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Greece Itinerary - The Best of Greece by Rail

Discover the wonders of Ancient Greece with this inspiring itinerary. Make your way through lush green olive groves and enjoy the great natural beauty that Greece has to offer. Train travel in Greece can be challenging at times, but the magnificent scenery makes it worth your while.

Travel Greece with InterCitys and regional trains run by Greek Railways OSE. For this Greece travel itinerary, we recommend a Eurail Greece Pass. Or make this trip part of a larger European adventure and travel with a Eurail Global Pass. With Eurail, your trip can be whatever you want it to be!

Itinerary in short

Cities visited on this trip:

 

Click here or on the map to view this route in our Trip Planner 

Patras, Greece

The city of Patras is known as Greece’s Gate to the West and is the perfect place to start your rail adventure. With a history spanning four millennia, Patras is rich in monuments from Ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine times. Most notable are Patras Castle towering over the city, and the ancient Roman Odeon which now hosts concerts in summer.

More recently built highlights include the Saint Andrew of Patras Basilica, located on the city’s seafront. While overlooking the Gulf of Patras, look to your right to see the 1.8 mile (3 kilometers) long Rio-Antirrio bridge that connects the Peloponnese peninsula with the Greek mainland.

The city of Patras at sunrise

From Patras to Corinth

Travel time:

1h55m

Transfer:

1

  • Patras, Greece

    Sidirodromikos Stathmos Patras

  • 1h 45m
  • Kíaton, Greece

    Sidirodromikos Stathmos Kiatou

  • 0h 10m
  • Corinth, Greece

    Sidirodromikos Stathmos Korinthou

Corinth, Greece

Take a train to the city of Corinth, at the very edge of the Peloponnessus region. The narrow Corinth Canal cuts through the land here, creating a gateway to nearby Athens. Before traveling on to Greece's capital, make sure to visit the Acrocorinth citadel. It overlooks the ruins of Ancient Corinth and is one of the most impressive sights in all of Greece.

From Corinth, you can take a day trip to the city of Argos. An overwhelming number of historical monuments await you in the ancient town, and the rare collection in the Archeaological Museum is definitely worth a visit. Close to Argos you’ll find the ruins of Mycenae, a city shrouded in Greek mythology and the staging area for the legendary war on Troy.

View of Ancient Corinth and the Acrocorinth

From Corinth to Athens

Travel time:

0h53m

Transfer:

0

  • Corinth, Greece

    Sidirodromikos Stathmos Korinthou

  • 0h 53m
  • Athens, Greece

    Sidirodromikós Stathmós Athinón

Athens, Greece

Athens is known as the cradle of Western civilization. It’s a lively and mesmerizing city, with remnants of a glorious past around every corner. Standing high and mighty in the center of the city is the Parthenon temple, built on top of the Athenian Acropolis in 447 BC. Take a full day to explore the temple and the Acropolis museum on the southeastern slope.

Other important monuments for your Athens itinerary include the well-preserved Temple of Hephaestus and the ruins of the colossal Temple of Olympian Zeus. Walk across the Kerameikos to see ancient graves and sculptures, then watch the sunset over Athens from Areopagus hill.

The Parthenon temple at sunset

From Athens to Kalambaka

Travel time:

4h51m

Transfer:

0

  • Athens, Greece

    Sidirodromikós Stathmós Athinón

  • 4h 51m
  • Kalambaka, Greece

    Kalambaka Railway Station

Kalambaka, Greece

Travel from Athens to Kalambaka and swap the big city for a peaceful mountain area. Here you’ll find the immensely impressive Meteora: six monasteries, built centuries ago on top of sandstone rock pillars. Climb the staircases to any one of these monasteries for an amazing view of the area.

The Varlaam Monastery at Meteora

From Kalambaka to Thessaloniki

Travel time:

3h5m

Transfer:

0

  • Kalambaka, Greece

    Kalambaka Railway Station

  • 3h 5m
  • Thessaloniki, Greece

    Neos Sidirodromikos Stathmos Thessalonikis

Thessaloniki, Greece

Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece, and considered to be its cultural capital. Two of the city’s most important sights are the enormous Church of Saint Demetrius and the White Tower, a former Ottoman prison turned into a museum.

Go to the Museum of Byzantine Culture to learn about the Byzantine Empire, and afterwards relax on Thessaloniki’s pleasant seafront. For a special addition to your Greece itinerary, take a daytrip to Mount Olympus - the mythical home of the Olympian gods.

The White Tower of Thessaloniki

Experience all of Greece with the Eurail Greece Pass!

Go the last mile

avis-car-rental-girl-looking-out-of-car-window

Found yourself at the end of the line, but not at your destination? When public transportation ends, it's time to take matters into your own hands: rent a car for the last miles!

 

Eurailers get up to a 15% discount on all Avis retail prices. 

 

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