Feedback on a road trip in Greece

Hi there

I’m not sure which Temple of Neptune you’re referring to?? I only know of one, and it’s in Italy. Anyway, Day 4 seems pretty light compared to the rest. Staying overnight in Corinth isn’t all that interesting. Might as well head straight to the Peloponnese and sleep in Nafplio, for example. On Day 4, you could visit Acrocorinth and the Corinth Canal, then sleep in Nafplio that evening.

"Cargos"—I have no idea what that is unless it’s a typo and you meant Argos, which is a really ugly town. That said, there *is* a castle worth seeing there.

Otherwise, the itinerary’s already pretty packed and fast-paced. Adding Meteora and Mount Olympus seems really complicated, especially with the weather possibly being chilly this season—snow isn’t out of the question.

Piraeus is a big port. No real interest there.

For accommodation in Athens, check out the area around the "Ampelokipoi" station in the neighborhood of the same name. Though Panormou and Katehaki are also nice. 3 days in Athens might be a bit much. 2 full days are enough to see the essentials.

For the Peloponnese, first check what’s open and available. And it’s hard to recommend places without knowing your budget.

Thanks so much, Elenitsa, I knew you’d reply! [:)]

Honestly, I wrote this first post a bit quickly, from work, without my notes or the Green Guide we bought specifically for the trip.

In order: - You’re right, my mistake—it’s the Temple of Poseidon. - We’d been advised to use Nafplio as a base for the Peloponnese. We’ll keep that city in mind. I’d noted Corinth because I really want to see the canal, and I thought it’d be a shame to "head back" north. - Yes, it’s Argos, and it’s for the fortress. - I’ll note that heading north might not be worth it. But we *really* want to go to Delphi. Olympia is more for the vibe. We’re not against driving for a day or two—it also lets us see the country differently.

Thanks for the tips on Piraeus and Athens! Since we arrive on Day 1 at 2:00 PM, we’re assuming that day doesn’t count... And my wife is an art historian, so she’s interested in several museums.

For the budget, we’re aiming for around 70-80 € per night with breakfast. If anyone has recommendations for Nafplio, we’d love to hear them!

Okay, so you want to see Cape Sounion (Temple of Poseidon). Make sure to check the opening hours, though. It might close at 3 PM in winter—I’m not entirely sure. Even if you arrive at 2 PM, you’ll have enough time to do quite a bit. For example, the changing of the guard in front of Parliament happens every hour, 24/7. Stroll around Monastiraki, Plaka, and its shops, grab a bite, etc.

The Corinth Canal is okay, but you’ll really only spend 5 (okay, 15) minutes there—take a few photos and that’s it. There’s not much else to do, so no need to spend the whole day there.

You’ll pass through Corinth anyway on your way to the Peloponnese, so it’s not a detour.

Meteora isn’t in the north but in central Greece.

For accommodation, in Nafplio, the King Othon should be within your budget and is pretty good. Though I’m not sure if they offer breakfast. In Athens, it’s a bit trickier, but in February, you should be able to find something. Check out the President Hotel in Ampelokipoi, for example. Always book directly through the hotel’s website—don’t go through Booking.com or others, as they’re often more expensive.

One last thing: a car in Athens won’t be of any use. It’s a shame to pay for rental for 2-3 days when you won’t even use it, and parking will be a nightmare. I’d recommend starting your road trip right away and saving Athens for the end. When you return from your trip, leave the car at the airport and take public transport back to Athens. Just a heads-up: the metro to the airport only runs every 30 minutes or so. Check the schedules at the station. But keep in mind that for four people, a taxi will cost about the same as the metro.

Elenitsa

Thanks again for such a detailed reply!

To answer your question about the car—of course not, we’re not renting it right away, but starting on day 4. Basically, we arrive on D1 at 2:00 PM, take the metro to Athens, drop off our bags, and explore on foot (that first day is always exhausting). I’ll check out the hotel you recommended and the lively neighborhoods to make sure we have a pleasant stroll. D2 and D3 are for visiting monuments, museums, and different districts... Then, on the morning of D4, we’ll take the metro to the airport to pick up our rental car. On the way back, D11, our flight is at 4:00 PM, so we’ll aim to arrive around 2:00 PM.

Back to your other tips: - Noted for Cape Sounion—they close at sunset, so around 5:00 PM. - The Corinth Canal, yeah, I saw it’s just for the view, but it needs to be daylight. - Meteora—we’ll see if we have time, but I think we’ll skip it.

I’ll come back here to refine the itinerary so you can give me more advice! :))

Just be careful not to return to the airport at the very last minute. Make sure to allow some extra time in case of traffic or anything else. Not to mention you’ll need to return the car and all...

Yeah, we’re always really careful—maybe even too much

Hi Elenitsa, and hello to everyone else on the forum who might have some good advice,

We’ve made a little progress on our itinerary, which will still focus on the must-see sites.

We’d love to know if this plan is doable, too ambitious, or maybe not enough—just to make sure we’re optimizing our stay: Day 1-2-3: We arrive at the airport in the early afternoon, head to Athens and our hotel, and take a relaxed stroll at the end of Day 1, then sightseeing on Days 2 and 3. Day 4: We’ll pick up our rental car at the airport, then head to Cape Sounion. After that, we’ll drive toward the Peloponnese to set up our "base camp," a hotel where we’ll stay while exploring the region. We were thinking of Nafplio. Day 5-6: Various spots around Nafplio: Acrocorinth (and the canal), the Citadel of Argos, Mycenae, the Sanctuary of Epidaurus, Nemea... Day 7: Drive to Olympia, stopping at Mystras to see Ancient Messene if we have time. Day 8: Visit Olympia, then drive to Delphi via Patras. Day 9-10: Delphi, the Monastery of Osios Loukas, the statue of Leonidas at Thermopylae... Day 11: Return to Athens airport, but how should we spend the morning?

What do you think? Should we add an extra day around Nafplio, and in that case, just keep Day 10 and the morning of Day 11 for Delphi?

Thanks so much in advance for the help

For the hotel in Athens, we're aiming for the city center so we can do everything on foot and go back to the hotel if needed.

Is the Monastiraki neighborhood a good choice? Around Syntagma Square?

Thanks in advance for your tips

Hi there

Yes, the Monastiraki neighborhood is nice but a bit noisy. Around Syntagma, it's the same, and it might be a tad expensive..

Okay, thanks. I’ll look into expanding the route, even if it means taking more public transport...

What do you think about the update to our itinerary?

We were considering another version: Day 1-2-3: Athens Day 4: Cape Sounion, then drive to Nafplio Day 5-6-7: Peloponnese around Nafplio Day 8: Mystras, then drive to Olympia Day 9: Olympia, then drive to Delphi Day 10: Delphi Day 11: Ossios Loukas, then back to the airport