GETTING OUT OF ATHENS

By Train: Greek trains are generally slow, but they are inexpensive. The Railway Organization of Greece (OSE) also operates some bus service from stations adjacent to major terminals. This bus service is faster but is about 50% more expensive that second-class train service. Unfortunately trains are not useful for remote areas and most archeological places. If you are interested for in some of special arrangements involving rail passes for Greece please visit Rail Europe http://www.raileurope.com
Trains to Northern Greece: Trains to Alexandroupolis, Florina, Kalambaka, Lamia, Larissa etc. leave from the Larissis Station (Stathmos Larissis). Take Attiko Metro (red line) or Trolley 1 & 5 from Syntagma Square to Larissis Station.
Trains to the Peloponnese: Trains to Argos, Corinth, Patras leave from Peloponnese Station (under renovation at the moment). Trains leave for the time being from the Agioi Anargyroi train Station. (Please check this with OSE)
Informations about schedules, tickets and prices in Athens visit the OSE Oficce at Odos Kalolou 1-3 Tel.: 210 5240601 and Odos Sina 6, Tel.: 210 3624402, or call 145 and 147. In Thessaloniki call 2310 517517

By Bus:
Within Athens and other large cities, a ticket must be purchased before boarding from the kiosks and validated after boarding the bus.
Most destinations within Attica leave from the Mavromateon Street terminal 3 blocks after the National Archaeological Museum.
( Sounion, Marathon, Rafina, Lavrio etc.)
For the long-distance regional bus services (called KTEL = an association of regional operators with green or occasionally orange buses) travel is inexpensive, comfortableand relatively fast. The buses leave from two different terminals.
1) Bus Terminal A (KTEL Kifissou 100), serves parts of northern Greece, including Thessaloniki, Epirus, the Ionian islands and the Peloponnese destinations of Nafplion,Argos, Epidavros, Mycenae, Olympia, Corinth, Tripolis, Sparta etc.
2) Bus Terminal B (KTEL Liossion 260), serves Delphi, Livadia (for Ossios Loukas), Evia, most of Thrace, and central Greece. Tickets for these buses are sold only at this terminal.
To get to the stations: (for Terminal A)Take Bus 051 at Zinonos and Menandrou, behind the church of Agios Konstantinos near Omonia Square, and (for Terminal B) take Bus 024 on Amalias Avenue in front of the National Gardenand tell the driver your destination, otherwise take a taxi (+/- 3.00 euro).

Otherwise local buses vary from place to place, but on most islands the bus stop is usually fairly Central with a posted schedule; destinations are displayed on the front of the bus, but make sure before entering that the bus is going to your destination (the signs on the front are often misleading or wrong), and also make clear to the conductor (if there is one) where you want to get off.

For more info about destinations, bus schedules and prices check out KTEL (http://www.ktel.org)