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Thursday, July 12, 2012

Practical Info about Traveling by Bus in Greece.

Well i hope this info will help some of my next friends who want to come here to my area.


Athens --> Krestena (my town)
  1. From the Airport  take bus X93 to Kifisos Central Bus Station in Athens
  2. From Kifisos Central Bus Station in Athens, take the bus to Pyrgos (the bus runs about every 2 hours)
  3. From Pyrgos, you can either take a bus to Krestena (my town) OR let me know when you will arrive and I will pick you up from Pyrgos in my car


Additional Insight and Information regarding the buses in Greece:

Issues with Current Greek Bus Systems
In March 2008, the ex-official KTEL WEBSITE pulled all schedules and information about its vital long-distance bus network in Greece from public view. It wasn’t covered in English-language media, but what I understand from Greek media is a private company was using KTEL’s free information to make money by starting a pay-for-info call service.
Instead of starting a free service to put this company out of business — which should have been done years ago to prevent this type of violation to begin with — KTEL countered by also starting a pay-for-info call service costing 0.68/minute. With most residents addicted to their cars, not to mention damage to the environment, traffic getting worse and trains being limited in destinations, it seems wrong to create obstacles and make people pay money for information that should be free to the public.
Further, many travelers and residents will have a difficult time since these services are only offered in Greek. As tourism is Greece’s primary source of income, this is illogical.
KTEL, the long-distance bus network of Greece, is a vital part of traveling in the country since the terrain and austerity cutbacks limit destinations reachable by train.

Tips

To pinpoint your destination without reading the entire list, use your browser. Go to the top left to “Edit” –> “Find” and start typing the city of your choice. Your browser will then highlight all matches or prompt you to hit ‘Find next.’ Try a few different spellings if you are unsure.
If the two cities you need do not appear under the same heading, or there doesn’t seem to be a direct route, look at an online map of Greece and look for points in between where you could make a connection.

Didn’t find it on the list?
If the route you’re looking for is not on the list:
  • English speakers can get schedules in person or by phone at EOT offices (Tourist Information Offices in Greece; see “List of Tourist Offices in Greece“), inquire at the Information Desk at the airport or ask hotel reception upon arrival in Greece.
  • Greek speakers can call local KTEL phone numbers in Greek.

– KTEL buses are teal green or blue and white, or orange and white in a variety of designs. Look at the design of yours when the bus takes a rest break to make sure you re-board the correct one or look at the destination sign in the front
– The majority of buses are modern, air conditioned and comfortable; sometimes it’s too cold, which is great in summer
– Luggage will be taken by the driver or you will be instructed to place it in a large compartment underneath the bus when the door opens. Passengers can bring suitcases, bicycles, boxes, furniture (within reason). I’ve never seen KTEL impose weight limits.
– Overhead storage inside the bus is limited and not normally large enough for a carry-on suitcase. Most people use them for small backpacks, fanny packs, snacks/drinks, umbrellas, coats, helmets, hats, briefcase.
– Look for your seat number (thesi) on the actual seat you’ll be sitting in, usually marked above or behind the seat or on the aisle in pairs.
– Buses traveling a far distance will make a food/smoke/rest stop midway, during which the bus is locked.
– Food at Greek-owned rest stops are typically overpriced and substandard in quality, and the bus driver gets a commission — bring your own snacks/food/drink or pray for a name-brand fast food chain (rare).
– Bus tickets to islands include a ferry ticket, unless you are disembarking before it crosses (i.e. Zakynthos, Kefallonia, Corfu/Kerkyra).
– Purchasing a round-trip or return ticket will save you approximately 20 percent
– Round-trip or return bus tickets are typically valid for 30, 60 or 90 days. Length of validity varies by KTEL location, so inquire with the ticketing agent if this is a concern
– Be aware that many cities have two or more bus terminals. If you tell someone where you want to go, they should direct you to the correct one.
– Summer schedules typically run from April-October and winter from November-March, although the transport ministry can announce differently at any time.
– Tickets can be purchased online with limited (not all) KTEL websites but only in Greek. Most people show up early to get a ticket/seat and do not reserve one, although it is free. Busy routes demand you be present and buy a ticket at least a half hour before departure if you are embarking at a terminal; others allow you to buy a ticket from the driver at no extra charge, as long as there is a seat on the bus (I’ve even seen drivers take standing passengers). In summer, I recommend showing up at least an hour in advance.
– KTEL buses run on holidays (New Year’s, Easter, Christmas) in some areas but with a curtailed schedule; others do not. There’s no way to know in advance which will run; most people call or visit the station to inquire the day before or day of departure. Sorry, that’s how Greece is.

Links to Timetables

Schedules for major routes remain relatively stable. For example, timetables posted on the website for Terminals A and B for Athens are the same now as they were three years ago. It’s predominantly (sometimes, not always) seasonal changes and strikes that prompt different schedules, and unannounced adjustments on local routes.

Athens (new links)

KTEL Athens
Terminal ‘A’ (Kifissou Street)
Departs from Athens to Alexandroupoulis, Argos (see Nafplio), Arta, Astros/Leonidios, Corfu/Kerkyra, Corinthos/Korinth, Dimitsana, Epidavros (Ligourio), Florina, Githio, Igoumenitsa, Ioannina, Ithaki, Kalamata, Kalavryta, Kastoria, Kavala, Kefallonia, Lefkada, Loutraki, Messolongi, Methoni, Monemvassia, Nafpaktos, Nafplio/Mycenae (Mykines), Neapolis, Olympia, Parga, Patra, Preveza, Pylos, Pyrgos, Sparta/Sparti, Thessalonki, Tripoli, Veria, Xanthi, Xilokastro, Zakynthos

KTEL Ileia (ktelileias.gr – Multilingual website)
Ag. Ilias, Alfeiousa, Amaliada, Andritsaina, Athens, Elaiona, Figaleia, Fonaitika, Hospital, Ioannina, Kaiafa, Kalamata, Karatoula, Katakolo, Katarahi-Spiantsa, Kolipi, Krestena, Kyparissia, Kyllini, Lampeti, Lechaina, Olympia, Patra, Pyrgos, Thessaloniki, Varda, Vounargo, Zacharo


The information can only help you if you help yourselves.

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