Hi all,
I'm 22 and living in Australia and am trying to plan my first solo trip to Greece. I will be on a island tour for the first 11 days but the rest of the time, 16 days, will just be by myself and I will not be driving. I'm having trouble narrowing down places to go (there are so many options!) and was wondering if anyone could help me. I'm not of a party person and don't want to spend all my time on beaches. I will be coming a long way from Australia so I want to make the most of my time and experience the different culture, and I'm quite an adventurous person and I love history. The one place I have to go is Delphi (I promised my Granny I would) and I would love to see Meteora as well, but I understand that may be difficult without a car. If anyone has any more suggestions or any advice about public transport I would greatly appreciate it

I fully understand your dilemma -- there is so much to see in Greece! You can explore your transportation options using either rome2rio.com or google maps ... just be sure to click through to the underlying links and enter the right dates and times. You should be able to get to most places -- more than enough for your time frame -- using public transport.

I had a car, but even so, you might find some useful information in my trip report: With Gratitude for a Glorious Solo Month in Greece

Many people visit Meteora without a car. You can join a tour or rely on a shuttle bus that passes by all the monasteries. The shuttle is somewhat limited in that it often does not begin each day as early as the monasteries open, and I think it's only one bus that does a continual loop to a central spot in Kalabaka.

There should be a once daily bus service between Delphi and Kalambaka. Check Ktel Fokidas for timetables closer to your travel dates. It may not run on Sundays, can’t remember. We also used the local bus at Meteora plus walked a lot. Some monasteries can be reached on foot from Kalambaka or Kastraki if energetic and have time.

We travelled a fair bit in Greece by bus. It does require some planning and patience but can be done. Of course there are some places difficult or impossible to reach using public transport.

I didn’t have a car to get to Meteora either. Took the train and a bus from Athens. I think there is direct transportation these days. You can check rometorio website or app. I hired a taxi to go visit the monasteries, pretty cheap! But, this was also years ago!

Meteora is completely doable without a car — most people overthink the logistics.

Train from Athens to Kalambaka takes 5 hours and the last stretch through the gorges is worth the trip on its own. Grab a window seat. Once you're in Kalambaka, a local bus does a loop to the monasteries but it starts late and runs limited times, so don't rely on it for sunrise. Taxis fill that gap — €15-40 for a round trip depending on which monastery. For someone staying overnight, that's not a big expense.

Some monasteries are walkable from Kastraki village (3km from Kalambaka). If you're happy with uphill hiking, the trail from Kalambaka to Great Meteoron through the forest is one of the better experiences in Greece — monks used the same path for centuries and you pass hermit caves before you reach the top. That's the kind of thing you don't get on a day trip from Athens.

Delphi is a KTEL bus from Athens Terminal B, about 3 hours. The useful thing for your route is the direct service between Delphi and Kalambaka — KTEL Fokidas runs it, so you don't need to backtrack to Athens between the two. Check timetables closer to your dates. Sunday service is limited or doesn't run at all.

The logical order without a car: Athens → Delphi (1-2 nights) → Kalambaka for Meteora (2 nights minimum — day trips arrive at midday crowds and miss sunrise and sunset entirely) → back to Athens or north to Thessaloniki.

Two nights at Meteora isn't negotiable if you want to actually experience the place. The light at sunrise when mist clings to the rock faces is the whole point. Midday in August with tour buses is a different destination.