Journey from Athens International Airport to the Peloponnese - Isthmus, (Corinth), Tripolis, Kalamata, Pylos, Methoni
Athens International Airport to the Peloponnese - by suburban rail or metro
From the airport you may take the bus or Metro to Athens, but often since March 2010 I have taken the Suburban rail link straight from the airport to Corinth, by-passing Athens. The journey takes approximately one and a half hours, is smooth and pleasant and cost €12.00 In December 2011. You may need to change at Ano Liosa, but the wait is usaully less than an hour and the platforms are adjacent. The metro/rail terminus is light and well equiped with TV, snacks, a newsagent and modern toilet facilities and makes a pleasant waiting area between flight arrival or departure and rail links.
The local bus (€1.60) runs from the new Korinthos rail station into town. Alternatively, take a taxi, or walk - about 2 km. kilometres. If your onward journey requires a bus, take a taxi to the the KTEL Isthmos bus terminal where you will find modern conveniences and buses to all parts of the Peloponnese.
There is a bus from Corinth town to Isthmus about once an hour (The Korinthos-Loutraki bus from the terminus by the old railway station in the town) but it may be easier to take a taxi.
Athens International Airport to Peloponnese - by bus via Athens
Airport buses provide convenient cheap travel to the bus station for the Peloponnese (E96) and also to Syntagma Square in the centre of (E95). Buses leave the airport at frequent intervals. You could also take a taxi or hire a car.
KTEL runs bus services in Greece and there are regular buses from it's depot at Kiffisia, on the outskirts of Athens. KTEL does not appear to publish timetables online which it is a pity because it would attract more customers. There is a phone enquiry service but it it costs more than normal calls! Timetables are posted at the Bus stations and you may be able to obtain a paper copy. We provide links to useful information sites but please check exact details at the bus stations before you travel.
Tickets must be purchased in advance and seats are allocated at the time of purchase so your seat number will be printed on your ticket. Buses are modern, comfortable and may have toilets on board. Services leave for Kalamata about once an hour, the journey via Tripolis, takes approximately four and a half hours and includes a break for snacks and drinks.
An Express, non-stop, service to kalamata is available from Athens and takes about three and a half hours. Look out for the Corinth canal which you will cross on your journey and which effectively makes the Peloponnesian Peninsula an island.
Journey from Kalamata to Methoni via Messini and Pylos
A new bus station, with much improved facilities, has been built at Kalamata. It is still some distance from the Centre of kalamata, but there are one or two stops in the city, unless you take the express!
If you are taking a bus that goes right through to Methoni, the break at kalamata may be short. I sometimes prefer to take the express from Athens to kalamata and then have a longer break, including a meal or short walk, taking a local bus to complete the journey. You can buy refreshments and souvenirs at the Bus station.
There are also buses that miss Kalamata, and may involve a change to a local bus service at Messini. This cam be a mixed blessing as the local bus takes an indirect route to Pylos, adding more time to the journey.
Kalamata is the capital of the Messinia region and has a large hospital and the main government buildings. Local buses to Pylos are fairly regular and some go on to Methoni or other local villages. From Pylos you can take a taxi on to Methoni but it can be expensive.
The bus journey from Athens right through to Methoni may take up to 6 hours, with stops on the way. By Taxi, the journey can be made in less than 4 hours and the motorways are still incomplete so time may be saved in future. If speed is not essential, take the bus as It is a beautiful journey with an opportunity to admire the mountainous scenery, villages and the flowers. It is exciting to observe the considerable effort being made to complete the motorway network across the Peloponnese.
Messinia is one of 7 prefectures of the Peloponnesian Peninsula. It is mainly mountainous and is bounded by the Ionian Sea (West) and Gulf of Messinia and Mediterranean Sea (South). It's neighbouring prefectures are Ilia (North), Arcadia (North-East), and Lakonia (East).
Many Methoni Visitors arrive by flights to Athens or kalamata or Ferry to Patras, completing their journey by a combination of bus, rail, taxi or hired car. Some arrive by sea of course!
The Peloponnesian railway from Athens, via Korinthos and Tripolis, extends this far with a light railway runniong between Kalamata and the town of Messini.
Pylos is a larger town than Methoni and the number of buses arriving at it's tiny bus lay-by with a small office, seeems to increase each time I visit. The ticket office is opposite the attractive town square dominated by a huge ancient plane tree. The view of Navarino bay as the bus descends into Pylos on its journey from Kalamata, is stunning. Pylos is a town of steps though and can be a little difficult for walking and parking.
Beyond Pylos are beautiful bays, the Bird Sanctuary at Gialova and Costa Navarino Golf and leisure complex.
There is no need to restrict your holiday to the immediate area. Although it is easier to explore by car, there
are regular bus services via Pylos and kalamata enabling exploration of natural and man-made
sites including the Corinth Canal at Isthmus, Ancient Olympia, Ancient Messini, Nestor's Palace and many other ancient and modern sites.
Methoni is 11 km from Pylos and if you arrive this way you will be set down at the Road junction.
Take either road and walk straight along to find the castle. Methoni castle is the main attraction in Methoni for tourists.
Coaches arrive daily bringing visitors, though many go on to other locations to stop over
night. Methoni beach is about a kilometre long and is sandy close to the town. At its western end is
Methoni Castle. The beach It is bordered by the old coast road and has a few tavernas
and bars which are open during the summer months. Methoni Bay is pleasant for summer
swimming. Further along the coast are Lampes bay and Foinikounda. While Foinikounda is an established tourist location
Lampes has developed more recently and is still fairly quiet, with few commercial premises or homes.
The main road to Foinikounda by-passes Methoni town centre. The town has business facilities, banks, post office, dentist, estate agents and other services.
Light Railways
In 1997 I took the light railway which runs from Olympia to Pyrgos. There is also a
light rail link between Kalamata and Messini. Unfortunately there are still too few trains on the main
routes of the Peloponnese, but if you have time to spare, they are even cheaper than buses!