Travel guide for PATRA

Information

Climate

Typical Mediterranean climate with relatively humid summers and very mild winters. The temperature varies from 10C during winter to 36C during summer.

Location

Patras is located to the western Greece and is 215Km west of Athens by road. It is the third largest city of Greece with a city population of about 250000. The city is built at the foothills of Mount Panachaikon. Its port connects Greece with Italy and it is the western gateway of Greece.

Money Issues

All the transactions are based on euro. If however you come from a country outside EE, don’t worry. There are many banks and Bureau de Change in central points of the town (especially around Patras Port).

How to get there

Try to find a seasonal (only at summer) charter flight to the airport of Patras (a military base 50km from Patras called Araxos). For regular flights, Patras is served from the airport of Athens (El Venizelos airport). From there take the local bus (just out of the airport entrance) that takes you directly to the intercity bus station called Kifissos. There is a bus to Patras every half an hour. The journey to Patras lasts 2 and a half hours and the ticket costs around 20 euros. An alternative way to reach Patras is by boat from the Italian ports of Brindisi, Bari and Ancona.

Trasportation

There are buses and taxis. Bus service is very regular and ticket costs 0.80 euros. For the timetables consult the small office located near the intercity bus terminal. If you want to get around Patras by taxi, you may call for a taxi or just raise your hand when you see a taxi. The minimum fare for a taxi ride is 2.80 euros and the taxi driver will not try to cheat you (taxis in Greece apart from Athens have a good reputation).

While there

Accomodation On-line hotel reservations in PATRA

Prices for accommodation in Patras are relatively high compared to hotel prices in other towns in Greece and range from 60 euros to 120 euros. I recommend hotel Tzaki (around 90 euros for a double room). Rooms are comfortable with lots of facilities while some of them have a breathtaking view of the sea and the impressive bridge of Rio-Antirrio. It has also got a really good restaurant. Another cheaper solution is hotel Delfini (around 55 euros for a double room). It is clean and includes a fridge; a TV, air-conditioning and some of the rooms have a sea view.

Food

In Patra you can a find a wide variety of restaurants where you can taste all the traditional Greek dishes as well as international cuisine.

Amusement

Patra is one of the lively cities in Greece with two universities and many students. It’s got various clubs, bars and restaurants which are located in many places around the city. Most of them are in the city centre especially on Agiou Nikolaou Street, King George Square and Ipsila Alonia Square. One of the most beautiful areas is Marina (next to the port) with lots of bars and restaurants viewing the sea. During summer you can visit Rio and Vrahneika (just a few km from Patra) where there are also nice restaurants and bars by the sea. Personally I mostly like the following : restaurant Naftikos (located in Rio, around 15euros per person) ,Beer Society (located in city centre, around 20 euros per person), BaraRara (located at Ipsila Alonia Square, around 20 euros per person) and the bars Cielo , W (located at Marina) and Parodos (located at city centre opposite the Beer Society I mentioned above).

Beaches

Although Patra is a sea side city, its beaches are not so special compared to the lovely beaches in other places of Greece. However a nice beach is found 40km away from Patras (west) on the way to the town Pyrgos (take the highway from Patras to Pirgos) . It’s called Calogria beach but you’d better avoid going there during the weekend because it’s too crowded.

Activities

Leisure

If you are keen on Skiing you can visit the ski resort near the traditional village of Kalavrita (1 hour and a half from Patras by road). For the fans of dancing and merrymaking come to Patra during the carnival period (40 days before the Orthodox Easter). The carnival of Patra is the most popular in Greece with two impressive parades on Saturday evening and Sunday noon. Visitors from all over Greece come to Patra at the last weekend of the carnival, all bars and streets are full of people drinking and dancing. Be sure to book a hotel room early as most of the hotels are filled to capacity during this period. Besides keep in mind that in most restaurants and bars the prices are twice up during the carnival.

Shopping

Patra has a wide variety of shops for all tastes; however they are quite expensive compared to other cities. Most of them are located in the city centre expecially on Agiou Nikolaou Street, Riga Feraiou Street and Maizonos Street. Most designer clothes can be found there, as well as cheaper ones. It’d be nice to combine shopping with a relaxing break for a nice coffee or snack at one of the cafes in the city center.

Monuments

Galleries

The Museum of Folklore Art founded in 1977. Exhibitions and speeches take place in the museum. It has also got a significant collection of photos and a library.

Museums

The Archaeological Museum of Patra is considered one of the most important in Greece and has been located in “Etnikis Antistaseos” square so far. However, a new, much bigger museum is being built and will soon be completed.(Highway of Patra-Athens)

Historical monuments

The Medieval Castle of Patra, located at the upper part of the city was built by the Byzantine Emperor Ioustinianos during the second half of the sixth century AD to protect the residents. It is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. except Mondays. The Roman Odeum (mentioned above at the Music section) has all the basic parts of a theatre and holds up to 2300 spectators. The international festival of Patras takes place there. It is open from 8 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. except Mondays.

Modern monuments

The impressive bridge of Rion-Antirrion, connecting the Peloponese with the rest mainland of Greece. It’s the biggest in Greece and one of the biggest in Europe.

Other sights

The Saint Andreas Church was built at the site of martyrdom of Apostle Andrew in the years 1836-1843. It is one of the biggest in Europe and the biggest in the Balkans. It can hold 5,500 people.

Romance

In the afternoon, enjoy the spectacular view of the sea and the sunset by walking along the Marina district (next to the port of Patra).

Not to miss

The famous Carnival of Patra, especially if you’re fans of endless dancing and wild amusement…

Be Cautious

Visiting the city during the Carnival period, if you don’t like crowded places and noise.

Best routes

For sea lovers: Walk along the Marina (next to the port of Patra) early in the morning or in the afternoon. For window shopping and shopping therapy, go to Ag. Nikolaou street in the city centre. Take a rest and some coffee in the King George square and have lunch in Ipsila Alonia square.

Out

It’s worth visiting Nafpaktos, which is a beautiful and picturesque seaside town, with a great view and a medieval castle. It’s a20-minute drive from Patra through the Rion-Antirrion bridge (it’s about 16 euros for a return ticket) and about 40 minutes if you use one of the ferries connecting Rion to Antirrion.(the price there is much cheaper.)

Wish it had

Wider streets and more parking lots in the centre of the city.

Impressions

Patra is among the most beautiful Greek cities, with a special culture and history. It throbs with life as it’s full of students and is the biggest urban centre in the Peloponese. Traffic jams on the central streets are common while it’s too difficult to find parking seats in the city centre.