicles. Most day-trippers go out on a morning boat, roughly mid-morning, and come back in the early evening, which gives six to eight hours on the other side.

From November to March services thin out to a few sailings a week or less, and bad weather cancels crossings at any time of year. Do not plan a tight connection, a flight out of Kos, say, on the assumption that a particular boat will run. Book a day or two ahead in July and August, and check the operator's current timetable rather than anything printed, including this.

Passports, stamps and the 90/180 rule

This is the part people underestimate. Kos is Greece, Greece is in the Schengen Area, and Bodrum is not. You need your actual passport, with at least six months' validity to be safe. On arrival in Kos, Greek police stamp you into Schengen; on return, Turkish police process you back into Turkey. Operators usually ask for passport details when you book and collect passports at check-in to pre-clear the manifest, which is normal.

For Americans, a Kos day trip counts against the Schengen limit of 90 days in any 180-day period. One day is one day, so this only matters if you are also spending a long stretch in Europe on the same trip. The EU has been rolling out a biometric entry-exit system and an online travel authorization called ETIAS for visa-free visitors; check whether either applies on your dates, because the rules have been changing.

The two ports

Bodrum's international terminal is right in town, on the eastern side of the castle, a few minutes on foot from the marina and the bazaar. Taxis and the dolmuş from the otogar both get you within a short walk. Allow 45 minutes to an hour before departure for check-in and exit passport control; in August the queue is real.

In Kos the boats tie up in the main harbor of Kos Town, directly below the Castle of the Knights, which was built by the same order that built Bodrum's. You step off, clear Greek passport control, and you are in the old town within five minutes. The return check-in is in the same place; be back at the port 30 to 45 minutes before the boat, passport in hand.

A day in Kos

Six hours is enough to get the point. Kos Town is flat and compact: the castle by the harbor, the ancient agora behind it, and the enormous plane tree where Hippocrates, the island's most famous son, is said to have taught (the tree is old, but not that old). The archaeological sites are scattered through the town among the cafés, and you can see the Roman odeon and the Casa Romana on foot.

If you want one trip out of town, the Asklepieion, the ancient healing sanctuary on a terraced hillside a few kilometers southwest, is the one. Kos is famously a bicycle island, with flat roads and rental shops near the port; a bike gets you to the Asklepieion or to the long beach at Lambi and back with time for lunch. Expect to pay in euros, and expect a Greek lunch to cost more than the Turkish one you had yesterday.

Other Greek islands from the Bodrum area

Kos is the easy one. Beyond it, options exist but thin out quickly and depend on the season, so treat everything here as a starting point for checking rather than a plan.

• Rhodes: the largest Dodecanese island is reachable in summer on longer services from Bodrum or, more reliably, by taking the ferry to Kos and connecting onto a Greek domestic boat. It is a long day; an overnight makes more sense
• Kalymnos: the sponge-divers' island, north of Kos, has in-season crossings from Turgutreis at the western tip of the peninsula. Check whether they are running in the current year
• Leros: further north again, with occasional in-season services from Turgutreis. Same caveat
• Symi and Patmos: not realistically day trips from Bodrum; go via Kos or Rhodes and stay over
• Island hopping: once you are in Greece, the Dodecanese ferry network takes you island to island; Bodrum is a back door into it, not a hub

Note that every one of these is a border crossing with the same passport routine. If your goal is a week in the Greek islands, it is often simpler to fly into Kos or Rhodes and do a Bodrum day trip in the other direction.

Bringing a car, luggage and other practicalities

Do not plan to take a rental car across. Rental agreements in both countries almost always forbid it, the insurance will not follow you, and only the slower conventional ferries carry vehicles anyway. Walk on with a day bag. If you are moving on to Greece for good with suitcases, that is fine; luggage goes on with you and nobody weighs it, but keep your passport out of the checked bag.

Both terminals have passport control, a ticket office and little else. Bring water, your booking confirmation on your phone, and some euros for Kos; Turkish lira are not useful in Greece and the port exchange rate will not be kind. Duty-free rules apply on the return, so the bottle of ouzo is fine but check allowances before buying a case.

Is it worth doing?

For a day, yes, provided you treat it as a day in Greece rather than a boat ride. The town is pleasant, the archaeology is better than you expect, and there is something satisfying about having breakfast in Asia and lunch in Europe. For anyone on a longer trip it is also a legitimate way to reset a Turkish entry or to begin a Greek leg without going back through an airport. Just book ahead in summer, bring the passport, and leave more time for the queue than feels necessary.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the ferry from Kos to Bodrum?

About 20 minutes on a fast catamaran and up to an hour on a conventional ferry. Add 45 minutes to an hour at each end for check-in and passport control, since it is an international crossing.

Do you need a passport for the Bodrum to Kos ferry?

Yes. Kos is in Greece and the Schengen Area, so you need your passport, not an ID card or a copy. You are stamped into Schengen on arrival in Kos and re-admitted to Turkey on the way back.

Can Americans do a day trip from Bodrum to Kos?

Yes. US passport holders enter Greece visa-free under the Schengen 90/180-day rule, and a day trip uses one of those days. Check the current Turkish entry rules for your return and whether the EU's ETIAS authorization applies on your travel dates.

How much is the ferry from Bodrum to Kos?

Fares are in the tens of dollars each way, with same-day returns usually cheaper than two singles, plus any port taxes. Prices vary by operator and season, so check the current fare when you book.

Does the Bodrum–Kos ferry run in winter?

Services drop sharply from November to March, to a few crossings a week or fewer, and weather cancellations are more common. Check the operators' winter schedules before planning around it.

Can you take a rental car on the ferry from Bodrum to Kos?

In practice, no. Rental contracts in both Turkey and Greece normally prohibit taking the car abroad and insurance does not cover it. Walk on and rent a bike or scooter in Kos Town if you want to get around.