Bus transportation in/out of Athens

The tour companies you name (with addition of GO tours) are the main ones ... any others you encounter will simply book you in with these, so no difference. Frankly, if you're willing to do a little homework & planning, you usually can do better as D-I-Y, at least for some destinations. It all depends on where you want to do -- here are some thoughts:

DELPHI Tour busses spend at least an hour picking up at hotels, and then 3.5 hours (with rest stop), don't arrive until 10:45. Guides only allow about 1 hour on ruins site, then RUSH you through Museum, then drag you away to an (unwanted) and mediocre taverna lunch that YOU pay for (kickback?), then stop at souvenir & rug shops for almost an hour (kickback #2) then head back to Athens. Cost: €100 each incl entry fee (€12). By contrast, you can D-I-Y for about half the price, more time on site, less of a mob scene. The Scenario? taxi to Liossion Bus Terminal for 7:30 bus (arrive 10am), take a picnic to lunch at the ruins if weather's good, return busses @ 16:00 or 18:50 (3 or 6pm). Costs for 2: 2 taxis=€24, 2 R-trip tix €60, 2 entries €24 2 picnic or cafe lunches est €10 = €118 for TWO. What you DON'T get is guide explanation, but with "homework" + good online print-outs or guide book, ruins site is very understandable & Museum has VERY good signage. Don't miss the walk downhill to the "tholos" (round) temple which group tours never have time for (gotta get to rug shops!).

NAFPLIO - there's a wonderful 2-day tour by CHAT i do recommend but alas runs only April-October. Therefore I say, DIY! Taxi to Kifissou KTEL (Intercity) bus station: schedules @: http://www.athensguide.com/practicalinfo/busschedulesA.htm u buy reserved-seats only, ask for L-H side outbound, views of sea, orange groves etc. Takes 2.5 hours including rest stop. Old Town is loveliest in Greece! Use this website for exploring - http://www.visitnafplio.com NOTE: view from atop Palamidi is incredible but NO to 999 steps! For €10-15 a taxi will take u up, wait & take u back. Don't miss sunset from (glass-enclosed) cafes at seafront; possible, since last bus is 20:00 (8 pm). Enjoy!

AEGINA - if the weather's really nice one day this is a super & quick island trip. Take GREEN LINE Metro (30 mins) to Piraeus, and catch one of the frequent sailings (almost hourly) to this Saronic Isle. IF Possible, get a convenitional ferry rather than a hydrofoil for at least one way. Hydrofoils are a smidge faster (45 mins) vs regular ferry (1 hr) but latter has open deck so u can enjoy all the water traffic -- giant liners, ferries, tiny watercraft. The port town is interesting & authentic; back streets are very GReek not touristy. You can easily rent a car for half a day, go inland to best-preserved Ancient temple on ANY greek Isle -- with stunning hilltop 360°. Lunch at seaside at Ag? Marina ... time your return for sunset aboard. A mini-cruise!! Here's a link to an Aegina Daytrip https://www.flickr.com/photos/36264706@N03/sets/72157621604646139/detail/ it's in June, but you can enjoy this little "island escape" in winter IF it's a sunny day.

Since you'll be in Athens for a week, you'll hve plenty of time to explore its wonders ,... do you know that Benaki museum on Thursdays is FREE and open til midnight?? And has one of the most chic restaurants in town, where you can see Athens VIP having lunch?? Do you know about the Ilias Lalounis JEWELRY museum??? (he was the Cartier/Tiffany of Greece) in a mansion, with fab displays AND goldsmiths at work! And what about the Melina Mercouri Foundation, with stunning photo-rama display of her amazing life! This list is a good intro to Athens highlights http://www.athensinfoguide.com/open.htm (caution; all the ancient-site fees are outdated & some of the open hours; always have hotel desk check the latest).

Enjoy your wonderful anniversary -- what a splendid way to celebrate!

Hi Janet,
Thank you so much for all of the information! I feel a little more comfortable with busses now.

Happy Travels,
Carolyn

Glad I could be helpful Carolyn. On many of my trips I've had 3-4 companions, so we rent a car for the Peloponnese, but when I'm solo, I love the KTEL (intercity) busses. The bus terminals themselves are like all bus-depots, big grimy hangars, NOT a great source for food or restrooms. However the busses themselves are modern, super-clean, luggage compartments below, comfy (all-reserved) seats, footrests & window sunshades, good A/c & almost always right on schedule. Driver sometimes plays music of his choice, which can be fun.

In all my rides with KTEL, there have been some "special services" I particularly remember --
• I thought I'd missed the Olympia bus, but the fare clerk grabbed his phone, shouted into it, then told me, "I stopped it at the door -- Now RUN!" I caught the bus, hadn't eaten, faced a long hungry ride, but my seatmate was a Greek yaya (granny). No english, but I showed her pix of my Grandchildren, she showed me hers, & she fed me chocolates until she got off at Corinth.

• Riding to Nafplio, I had 4 "newbies" along who wanted to see the Corinth Canal -- years past, bus went on the Old road over the old bridge, but new highway is so wide & high you barely catch a glimpse. I asked the driver if he could alert us to the split-second when it's visible. He grinned, wrenched the wheel, drove OFF the intercity onto the old road, over the bridge, then back to the highway. When I gushed thanks he just said "Ti-pote" (It's nothing). Everyone was grateful... but I also remember a grumpy busload when a driver went off the highway to Tripoli rest-stop because a yaya insisted her grandson needed a "pi-pi".
• Busses (like Greyhound in USA) sometimes carry parcels for delivery, but the most unusual one Ive seen was on on a secondary rural road. Bus stopped suddenly. Beautiful woman got out of red convertible. From back seat, took huge golden cage with a parrot inside. Driver stowed it with luggage. Off we went. I was the only one on the bus who seemed at all surprised.

We, too, are considering a week in Athens and surrounds without a car. But in March/April timeframe. This will be our first time in Greece and I'm just starting my "research". This post is most helpful.

To CM --
Lucky you, CM! If you do it in APRIL, then you can take advantage of that 2-day tour To Nafplio (AND Epidaurus & Mycenae) by the CHAT company which I like so well http://www.chatours.gr/tours.php?exc=8&exccat=1 So efficient in getting you to the ancient sites, and so well-thought -out in giving people enough time to enjoy the beauties of Nafplio! One note: they offer a "first class" and "tourist" accommodation -- Choose the LATTER. The "first class" is in a swanky hotel way outside of town, you need to taxi back & forth ... whereas the "tourist" booking is in a perfectly good local hotel (the Victoria) just 200 yards off the Nafplio square, near the seafront cafes where you'll sit for sunset, and the small tavernas where you'll want to have dinner... and that's where you want to be.

The AEGINA trip is also my hands-down choice for an island day-trip. You don't need to rent a car there ... a bus will take you to the mid-island hill with the Fab TEMPLE... then you walk to the seaside village Ag Marina, have lunch, and either taxi or bus back to the port area.

If you've never been to Athens then you should plan for a minimum of two days exploring the city. Since most everything one goes to Athens for is in a small and centralized area everything will be walkable. Lots to see, do, explore, experience and eat.

We took the bus from Athens to Nafplio which is about 2 to 2-1/2 hours on a modern and clean bus. This was in October and the weather was still lovely. Nafplio is one of Greece's prettiest towns, nice waterfront, historic sites right in town and if you are in Nafplio you should consider the world-class archeological sites of Epidavrous & Mycenea just a short ride away. Obviously February could be a whole other story weather wise. If you do a day trip to Nafplio you should consider the time of the bus ride to and from in your planning.

I agree Aegina is the best island for a day trip from Piraeus. Very close and a real nice island considering how close it is to Athens.

A week sounds like a lot but it will go by quickly, so a little more research is essential. You got great advice from Janet.

A very good web site for Athens and all of Greece is Matt's Greek Guide:

http://www.greektravel.com/

Janet, I'm so glad I returned to this page, I had no idea you had responded and given such good suggestions. Thank you! As for the Chat tour, is this something you can reserve the day before with a phone call once you are there? (to make certain we go on a pretty day) And I'm assuming that the Euro 149/person price for tourist level accommodation includes everything (transportation, the tour, the room for the night)--is that correct?

I am curious if those of you who have been to Athens before think 7 nights is too much for Athens (without going to an island).

Tch, tch, CM -- u should ALWAYS return to a page if you post an inquiry -- otherwise we advisors would be expending effort in vain! As for the CHAT tour -- I don't know if i'd count on a last-minute sign-up, because enrollment is limited ... and besides, I think it's only offered 1 x per week. I think you should write a letter of inquiry in advance, and then bite the bullet & enrol. Also, I believe the CHAT website is fairly specific on what's included: room, bus, services of licensed guide. I think admission to ancient sites is paid by you.

As for 7 nights in "Athens area" too much?? Well, if you consider 2 days for the CHAT tour, and a full day trip to Aegina, (which I highly recommend -- the 1-hour ferry trip gives you a wonderful view of the whole saronic bay)..., that only leaves 4 days ... and not too much at all, in my opinion. In my 12 trips to Greece since '99, I've necessarily stayed in Athens of course -- about 16-17 times ... and I still make new discoveries each time. This website http://www.athensinfoguide.com/open.htm is VERY useful in reminding one of ALL the fab museums, landmarks and ancient sites ... it hasn't been updated at all in 5 years, so any admission fees are outdated, and the opening hours are also unreliable.. but it's a succinct list of place you'd otherwise overlook. One of my favorite accidental finds was the Melina Mercouri Foundation ... SO inspiring... rooms of photoramas of that great actress/patriot's remarkable life & gifts.

Hi Janet,

How do you propose we do Delphi, Olympia and Napflio from Athens both in terms of order and means of transportation.? This will be our first time to Greece. We are planning to go to Santorini and Mykonos islands afterwards. We are planing to arrive in Athens around July 3rd and leave around July 17th. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

Hi Janet,

How do you propose we do Delphi, Olympia and Napflio from Athens both in terms of order and means of transportation.? This will be our first time to Greece. We are planning to go to Santorini and Mykonos islands afterwards. We are planing to arrive in Athens around July 3rd and leave around July 17th. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

To nonsavvy traveler --
Well, you certainly are up front with y our screen name! Some thoughts:
• If you have a separate question, don't piggy-back on a previous thread; start your own.
• I saw from your Spain thread that you decided you could do your trip cheaper if you did it on your own. Yes, but you also have to do some homework, not expect a complete "Greece 101" on a travel forum. If you are spending thousands on a t rip, why not spend $8 on a used copy of ROUGH GUIDE to GREECE on Amazon ... then you can post a query with at least a little preparation. Here's an excellent map http://euro-map.com/karty-grecii/peloponnes/podrobnaya-turisticheskaya-karta-peloponnesa.jpg -- click & it gets huge; it at least gives you a visual idea of the distances.

MAINLAND
• Cannot advise on transport if you give no indication of your preference; do you prefer driving, or being taken in a bus? Is cost the major factor? Do you have a lot of background in these famous sites, or would you want a guide in these places?

• A tour, particularly This one -- http://www.astoria.gr/tours-monday1-5day.html -- is certainly the most time-efficient way to cover those 3 mainland sites. I do like this 4-day tour (skip the optional day 5) because it doesn't skimp -- it allows you a full afternoon & evening & next morning to enjoy beautiful & historic Nafplio (others give you a quick lunch there than rush onward). and it does cover many meals, entrance fees as well as hotels (NOTE: choose "tourist" not 4 star hotel choice; the latter are often out of town). NOTE: this tour begins on a Monday, so you'd either have to come in the night of July 2 for July 3 start, or do the July 10 start.
• If you want to Drive I find that Michelin drive-planner https://www.viamichelin.com/web/Routes is VERY useful... gives route map & step by step descripts, plus time required, AND costs in petrol & tolls. You could follow the same itinerary as the tour.
ISLANDS
You must have done no research yet because you propose visiting the the 2 MOST tourisized, MOST expensive, MOST crowded islands at the height of High Season. Do you enjoy streets jampacked with cruise crowds (those 2 islands get 8 - 10,000 cruisers per day in July/August); temps of up to 100°? Sky-high prices? Do you long for Mykonos drunken beach parties? So many many of our fellow Americans have only heard of these 2 islands, have never explored alternatives. If Santorini is Must-see, OK, but why not get a caldera-view room in hotel w. a pool, (not its beaches; they are black volcanic grit), enjoy the view for 2 nights max, and then flee to a more serene place, with a swimmable beach, manageable crowds, a chance of serenity. Antiparos is a great choice -- you can visit Paros (15 minute ferry) part of day, then retreat to a sandy quiet beach, and lovely sunsets, dining on Antiparos. Tom Hanks & his Rita have a place there... they know what's good. There are also many day-tours available, snorkeling etc.
POSSIBLE SEQUENCES:
(1) July 3 - 6 -- TOUR or Drive (4 days) Fly to SANTORINI (2 nites) Ferry to Paros/Antiparos (4-5 days) Ferry to ATHENS ( 4 days).
(2) July 3; arrive from Spain, immediate flight to SANTORINI (2 nights), then Antiparos/Paros (4 nights) Athens 1 night; then July 10 - 13 for bus TOUR or drive, then Athens (3-4 days).
... OK those are the approaches, now do some research so you can make choices based on your findings.