Planning a Trip

Getting There

By Car -- From Athens, head south to the Corinth Canal. If you want to stop at Epidaurus en route, turn left just after the canal at the sign for Epidaurus. If you want to stop at Mycenae en route, take the winding old Corinth-Argos road and the signposted Mycenae bypass. If you want to stop at Nemea en route, take the new Corinth-Tripolis road to the Nemea exit. If you want to get to Nafplion as quickly as possible, take the new Corinth-Nafplion road to the Argos exit. Follow the signs first into Argos itself, about 10km (6 miles) from the exit, and thence on to Nafplion. You will almost certainly get lost at least once in Argos, which has an abysmal system of directional signs. Allow at least 3 hours for the drive from Athens to Nafplion, including a brief stop at the Corinth Canal and some time thrashing around in Argos. When you reach Nafplion, leave your car -- and be sure to lock it -- in the large municipal parking lot (no charge) by the harbor.

By Train -- Unless you are a totally dedicated train buff, it makes no sense to come here by train. That said, there are several trains a day from Athens to Corinth and Argos, where you can catch a bus to Nafplion. Information on schedules and fares is available from the Stathmos Peloponnisou (train station for the Peloponnese) in Athens (tel. 210/529-8735 or 210/323-6747; www.ose.gr).

By Bus -- There are at least a dozen buses a day to Nafplion from the Stathmos Leoforia Peloponnisou in Athens, 100 Kifissou (tel. 210/512-4910; www.ktel.org). The trip is a slow one (about 4 hr.) because the bus usually goes into both Corinth and Argos before reaching the Nafplion station on Syngrou Street, by Plateia Kapodistrias (tel. 27520/28-555). For general information on Athens-Peloponnese schedules and fares, call tel. 210/512-4910 or go to www.ktel.org.

Visitor Information

The Municipal Tourist Office is at 25 Martiou (tel. 27520/24-444), diagonally across from the bus station. It's usually open Monday through Friday from 9am to 1pm and 5 to 8pm (but is often mysteriously closed during work hours). Ask for the useful brochure Nafplion Day and Night. The website www.nafplion.gr is helpful -- when functioning. Information and tickets for special events, such as the concerts in the June Nafplion Music Festival, are sometimes available from the Town Hall (Demarkeion) in the old high school building on Iatrou Square (tel. 27520/23-332); you can also check at www.nafplionfestival.gr. There are a number of travel agencies in Nafplion, such as Staikos Travel, by the harbor (tel. 27520/27-950), and Yiannopoulos Travel, on Plateia Syntagma (tel. 27520/28-054), where you can get information on car rentals and day trips from Nafplion.

Hairdressers -- Female travelers might like to know that several of the staff at AD Hair Studio (tel. 27520/24-861), at the corner of Ypsilanti and 5 Kotsonopoulou, speak English and do good work.

Fast Facts

The National Bank of Greece, on Plateia Syntagma (Constitution Sq.), has an ATM and currency exchange, as do most other banks in town. The hospital (tel. 27520/27-309) is at Kolokotroni and Asklipiou streets. The police (tel. 27520/27-776) and tourist police (tel. 27520/98-729) are now also on Asklipiou, just outside the town center. The post office, on Plateia Kapodistrias, and the telephone office (OTE), on 25 Martiou flanking Plateia Kapodistrias, are both signposted from the bus station. Internet access is available at a number of cafes, including DADIS, 15 Asklipiou (tel. 27520/29-688), a hike from the center of town; and at the Diplo-Internet Cafe, 43 Bouboulinas (tel. 27520/21-280), in town. Both charge 5€ an hour.