Bus, ferry, hydrofoil and taxi information and links - Porto Heli and Argolis transport information, schedules and links.
- Getting from Athens to Porto Heli by sea.
- Getting from Athens to Porto Heli by land.
- Local transport.
The Athens International Airport website is the place to go to see what's what at Eleftherios Venizelos Airport (a.k.a. Athens International Airport) and I've got some links to rail services in Greece. ISAP Metro is the site for the old metro line and here is a link to the newer Attiki Metro line. I came across the Hellenic Railway Organisation website for train timetables and prices across Greece and also the website for the Proastiakos Railway Line which has information on the train service between Athens International Airport and Corinth.
Regarding transport between Athens and Porto Heli, you have several options. You can go from the airport to Pireaus Port and from there catch a hydrofoil or ferry to Porto Heli. Otherwise, the drive down is more scenic and only about 2 1/2 hours so you can organise a taxi transfer with Gioannis Taxi Service in Argolis or hire a vehicle from Avis, Hertz, or Heli Cars who are local to Porto Heli, to drive yourself down. If you are travelling by road see Via Michelin or Google for maps and I've got route notes here. The KTEL also have a daily service, more on that below.
From Athens to Porto Heli by sea.
- E96(a.k.a. X96) bus to Pireaus Port - The E96/X96 bus leaves from just outside Athens International Airport Arrivals (between exits 4 and 5) every 15/20 minutes between 07.20 & 22.10 or on the hour and half hour between 22.10 & 07.20. The terminal station at Pireaus is at Karaiskaki Square, near Gate E8 and you must walk, with the sea on your right, to Gate E9 for hydrofoil services to Porto Heli. The journey time to Pireaus is about an hour (depending on traffic) and costs a few Euros.
- Attiki Metro / ISAP to Piraeus Port - The new Attiki Metro can take you from the airport to Monastiraki station where you then change lines onto the ISAP Metro which takes you to Piraeus. You arrive outside Gate E8 so need to walk to Gate E9 (again, keep the sea on your right) for hydrofoil services to Porto Heli. The journey time is about an hour and costs about 8 Euros.
- Hellenic Seaways Flying Dolphins: 210 4199000, 27540 51537 - Several hydrofoils are scheduled daily between Pireaus and Porto Heli, which also stop at Poros, Hydra, Ermioni and Spetses. For information, online bookings and timetables please look at their website, www.dolphins.gr. It leaves at Gate E9, your travel time is between 2 1/2 or 3 hours, depending on where it is scheduled to stop and costs about 38 Euros. B.T.W. There is a fast food place across the road, opposite Gate E9 which means you can have a snack and sit in air-conditioned comfort whilst you're waiting for your hydrofoil as there's not much sheltered seating in the port.
Athens to Porto Heli by land.
- If you hire a vehicle to drive yourself, I've got a map and route notes here for you. You can find more maps at Via Michelin or Google. You can hire a vehicle from Avis, Hertz, or Heli Cars who are local to Porto Heli, for the drive down or the duration of your holiday.
- Proastiakos Train to Corinth - If you have pre-booked a taxi or have friends who can collect you from Corinth you can travel directly from the airport to Corinth on the Proastiakos train line. It departs frequently from the airport (and vice versa), the journey time is about an hour and the ticket price is about 10 Euros. This way you get to drive the most scenic part of the journey.
- Greek Bus (KTEL) Services: 210 5134588, 27540 21218 - You will need to take the Proastiakos train from the airport to Doukissis Plakentias station and then the Attiki Metro to Syntagma station. From there it is a short taxi ride to the KTEL Peloponissou station at 100 Kifissou. The ticket price is about 15 Euros from Athens to Porto Heli and the scenery is beautiful, especially after Corinth. The buses are privately owned so, in the main, clean and well maintained and very punctual. The journey time is between 3 1/2 to 4 hours. If you aren't overburdened with luggage, this is probably the most economical way to get to Porto Heli. For KTEL timetables throughout Greece, please see the KTEL website or for the KTEL Argolis timetables please look here.N.B. The KTEL website seems to come and go a bit, has done for ages, which is a bit annoying when I've linked to it so many times. The next time it's up I will try to grab more schedules and put them online.
| Greek Bus Service (KTEL) Schedule for Athens to Porto Heli | |||
| Bus leaves Athens | Bus arrives Porto Heli | Bus leaves Porto Heli | Bus arrives Athens |
| 09.00 | 13.10 | 10.30, 13.30, 16.50 daily | 14.40, 17.40, 21.00 |
Local Transport.
Vehicle Hire - This can be arranged in the village of Porto Heli; bikes, boats, cars and motorbikes are all available. Try Heli Cars or visit Aphrodite or Staikos Car Hire in the village.
Taxis: 27540 51212 - There is a taxi rank in Porto Heli and the taxis can also be hired by the day if you would like to go on an excursion. Try Gioannis Taxi Service for airport transfers or local excursions. This is a good way to see the area as the drivers have plenty of local information and know the best places to stop en route to take photos.
Local Greek Bus Service (KTEL): 27540 21218 - The cost of a bus ticket from Costa to Kranidi is about 2 Euros and from Kranidi there are several daily services to the surrounding villages. If you're going to Spetses island using the KTEL and the ferry, there is an agreement that the bus will wait for the disembarking ferry passengers and the other way around but you have to walk briskly the couple of hundred metres between the two.
Local Ferry Service: 27540 53333 - The crossing time between Costa and Spetses is about 15 minutes and a ticket will cost you about 75 Cents. The ferry leaves Spetses daily at: 08.00, 10.00, 13.00 & 16.40 and the ferry leaves Costa daily at: 08.30, 10.30, 13.30 & 17.00. There are no extra services to coincide with the extra KTEL services between Costa, Porto Heli and Kranidi.
You catch the ferry or a water taxi from the quay in Costa which is on the left hand side of the bay (facing the sea). It is a 200 metre walk from the bus stop and the ferry/bus that you connect with will only wait for a reasonable time so don't take it too easy. Please note that if you take the 17.00 ferry to Spetses you will either have to stay there overnight or come back by water taxi, there is no return ferry until the next morning.
| Daily KTEL schedule for Kranidi/Porto Heli/Costa | ||||
| Kranidi | Porto Heli | Costa | Porto Heli | Kranidi |
| 08.00, 10.00, 13.00, 16.30 | 08.10, 10.10, 13.10, 16.40 | 08.15, 10.15, 13.15, 16.45 | 08.20, 10.20, 13.20, 16.50 | 08.30, 10.30, 13.30, 17.00 |
| Extra services during July and August only | ||||
| Kranidi | Porto Heli | Costa | Porto Heli | Kranidi |
| 09.00, 11.30, 19.00 | 09.10, 11.40, 19.10 | 09.15, 11.45, 19.15 | 09.20, 11.50, 19.20 | 09.30, 12.00, 19.30 |
Water Taxi Services: 22980 72072 - The water taxi service really is 24/7, 365 days a year. There is always at least one waiting at Costa ready to take you to Spetses, the current price being about 20 Euros. They can take you on scenic tours around Spetses or be hired for the day so that you can go where you please all around the coastline, they will take you as far afield as Hydra and you can organise collection/drop off from Porto Heli too. They charge standard rates for all their trips and the fares double after midnight.
Porto Heli II is a water taxi available for hire from the Fostinis family, call: 27540 51340 or 6973373773 and Margarita is a slightly larger water taxi if there are lots of you, call: 6932201010.
Small caiques also go to Spetses during the summer months for about 2 Euros but they only start crossing when they are quite full so if you're amongst the first to board you may have to wait a while until it fills up.
