Welcome Pickups Tour from Athens to Corinth
Take a day trip to Corinth from Athens with Welcome and your own English-speaking, professional driver to discover the beauty of the Greek countryside. Admire the bridge crossing the majestic Corinth Canal, before heading onwards to your destination. Start by being picked up at your chosen pickup point in a new, comfortable car. Your driver is knowledgeable about the area and will teach you about the history and modern culture along the way. Of course, this is route fully customizable, just let your driver know at the beginning.
Recommended Tour Stops
- Corinth Canal
- Temple of Apollo
- Acrocorinth
- Pottery Workshop
- Wine Tasting at Nemea Village
- Lunch by the Sea
The tour is 7 hours long and is available every day of the week, every hour of the day (although it is advisable to start early to make the most of the museum/site times). Group sizes can range from the solo traveller to as many as 12. Please be aware that, while Welcome drivers are knowledgeable local guides, they are not licensed tour guides and consequently will not accompany you around the ancient sites. The tour also includes an optional Wine Tasting at a selected winery in Nemea village and a pottery workshop in Ancient Corinth.
Photos (7)
Welcome Pickups Tour Photos from Corinth
How Much Will It Cost?
There are four price brackets for this trip with Welcome Pickups, depending on the size of the group travelling. The price starts at €250 for up to 4 people. A group of between 5-8 costs €370, a 9-12 people group costs €485. These prices reflect the cost of the size of the vehicle to accommodate the group size. Please note that these prices do not include entrance fees to archaeological sites, museums, or meals.
Where Do I Get It From?
A Welcome Pickups service is door-to-door, meaning that you can be picked up from where you choose. This is usually at your accommodation, but it can be elsewhere in the city centre. When you book you will be able to arrange your pickup location and time. On your return your driver can also leave you wherever you prefer in the city centre, whether that’s at your accommodation or another attraction.
Convenience
At Welcome Pickups all the trips and tours are designed to be of maximum convenience and comfort, so you can enjoy yourself in the safe, professional hands of your friendly, local driver. The trip is door-to-door, meaning you don’t need to spend time finding a pickup point or locating any of the sights you want to see. Your driver is both your guide and your friend on the ground, giving you both the historical and modern cultural context for everything that you see. The vehicles you will be transported in our modern, stylish and have everything you need onboard, including Wi-Fi. With a Welcome service, you can be sure all your needs are covered and any concerns can be left at home.
Editor’s Note
Welcome drivers are truly kind, friendly, professional and embody the Greek spirit of filoxenia, roughly translated to hospitality. The customer service with Welcome is second to none.
Local Taxi from Athens to Corinth
Throughout the centre of Athens is the network of over 14,000 taxis that are very easy to find and hail down. This is an option that could get you directly from Athens to Corinth Canal. Taxis are bright yellow and ubiquitous, making them extremely easy to find, particularly in the centre of Athens. Taxis operate 24/7, so you could take one whenever you choose. There are a number of taxi ranks or collection points in central locations throughout Athens, particularly around Syntagma Square and Acropolis. When you return, your taxi can drop you off at your preferred location.
Athens Taxi
How Much Will a Taxi Cost?
Taxis in Athens run on a meter and are very fairly priced. The starting cost €1.29 and costs €0.79 per kilometer, which does increase outside of the Athens city limits. There is another charge of €0.20 per minute for waiting and it is on the passenger to pay any toll fees. Therefore, a one way trip to Corinth with a taxi will cost around €100, depending on traffic, waiting times, etc. In total, including taxis between attractions and back to Athens (prices for taxis from Corinth are pretty similar), you are likely to spend €220+ on your traveling alone. You will also need to pay for entrance to all attractions, as well as hire a licensed tour guide if you wish to learn about the location more in-depth.
Where Can I Get a Taxi From?
Taxis are common throughout Athens and can be easily hailed from or found at one of the congregation points or outside major hotels. There are also phone applications or radiophone numbers to order a taxi to your location, although this may incur a small fee. If you are unable to find a taxi to take you to Corinth from Athens, then ordering one may be necessary. Using the Athens taxi union SATA is a safe way to ensure you get a reliable taxi to Corinth.
When visiting the monuments, you may wish your taxi to wait for you, as it is unlikely that there will be free taxis waiting around those areas. In the modern city of Corinth, there are many taxis also around, as in Athens. They are red coloured and have “taxi” written at the top of the vehicles. If you wish to order one from Corinth to Athens, booking with the Corinth taxi union would be a safe option.
Convenience
It is very easy and convenient to find taxis throughout both Athens and Corinth, as they are big cities and taxis are a common mode of transport throughout Greece. On the other hand, they are two separate cities and it may not be so easy to find a driver who is willing to go so far, which may then require a specific order. Although the transfer will be convenient, organising the sightseeing and tickets, tour guides, etc. will be down to you. So, to make the day out a proper trip it will require some level of advanced planning and organisation.
Editor’s Note
SATA has a strict code of professional conduct for taxi drivers that they must obey. However, the professionalism of the driver that you hail on the street is down to luck. If they actively attempt to scam you, always get an official meter receipt and report them to the police. The department dealing with these issues is at: HQ of Traffic Department of Athens (Trochaia Athinon) 24 Th. Deligianni Street, Metaxourgeio, 10438.
Organised Coach Trip from Athens to Corinth
Athens is a hub of culture and ancient history, with a number of other historical locations being only a short excursion away. Therefore, organised coach tours are very common and there are many companies offering tours to Corinth from Athens, including visiting the Corinth Canal, Ancient Corinth and Acrocorinth. These tours usually include a licensed tour guide who can provide information along the way and will lead the group around the archaeological and historical sites. The common duration of a coach tour to Corinth is 6 hours and that will include the hour and a quarter drive to Corinth. Tours usually set off from the final pickup location at 8:30am.
How Much Does It Cost?
Organised coach tours to Corinth tend to begin from around €60 per adult and €30 per child, although prices can vary depending on how far in advance the tour is booked, the language specification and the company providing the tour. Most tours include entrance fees to the attractions but will charge extra for certain other features, such as an organised lunch.
How Often Do They Run?
These coach tours run more often in the summer season, with many major organisations offering tours twice a week (Mon & Fri) from April until October. In the winter season (November until March) tours are often very limited, particularly form the tour providers.
Convenience
The coaches have pickups at many of the major hotels in the city centre, so it is likely you will be staying at, or near, a pickup point and can easily catch the transport from there. Included in the trip is a tour guide and entrance tickets to the attractions. On the other hand, these tours are tightly scheduled and leave little room for personal exploration and have set time limits at every attraction. Groups on entire coaches are frequently 40+ passengers, which could limit your access to the tour guide. Whether you enjoy such a large group or not is personal preference.
Editor’s Note
Coach tours are ubiquitous across all cities with local tourist attractions, as they are an excellent low-cost way to explore these sites with a licensed tour guide, particularly if customers have specific language needs or are part of a large group. Costs can raise if booking close to the date of the tour, as well as having short supply of tickets, so it is advisable to book well in advance.
KTEL Bus trip from Athens to Corinth
The most common method of intercity transport around Greece is the KTEL bus service. From the big cities such as Athens & Thessaloniki you can reach most major locations of the country with the KTEL, either directly or with a change. They also operate on the Greek islands. Buses run directly from Athens to Corinth daily, stopping off at the isthmus along the way. This option is the cheapest way to travel and the journey should last around an hour and a half.
KTEL Buses
How Often Do the Buses Run?
The buses to Corinth are frequent and generally run once per hour. They begin at 06:10 during the week and 07:30 on weekends, with the last bus from Athens at 22:10 in the evening. The last bus back from Corinth is 21:30 to Athens. As this is the timetable for the winter season (time of writing), buses may run more frequently in the summer. Buses also run from Corinth to Ancient Corinth daily from 07:05 until 21:05 and back from 07:30 until 19:30. The language is in Greek, but it is fairly straightforward, with the days from Mon-Sun from left to right. The schedule shows Corinth to Ancient Corinth on the first tab and Ancient Corinth to Corinth on the second tab.
Where Can I Find the Buses?
The buses from Athens towards Corinth run from the KTEL station at the Academy of Plato area of Athens on Kifissou Avenue. The best way to get here by public transport is to take the red metro line from Acropolis/Syntagma Square to Metaxourgio and walk to the Metaxourgio bus stop on Achilleos Avenue. From there take the 051 bus to Stathmos Yperas. Leoforos Kifisou. From there you will be right next to the KTEL station and can walk to it. The address is 100, Kifissou Avenue Kifissos Intercity Bus Station 10442 AKADIMIA PLATONOS, ATHENS, GREECE.
In Corinth, the buses run from the KTEL Korinthias station on Demokratias 4, 20100, Corinth. If you wish to get off at the isthmus and Ancient Corinth, the buses will run from where they left you in the direction you are headed, and across the road to head the other. The stop should be signposted.
Convenience
Although the buses are cheap, they are not a very convenient option to travel with if you aren’t familiar with the services. The KTEL bus stations are often located in peripheral areas of the city and can be hard to locate. When you arrive at the stations it can be difficult to locate the bus and it isn’t always clear which stop you should get off at, as they are not necessarily announced.
Editor’s Note
Everyone these days has Google maps on their phones and this will be a great help in getting your way around from the KTEL stations to the places that you want to see. Also, don’t be afraid to ask locals if you’re confused or lost. Greeks usually speak a fairly good level of English, especially the younger generation, and are very happy to help people.
Private Car Hire from Athens to Corinth
Car hire is another option for you to be able to drive by yourself to Corinth from Athens. This can be an exciting way for you to journey by yourself and you will have the ultimate flexibility of choosing your own route, stops, and timing. You have to make sure this day tour from Athens to Corinth, is well planned, because it may not be always straightforward travelling 83km from the city centre in a foreign country, particularly if you are not used to the roads. The journey time in a private car is 70 minutes. You will need to book your car before arriving because car hire companies can be booked out a month in advance, particularly in the summer season.
Cost of Hiring a Car
This can be relatively cheap, depending on when you book, which model you choose, your age and if you pay online or at the pick up point. Starting from €25 per day, this can easily rise to €60 per day. However, rental companies will also require a deposit on the car, which may begin from €200 but could be as much as €3000, depending on the model. You will also need to pay for petrol, which will cost around €30 each way, plus tolls on the National Highway add up to €7.15 each way. If you wish to have a private Delphi tour of the archaeological site, this will add an extra cost. Entrance fees to the archaeological site and museum will also incur an extra cost.
Convenience
This can be a cheap option, easy to access and has the full flexibility of your own decision making regarding leaving time, amount of time spent on the total trip, routes, etc. However, it will require planning, organisation and booking in advance, particularly in higher season. You will also need to take on the responsibility for getting to Corinth yourself, which may not always be so straight forward. Furthermore, it can be stressful driving in Greece if you’re not used to it, particularly when leaving Athens.
Editor’s Note
Driving around the centre of Athens can be difficult, with narrow roads, cars double parked and pedestrians frequently walking in the streets. There is a lot of traffic, and drivers tend to be very impatient. Having said that, once you leave the city, the scenic countryside with its mountainous terrain more than makes up for it. Having a satnav or google maps on your smartphone will be extremely helpful in getting you to Corinth.
National Railways (OSE) train from Athens to Corinth
A secondary method of public transport from Athens to Corinth is to take the train. It is a very straightforward route as there are many trains which run from Athens through to the Peloponnese via Corinth. This is also a very cheap option and the journey time will take around 1 hour and 10 minutes.
National Train (OSE)
How Often Do the Trains Run?
Trains run daily every hour between 05:36 and 22:36 at 36 past the hour. On the way from Corinth to Athens, trains run hourly from 05:14 to 22:14 at 14 past the hour.
Where Is the Train Station?
The train station is located across the road from the exit of the metro stop Larissa Station, which also indicates Athens OSE on many metro maps. The is on the red metro line which can be caught from Syntagma or Acropolis, towards Anthoupoli.
Convenience
The train station is easy to get to and clear, with an easy journey from Athens to Corinth. However, there are no trains to the isthmus/Corinth Canal or to the Ancient site. You will therefore need to an alternative method, such as a taxi, to get to these places if you wish to visit them. You may also want to hire a tour guide.
Editor’s Note
The trains in Greece are very comfortable and have excellent views along the way. As they aren’t the most popular means of transport, they are often not overly crowded. That being said, avoid the peak times of travel, particularly during the summer season, as they don’t always have air conditioning and it can get very hot with many people around.
