You basically have 4 ways to get from Athens to Meteora:
- Public Intercity Train from Athens to Trikala (4.5 hours) and then a second train from Trikala to Kalabaka (20 minutes), and then a taxi to actually take you to the monasteries/rocks or just walk for about 1 hour (uphill)
- Licensed Guided Tour that includes all train tickets from Athens to Trikala and Kalabaka, a tour guide that will explain to you what you are seeing and will also provide a minibus to take you to Kastraki village and the best locations for views on the rocks
- KTEL Bus from Athens to Kalabaka and then obviously a taxi to the monasteries or just walk (more than 1 hour hike)
- Rent a car and drive there yourself.
I honestly believe that the Best Way to get from Athens to Meteora is by booking a licensed guided tour. This can also be done as a day trip to Meteora from Athens, but get prepared for a long, tiring, but totally rewarding day because Meteora is deep in mainland Greece, and it’s a 5-hour train trip.
- Best Day Trip from Athens to Meteora: From Athens – Meteora Monasteries Bus Tour and Hidden Caves
A guided tour from Athens to Meteora, like this one, will take you on a train from Athens Train Station (“Larissis Station” or “Larissa Station”) to Trikala Town. From there, you will get another public train to Kalabaka town, which is next to the rocks. A licensed guide will escort you anywhere during the train trips. Once you get to Kalabaka, private minibuses will pick you up and drive you to the best places on the monasteries and the local museums on the rocks. They will explain everything to you, along with many stops to the best spots for photos and views.
However, you have a few other options to get to Meteora from Athens, if you want to explore the area by yourself. These are all the options:
| How Long It Takes | Cost* | |
| Licensed Bus Guided Tour (by public train or bus and then a private van) | this can be a 14-hour day trip from Athens to Meteora with a train (or bus) that departs from central Athens Larissis Train Station, takes you with a minibus to the Meteora Monasteries and return back to Athens in the evening | from 40 euros to 150 euros (check here) |
| By Public Train (Athens to Trikala and then Trikala to Kalabaka) | – 4.5 hours from Athens to Trikala – 20 minutes from Trikala to Kalabaka – then taxi to the monasteries (10 minutes) or walk (1 hour) | 30 euros |
| KTEL Bus (KTEL Trikalon bus Company) | – 4.5 hours drive from Athens to Trikala (the bus departs from Liosion Bus Station in Athens) – 1 hour from Trikala to Kalabaka | 29 euros |
| Rent a Car | renting a car from Athens can cost 40 euros per day | renting a car from Athens can cost from 40 euros per day |
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It goes without saying that whatever I am detailing in this post also applies to the return trip from Meteora to Athens.
Keep reading…
ATHENS TO METEORA TIPS:
- You basically have 4 options for getting from Athens to Meteora: by a guided bus tour, by KTEL Bus , by public train or by renting a car and driving yourself.
- Best way To get From Athens to Meteora: by a licensed guided bus/train tour (like this one)
- There are no flights to Meteora; the only way to get there is by bus, car or train. The place is up on the mountains in a remote area of mainland central Greece.
- Official Website for KTEL Buses to Meteora: KTEL Trikalon
- Bus from Athens to Meteora: you have to take it from the Liosion KTEL Bus Station (on Google Maps), which is unfortunately the worst in the country and really dated without any modern facilities
- Meteora’s name obviously comes from the way these billion years old rocks are standing like “meteors”
- Between April-October, there are usually 6 KTEL Buses from Athens to Meteora and from Meteora to Athens
- How long is the bus ride from Athens to Meteora: the bus ride takes about 5 hours
- How long is the train ride from Athens to Meteora: the train ride takes about 5 hours in total (to Kalabaka town)
- How much does it cost to take a bus from Athens to Meteora: the bus ticket on KTEL Buses costs 29 euros but this changes so always check the official website of KTEL Buses Trikalon
- How much does it cost to take a train from Athens to Meteora: the train ticket to Meteora costs 30 euros (to Kalabaka final station) but this may change so always check the official Hellenic Trains website.
- Where to Get the bus from Athens to Meteora: you have to go to the Liosion Bus Station in Athens (NOT TO BE CONFUSED with the Kifisos Bus Station; it is a different Bus Station)
- Where to Get the train from Athens to Meteora: you have to go to the “Larissis Train Station” in Athens (or “Larissa Station”)
- Best Way to Get From Athens Airport to KTEL Liosion Bus Station is by taking the Express Bus X93 (see its route here)
- Best Way to Get From Athens Airport to Athens Train Station (Larissis Station) is by taking the “Proastiakos Train – Suburban Train” (see its route and timetables here) ; it’s a 45 minutes train from the airport
- Where to Book the Bus from Athens to Meteora: from KTEL Trikalon website
Ok, so let’s see all the options from Athens to Meteora (that also apply to the return trip from Meteora to Athens):
ATHENS TO METEORA BUS (KTEL)
You can certainly take the Ktel bus to Trikala from Athens instead of the train (and then another bus to Kalabaka town).
In order to get the KTEL Trikalon Bus to Meteora you have to go to Liosion Bus St Station in Athens (on Google Maps). This is not the same station as Kifissos Bus Station and it’s in a different location.
HOW TO GET TO “LARISSA” ATHENS TRAIN STATION (ALSO CALLED “LARISSIS”)
Larissis train Station (just “Athens” stop on train routes is very easilly accesible from the airport with the suburban train (“Proastiakos”) and you can check the timetables here.
You can also get to the Larissa Train Staion by metro line 2.
HOW TO GET TO LIOSION BUS STATION
You can reach the Liosion Bus Terminal in Athens either with a bus or Metro Line 2 from Syntgmuare.
- From Athens International Airport: you have to take the X93 Express Bus
You can also see the details of X93 Route and timetables on the official website of Athens Buses.
- From Syntgma Square to Kifissos Bus Station: you have to take the Metro Line 2 (M2) and then walk for about 15-20 mins
CONCLUSION
You basically have 4 options to get from Athens to Meteora: by a guided tour or by a KTEL bus or by the public train or by renting a car and driving there. I recommend taking the guided tour because you will experience the whole trip in a much better way.
