Greece & the Peloponnese




















Enjoy rural Greece and its islands

A 15-day tour to Florence and Greece, with sightseeing by rail, coach and ship around the beautiful Peloponnese, followed by a visit to Athens.

Day 1 Saturday - To Switzerland
We depart from London Waterloo at about 0900 by Eurostar for Paris, with a meal served on board. After crossing Paris by coach, we continue by TGV to Lausanne on the shores of Lake Geneva for an overnight stay at the Continental Hotel (4 star).

Day 2 - To Florence
From Lausanne we travel by Cisalpino tilting train along the shores of Lake Geneva, past terraced vineyards and soaring mountain peaks, up the spectacular Rhône Valley into Italy. The journey continues past Lake Maggiore to Milan, where we change for Florence. We stay two nights in Florence at the Hotel Anglo American (4 star), situated in a quiet but central location just a short walk from the city's historical attractions..

Day 3 - Free in Florence
Today you are free to explore this amazing city with its wealth of palaces, churches and wonderful art galleries.

Day 4 - Cruise the Adriatic 
After a free morning, we travel by coach to Ancona where we join the Superfast Ferries service to Greece. Settle into your comfortable two-berth cabin for the journey down the Adriatic, passing Croatia and Albania to the Greek port of Patras in the Peloponnese. All your meals on board are included.

Day 5 - Patras to Olympia
We reach Patras in the afternoon after a morning spent cruising through the Ionian Sea past the islands of Corfu, Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaka. On arrival we travel by coach to Olympia, where we spend three nights at the Hotel Europa ('A' Class).

Day 6 - Olympia
Today we begin by touring the temples at Vassae, including the magnificent Temple of Apollo Epikourios, one of the country's best preserved classical monuments. We then continue to the ancient site of Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic Games. The ruins of magnificent temples, the stadium and the sanctuary where the flame of the modern Olympic Games is still lit to this day, are brought to life during an excellent guided tour. You have some free time here to visit the fascinating Olympia Museum.

Day 7 - Temples and Tavernas
After a journey above the stunning Loussios Gorge, we visit the beautiful old hill villages of Stemnitsa and Dimitsana, and enjoy lunch in a local taverna.

Day 8 - By train to Kalavrita
We leave Olympia on the local train and travel along the coast to the Gulf of Corinth. At Diakofti, we change trains for a wonderful journey by narrow-gauge rack railway through the Vouraikos Gorge to the small mountain town of Kalavrita. We stay overnight at the Filoxenia Hotel ('B' Class).

Day 9 - Ancient Corinth
Our journey takes us back down the mountain railway and onto the main line for the scenic journey along the coast to Corinth. We tour the archaeological site of Ancient Corinth, one of the most powerful and magnificent cities of Ancient Greece, and see the impressive Corinth Canal. Our journey continues by coach to Tolo, where we spend three nights at Hotel Minoa ('B' Class), idyllically located on the beach of this small seaside town.

Day 10 - Island hopping
We cruise by boat from Tolo, first visiting the beautiful island of Hydra. After time for lunch in the colourful harbour, our cruise continues to Spetses, a pretty island of narrow streets and whitewashed houses.

Day 11 - Epidavros and Nafplion
Today we visit the ruins at Epidavros, which include the amazingly well-preserved theatre constructed in the 4th century BC. We travel to the coast and enjoy a relaxing fish lunch in a local taverna overlooking the harbour before continuing to Nafplion, the first capital of Greece and one of the country's loveliest towns. It boasts four castles, a citadel, first-rate shopping and many excellent restaurants along the picturesque seafront.

Day 12 - Wine tasting en route to Athens
We leave Nafplion and visit the Nemea vineyards for lunch before joining the train to Athens, arriving in the afternoon. We stay three nights in Hotel Herodion ('A' Class), close to the Acropolis.

Day 13 - Athens
This morning we take you up the Acropolis to visit the Parthenon and to the colourful Plaka area, located just a short walk from the hotel. Your afternoon is free to explore this fascinating city.

Day 14 - Free day in Athens
Your last day in Athens is free, and with the brand-new metro nearby, access to the main attractions is easy.

Day 15 Saturday - Fly to London
We leave for the airport for our afternoon flight to London Heathrow.

Cruise to Greece

Superfast Ferries have a fleet of young, modern ships which have lived up to their name by substantially reducing the duration of the cruise from Ancona to Patras since their introduction to the route.

The onboard facilities are excellent, with a selection of bars and lounges in which to relax, shops, a swimming pool and nightly entertainment. Accommodation is in two-berth cabins with shower and WC. Dinner and breakfast in the a la carte restaurant are included.

Rail travel in Greece

A network of narrow gauge trains in the Peloponnese operates a service to most towns and extends to Athens on the mainland. The trains are, clean, punctual and one class only. The highlight is the exciting journey by mountain railway from the coast to Kalavrita through the Vouraikos Gorge. When travelling by train we always take your luggage separately.