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Bus-Train Transport

Buses The main form of transport in Greece is the bus service. There are mainly two types: The Blue city buses and the long distance, 'Greyhound' equivalent light green buses.

City (blue) buses
The blue city buses travel the streets and avenues taking you just about everywhere you want to go. And for the money, the distance you travel is amazing. For example, in Attiki (the canton - nom�s of Athens), you can take the blue bus all the way to Varkiza, about 30 kilometers from Athens for just DRA 100 (US$.40/CDN$.50/AUS$.70/30 pence).

Seaside Attiki buses go from the Z�peion, a 5 minute walk from Syntagma square while Kifisia and north suburbs buses go from Square (Plateia) K�ningos.

You must buy your ticket before boarding the bus at machines available at some bus stops or at any of the thousand kiosks spread all over Greece. You must cancel your ticket at appropriate machines inside the bus.

Long Distance (green) buses
The Green long distance buses are another common form of transport used in Greece. Being a mountainous country, Greece relies greatly on buses for transportation. Most cities have more than one bus per day, even on long runs where the trip takes 5 or more hours.

Buses these days are air conditioned and inexpensive. It costs DRA 6000 (US$20/CDN$30/AUS$33/15 pounds) to go from Athens-Thessaloniki, a distance of about 450 kilometers.

Train The other common form of travel is train. Greece has a limited electrified network with most of the network using Diesel locomotives. And the gauge varies, from narrow gauge in the Peloponese and on the way to Meteora, and standard gauge for the rest. The train network is also mostly single track except in the main runs where it is mostly dual track.

Train travel is also inexpensive with the Athens - Thessaloniki sector costing just DRA 5500 for a second class ticket.

Train is a great way to travel, especially in the following sectors:

  • Larisa-Katerini, where the Tembi gorge is traversed followed by the incredible snow-capped sight of Mountain Olympus.
  • Trikala-Karditsa-Kalambaka(Meteora) with the impossing sight of the Meteora monasteries at the end of the line.
  • Diakofto-Kalavryta, where the train rises more than 500 meters in a short run traversing the Vouraikos Gorge using a toothed locomotive
  • Tripolis-Kalamata, with the train changing direction of 180 degrees more than 30 times.

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