Main menu:

Directions

We apologise for not being able to pick you up from the airport, but public transport is easy and good. However, don’t put too much trust in traffic signs, since they are often outdated and misleading. Always ask.

Special Information for the Kalachakra Stupa Inauguration and Mahamudra Course 2010

Unfortunately we are not able to provide a full transport service and we need your help and cooperation! If you come to KBL for the time of the course only (one or two days before the course starts and ends) the easiest, fastest and cheapest way to get from the Athens airport to KBL is to create lift shares with rented cars. Rent a car and offer your free seats or look for an offer at our internet lift-share platform: http://www.diamondway-service.org/liftsharing. It makes sense to offer two different lifts for each way.

Meet your travel companions at the Mc Donalds-cafe at the departure hall on the first floor of the Athens airport and drive together to KBL. You can rent a middling-quality car of for approximately 250€ per week. You will find good offers at: http://www.autoeurope.com and http://www.economycarrentals.com.

If you aren’t able to come to KBL by car, please send us a text-message (SMS) one day before you travel with your arrival time at Athens airport.
You’ll have to arrange your travel to Xylokastro by yourself (see below). The meeting point is at the church area in Xylokastro, near cafe “Cosi” (seaside).
Give us a call when you can estimate your arrival time in Xylokastro. Be patient and think positive! Shuttle number: 0030 – 694 6080 969

The inorguration of the Stupa will take place on the 23rd of August in the morning. There will be no shuttle service on this day until 14:00 pm. If you arrive on the 23rd in the morning try to find a taxi that brings you all the way up to KBL.

Accommodation Athens

If you arrive in Athens after 22:00 local time, you will not make it to KBL on the same day with public transport/shuttle service. Please get in contact with our friends from the Athen’s Sangha. They will try to accommodate you for one night in the center or give you advice on where to stay in Athens.
If you departure from Athens before 9:00 am, you will not get to the airport in time with public transport on the same day. You have to travel to Athens on the day before your departure unless you find a private lift by car to the airport. Please get in contact with the local Sangha if you need help with your accommodation.

Send an email to our friends at the Athen’s-Acropolis center.

Buddhist Center Athens-Acropolis
c/o George Mastropavlos and Lia Kokkinou Lagoumitzi 42 Str
GR-11745 Athens
Tel: +30 (210) 9238247
Mobile: +30 (693) 7209135, +30 (693) 2790777
eMail: Athens-Acropolis@diamondway-center.org

The center does not have the capacity to host you during you holidays in Athens!

From Athens Airport with bus or train to Xylokastro (we will pick you up there)

By Train

  • You can go from Athens airport to Kiato by suburban railway, changing trains once in Ano Liosia. Take the train from the Airport to Ano Liosia, which departs every 30 min — peak time every 15 min. There is only one suburban train and one metro line which depart from the same platform; get off at the final stop (Ano Liosia) to change trains. Travel time: ~30 min. Your connection train to Kiato leaves from the opposite tracks on the same platform: first train at 5:10, 6:19, 7:19, 8:19 … every hour; last train departs at 23:19. Travel time to Kiato ~1:10.
  • In Kiato you have to take the bus, toward Patras, which departs in front of the train station. Get off the bus at the first stop after 25 min in Xylokastro. The bus leaves 5 times a day, at 7:37, 9:55, 12:37, 17:45, 19:45.
  • Tip: Try to catch a train at the airport at 5:45, 7:45, 10:45, 15:45 or 17:45 and you will have direct connections until Xylokastro without waiting times at boring stations! If you take a train between 11:00 and 13:00 you will have to wait hours in Kiato for the connection bus to Xylokastro. If you take a train later then 17:45 at the Athens airport, you will miss the last bus from Kiato to Xylokastro. You can take a taxi for ~ € 15 to get to Xylokastro. We recommend to take between 11:00 and 13:00 and after 17:45 the bus to get from Athens airport to Xylokastro.
  • In Xylokastro, you have to walk 5 min to the church are (walk toward the sea and then turn left until you reach the church.)
  • You buy your ticket at the airport for €10. A round-trip ticket costs €18. If you are under 18 or over 65, you get a 50% discount. Groups (more than 2 people) get a one-way ticket for €9 per person. The bus from Kiato to Xylokastro is € 3.40.

By Bus

  • You can also come to Xylokastro by bus, changing buses once. Take an express bus (X93 Athens Airport – Kifisos Intercity Bus Station Express) from the airport to Athens central bus station, which runs almost every 30 minutes during the day (€3.20 per person, about a one-hour ride). Get off at the final stop.
  • Go to the ticket office for “Korinthos” and buy a ticket to Xylokastro (~€11.20 per person, including a seat reservation). First bus leaves at 7:30, 8:30, … every hour until 21:30. It is a beautiful trip along the coast: travel time between 1.5 – 2.5 hours depending on traffic. Get off at the “Cinema” bus stop in Xylokastro. Walk toward the water, turn right and within 2 min you will have reached our meeting point — the church area (seaside).

By Taxi (for the last part)

  • If you want to take a taxi to KBL, tell the driver that you want to go to Yelini (pronounced “Yayleenee” or “Jälini” in German).
  • Most of the taxis will not bring you all the way up to KBL because the last part of the road is too bad.
    Make sure that the driver puts on the taxi-meter. The price from Xylokastro to Yelini is between €40 and €50 and from Kiato to Yelini between €55 and €65. A Taxi from Kiato to Xylokastro is about €15. DO NOT PAY MORE THAN THAT!
  • Give us a call if you decide to take a taxi, and we will pick you up from the restaurant in Yelini.

Our shuttle fees per person are:

  • Pick up from Xylokastro: €17
  • Pick up from Yelini: €5
  • Pick up from Kiato (exceptional!!!): €21

From Athens Airport by (rental) car to KBL

Map: From Athens Airport to Xylokastro
From the airport take the highway in direction Athens (Highway nr. 6). Stay on the highway in direction Elefsina and afterwards always direction Korinth and then always direction Patras. Take the exit Xylokastro.


View Airport – Xylokastro in a larger map

Map: Xylokastreo to KBL

  • Take the exit Xylokastro and turn left at the first crossing. After you pass under the highway you turn left in direction Trikala. Follow the road for 6.7 km.
  • After a combination of sharp curves stay straight in direction Trikala. The street gets bigger and it has one proper lane in each direction. Follow this road for 11.7 km. You will know you are on the right way, if you see the BP Petrol station on your left-hand side after 1.2 km.
  • After 11.7 km when the main road turns left in direction Trikala you stay right and immediately take the next turn left in front of a restaurant.
  • Please watch out: From here on the road is quite narrow. Be aware of hostorical vehicles with ancient drivers. They are waiting for you in the middle of the street, directly after curves.
  • After 400m, when the street ends, take a sharp left and cross a small bridge.
  • Stay on this street for 5.3 km until you come to a small viallage called Sofiana.
  • The street ends and you take a left turn in direction of Yellini passing a spring on your left-hand side and stay on the road for 5.9 km
  • Watch out after 1 km. There is a barking shepherd dog on the street :) After 4.1 km keep left, when the road splits into left and right. After 5.9 km turn left at the the spring.
  • After 300m turn right in front of a bar/restaurant and immediately turn left and go up the road (quite steep).
  • After 1.5 km the asphalt road ends and turns into a dirt road.
  • Another 500 m and you made it!!!


View Xylokastro – KBL in a larger map

From Patras (ferry boat) to KBL

If you plan to come by car, there are ferries going from Ancona and Venice in Italy to Patras. When you arrive at Patras Port, follow the national road to Athens. At km 142, take the Derveni exit (see map below), and turn towards Evrostina/Rozena up into the mountains. When you reach the village Evrostina, you can stop for a coffee at Yorgos’ restaurant; he’s a good friend of ours. Continue up the curvy street into the mountains. After around 5 km you’ll see the large water tanks of a fish farm on the right-hand side. Turn left there into a bumpy, unpaved country road. After about 9 km, winding its way through the rocky environment you’ll reach Karma Berchen Ling. Whenever there is a turn, keep right and proceed uphill until you can see the centre and the entrance gate. We will put up KBL signs to make it easy to find. If you’ll be using public transportation, go to Patras bus station (Zaimi Str. 2) and buy a ticket to Xylokastro (€5.50). Usually there is a bus that departs every 30 minutes, beginning at 5:00 in the morning until around midnight. Please be aware of the extra time (45 minutes) it takes to drive up to the mountain when planning your journey.

Map: From Derveni to KBL

View Derveni – KBL in a larger map

In case of emergency, you can contact Jan at +30 695 720 9904 or by e-mail at: Athens@diamondway-center.org or Athens-acropolis@diamondway-center.org.

You are also very welcome to visit our two Buddhist centres in Athens:

Athens-Dafni
Eratous 4 str., Dafni 17235, Athens – Greece
Tel: +30 210 3301 120, E-mail: athens@diamondway-center.org

Athens-Acropolis
Lagoumitzi 42 str. Athens, 11745
mail: Athens-Acropolis@diamondway-center.org
+30 (210) 9238247, +30 6932790777, +30 6936800955