Patras is the third largest city in Greece. It is the western gateway into the country as it receives plenty of ferry connections from Italy. It is well known for the wine industry –and while you are here make sure to visit the Achaia Clauss wine factory.

Although it has its own airport, there aren’t scheduled flights available and travelers use the closest airport, which is Athens International Airport, serving the capital. As a result, those wanting to visit Patras will have to use a rental car, the bus or the train to get here.

Quick summary

Since there are no more direct trains between Athens and Patras, the cheapest and easiest way to travel between the two cities is by bus. The travel time is about 3 hours.

Buses from Athens to Patras

The fastest way to get from the capital to Patras is by bus. The buses depart from the KTEL Peloponnisou (Kifissos station) bus terminal every half hour. Tickets cost about €12 one way for an adult. The first regular bus leaves at 6 a.m. and the first express bus at 6:15 a.m. The last departure is at 9:45 p.m. The travel time is about 3 hours.

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Note: both the schedule and the fare are subject to changes.

Trains from Athens to Patras

To get from Athens to Patras, you need to travel via Kiato . Unfortunately, there isn’t a direct connection between Athens and Patras anymore. So, you need to take the suburban rail to Kiato first and then get on a regular train to Patras. The travel time is between 1h 30 (Intercity) and 2h 30 min (regular). There are six departures from Kiato to Patras every day; the first train leaves at 7:20 a.m. and it’s an intercity train.

You can find more details on the official OSE website Make sure to look for trains from Kiato to Patra , not Patras. The connections from Athens to Kiato aren’t listed on the site.

>>read more about Train Travel in Greece

Note: both the schedule and the fare are subject to changes.

Driving from Athens to Patras

If you don’t like to sit around and wait for buses and trains, then rent a car and drive from Athens to Patras. The driving distance is 211 km and you should be able to cover it in about 3 hours. Please note that you’ll be driving on toll roads, so you need to take that into account when you budget the trip.

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