Greece by train

The Temple of Zeus, Olympia

Ancient wonders in Olympia

As the site of the first Olympic Games, held in honor of Zeus beginning in 776 B.C., this was a natural shrine of the Greeks. It’s located in Litochoro, in western Peloponnisos, and features the Temple of Zeus, the Stadium and the Prytaneion.

Ruins in Plaka area, Athens

Athens, city of contradictions

When you first arrive in Athens, you may be surprised by the busy, fast-paced, high-traffic flow. But take the time to explore, and you’ll find plenty of interesting attractions. From the Acropolis and Parthenon to the hip and trendy clubs, you’re sure to find plenty of interesting contradictions in this ancient city. It received a pretty good makeover for the 2004 Olympics, so traveling in Athens should be a breeze.

Mountaintop monasteries of Meteora

Delphi and Meteora

With breathtaking mountain scenery as its backdrop, it’s no wonder the amazing ruins of Delphi are one of the most popular sites in all of Greece. In ancient times, this was the center of the world, where people would go to consult the Oracle. It was also place of worship for the God Apollo. The day trip from Athens is well worth it, especially if you include a trip to the ancient mountaintop monasteries of Meteora.

Beach of Rhodos

Island hopping

Greece has beautiful islands and beaches. Combine your rail trip with a boat trip to enjoy the beaches and islands at their best. Rhodos is extremely popular with western European travelers. It has the largest inhabited medieval town in Europe, complete with fortified walls nearly 40 feet (12 meters) thick. Long and lush, unique and friendly, Kos is another island you won’t soon forget. From the active, Vegas-like nightlife to the ancient ruins it's all worth a trip.

Ancient town of Mycenae

Mycenae: an archeologist's heaven

This fortress, which was built around 2000 B.C., is southwest of Athens in the northeastern Peloponnese and boasts impressive walls, amazing tomb shafts and a host of other archeological must-sees. The Mask of Agamemnon and many other treasures have been unearthed here.

Beautiful beach on Crete

Royal Crete

Crete, Greece’s largest and southernmost island is an excellent ferry destination. Don’t forget to visit Knossos Palace. It’s believed to be the center of the Minoan civilization and culture and was home to King Minos, whose wife gave birth to the mythological Minotaur (half man, half bull). You can experience, firsthand, the royal quarters, throne room and queen’s quarters.

Blue Star Ferry in the open sea

Ferry crossings between Greece and Italy

If your Eurail pass is valid in both Greece and Italy, you can travel for FREE with a number of ferry providers. Those with Eurail passes for only one of these countries can receive a discount of up to 30% on full fares for selected routes.

Domestic boat trips

You can get special fares on domestic boat travel with the following ferry companies:

• Blue Star Ferries

• Superfast Ferries

• Minoan Lines

See all pass benefits for Greece

Rail network

Your Eurail pass is valid on trains operated by the Greek national railway company OSE.

Train types

Inter City trains

Traveling by InterCity train is always relaxing: air conditioning, meal served at the seat, snacks or drinks are available at the bar.

Suburban Proastiakos trains connect:

• Athens – Korinthos and vice versa in 1 hour and 20 min

• Athens (Central Railway Station “Stathmos Larissis”) – the E. Venizelos/Airport of Athens and vice versa in 45 min

• Korinthos (New Railway Station) – the E. Venizelos/Airport of Athens and vice versa in 1 hour and 20 min

Domestic overnight trains
There is an overnight train connecting Athens and Thessaloniki and vice versa.

International overnight trains
The Hellas Express night train connects Thessaloniki to Skopje in FYR Macedonia and Belgrade in Serbia. This train has been suspended for some time, but is running again from May 2014.

You can find the actual travel times on the Serbian Railways (ZS) website.

Reservations

Most domestic day trains in Greece do not require reservations.

Exception: for the InterCity trains reservation is compulsory. There are no reservation costs.

Overview of domestic reservation fees

Itineraries

Starting the train journey from Patras, in Peloponnese, the traveler can visit:

• Olympia, where the first Olympic Games took place

• Athens, using the OSE and Suburban Proastiakos trains with a change at Korinthos new railway station, and many other places

Starting the train journey from Athens, one of the biggest centers of the ancient culture, and also a modern city of our time, the traveler can visit:

• the beautiful town of Volos, near the magnificent mountain of Pilion.

• the city of Thessaloniki, the second biggest city of Greece, passing during the journey by Olympus, the mountain of gods and many other places.

The Rack Railway takes you from Diakopto to Kalavrita, a historic town of Peloponnese, on mountain Helmos at an altitude of 2,343 ft ascending for 22 km (14 miles) following the steep slopes of the Vouraikos gorge.

• Athens and Chalkida, the capital of the island Evia, in 1 hour and 30 min.

• Athens and Loutraki, the well known seaside resort in 1 hour and 40 min.

Scenic route

* Kardítsa – Kalambáka

Extra info

Eurail aid offices in Greece

For questions about Eurail, you can go to the Hellenic Railways travel agency in Athens, the railway station of Patras or the Central railway station of Thessaloniki.

Detailed information about Eurail aid offices in Greece and the rest of Europe.

Airport links

From Athens E.Venizelos airport there is a train every hour to Athens Central railway station and to Kiato new railway station (change at Ano Liossia station).

Spelling of cities in Greece

On Greek train timetables and at train stations in Greece, you'll usually find the local spelling of Greek cities and stations.

Here is the local spelling of some popular Greek cities:

• Athina = Athens

• Kérkyra = Corfu

• Iráklio = Heraklion

• Pátra = Patras

• Pireás = Piraeus