The Meteora is a rocky formation in central Greece hosting one of the largest complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries, second only to Mount Athos. Thermopylae, Meteora, and Delphi are three of Greece's top historic sites, but visiting with public transportation can be complicated. -Also, aside from the tour company you mentioned, what are your options for touring the historical sites? This monastery also dates back to the 14th century but its quite different from the rest as it was surprisingly built vertically with multiple levels on top of each other. If youre feeling adventurous you can also try some rock climbing or scramble hiking. This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The bus station in Athens is located near the Kato Patissia (green line) station. It does not store any personal data. Mission accomplished. You might also be interested in: The best day trips from Athens.A day trip from Athens to Delphi. Otherwise, theyll give you a wrap to wear in the monasteries that are, lets say, not Instagrammable. 256 Tours & Activities Multi-day Tours 379 Tours & Activities Why you are seeing these recommendations 2-Day Delphi and Meteora Tour from Athens 117 Reviews Badge of Excellence Athina, Greece Share Save to Wishlist From $209.54 Price varies by group size Lowest Price Guarantee Select Date and Travelers Check Availability Free cancellation The six monasteries are built on immense natural pillars and boulder-like rocks that dominate the local area. From Kalampaka: 5-Hour Hiking Tour of Meteora! We love the peace of mind it gives us in case of emergencies, accidents, illnesses, theft, or trip cancellation or disruption. Some guides you might find useful: If you value convenience and you want to really travel in comfort without having to worry about booking tickets or catching the train too early in the morning then we recommend reserving a place in a small guided group heading on a trip to Meteora from Athens. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors. This cookie is set by Facebook to display advertisements when either on Facebook or on a digital platform powered by Facebook advertising, after visiting the website. Even if you take buses, you have to take three of them and the journey time exceeds 9 hours (thats if you make each connection). You could though just get the train yourselves, and then organise your own tours, or even not bother with a tour if you felt so inclined (but youd need transport of some description). It covers how to get around, where to stay, top things to see and do, and even where to eat and drink. Once you begin the return journey, the tour takes you to Thermopylae. I am leaving for Greece next week and had already booked a train ride from Athens to Kalambaka. ", Read:17 Spectacular Day Trips from Athens, Greece. Check out this guide for more information on the monasteries at Meteora. Written by: Marina Yoveva If you are at all like me and love traveling the world, then surely you have heard of one of the most We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Whether its only for a day trip or for a multiday visit, you have the opportunity to choose to travel from Athens to Meteora between train, bus or car. Recommended Fly Fly from Athens (ATH) to Thessaloniki (SKG) 2h 49m $111 - $201 Cheapest Train Take the train from Athens to Thessaloniki YSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages. There are quite a few operators and agencies organizing guided trips to Meteora and the quality of the tours can vary. Meteora At Sunset The most spectacular place on earth? You may also take the Suburban Train (same as above) from the airport, it goes straight to Larissa train station. Buses are available every few hours starting from 7 am. Train 882 goes from Athens to Kalampaka. They are located in the centre of town along a busy road, which may deter some people, but its a convenient location to walk into town.Check the latest prices and book Divani Meteora Hotel. Planner; Trip Cost; There are 5 ways to get from Meteora (Station) to Athens by train, bus, car or plane Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner. Calories. Should we take the train instead? }, { The route you take driving shouldnt be a problem for motion sickness the roads are not too bad like on some islands! This cookie is set by the Google recaptcha service to identify bots to protect the website against malicious spam attacks. is Meteora Thrones super professional and great value for money. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Planner; Trip Cost; Itinerary. Starting the journey early would be best before heavy traffic overwhelms Athens. The distance by road between Athens and Meteora is 359.7 km. Once you reach Lamia, leave E75 and follow signs to Karditsa, Trikala, and finally Kalabaka. Thanks, Lisa. Whilst it is possible to make a Meteora day trip from Athens, I personally wouldn't do it. Traveling by train is the most popular mode of transport from Athens to the monasteries of Meteora. Taking photos of the monks (if you are lucky enough to see one! Famous as the backdrop to a James Bond movie (For your eyes only), this monastery is the hardest one to reach but offers views that will reward you. Spending just one or two days in Meteora is enough to experience the towns charms, explore the famous monasteries and take in the views. There's accommodation for all budgets, and also campsites in both places. MICHELIN 2022. Check out our. Yet, any written description grows pale in the face of a visual experience. This itinerary ensures you make the absolute most out of your visit to these two islands and one of the world's great cities. Thanks to the Metro system getting a train to Meteora is most probably the easiest way to go. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. This means that the most popular way to get to Meteora is by train. Quite the contrary. I assume the one you listed is a reputable company, right? It would be best to spend 2 or 3 days in Meteora if possible, in order to see sunrise, sunset and explore the Meteora Monasteries. Direction Map Travel Time LatLong Flight D Flight T HowFar Route TripCost. Even at 8 am, this was one of the dirtiest bathrooms Ive ever seen on a train. Follow these Meteora travel tips to make sure you don't miss a thing. I've also written this travel guide on the basis that most people will travel to Meteora from Athens. It leaves Larissa Station in Athens at 8:20 am and enters the Kalambaka terminus at 1:18 pm. This train covers the distance in the shortest time, as you would expect. From Trikala you can catch a bus to Kalambaka bus station. If you prefer to self-drive, you can book a rental car from any of the many major rental companies with a presence in Athens. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable about where we were. And her prophecies proved stunningly accurate. As of writing this post, the train leaves Athens at 08.20 and arrives in Kalambaka at 13.18. The exact purpose of the cookie is not known yet. Have someone else on your trip cover that part. } Planner; Trip Cost; Itinerary. To benefit the most from your trip, you should plan to stay at least one night in Kalambaka. The town of Kalampaka is very interesting too and has some great places to eat as well. For more information about traveling to Greece and the Balkans, bookmark ourGreeceandBalkantravel pages so you can find out whats new before your trip. We asked for a mix of both sight-s", Traveled to Greece as a group in June, 2023, "Irene was phenomenal. Hi Lisa, There are 6 ways to get from Athens to Meteora by plane, train, bus, ferry or car Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner. Visit our Athens maps page to download for free the map of the Athens Metro. -Are taxis readily available to take you to from the train station near Meteora to local hotels? Enjoy Athens, the Peloponnese, Santorini & Crete - 15 Days, Escape to Athens, Mykonos & Santorini - 12 Days, Discover Greek History & Culture - 7 Days. Direction Map Travel Time LatLong Flight D Flight T HowFar Route TripCost. A book at the monastery is a good idea. By booking tours, hotels, tickets, and other travel services through the links on our website, you can help us continue providing valuable content and information. It too is on the outskirts of town at Kastraki.Check the latest prices and book Hotel Doupiani House.The traditional, family-run Hotel Kastraki is in this same area, under the rocks in the village of Kastraki. More importantly, it doesnt cost you anything extra. I loved visiting Meteora in autumn because the weather was amazing. Duration: around 6 hours for the direct train + bus, more with other routes. Theres only one tour that were recommending for this day trip: If youre iinterestedin other guided day trips from Athens, check our Athens Day Trip guide. The 884 Athens to Kalambaka train is for most people the more sensible option. From any metro line, change at Monastiraki station and get into the Greenline heading to Kifissia. There is also a better option of a two-day Meteora trip by train that includes the train tickets, one-night accommodation in Kalampaka, pick up and drop off from the train station in Kalampaka, and two guided tours of the monasteries. How Far is Meteora from Athens? Due to their religious and cultural significance and rich history, the magnificent monasteries of Meteora have been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The saying goes if you cant afford travel insurance, you cant afford to travel is true! In the following post, we give a list of important " Things to Know " before the rail trip, for the best possible planning of your visit to Meteora by train. When will the schedules be out? Another option is to travel from Athens to Meteora on the KTEL bus. There are two trains traveling directly between Athens to Kalampaka every day. Do they only release their ticket options a month at a time or something? Get off at Lamia, and from here, the route becomes a little harder, but I'm sure it's nothing that Google maps can't handle! "@type": "Question", The reason being, as you may have guessed, the train terminates at the Kalambaka train station. Heres how this tour works. Please bear in mind that all train schedules and prices mentioned above may change even during the tourist season without prior notice. "acceptedAnswer": { Meteora is about 222 miles (357 kilometers) from Athens. Take the Metro Line 3 (Blue line) to Syntagma Station and there change to Line 2 (Red line) to Larissa Station. The bus station is located near Kato Patissia (green line) station. Planner; Trip Cost; Itinerary. Athens to Meteora by Train Athens to Meteora by Bus Athens to Meteora With a Group Guided Tour Things to See and Do in Meteora Tips and Recommendations for a Trip From Athens to Meteora Is Meteora a Good Destination for a Trip From Athens? The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Check out our privacy policy for the full story on how we protect and manage your submitted data. Swap to the Green line and head towards Kifissia. This cookie is native to PHP applications. Double check the exact times when you buy your ticket. To experience authentic Greek gastronomy, the way you would only in rural Greece, in the shade of the colossal rocks. The easiest and most comfortable way to get from Athens to Meteora is by rental car or private transfer. We went inside and toured two of them, learned about the other four from the road, and had two stops for photo shoots. The two-day tour (Trip 8A), which includes either "tourist class" or "first class" accommodation in Kalambaka, begins with a drive to Delphi and a visit to the archaeological site but not Delphi's wonderful museum. Shes written for National Geographic Online, appeared on CNN Arabic and in the New York Times, and ridden more Balkan buses than is good for a person. But coming back, there is direct train in the morning and I had to transfer to another train. Private transfers can be booked to take you from your hotel or from Athens airport directly to Meteora. There's accommodation for all budgets, and also campsites in both places."} "@type": "FAQPage", Another thing to consider is that youll either be on a train for eleven hours or in a car for nine hours. The most important thing you should be aware of when trying to book your train ride to Meteora is that the train station closest to Meteora is not named Meteora as you would expect but Kalampaka or Kalambaka. Its also one of the two monasteries that are inhabited by nuns. Dont see a hotel thats the right pick for you? The central bus station from where you can hop on a bus to Meteora is located on Liossion street near the train station of Kato Patissia (green line). The trip from Athens to Trikala lasts up to 5 hours. Liosion Bus Terminal is the bus station you need to be to in order to take a (KTEL) bus to travel north of Athens. We will arrive from Santorini May 21, depart Athens May 27. Calories. I would like to visit Delphi and Meteora while in Greece in a few months and am considering the 2 day/1 night CHAT tour. To go to Olympus by train first you need to take the train to the city of Larissa. Installed by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Finish your stay in Athens. Just a couple of kilometers away from the town of Kalampaka youll find a charming small village called Kastraki. Getting just to this station can be a bit of a mission: Use the metro system in Athens, and head for Monastiraki station. And then: Rafina Port Guide Its a typical rural traditional village with narrow alleyways, beautiful churches, alluring alfresco cafes, and magnificent views over Meteora. To get there, take metro 1 (Green line, Kiffisia direction) at the Monastiraki stop in the Athens city center. The distance by road between Athens and Meteora is 359.7 km. Youll find taxis at the train station waiting. The distance from Athens to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Meteora is about 222 miles (357 km). It can be accessed via the Larissa stop on the M2 line (red line) of the Athens Metro, or by taxi. Please note that the Litochoro Train Station is located 6.5 kilometers east of the village, by the sea. In terms of completely organised trips to/from Athens, the ones I mentioned are the best of the bunch. This is the face of a girl who didnt have to worry about driving on the crazy steep Meteora roads. A lot will come down to how much energy youll have after your flight! This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The easiest way to get to Meteora by Athens is by car if you have one! Meteora is a vividly stunning UNESCO world heritage site in central Greece, and best of all, it is easy to go from Meteora to Athens by car. You should be able to get to Meteora in about 4 hours (of course it depends on the traffic). YouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data.