Corinth Canal from Athens

The train track does cross the canal but the nearest stop is in Korinthus a good few miles away. You would need to take a taxi from the station to the canal and back. The canal is quite impressive but not to the extent of the cost of doing it by train and taxi. To visit you stand on the road bridge for a few minutes and that is it.

The Ancient Mycenae and Epidavros nearby are more worthy of your trip, money and time than the canal.

What train are you talking about? There is almost no train service in Greece -- except to the other coast, Thessaloniki, and now I think to Patras. Greece does have an extensive and GOOD intercity Bus Network (Called KTEL busses). You could take a bus from Athens in about 1 hour to "isthmia" which is actually right on the canal. However, I do agree with the other that with 2 small children, and in August heat, you need to research carefully what will be worthwhile for you and not a "meltdown" event.

thanks for all the replies, i will look further to doing other things

Not sure if the canal is a visit in itself, it might be in conjunction with the Corinth Archaeological site if that interests you, but it would be best as a stop on the Bus from Athens to Nafplio, in fact the bus used (maybe still does) stop right there, allowing you to visit and pick up the next bus. Nafplio in itself is worth a couple nights, decent beaches, old town, forts, plus close to Epidaurus and Mycenae.

Paul times have changed ... the bus stopped going on the "old road" about ??? 7 - 8 years ago... goes onlyon the modern large divided highway, and the stop from athens is on that big highway now, at a Rest stop & building where you connect to other Peloponnese busses.

From the Biggie Highway, which is elevated, you can't really see the canal, because it's So skinny.. Funny incident: I was with a group of "newbies" on the Athens to Nafplio bus in 2011, they wanted to see the canal. I went up front to the driver and said, could he please just alert us to when we'd be over the canal so they could lean against windows for a lightning glimpse. He said, no problem, but at that moment he wrenched the steering wheel to the right, and took the exit! He zipped down the local road and Shazam!! we were at the Old Bridge. my friends squealed, took pix from the window, saw a boat snaking its way down the narrow Deeep canal, and then zap! we were over, and driver jumped us back onto Biggie highway and that connection stop. Golly Thanks!! I said to the driver. No problem, he grinned.