Katakolon to Olympia

Hi all, we will be in Katakolon in September and I'd like to find the best way to get from the ship to Olympia and back. I don't want to rent a car and from what I've been reading, the train doesn't leave you enough time to explore the ruins, museum and the village. The 4 hour ship's excursion costs $82. Would it be cheaper to hire a taxi or a local tour company and still have a good chance of getting back to the ship on time? Thanks.

We took the train and had plenty of time to explore the ruins and museum. We were not rushed at all. The train station was a very short walk from where our ship docked. Just be sure to check the schedule for departure times, and check again at the station in Olympia -- we found the time had been changed from the time printed on the original schedule. The train is the best way to go -- easy and inexpensive. Since it doesn't run frequently, you have to watch the time, but we really didn't need any more time to see everything.

Hi all, we will be in Katakolon in September and I'd like to find the best way to get from the ship to Olympia and back. I don't want to rent a car and from what I've been reading, the train doesn't leave you enough time to explore the ruins, museum and the village. The 4 hour ship's excursion costs $82. Would it be cheaper to hire a taxi or a local tour company and still have a good chance of getting back to the ship on time? Thanks.

We negotited with two taxis at the dock. There were 6 of us and we arranged for two cabs to take us to Olympia, wait there for 2 hours, and then bring us back. We spent 1 hour in the ruins and 1 hour in the museum. It was more than enough time for us. If I remember correctly we negotiated 50 or 60 euros per couple...

When we were there last month the taxis were charging 40 euros an hour. We took the train as we were able to get the early one at about 8.25. It's a long time until the next one, about 11 o'clock. We had loads of time, it was cheap and fun. You do miss out on the guide though. The signs are good, but we didn't get a plan of the site which would have been helpful.

kate

Another vote for the train Fun, Easy and 3 Euros

I too took the train when we were in Olympia a couple of weeks ago.

I took the first possible train to Olympia after our ship arrived in Katakolon. The train is new, comfortable, and only takes about 30-40 minutes. Once off the train, the walk to the museum entrance is easy and about 5 minutes.

From the museum you can walk straight through the grounds to the entrance of the archaeological site, not more than another 5 minutes.

I departed on an 8:36 am train, which arrived in Olympia at 9:17 am.

I had originally thought that I would take the 1:51 pm train back to Katakolon, arriving at 2:42 pm. That still brought me back to town in plenty of time for our All Aboard.

However, I finished with the museum and archaeological site early enough that I was able to catch the 12:05 pm train back to Katakolon, arriving at 12:48 pm.

I also noticed that a large majority of the cruisers from my ship that took the 8:36 am train came back on the 12:05 pm train as well.

While the museum is very interesting, and the archaeological site is large in size, there's not really that much there that it would consume your entire day (at least for most people)

I believe we are on the same cruise as you! We hired a private taxi for 5 hours for 35 Euros per hour. There's four of us, so it'll be 87,50 per couple. We're going to Olympia in the morning, stopping for lunch, then going to take a tour of a winery. :)

I believe we are on the same cruise as you! We hired a private taxi for 5 hours for 35 Euros per hour. There's four of us, so it'll be 87,50 per couple. We're going to Olympia in the morning, stopping for lunch, then going to take a tour of a winery. :)

You got a good deal! The Katakolon taxi cabal normally charges 40 Euros per hour.

We were in port in the afternoon, so the train schedule did not work for us. (We wanted at least three hours for the site and wonderful museum), so we simply rented an automatic car for the easy 30-minute drive for 40 or 45 Euros.

You got a good deal! The Katakolon taxi cabal normally charges 40 Euros per hour.

 

We were in port in the afternoon, so the train schedule did not work for us. (We wanted at least three hours for the site and wonderful museum), so we simply rented an automatic car for the easy 30-minute drive for 40 or 45 Euros.

He said it normally is 40, but if you do more than 4 hours with him, he charges 35. Fine with me! :)

Thank you all very much for your replies. It doesn't look like the train is going to work for us. We're in port from 9 AM to 4 PM and this is the train schedule:

Katakolon - Purgos - Olympia- Purgos - Olympia

Train line. Ε 1382 departure 08.25 arrive 09.06

Train line 1386 departure 10.55 arrive 11.41

Train line 1388 departure 12.52 arrive 13.44

Train line 1390 departure 14.51 arrive 15.38

Olympia - Purgos - Katakolon- Purgos - Katakolon

Train line Ε 1387 departure 11.46 arrive 12.28

Train line 1389 departure 13.48 arrive 14.32

Train line 1391 departure 15.43 arrive 16.32

Well, if you change your mind about car rental, it's a very easy 30-minute drive to Olympia from Katakolon with plenty of free parking right by the museum, which is right next to the site itself.

Have a great trip!

Well, if you change your mind about car rental, it's a very easy 30-minute drive to Olympia from Katakolon with plenty of free parking right by the museum, which is right next to the site itself.

 

Have a great trip!

1. Renting is fast, cheap and easy. Only 40-55 Euros for the day depending on the car. If you put four to a car, it's only about 10 Euros per person--not much more than the train, and far cheaper than renting a taxi driver.

2. Easy drive--Even if you are nervous about driving overseas, the Katakolo to Olympia drive is easy and straight-forward (only a couple turns), has very little traffic and smooth roads. Even my normally-nervous wife could've driven this one! Having been to dozens of European/Mediterranean cities, driving Katakolo to/from Olympia is by far the easiest and least stressful of all of them. The drive is more suburban or country driving than busy congested city driving. And parking is ample and free at Olympia.

3. Safer than a taxi--I trust my driving over a Greek taxi driver any day.

4. Save time--Drive ~25 minutes each way (I must drive faster than CintiPam!), or waste ~60 minutes (including walking to/from, and waiting at, station) for the train each way? And the rental process itself doesn't even take 10 minutes. I estimate that you'd save an hour by renting a car.

5. Flexibility--Stay as long as you need at Olympia. And if you're inclined, you can make side trips within Olympia, go to a winery, etc.

6. Less Stress--No worries about making that one and only train departure!

So I definitely recommend renting a car! And if there are only two of you, find another couple to join you and split the cost. And if your only concern is not wanting to drive, maybe the other couple will! :)

Do they require an Internat'l DL at the rental office?

Do they require an Internat'l DL at the rental office?

No, no one in Europe ever has asked to see mine. However, get one anyway! It costs only $15 at your local AAA office, is good for one year from your first rental, and, the biggie: if you have any interaction with the police in Greece and cannot produce it, you will pay a hefty three-figure fine. Just consider it as another insurance policy!

...Save time--Drive ~25 minutes each way (I must drive faster than CintiPam!), or waste ~60 minutes (including walking to/from, and waiting at, station) for the train each way?...

Terpnut, on the way to Olympia, I actually followed the posted speed limits most of the way, and people constantly were zipping past me on the highway. I felt like an old geezer! That trip took me almost 40 minutes.

I wised up on the drive back and drove at the speed the rest were driving, so only took 30 minutes back.:D

Terpnut, on the way to Olympia, I actually followed the posted speed limits most of the way, and people constantly were zipping past me on the highway. I felt like an old geezer! That trip took me almost 40 minutes.

 

I wised up on the drive back and drove at the speed the rest were driving, so only took 30 minutes back.:D

I think the speed limit was 50 km/hr and I was probably doing between 60-75 km/hr. I thought I was booking along nicely until a couple cabbies blew by me making me look like I was standing still! They must've been doing over 100 km/hr!

Well the main point is that the roads are decent and there weren't that many cars so everyone can drive at their own stress-free pace! Just remember to stay right and yield the right of way to overtaking traffic! :D

Any information on how to contact the rental places in advance, or do you know if they typically have availability for walk-up customers?

I saw a link somewhere for Avis, but they were sold out. The only other place I've seen mentioned is a guy's name and company, but no email address or website to contact.

I guess my real question is this: If we don't take a ship tour, and we don't have a private tour booked in advance, will we still be able to get to Olympia (rent a car or hire a taxi at the port) and see the sites for a reasonable price?

I'm not much of a worrier, but I can imagine the worst scenario at this port - where there is really only one main attraction - would be to miss the opportunity to see Olympia by not having advance arrangements. Just want to feel comfortable that we'll be able to work it out even if we don't do much planning. We're on the same cruise as auducky2 and the original poster.

Thanks!

Carrie

Any information on how to contact the rental places in advance, or do you know if they typically have availability for walk-up customers?

 

I saw a link somewhere for Avis, but they were sold out. The only other place I've seen mentioned is a guy's name and company, but no email address or website to contact.

 

I guess my real question is this: If we don't take a ship tour, and we don't have a private tour booked in advance, will we still be able to get to Olympia (rent a car or hire a taxi at the port) and see the sites for a reasonable price?

 

I'm not much of a worrier, but I can imagine the worst scenario at this port - where there is really only one main attraction - would be to miss the opportunity to see Olympia by not having advance arrangements. Just want to feel comfortable that we'll be able to work it out even if we don't do much planning. We're on the same cruise as auducky2 and the original poster.

 

Thanks!

Carrie

If you can't reserve a car:

1. Check to see how many other ships will be in port. The more ships, the more likely you won't have walk-up availability.

2. Get off the ship very early so as to increase your probability of getting a car.

3. If you are only two, hook with others on your roll call and share a car. Cuts everyone's costs, wastes less gas, and you take up one less car from others.

All the above is even more important if you must have an automatic transmission--most cars are manual.

Good luck! :)

Well, OK, I'm starting to see the light and renting a car might be worth the time saved and the convenience of it as well. The reason I'm a bit hesitant is that I REALLY dislike driving and my navigation skills are nonexistent. :D At least we're bringing our TomTom GPS thingy with us so that should help.

Is the car rental place just outside the port gates? And I guess that it would be a good idea to book the rental ahead of time?

It appears that all road signs in Greece are advisory only.

Thanks Terpnut, I posted at the same time as you and you have just answered my questions in your last post.

Also thanks to CintiPam for your info regarding the car rental.

Terpnut -

Thanks for the quick response. From everything I've seen, it looks like we're the only ship in port that day (and fortunately, that's the case at most of the ports on this cruise).

At least now I don't feel like I have to plan much for this port. We'll think about the car rental, and if we get nervous about that idea for any reason, we'll just book a tour with the ship if we need to.

Thanks again!

Carrie

It appears that all road signs in Greece are advisory only.

When you make the two turns driving from Katakolo to Olympia, make a mental picture of each intersection including landmarks, etc. I know someone who missed one of the turns on the return because they were driving fast and flew right by signs to turn and the intersection.

For me, I noticed after the second turn to get onto the main road to Olympia, that there were a number of car dealerships. So those were my landmarks. So as I'm cruising back to Katakolo, when I saw my row of dealership, I knew to slow down and make the left turn toward Katakolo!

Otherwise, it's a real easy drive!

Any information on how to contact the rental places in advance, or do you know if they typically have availability for walk-up customers?

 

I saw a link somewhere for Avis, but they were sold out. The only other place I've seen mentioned is a guy's name and company, but no email address or website to contact.

 

I guess my real question is this: If we don't take a ship tour, and we don't have a private tour booked in advance, will we still be able to get to Olympia (rent a car or hire a taxi at the port) and see the sites for a reasonable price?

 

I'm not much of a worrier, but I can imagine the worst scenario at this port - where there is really only one main attraction - would be to miss the opportunity to see Olympia by not having advance arrangements. Just want to feel comfortable that we'll be able to work it out even if we don't do much planning. We're on the same cruise as auducky2 and the original poster.

 

Thanks!

Carrie

The local car rental place, which indeed is right across the small street from the port, is Katakolo-Rent-A-Car, run by Mr. Christos Diplas. I found his contact information by doing a google search for rental cars in this area and found his website (and you will have to also if the following email address is redacted from my post):

diplasd@rentacarkatakolo.gr

Although we were the only ship in port that afternoon, I booked in advance because I cannot drive a stick shift car, only an automatic, and they are much more scarce in Europe.

The Katakolon taxi cabal wants 40 Euros an hour (a poster this week got them down to 35 Euros an hour). I knew that we wanted at least three hours at Olympia because we are hugh history/archaelogy people and the museum there is superb. Thus with the hour drive, that would be 160 Euros, so 40 or 45 for the car rental plus 10? for gas, and then no deadlines, was perfect for us.

Very little traffic, an easy drive, no tolls, so a heck of a lot easier than driving in many other European destinations!

Enjoy!

CintiPam,

Great information - thanks so much! I tried a search earlier and couldn't find the information, so I appreciate you posting the email address. Now, I'll have to see if I can talk my guy into getting that international driving permit :) I am sure I could drive, too, but usually better for him to drive and me to navigate!

It does sound like a great option for us - since it's a simple drive, I'd rather just go at our own pace rather than on somebody else's schedule. And of course, the $$ saved can be used at one of the other great ports!

Thanks again!