Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Travel
(
www.intrepidtravel.com
). With offices in Australia, the UK and the USA, Intrepid
offers an eight-day tour from Athens to Santorini (€1100) and an eight/10-day sailing tour
through the Cyclades (€800/1230), including everything except meals and flights.
En-
counter Greece
(
www.encountergreece.com
) offers a plethora of tours; a 10-day tour
across the country costs €1350 while three days on the mainland is €385. Flights to
Greece are not included.
More adventurous tours include guided activities such as hiking, climbing, white-water
rafting, kayaking, canoeing or canyoning.
The following options are also available:
Alpin Club
(
www.alpinclub.gr
)
In Athens; operates out of Karitena in the Peloponnese.
Robinson Expeditions
(
www.robinson.gr
)
Run tours from the centre and north of
Greece.
Train
Trains are operated by the Greek railways organisation
OSE
(Organismos Sidirodromon
Ellados;
www.ose.gr
)
. The Greek railway network is limited with essentially only two main
lines: the standard-gauge service from Athens to Alexandroupoli via Thessaloniki, and the
Peloponnese network. Due to financial instability, services have been greatly reduced and
prices and schedules are changeable. When you can, double-check on the OSE website.
Information on departures from Athens or Thessaloniki can also be sought by calling
1440.
Classes
There are two types of service: regular (slow) trains that stop at all stations and faster,
modern intercity (IC) trains that link most major cities. The slow trains represent the coun-
try's cheapest form of public transport: 2nd-class fares are absurdly cheap, and even 1st
class is cheaper than bus travel.
The IC trains that link the major Greek cities are an excellent way to travel. The ser-
vices are not necessarily fast - Greece is far too mountainous for that - but the trains are
modern and comfortable. There are 1st- and 2nd-class tickets and a cafe-bar on board.
On some services, meals can be ordered and delivered to your seat. The night service
between Athens and Thessaloniki also offers a choice of couchettes, two-bed compart-
ments and single compartments.
Train Passes
»
Eurail and Inter-Rail cards are valid in Greece, but it's generally not worth buying one if
Greece is the only place where you plan to use them. For IC and sleeper cars, you still re-
quire a costly supplement.
