GREECE - Europe by Eurail 2015: Touring Europe by Train - page 282

grading existing ones, and introducing more modern, faster rolling stock. The line
from Athens to Thessaloniki in the north has been modernized and several other
ongoing modernization programs are under way by OSE. Visit www.ose.gr . Thanks
to the 2004 Olympic Games being held in Athens, the Metro system in the Attica
area is now connected with the suburban and Athens-Piraeus electric rail lines to
create a more functional public transportation network.
The OSE accepts a variety of multicountry rail passes, including the variety of
Eurail passes, the Eurail Greece-Italy Pass, the Balkan Flexipass, and the na-
tional rail pass—the Greece Railpass —for travel solely within Greece. (See the
Appendix for prices and types of multicountry rail passes.)
Eurail bonuses include:
• Free ferry crossings (rail pass must be valid in Greece and Italy) from Patras,
Igoumenitsa, and Corfu to Brindisi (Italy) on Hellenic Mediterranean Lines
(HML) and Blue Star Ferries. A €20 surcharge applicable in July/August. Port
taxes are extra.
• 20 percent discount on a one-day cruise—Athens to Aegina, Poros, and Hydra
through Ionian Travel; plus reduced hotel rates in Athens. Tel: [phone]
for reservations.
• 15 percent discount on some hotels and Athens attractions, when booked
through Ionian Travel.
Greece to Italy via Ferry—Crossing the Mediterranean
Attika Superfast Ferries operate daily, departing in the evening for arrival on the
following day. The shortest journey time to Italy is Patras—Brindisi in only about 14