This Travelling Summer University will start on Thursday, July 23th and will end on Thursday, August 6th in Patra. If you are planning to arrive earlier, or leave later please inform us beforehand in This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

We will cover all the travelling within the SU but not your tickets from your place to Patra or back to your places. However we will help you find the best and cheapest way for your travelling.

1. Coming to Greece

1.1 Airplane

Araxos

Unfortunately Patra doesn't have an airport. The nearest airport is Araxos (40km away) but there aren't companies that serve the routes throughout the whole year. However during the summer there are some charter flights (like TUIfly) that can have special offers.

Athens

The major airport of Greece that serves the most international flights is Athens' International Airport "Eleftherios Venizelos". Many airlines have direct flights to Athens. The two biggest Greek air carriers are Olympic Airlines and Aegean Airlines. You can also search for flights by reffering to your local airlines. An extensive search for air connections between various destinations can be performed on:

www.airtickets.gr
www.whichbudget.com/en/cheapflights.php?to=ATH (low cost airlines)

1.2 Ferry-boat to Patra

If you are coming from Italy (or nearby places) this is a good option for you. Ferries travel from Italy to Patra many times a day and offer a comfortable and cheap way of coming to Greece. You are also arriving to the city where the Summer University will begin directly and don't have to use extra means of transportation.
Ferries that arrive to Patra depart from the following Italian cities: Venezia, Ancona, Bari and Brindisi. Depending on schedules, you can get a ticket with a return trip for 80 euros or even less. Various companies operate ferry lines to Greece, the most important among them being Superfast/Bluestar, ANEK, and Minoan. For alternative options you can check the website ferries.gr.

1.3 Train (to Thessaloniki)

The following trains depart daily to and from Greece for the following destinations:

• Bucuresti - Thessaloniki (through Sofia)
• Sofia –Thessaloniki
• Beograd – Thessaloniki
• Istanbul – Thessaloniki

Check the routes here.

If you intend to come by train from another Balkan country, we recommend you buy the Balkan Flexipass rail pass. It costs 51 euro for 5 days of travelling in a period of 1 month. That means that it can cover your whole trip (e.g. from Beograd to Patra) for just 51 euro!

2. Coming to Patra from Athens

Unless you took the ferry directly to Patra, you will need to use internal transportation to come to Patra either from Athens or Thessaloniki.

2.1 By bus

In order to take the bus for Patra you have to go to "KTEL Kifissou", the central bus station in Athens serving trips to Peloponnesus. A bus trip to Patra takes about 2,5 hours (express bus) or 3 hours (regular bus). They both cost about 17 euros. You have to issue a ticket for Patra when you get there, look for a sign called "Patra" or "Achaia" at the ticket office. Advanced booking is not necessary. The routes are roughly every half hour.

Detailed routes

To get to "KTEL Kifissou" you have the following options:

• You can get there directly from Athens International Airport by taking bus X93. You will get off the bus at the end of the line.
• If you find yourself in the centre of Athens, you can go to "KTEL Kifissou" by taking bus 051. To take bus 051 follow these instructions: From Omonoia square (metro station Omonoia) find the street "Agiou Konstantinou" that starts from Omonoia. Take this street and turn left at the 3rd street (called "Menandrou"). The bus stop for bus 051 is a few meters away. Final stop of bus 051 is "KTEL Kifissou".

2.2 By train

Train is cheaper than bus (8 - 10 euro) but takes some extra time (approximately 4 hours). The Central Train Station in Athens is called “Larissa Station” and you can reach it by Metro.

If you decide to take a train to Patra you need to know that you have to change train in “Kiato”. The Athens – Kiato route is operated by suburban railway, while Kiato – Patra is operated by national railway.

There is also the option of going to Patra directly from airport, without going to “Larissa Station”. Ask for a ticket to “Kiato” while being in the airport and change train in “Ano Liosia” station.

Routes:
Airport -> Ano Liosia
Athens -> Kiato -> Patra

3. Coming to Patra from Thessaloniki

You can come either by bus or train. Bus is a bit expensive, about 25 euros, but is faster and has a direct route three times a day for Patra. Buses for Patra leave from "Makedonia Bus Station". You can issue tickets at the station, look for signs called "Patra" or "Achaia" at the ticket office. To get to "Makedonia bus station" from the train station you need to take bus number 1.

If you choose the train you have to travel through Athens because there are not directly trains from Thessaloniki to Patra. You can look the timetables from Thessaloniki to Athens and from Athens to Patra.

4. Getting around Athens

If you have some time to spend in Athens, here is some useful information:

• To get from Athens Airport to the centre of Athens (Syntagma) you have to take bus X95.
• To get from Athens airport to the nearest metro station (Ethniki Amyna) you can take bus X94.
• To go to the bus station for Patra from the centre of Athens you have to take bus 051 (see above for info).
• To get to the train station from Athens centre you have to use the Metro. You must take the Metro with direction to Sepolia and get off at "Larissa Station" (it could also be displayed as "Stathmos Larissis").

Also refer to the website of Athens Urban Transportation Organization and Athens Metro for details.

5. Practical Information

Clothing, Sleeping and Eating

The days of July and August are by far the hottest in Greece. So, be equipped with light cloths (t-shirts for boys and short skirts for girls!) and of course a swimsuit (if you need one). It is also a good idea to have a jacket just in case, although most probably you will not need it. Furthermore, you should have with you a sleeping bag and a mattress for the camping site and athletic shoes for the trekking! We are also looking forward to tasting your national drinks and listening to your national music!
Although we will be very kind with you :-), it is important to have travel insurance during your stay in Greece (E111 form for EU citizens).

It's all Greek to me!

Although the primary language during the Summer University will be the English (and the body language), it will be possibly good to learn some words and useful expressions in Greek:

Costs

The Greek currency is the euro € made up of 100 cents. Euro coins come as 1c, 2c, 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, 1 and 2. Euro notes come as 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500(oh my God!). All euro notes and coins are legal tender throughout the euro zone, regardless of their country of issue. If you come from a country not using the euro, you may find the latest exchange rates here. In Greece you will not have any problem finding an ATM (Bankomat) for withdrawing money, as most machines accept also foreign cards (Visa, Visa Electron, Maestro etc). In the following list you can see some typical price ranges currently found in Greece.