Home > Rick Steves' Guidebooks > Guidebook Updates

Rick Steves' Greece: Athens & the Peloponnese

Updates since the second edition:

Because of the Greek financial crisis, the government is planning to privatize its rail system. As a result, more routes may be cut, especially in the Peloponnese. Be aware that the unhelpful railroad website — http://tickets.trainose.gr/dromologia — may not have the most up-to-date information. It's best to call the customer service office, which has English-speaking staff (tel. 210-529-7777).

Athens

Orientation

There are new prices for public-transit tickets: Basic metro ticket-€1.40, bus/tram ticket-€1.20, Metro ticket to airport-€8, expr ess bus to airport-€5, 24-hour metro/bus pass-€4, seven-day metro/bus pass-€14.

Sights

Note: The hours for sights in Greece are constantly prone to change, so make sure to check before you go. Here are some updates that we are aware of:

The Acropolis is now open daily May–mid-Sept 8:00–20:00, mid-Sept–Oct until 18:00, Nov–April until 17:00.

The Acropolis Museum is now open until 22:00 on Fridays (otherwise Tue–Sun 8:00–20:00, closed Mon).

The hours for the Byzantine and Christian Museum are now: May–Oct Tue–Sun 8:00–20:00, Mon 13:30–20:00; Nov–April Tue–Sun 8:30–15:00, closed Mon.

The hours for the National Archaeological Museum are now: Tue–Sun May–mid-Sept 8:00–20:00, mid-Sept–Oct until 19:00, Nov–April until 15:00, Mon 13:30–20:00 year-round.

The hours for the Panathenaic (a.k.a. "Olympic") Stadium are now: daily March–Oct 8:00–19:00, Nov–Feb 8:00–17:00.

The hours for the Ancient Agora are now: daily May–Aug 8:00–20:00, Sept until 18:45, Oct until 18:00, Nov–April until 15:00. The Agora Museum opens at 11:00 on Mon.

Transportation Connections

Olympic Airlines has new telephone numbers: tel. 210/355-0500, toll-free tel. 801-801-0101 (within Greece), and US tel. 855/359-6200.

Aegean Airlines' toll-free telephone number (801-112-0000) works only within Greece; from the US dial 011-30-210-626-1000.

The rail line between Kiato and Patra, en route between Athens and Patra, is closed for construction; the Greek rail system is running buses directly between Athens and Patra during the construction. It no longer provides a bus link between the end of the line (Kiato) and Patra.

Olympia

Local guide Niki Vlachou now has a website and email address: www.olympictours.gr, niki@olympictours.gr.

Taverna Gefsis Melathron has closed permanently.

Delphi

The Archaeological Museum closes at 15:00 on Mondays. In winter (Nov–March), the site and the museum are open daily 8:30–15:00 (shorter hours than what's printed in the book).

Updates for those still traveling with the first edition:

Budget cuts in Greece have caused the cancellation of all international rail services, including those between Greece and Sofia, Belgrade, Bucharest, and Istanbul. Flying is the best way to reach Athens or Thessaloniki from any major city in Europe. Ferries still connect Greece to Italy and Turkey. For more, see our Rail News page.

Greece requires that you carry an International Driving Permit (available at your local AAA office) in addition to your valid US drivers license.

Bus information: The KTEL group, which oversees 61 bus operators throughout Greece, has no central website or information office for all of the Greek bus system. However, KTEL Nafplio has a good site in English, covering its regional service: www.ktel-argolidas.gr. The KTEL Athens site, www.ktalattikis.gr, is in Greek only, and is often offline. For good information on long-distances buses from Athens, see Matt Barrett's Athens Survival Guide.

Athens

Orientation

The #400 Athens Sightseeing Bus is no longer running.

Tickets for the airport express buses X95 (to Syntagma Square in central Athens) and X96 (to the port of Piraeus) are only valid for these bus routes. You will need a new ticket for the Metro or city buses if you transfer.

A taxi from central Athens to the airport now costs around €30–40.

The launderette on Filomousou Square has closed. There is a full-service launderette on Apollonos Street in the heart of the Plaka (Mon and Wed 8:00–20:00, Tue and Thu–Fri 8:00–17:00; closed Sat-Sun; Apollonos 17, tel. 210-323-2226).

Local guide Faye Georgiou can also be reached by email: fayegeorgiou@yahoo.gr.

Sights

In order to save money in the face of the nation's financial recession, Greece has closed many of its smaller museums and archeological sites, and is considering cutting evening and weekend hours for its more popular tourist sights (except for the Parthenon monuments, which are unlikely to be affected; see this article in Britain's Daily Telegraph). With this in mind, it's an especially good idea to call ahead to confirm current opening hours.

The Acropolis' winter hours are daily 8:30–15:00 (Nov–March).

The new Acropolis Museum, a glassy modern temple for ancient art, now charges €5 for admission (free for kids 18 and under, Tue–Sun 8:00–20:00, closed Mon, last entry 30 min before entry, tel. 210-900-0900).

The full ceremony of the Changing of the Guard on Syntagma Square now takes place at 11:00 on some Sundays — check at TI for exact dates.

The Byzantine and Christian Museum is now open Mondays 13:30–20:00 in the summer (still closed Mondays in the off-season).

The Museum of Cycladic Art is now open Sundays 11:00–17:00.

The Greek War Museum is no longer free; it now charges €2 admission.

Eating

The 5 Brothers Taverna, near the Tower of the Winds, has closed.

Near Athens

Delphi

The Sanctuary of Apollo, and the nearby Archaeological Museum, have new hours: April–Oct Tue–Sun 8:00–20:00, Mon 13:30–20:00; Nov–March Mon–Sat 8:00–18:00, Sun 8:30–15:00; off-season hours can change without notice — best to visit before 14:00; last entry 20 minutes before closing.

The Museum of Delphic Festivals now has shorter hours: Thu–Mon 9:00–14:30, still closed Tue–Wed.

Hydra

Taverna To Steki has closed.

A new service called the Freedom Boat connects Hydra to a parking lot immediately across the water on the Peloponnese at Metochi, about 10 miles east of Ermioni (€6.50, about 8/day in summer, 4/day in winter, 12 minutes, mobile 694-424-2141, www.hydralines.gr).

Nafplio

To Enotio Puppet Workshop on Staikopoulou Street has closed.

The Marinopoulos supermarket on Syngrou Street is now a Carrefour Express supermarket.

Epidavros

The sanctuary, theatre, and museum are now open until 20:00 late March–late October.

Mycenae

Be aware that, in the off-season the site's hours can change without notice.

Kardamyli

The Beach Bus between Kardamyli and the rest of the Mani Peninsula is no longer running.

You can now reach local guide Elias Polimeneas via email: antoniasapartments@yahoo.gr. He gives a free walking tour from the town square May–October on Tuesdays at 11:15 and Fridays at 18:30.

Monemvasia

The Malvasia Travel Agency, which sells bus tickets and serves as the town's bus stop, has moved to the end of main street right before the causeway. Both the shuttle bus to the Rock and all long-distance buses leave from this stop.

The Monemvasia Archaeological Museum is now open on Mondays 13:00–20:00.

The Monopati Rooms are closed November–February.

Kellia Rooms have closed.

Olympia

The Museum of the Modern Olympic Games has closed for renovations. It is unclear when it will reopen.

If you are taking a bus to another destination, use the bus stop at the edge of town. It is on the main street near a large sign with a town map. There is no longer a kiosk for bus tickets; buy tickets from the driver.