I'll be in Athens for a week doing some humanitarian work and I plan to stay a few extra days (5 or 6) on my own. I'd like a good mix of historical sites, Greek culture and relaxation. I was thinking of maybe time in Nafplion and then on to Hydra and back to Athens for my flight home. Would that work (and what transportation should I choose) or does anyone have other suggestions?
Posted by
1230 posts
I know there is a bus that goes from Athens to Nafplion in 2 hours, but then you would need to find a bus to take you to the surrounding sites. So maybe rent a car for Nafplion, then return it to Athens and Ferry to Hydra?
If you search Hydra on this site, there are some comments about it being overrated. And you could search for Nafplion using public transport and see how that has worked for people
Posted by
Washington DC
28065 posts
I'm one of the people who has discouraged some travelers from going to Hydra, but that was because they had time for other islands and had included them on their itineraries. I think in this case, Nafplion + Hydra doesn't seem like a bad idea.
I think someone (Janet?) posted some encouragement about Aegina some time ago, but I don't know how practical it would be for this timeframe. I also don't know the pros and cons of Aegina vs. Hydra.
Posted by
Midwest
2768 posts
I have no idea if this is the best way but I am planning a similar visit. I will be in Athens, then renting a car at the airport, driving to a few places in the Peloponnese, returning the car in Ermioni port and getting a boat from there to Hydra. A couple nights in Hydra, then the ferry to Athens. I haven't done it yet so can't say for sure how well it works but this seemed like a good choice for me.
I thought a car seemed very useful to get to more out-of-the way places. If you are just going to Nafplio it is probably cheaper to take the bus, but I am not sure of schedules to the port at Ermioni. You might be better off returning to Athens to get the ferry - which is a lot of backtracking.
Posted by
Columbus, USA
396 posts
For the OP, if renting a car you may want to look at car rental costs before finalizing your itinerary. I found that picking up in one city and returning to another comes with a surprisingly expensive extra charge in Attika and the Peloponnese (expected an extra charge but this was hefty). So we're picking up and dropping off a rental car in the same location Athens. We chose a car rental agency on the north side of Athens (Hertz on KIFISIAS Avenue) to try to avoid some of the traffic, since we were picking up the car as we left Athens.