Greece - Meteora advice here
 

Hi guys ! I read a lot of topics at these forums and you are really helpufll. So i decided to create a thread and to.provide information about Greece and especial my hometown Meteora ! I dont live there but i can help you in whatever you want! Feel free to ask me.

Okay. Here's one.
Last month I flew into Athens for a few days before moving on to Santorini. I didn't have enough time for a trip to Meteora, although I wished I did.

What is your recommendation if I did the same next year? Fly into Athens and spend a few days before continuing on to the islands. How should I get to Meteora and what do I need to know when I get there? Right now, my plan would be an overnght trip with a driver from PK Travels.

Hi!. Well Meteora is a place worthy to visit anytime of the year . From Athens Kalampaka ( the small city at the base of Meteora) can be reached by 3 ways :
daily direct train .duration 4 hours and 25 euros each way .
Oragnised tour with buss. ( i dont know the prices right now )
By a rental car.

Personally i suggest the first way if you are only interested at Meteora . If you want to combine Delphi or Thermopyles i suggest the organised tour.

At Meteora except the place by itself you can have a tour to traditional mountain villages at the neardy mountains , hiking or treeking at the rocks andnof course eat some really good food and the localbsweets and spirts. One night stay is a must. I propose 2 -3.

Tomikala omitted one option, the KTEL bus. I found the KTEL buses clean and comfortable. When I visited Meteora I arrived in Kalambaka by KTEL bus from the north, and left for Athens on an early train. I spent two nights. The afternoon I arrived I arranged with a taxi driver at what seemed to me a very reasonable price for transport to the monasteries.

It was early April, so no crowds and I didn't get too hot climbing the stairs. Bit chilly at night, but not a problem.

Oh yes my friend. The KTEL bus is an option but not so good from Athens . There are not much direct buses from Athens . You generally have to change to Trikala. Also is around the same money with the train. Also the buses station at athens is not so close to a Metro station. At the contrary train station is just next to the metro.

We will be traveling to Greece next fall, and will be arriving in Thessaloniki. I plan on visiting Meteora after a few days in the city. Where do you recommend we stay?

I’d also like to see Pella and Vergina, and wondered if we need an additional night before arriving in Meteora or if they can be seen on the way.

Oh Meteora! I went there by bike on the 2017 transcontinental race. The finish in Kalambaka: unforgettable. Thank you for starting this thread.

We stayed at the Divani Meteora hotel, the best thing was the view from the room we had. It is in Kalambaka.

https://divanimeteorahotel.com/

The Divani hotel is a very good option. Amalia hotel i also. Exceptional hotel is the Grand Meteora hotel.
Whcih month are you planning to be there ?

Visitting pella and vergina is a good option. You will not need an extra night. Starting morning from Thessaloniki you can pass the great tomb of King Phillipos and end up at night at the Meteora. If you go with a rental car you follow the Egnatia highway and its ok

I am happy you had a good time there! Transcontintal race ?!? Oh that is something to remember for sure.

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone!
Tomikala, we will be going the end of September 2020. I’ll into the hotels you recommend. I’m also glad to know that the other 2 sites are doable in a day.

thursdaysd, I’ll definitely look at your blog. I appreciate hearing that Pella may not be that worthwhile a visit, although the photos of the mosaics are what made me interested in that site. But we will be traveling to any number of sites, so I don’t need to see every one! I’ll also look into the other places you mention, but the trip will be centered in the Peloponnese, I think.

Totally. That last descent was so incredibly impressive.

Progol another option if you are interested is as you come from Thessaloniki to pass through vergina and end up to Litochoro . Is a semi mountain village at the clifs of mountain olympus. Not so many known to tourists outside of Balcans but sure worthy visit. You can sleep here the night and next day starting early you can admire the mountain Olympus by some treeking at the beautifull nature and very good food. At the afternoon ( night at semptember is around 19.45 here ) you can continue to Meteora ( 1.5 hours ) and sleep there.

Also if you are interested and the waether allows it ( it depens on the season of September you are coming ) you can spend another night at then Mountain and get to the top of the Mount Olympus. Its easy treeking but you have to sleep onnight at a wooden camp in the way.

Also near Meteora is a small town. Trikala. The hometown of the ancient doctor Asclipios . The father of the medicine art. It is worthy stop for a coffe or lunch .

What route are you planning to take after Meteora to Peloponesse ?

Tomikala,
Thanks so much for your suggestions! I will take a look at Litochoro - sounds lovely!

The itinerary is very much in the early planning stages, but we'll definitely go to Delphi from Meteora, though I'm not sure yet which town we will stay in.

From Delphi, we will most likely go to Nafplion, and planning to go to Mystras, Monemvasia, the Mani, then looping up around to ancient Messene and Olympia. We probably won't stay in Athens on this trip - we've been there before and have seen quite a bit. I'm thinking we might stay in Corinth the night before we leave Greece. Again, this is really in the early stages of planning.

@progol.
Very nice programm ! . At the more detailed planning phase we can help figure out the details.
By the way, for your stay after Delphi check out the small by the sea towns Galaxidi or Naupaktos. They are 30 minutes from the bridge of Rio - Antirrio that connects mainland with the Peloponesse.

What to do around Meteora?
 

If you arrive in late afternoon and stay 3 nights you really have only 2 full days in Meteora, which you can easily spend there if you like hiking and/or visiting monasteries.. The monasteries open on alternate days so in case you wish to see all of them, or wish to see certain ones which happen to be open on different days you'll need 2 days. I had only 1 day and I wished to stay for one day more.

Hello !! Well 3 nights are ok to take a really good picture of the aera. The first day starting early you can have a really full tour around the rocks and the monasteries and some small hiking tour. The second day is up your choise. As BDKR suggests if you want to explore more the rocks you can have a more complicated hiking tour (with a special hiking company) or visit a particular monasterie that was closed to the previous day and you want to see.
At this point just take into account that into the Meteora Monasteries actual monks live. So some days and hours the monasteries are closed. The timetable of the Monasteries is this. ( ok you are coming to Greece we dont always follow timetables !! :p ) https://www.kalampaka.com/en/meteora...es/time-table/

Personally, as you are having a car i suggest spending the morning with a quick tour to the rocks and then explore the around area. You will have plenty of time as this time in Greece the sun goes down around 21.00. There is a small village near Kalampaka- Kastraki ( 15 minutes ) which is called Theopetra. Is under a huge rock. At the rocks base is the famous Theopetra Cave. Its one of the most ancient caves at Greece . The remains of pre historic residense are dated back to 130.000 years ! There are the second most ancient footprints at the Europe !!! Its really worthy seeing. Also have in mind that this time of the year at Meteora is really hot. So i suggest spending your time at the nearby mountaints. There is a really nice place 1/2 hour away of Kalampaka. Its called Pylh. There is a really nice old traditional Greek mountain bridge with great history. And is a wonderfull place. Also nearby are some waterfalls. All of these can be combined with great food at the village of Diava. Just 15 minutes from Kastraki.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7132bea2fc.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5c02f20c76.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3fd819f8a9.jpg
Some pics from the places i mentioned above and some personals from Meteora.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d2d07b460c.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...45ba877738.jpg