parag

I am thrilled with an instant feedback on my earlier message & am tempted to post another message. <BR> I have booked a week for 4 persons in April 2001 in an R.C.I. affiliated resort'Golden Coast Holiday Club'@Village Nea Makri,near Marathon,Attica,45 km./1 hr.drive/80 min. by bus.We are a couple(architects)in mid thirties & intend to make it a base for exploring Athens,sounion,Delphi,Corinth,Mycenae,Epidaurus,Na fplion in day trips by public transport /KTEL buses & rent-a-bike wherever possible.Will it be very hectic?Any info.about the hotel or place?We would also welcome a couple to share the extra capacity of 2 persons in our suite & travelling expences; as renting a car for 4 persons will be economical & enjoyable.

Walter

I was stationed (small US Navy communications base-now closed) as a young man right next to this resort which was just a large hotel in 73-75. <BR>The hotel's nightclub was our hang-out, with many single female tourists arriving each week. I returned last Jan and was hoping to stay there but it was closed for the season. It's on a quiet dead-end road right on the water and maybe 3km from the town. Nea Makri has grown from a small quaint town into a larger tourist town. And most of the open areas outside of the town has been turned in suburbs. <BR>I would forget trying to do these daytrips on public buses except for Sounion which *might* still have a bus that travels along the coast from Nea Makri. <BR>I wouldn't try to go to the Peloponnese from Nea Makri on a daytrip. You would have to go into Athens to switch buses and then out of the city and just the time in traffic would be hours with the return also. I left Corinth heading to Nea Makri by car and just in the stopped bumper-bumper traffic in the city was 2hrs. This was cutting across Athens on a weekday ~noontime. I would consider taking a bustour from the hotel for Delphi or Sounion or renting a car. You can avoid Athens going to these two places, north thru Marathon to E-75 for Delphi or follow the coast roads (scenic) to Sounion. HTH Regards, Walter <BR> <BR>

Walter

This is a website for the Nea Makri Navy Base www.geocities.com/frenchie_Ata4d/index.html I sent the webmaster some photos I took of Nea Makri town along with some distant shots from the mountain of our base with the Golden Coast included. Hopefully he'll put them on his website soon (his scanners broke), so check this site out from time to time for photos. The photo on this website is from the mountain just across from the Golden Coast which isn't in the photo but just to the left of the base. HTH Regards, Walter <BR>

parag

Thanks a million Walters for your invalueable information.According to the info. from Internet, there's a bus stop @800 mts. from the resort.Any other closer places to see?

Walter

If you can get a copy of the "Blue Guide Greece" if you are going to do these daytrips. If you are going to just visit Athens and surrounding area get the "Blue Guide Athens" these are great guides for historical sites and museums only. And both have info for the area surrounding Nea Makri. Between Nea Makri and Marathon there is the Tomb of Athenians, just a dirt burial mound of the dead from the Battle of Marathon. And in Vrana 3km from the road is a nice but small local museum. But just before Marathon and maybe 15km from the road are the ruins of Rhamnous. If you can rent bikes or scooters in Nea Makri this would make a nice trip. *But* have the hotel call to make sure this site is *completely* open, in Jan only 1 temple could be viewed far away from the main site because of arch. digs. Go to http://www.culture.gr/2/21/toc/index.html click-on "List of Arch. Sites" then click-on "R" & Rhamnous. This is 25yr old info but I'm sure it's still the same, on the main road you will of course want the bus to Athens and it will be Athena in Greek and coming back the bus will be for Marathonas in Greek again, Good-Luck. HTH Regards, Walter <BR> <BR>

Parag

Thanx a M..I..L..L..I..O..N once again for your promt(instant)& detailed reply,Walters.I thought Nea Makri never existed on any map & nobody must have heard this name,leave aside the hotel in there.Your info. has helped me a lot in my planning.Thanx again.