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Does Interrail support KTEL busses in Greece?

  • 28 March 2022
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Hi there, I am planning to make a trip between Turkey, Greece and Italy. This text isn't about connections between Turkey and Greece, because I've already figured that part out, but rather about travelling within Greece. I've read that an Interrail Pass includes some long distance buslines, but I can't figure out if Interral for example, supports buslines from KTEL in Greece. Because if travelling by bus in Greece is less expensive than travelling by train using Interrail, I'll choose that option. 

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Best answer by rvdborgt 28 March 2022, 22:35

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KTEL buses are not included.

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KTEL is a kind of cooperative, subdivided into a divison for every province and also large cities (so the full name is like KTELabc….) that has the monopoly-as for now-for all local/regional bustransit anywhere in GR, even on all those islands. Between 2 towns further apart mostly both KTELś have some services.

The railnetwork currently operating in GR is mostly limited to the main line Athinai-Thessaloniki,plus a few branches, not in general the area where most normal tourists go to. In the past trains were cheaper as bus, as the service was so miserable bad. But since they upgraded this line to nearly hi-speed and the OSE was bought by TrenItalia, this is no more. Plus that there are since covid No trains going over the border at all into GR.

In fact in none of the 33 countries participating in the pass are the buses included. In LUX-a small country- all transit is free anyway since last year. But f.e. in Turkey the bus is even far more the winner in transportation as train. And this also holds for various other countries, like the Baltics, Romania, etc. 

In FRance some of the old style TER-buses are still accepting passes, but this is also changing as these buses are slowly integrated in the local busnetworks-but often with very low fares.

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