How to Book Train Travel From Serbia to Greece

Traveling by train south through the Balkans from Serbia to Greece gives you time to relax and meet the locals. The trip from Belgrade to the capital city of Athens takes about 22 hours. Once you reach Greece, you will find yourself in a country of great historical significance.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Passport
• Computer with internet access

How to Book Train Travel From Serbia to Greece

1. Book tickets directly from Rail Europe by calling (888) 382-RAIL or visiting their Web site (see Resources).

2. Put together an itinerary of the cities or attractions you want to see on your visit. Focus on the ones that are easily accessible by train, like the Acropolis in Athens or the Temple of Zeus in Olympia.

3. Consider the Eurail Drive Pass if you are going to rent a car once you get to Greece.

4. Book seat reservations with the Serbian Railways prior to traveling. Purchasing a ticket or rail pass does not guarantee you a seat on the train (an additional fee is required for reserved seating).

5. Compare prices of point-to-point tickets versus a rail pass, such as the Eurail Balkan Flexipass or Select Pass, once you have finished your itinerary. The rail pass is not always cheaper.

6. Determine how long you are going to stay in Greece. You could spend the weekend on one of the beautiful Mediterranean beaches or weeks viewing ancient ruins.

Tips & Warnings

• Hellenic Railways Organization's call center can be contacted within Greece by dialing 1110 from any phone. International travelers can get a speedy response by emailing via the company Web site.
• You cannot book tickets on the Hellenic Railways Organization OSE Web site.
• If you plan to travel around Greece on the domestic rail lines once you arrive, familiarize yourself with the Web site for the National Railway Company (Hellenic Railways Organization OSE). It provides pertinent information, including timetables and instructions for reaching customer care services.
• If you will be using a Eurail pass while traveling overnight to Greece, book your trip so that you board after 7:00 p.m. to save money. When you travel after 7:00 p.m., only the day of your arrival will be counted on your rail pass.
• If you book the overnight train from Belgrade, Serbia, to Thessaloniki, Greece, the sleeper car has to be reserved ahead of time for an additional fee. Be aware that you may be awakened a couple of times during the night to show your passport, as you will be traveling through 2 border crossings on this trip.
• If you have a rail pass, you may have to pay an additional supplement (ranging from 5 to 30 Euro) to travel on the domestic lines in Greece.