Tour reviews · TRAIN EXPERIENCES
A holiday has one spare day too few. These 7 train experiences are the ones that earn the slot, laid out so the choice takes two minutes.
You ride a mini-train from the Copa Cabana café bus stop through Chersonissos, passing the old town, port, and beaches at Analipsi and Anisaras. Choose the longer route to visit Avdou, Gonies, and Potamies, with Greek music, multilingual audio, raki, and local sweets included on the village option.
“Waste of money. No guarantee you can get on the trains and is purely a tour of hotel stops”
Travel by private vehicle with Theo, Nikos, or another Eudaimonia guide from Athens or Nafplio to Corinth, Kalavrita, the Cave of Lakes, and the Odontotos Railway. You’ll see ancient ruins, ride through the Vouraikos Gorge, and eat a traditional Greek lunch. Site and train tickets cost extra.
“The trip was all that it advertised. This was our first full day in Greece and it was a great introduction to the vast history of this country. The tour of Ancient Corinth was especially meaningful to us as Catholics - to stand in the same spot as St Paul. The museum was very interesting. We had a great lunch in a ski town after a memorable train ride up the mountain. Then the underground caves with lakes were jaw dropping. Theo was the best tour guide. He is so knowledgeable about Greek history, so that was a great education in one day.”
Travel from Athens by train to meet guide Damian or Chryssa near Mount Olympus. Visit ancient Dion, Platamonas Castle, the Enipeas gorge and Litochoro, with a short mountain walk and local lunch time. The day lasts about 13 hours, including roughly eight hours on the train, so bring patience and something to read.
“Guide was very knowledgeable and friendly! Beautiful sights and intriguing history. Fully recommend this all day trip!”
Travel by train from Athens to Kalambaka, stay overnight in a three-star hotel, and explore Meteora with small-group guides such as Panos, Chris, or Tony. You’ll see all six monasteries from scenic viewpoints, visit a hermit cave and Byzantine church, then choose a second-day monastery tour or hike before returning by train.
“We have Not enough Words to describe how perfect the experience was, the transportation, the hotel, the experience in general and most of all our guide Panagiotis (Panos) was awesome. He was kind and was able to explain everything in detail, he took amazing pictures of me and my husband and over-all made the experience magical. We would totally recomend and re-take the tour.”
Take an early train from Athens to Kalambaka, then tour Meteora by private air-conditioned minibus with a local English or Spanish-speaking guide. You’ll see all six monasteries, enter three, and stop at local viewpoints. Guides such as Christos help you make the most of the tight four-hour visit before the evening train home.
“Our tour guide Christos was wonderful. He made the whole trip very personalized and comfortable. We highly recommend getting the private tour. Meteora is stunning and well worth the trip.”
Travel independently by morning train from Thessaloniki to Kalambaka, changing at Palaeofarsalos before meeting your guide. A small group of up to 15 explores all six Meteora monasteries by luxury minibus, entering three, including Great Meteora, Varlaam, and St. Stephen’s. You return to Thessaloniki by evening.
“An amusing and knowledgable courier who guided us smoothly throught the major sights. The order of the visits was sensible, with the most strenuous first. Each of the abbeys was special in its own way: whether it was the remarkable frescoes of the Great Meteora, the more intimate Varlaam abbey or the lovely formal gardens of St. Stephens. Varlaam paid somewhat more attention to the visitor experience with, for instance, appropriate music playing in the antechurch and clear walkways to help visitors move around smoothly. Our courier was careful to make sure that the group were briefed on eating and drinking needs. The supply of water bottles were very welcome.Read…”
Travel from Athens to Meteora with a Spanish-speaking guide such as Nick, then tour all six monasteries by air-conditioned minivan. Three monasteries are visited inside, with photo stops, WiFi, and a small group of up to 20 people. Train service is currently replaced by a bus departing Athens at 7:45am.
“Las vistas a los Monasterios son hermosos. Yo creo q si hubiera sido el viaje x tren como originalmente lo anunciaron sería formidable . Nos tocó irnos en autobús y fue realmente cansado”
A port, a ruin or a mountain road.
