Katakolon FAQ

[fmax]

I put my research together from my last Med Cruise and created a FAQ thread that people could add to. I thought I should create similar threads for my upcoming Greek/Turkey ports so will start here with a list of things I have uncovered on these sites.

 

So hopefully you summer cruisers can add to it on your return from the Greek Isles... tell us what not to miss, the must sees and the don't waste your time sites. Any amazing bargains that are not to be missed or previously undiscovered restaurants.

 

Things to do – General Info

60 & 80 Euros for a taxi from Katakolon to Olympia and back.

need to hire the cab to take you and wait there for your return.

Very few taxis were found at Olympia that were not already

Olympia has no guides for hire at the site.

Katakolon has one street of shops to offer and a quaint harbor.

Winery tour

http://www.cruisecritic.com/ports/newport.cfm?ID=124

 

Private Drivers /Companies

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=372168&page=3[/url]

 

Useful Websites / message threads

(http://www.calvin.edu/academic/clas/pathways/olympia/).

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=194740

http://www.travellady.com/Issues/Feb...ettheGames.htm

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel...Katakolon.html

http://realtravel.com/katakolon-gree...s-d687054.html

[little britain]

Call Dionysius at rentacarkatakolo.gr on (+30) 2621.041727. The car hire shop is right opposite the dock, car hire costs €45 for the day and you pay around €10 for gas.

[raynvic]

We did the ship tour to Olympia here but if I had to do it again, I would rent a car and drive to Olympia. Be sure so save some time to walk the streets of Katakolon, it was one of my favorite ports and we had a great lunch at a little taverna on the water before getting back on the ship.

[fmax]

Website on Katakolon

http://katakolon.kastrokyllinis.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katakolo

 

 

 

Frances

[Bsan1221]

A great guide to hire is Gemma. Her e-mail is geconom@otenet.gr

 

She has had many good reviews here on the boards. She does a great tour of Olympia and she also does Athens. If I would have known she did a tour of Athens I would have booked it with her. She was one of the best tour guides we have ever had.

[BobTroll]

I put my research together from my last Med Cruise and created a FAQ thread that people could add to. I thought I should create similar threads for my upcoming Greek/Turkey ports so will start here with a list of things I have uncovered on these sites.

 

So hopefully you summer cruisers can add to it on your return from the Greek Isles... tell us what not to miss, the must sees and the don't waste your time sites. Any amazing bargains that are not to be missed or previously undiscovered restaurants.

 

Things to do – General Info

60 & 80 Euros for a taxi from Katakolon to Olympia and back.

need to hire the cab to take you and wait there for your return.

Very few taxis were found at Olympia that were not already

Olympia has no guides for hire at the site.

Katakolon has one street of shops to offer and a quaint harbor.

Winery tour

http://www.cruisecritic.com/ports/newport.cfm?ID=124

 

Private Drivers /Companies

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=372168&page=3

 

Useful Websites / message threads

(http://www.calvin.edu/academic/clas/pathways/olympia/).

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=194740

http://www.travellady.com/Issues/Feb...ettheGames.htm

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel...Katakolon.html

http://realtravel.com/katakolon-gree...s-d687054.html

 

I travelled to Katakolo (a.k.a. Kalakolon) on November 5th 2007 on the Star Princess cruise ship. Princess offer a range of shore excursions, including a guided visit to the archeological site and the archeological museum at Olympia. In my opinion, the ship's tour offers insufficient time to enable visitors to view everything on offer at these sites.

 

Having researched the alternatives, I discovered that Hellenic Railways had opened a station at Katakolo in June 2007. They provide a direct train service to Olympia (see the press release at http://www.ose.gr/ecportal.asp?id=1271&nt=18&lang=2).

 

Provided your cruise itinerary allows sufficient time at Katakolo, the modern train service is probably the best, and most cost-effective way to travel to Olympia. The train line is so new that there is no timetable on the Greek Railway website. However, when I emailed their customer service department at callcenter@osenet.gr, they replied with full details of the train times for the day of my visit:

 

Train E382 - Departs Katakolo 08:36, arrives Olympia 09:17 (Express service)

Train 1386 - Departs Katakolo 11:06, arrives Olympia 11:52 (Stopping service)

Train 1388 - Departs Katakolo 12:52, arrives Olympia 13:41 (Stopping service)

Train 1390 - Departs Katakolo 14:51, arrives Olympia 15:38 (Stopping service)

 

Return Trains:

Train E387 - departs Olympia 11:57, arrives Katakolo 12:39 (Express service)

Train 1389 - departs Olympia 13:46, arrives Katakolo 14:32 (Stopping service)

Train 1391 - departs Olympia 15:42, arrives Katakolo 16:30 (Stopping service)

 

The train station is at the end of the shopping parade in Katakolo, approximately 200 yards from the port gates. If your ship has moored at the longest pier, 15 minutes probably allows sufficient time to walk to and from the station.

 

We travelled on the 08:36 express train and returned on the 13:46 service. A return ticket on the express train cost us 3 Euros per person. Passsengers on the 11:06 service paid 2 Euros for a return ticket.

 

A combined admission ticket for the archeological site AND the archeological museum costs 9 Euros (cheaper than separate tickets for the archeological site and museum, which cost 6 Euros each). We paid a total of 12 Euros per person for travel and admission, which was much cheaper than the equivalent ship's tour ($64 per person). I am sure we had a better deal.

 

When you travel to Olympia independently, you won't have a professional guided tour. We did not find that was a problem, because there are English signs around the site. Furthermore, the Greek Department of Culture publishes an excellent map and leaflet, which explains you everything you need to know. (Ask for a copy the free map and leaflet, when you purchase admission tickets.)

[bonnieg]

Thanks for the information for the train. How long does it take to walk from the train to the ruins once you are in Olympia?

[Fblack]

I was at Katakolon on the Westerdam in October. We hired a taxi to go to Olympus. The taxis cost 100 Euros per taxi for two to 2.5 hours. They hold 4 people. You can pay more for a longer trip. The first driver we approached at the pier wanted 150 Euros. The next one in a new Mercedes charged 100 Euros.

 

It takes 30 minutes to drive to ruins. Then an hour for a fast tour and a half hour back.

 

There is an entrance fee of 8 Euros. The train station is not near the site. You will need a taxi from the nearby town to the ruins.

[dileep]

I travelled to Katakolo (a.k.a. Kalakolon) on November 5th 2007 on the Star Princess cruise ship. Princess offer a range of shore excursions, including a guided visit to the archeological site and the archeological museum at Olympia. In my opinion, the ship's tour offers insufficient time to enable visitors to view everything on offer at these sites.

 

Having researched the alternatives, I discovered that Hellenic Railways had opened a station at Katakolo in June 2007. They provide a direct train service to Olympia (see the press release at http://www.ose.gr/ecportal.asp?id=1271&nt=18&lang=2).

 

 

We were also on the Star Princess that same day and did the ship's tour and did not feel rushed. We came back in tome for a leisurely walk in Katakolon.

 

The train option sounds interesting though.

[fmax]

Just updating this for the 2008 cruisers - here's some other links to threads on the boards for Katakolon

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=480366&highlight=katakolon

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=675484&highlight=katakolon+train

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=491821&highlight=katakolon

 

 

 

Frances