Patras is the third city of Greece and the country’s door to the west: the ferries to Italy leave from here. For most travellers this journey is the run to a boat, and the useful thing is knowing what to do with the hours at the other end.
Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.
By road
The main way, on motorway for most of the route running west along the Gulf of Corinth. It is one of the more straightforward long drives in Greece and the scenery along the gulf is better than a motorway usually manages.
We print no drive times. They depend on when you leave Athens and on the season, and a printed figure is the first thing to go wrong. Driving in Greece covers the tolls, which are frequent on this route.
By rail and coach
The rail picture on this corridor has changed over the years and services have not always run the full distance, with a bus leg completing the journey. Trains in Greece covers what the network does and does not do; check current operations rather than assuming a through service.
Intercity coaches run frequently and are the reliable public option. As everywhere in Greece, the KTEL network publishes no single national timetable, so check with the operator for the route rather than looking for one national schedule.
The Italy ferries, and the thing to plan around
The port at Patras is a working freight and passenger terminal serving Italian ports, and the one practical fact worth carrying is that check-in for the Italy sailings is earlier than most travellers expect.
That means the useful hours are the ones before check-in rather than after. Confirm the current requirement with your operator when you book, because it varies by route and vessel.
What to do with the evening
Do not spend it in the terminal. The city centre is laid out on a grid rising from the port, and its distinguishing feature is the arcades: long covered colonnades along the main streets, which make it walkable in sun or rain.
Above the city stands the castle, Byzantine on Roman foundations, with a park inside the walls and the whole gulf below. The climb is by a long stair, Agiou Nikolaou, which is a small event in itself and the best twenty minutes in Patras.
The Patras itinerary covers the rest.
Onward into the Peloponnese
Patras is the natural northern gateway to the Peloponnese, and the road south towards Kalamata and the west coast begins here. It also sits at the northern end of the Rio-Antirrio bridge, which crosses to the mainland opposite and is the road towards Parga and Epirus.
Where this leaves you
A motorway run west from Athens, with coaches as the reliable public alternative and the rail picture worth checking rather than assuming. If you are catching a boat to Italy, check-in is earlier than you think, so use the hours before it rather than after, and spend them walking up through the arcades to the castle rather than sitting in the port.
Quick answers
How do you get from Athens to Patras?
By motorway west along the Gulf of Corinth, which is the main way, or by intercity coach. Rail services on this corridor have varied and have not always run the full distance, so check current operations before relying on a through train.
Why do people go to Patras?
Mostly to catch a ferry to Italy, since Patras is the country’s main western port. It is also the northern gateway to the Peloponnese and sits at one end of the Rio-Antirrio bridge across the Gulf of Corinth.
How early should you arrive for an Italy ferry?
Earlier than most travellers expect. Check-in for the Italy sailings closes well before departure and it varies by route and vessel, so confirm the current requirement with your operator when you book.
Is Patras worth a night?
Yes, particularly if you are sailing or arriving. The arcaded streets, the long Agiou Nikolaou stair up to the Byzantine castle and a busy university city are all above the port, and any of it beats an evening in the terminal.