HELLAvatrip 2018 – Budapest, Belgrade, Thessaloniki, Athens, Peloponnese

Between 15th and 23rd September 2018 I made quite a long trip with my friends, from my home city of Danzig/Gdańsk, through the rest of the Free City, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Northern Macedonia and Greece, with stops in Warsaw (buuuut just for a connection), Budapest, Belgrade, Thessaloniki, Athens, some Peloponnese towns and, suprisingly, Łódź. During the trip I've produced quite a large amount of photos and after the trip I decided to create some written works, somehow connected to the journey. As our main goal was Athens, I can say that the length of this main route was 2727 km, which is about 1695 mi.

The travel was done mostly on trains, of many types, however, as we were not rich in time and money, we had to return by plane. As the Greek railway network is under huge reconstruction right now, there was a need to hop on the replacement bus sometimes, but it was not a disadvantage, just another mean of transport to enjoy. The journey can be split into several parts (public transportation in cities has not been taken into consideration):

1. Danzig/Gdańsk Oliva/Oliwa – Warszawa Wschodnia, EIP 5310 (PKP Intercity)

2. Warszawa Wschodnia – Budapest Nyugati, IC/EC 131 Varsovia (PKP Intercity, MÁV START)

3. Budapest Keleti – Beograd Centar, D 341 Beograd (Srbija Voz, couchette)

4. Beograd Centar – Thessaloniki, D 335 Hellas (Makedonski Železnici, couchette and bus)

5. Thessaloniki – Athens, IC 61 (TrainOSE)

6. Athens – Kiato, 1306 (TrainOSE)

7. Kiato – Diakofto, Λ8 (TrainOSE, replacement bus)

8. Diakofto – Kalavryta, 1332 (TrainOSE, rack railway)

9. Kalavryta – Diakofto, 1337 (TrainOSE, rack railway)

10. Diakofto – Kiato, Λ19 (TrainOSE, replacement bus)

11. Kiato – Korinthos, 1327 (TrainOSE)

12. Korinthos – Athens, 2301 (TrainOSE)

13. Athens Internation Airport – Lodz Airport, FR4811 (Ryanair)

14. Łódź Fabryczna – Skierniewice, ŁKA Sprinter 91111 (Łódzka Kolej Aglomeracyjna)

15. Skierniewice – Gdańsk Oliwa, TLK 35104 Małopolska (PKP Intercity)