Cycle touring in Greece

Special K

Just thought I would share with you my journal and pictures from a little trip to Greece this year:

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/epirot

A really fantastic place to tour with a bike! Although I am half Greek, it was a total revelation to me to be cycling on mainland Greece after so many years visiting the islands. One of the things I worried about the most, was safety on the road. Actually, the drivers were a good deal more courteous than in the UK where there is a much better chance of having your elbows clipped. I was stupid enough to cycle on the main Athens - Thessaloniki motorway for about an hour and it was about as stupid and dangerous as it sounds. This, and other pointers I will add to the journal as a lot of the stuff on Crazyguyonabike is of people passing through Greece on RTW or longer trips. In the meatime, I hope that these sunny pictures help life the winter gloom.
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mtbhenry888

hi mate,

I have been to Corfu twice on holiday and i love it, it's beautiful, loved the pictures they really brightened my day! one question though, youve inspired me but what are the rules about camping in Corfu and greece, you camped wild on a few occasions, can you just pitch up anywhere?

xilios

Hi, I've checked out your site and it was a good read with some nice pictures. Looks like you had a great time.
Even though Greece is a nice place to cycle I do have to mention that it was the only place in Europe that we got robbed.
After traveling around Europe it just happend to be my home country that something bad happend.
We plan on returing for another tour in the future but we would be more vigilant next time around.

cycladelic

I also enjoyed reading about your tour - thanks for posting the link.

I wonder where to go in Greece for a couple of weeks cycling - any suggestions? I'm thinking around September.

xilios

I know your question is directed to Special K but, if I can I would highly recomend Peloponisos. Two weeks is just right for a leisurely tour of the whole area.
Try to avoid Patras, or if you must go through it do it on a week end or holiday. Try and get a flight into Kalamata or the Island of Zakinthos
If you go through Athens, make your way to (the port) Piraeus, and get a ferry to Poros that way you avoid some bad industrial areas west of Athens. It's a much easyer and relaxing alternative to a train.

dpiper

Great ride there Mr K! I agree Greece is great cycling country, I'm surprised there are not so many riders there (yet).

I also rode across Greece last summer:

[http://www.tra-velo-gue.co.uk/trip11.htm]

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Special K

Xilios, thanks for the heads up. Your website and journals were an inspiration, and yes, Peloponissos is next on the list. Having visited Nafplion with the girls last summer (in the car), it's definitely an area that I'd like to explore. If I go, it will be

Epidavros
Nafplion
Around the coast down past paralia Tyrou
Over the mountains past Kosmas and to SParta
Mystras and the pass over to Kalamata
Down the coast of the Exo Mani
round to Gytheion etc.

Dpiper, agree, slightly bizarre to have such great routes and not seeing cyclists. Liked your account - a lot of miles! Clearly travelling a lot lighter than me (bike, equipment, flab)...

With the wild camping, it was a case of necessity in remote places. Nobody minded because I was discrete, i.e. nobody knew I was there. I wouldn't recommend it, especially up in the mountains, unless you have calmer nerves than me and good survival skills in case things go wrong.

dpiper

Nah, got the flab alright, but have an obsession with travelling light and hoping I'll find a place to stay.

Maybe we should keep Greece a secret and let all the plebs ride the busy TDF routes

Special K

I like you style.

It does worry me that the transport information is so bad for Greece. The ECF found that the trains (OSE) are equal with Thalys of Belgium at being totally crap at carrying bikes. It's a shame, really.

I understand however, that you should be able to to from the airport to Corinth on the Praostiakos train. I say should as with travelling in Greece, all supporting information like this is pretty arbitary. Unless you try it on the day, you never really know for sure (the next day could be completely different story).

Xilios mentioned that the train was not a good idea - why's that then?

xilios

In '05 I also had a lot of hastle trying to get my bike on the train from central Athens (monastiraki station in Plaka) to the airport. And only through a lot of arguing did I accomplish this. The only way they finally alowed me to board was to remove the front wheel of the bike roll it on the train and when it left the staion I could put it back on, go figure.
On our last tour we rode from Illioupolis (suburb of Athens) to the airport, no problems there. We did however needed to ride on a dual carrigeway and according to the airport staff is ok with the police.