Trigono-Lamda Travel

European Train Timetables in English
Greece railway map
KTEL - Greek Buses
(temporarily suspended inforation)
Newspaper - Athens News
(in English)
Fodor's Guide

Travel Links

An increasing number of people are landing on Trigonogroves website via Google, Yahoo and other searches. We can't hope to keep up to date with travel information but are happy to provide useful links.

Methoni

Methoni

KTEL, the bus company for travel on the Peloponnese, has suspended its website temporarily.

I found the following site by Jim Baerselman: Bus Information but please check at the bus station before you travel.

Journey to Methoni via Isthmus, (Corinth), Tripolis, Kalamata, Messinia and Pylos.

Flights from International and some regional airports arrive at Athens. Kalamata is closer to Methoni but flights are restricted. Buses run regularly from Athens (Venezelous) Airport to Central Athens (Syntagma) and to the Athens bus station for the Peloponnese. Rail, metro, hire car and taxis are available. The new Metro and railway to Corinth runs approximately every half hour.

Buses run hourly from Athens to Kalamata, taking from 3.5 to 4.5 hours depending on whether you travel express or stopping service (few stops). The route takes you via Isthmus,across the Corinth Canal, close to Corinth, but not stopping there. The journey continues, either via, or by-passing Tripoli. A new bus station, with much improved facilities, has been built at Kalamata and I often break there for an hour before the final journey stage.

Kalamata is the main town of the Messinia region and has a large hospital and the main government buildings.

Local buses or taxis take you on to Methoni, or, three times a day, a bus will take you from Athens to Methoni - a long journey, up to 6 hours, but straightforward. Buses are inexpensive and comfortable. (Approx €27 for the entire journey)

Google
 

Rail Journey

Corinth Canal

The Corinth Canal effectively makes the Peloponnese an island. It was built by the French in the late 19th century to allow a faster shipping route.

In 1997 I made the journey from Athens to Kiparisia, over a period of nearly a month, stopping at Corinth, Patras, Olympia and Pyrgos on the way, and then continuing by bus from Kiparisia to Kalamata, Sparti and returning to Athens. Trains were much slower than buses and the few rail tracks, and very few trains, available make the journey long and unwieldy. Great improvements have been made to the track and stations between Athens and Corinth, but Tripoli and Kalamata routes still seem old and little used. I hope this will change as I enjoy rail travel.

Olympia-Pyrgos train One journey I especially enjoyed though was on the light railway from Olympia to Pyrgos. I'm not sure how things would be today but on that winter morning, realising that I would miss the connecting train from Pyrgos to Kiparisia, the station staff arranged for the Olympia - Pyrgos train to stop at a small station to let me off, and the Pyrgos-Kiparisia train, passing through the same station a short while later, picked me up.

Travel Goods

As soon as Christmas is over many of us turn out thoughts to travel. January Sales can be good for buying luggage and there is a huge variety, from sophisticated new, lightweight, pull alongs with just one well designed comfortable handle, to multicloured and patterned fun designs.

Always an advocate for simplicity, and inclined to carry a holdall, it's tempting nonetheless to consider luxury luggage ranges. On long trips good luggage design pays dividends by being easy to manouvre as well as loking good. Quality does count - some cheap suitcases I've purchased in the past have lasted for only a single short trip (one lasted only a 10 minute journey along a London Street before a wheel fell off - and that was on the way home from buying it! Half price sales bring more robust designs into budget range, so well worth thinking ahead and looking to buy now.

At airports I always check out the travel ranges for new handy travel goods. My favourite has been the all purpose plug - a rubber disk which fits over any plughole. Ideal for hotel and hostel rooms where plugs are missing.