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Corinth Canal
We're doing the "Treasures of the Aegean" tour this coming year and will arrive in Athens early. I'd like to do a cruise of the Corinth Canal but am having trouble finding if day cruises of it are offered.
I'd like to find a tour operator who will pick us up at the hotel in Athens, take us to Corinth, provide a small boat cruise through the canal, and then take us back to the Athens hotel.
Does anyone know of a company who will do this?
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I'm not sure if he covers excursion to and cruises through the Corinth Canal, but check out Matt Barrett's website. He is an American who spends part of the year in Greece. He has been doing this stuff since 1995 and his website is a fantastic source for guides, sites, etc.- all things Greek. Matt Barret's Guides to Greece His site has multiple sections, so you'll need to do a bit of digging. You can also send him an email if you don't find what you are looking for on his website.
Mike, I'm pretty sure you know what to expect, but here's a picture just in case. You can assess if you think it would be worth a special trip.
I have also seen the Canal from above. I think it would be interesting to sail through it.
Just looking at your photo Sam, I guess for me it would be a waste of money.
@Smiling Sam - Yes, I'm familiar with the canal. I've just always wanted to sail through it.
@AlanS - I sent a message to Matt to ask if he knew of anyone who would arrange a tour/cruise. I don't want to just see it - stand on the bank and look down - I want to be in a boat sailing through it.
We had an excellent tour of Corinth with Private Greece Tours and visited the canal (not a cruise through). You may want to contact the owner, Nikos Loukas, to see if he could arrange for a cruise. He was very accommodating with our special requests for our time in Athens and Corinth. We did several tours with him over the three days we were there. On the last day, he picked us up at our hotel, we did a morning tour and then he took us to the port. (ocean cruise)
Thanks bobbette. I contacted Nikos and asked if he could help me.
Just FYI, your link, above, for Private Greece Tours didn't work - but I found them through a search.
[I see what the problem is. Your link says "http://https//privategreecetours.com/". Note the http://, then https//. It should be https://privategreecetours.com/]
Mike - glad you were able to contact Nikos. I hope it works out for you to cruise the canal. We loved our visit to Greece.
I heard back from Nikos. The day I would have free - May 1 - is May Day and everything is closed. So, maybe next time.
Thanks to everyone who helped me with this attempt.
To ease your loss of not being able to cruise the canal. Since you're a fan of watching things on TV (Rose Parade, football games) instead of in person I thought I'd post a link to someone cruising the canal.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=PZ7-UrmXn7s
Mike - Just being a bit ornery, all in fun.
I didn't say that I'd prefer to do everything by video - just events that involve crowds, difficult to get to and get out of, and perhaps cold weather, such as the Rose Parade and football games in giant stadiums. I understand that some people like the feeling of being a part of the crowd - maybe feeling some energy from the mass - but I sure don't.
I'll invite some friends over to watch a game and we can hoot and cheer - and be warm, go to the bathroom in 2 minutes, have snacks and drinks, and when it's over, they can leave without delay.
I grew up in New Orleans and went to just about every Mardi Gras. I've been at Canal and Bourbon when Rex was parading and flowed with the crowd. I'm glad I experienced that. But that was then and this is now.
[Side note: I even rode on a float in Mardi Gras one year. That is definitely an experience.]
I saw a video of a (small) cruise ship transiting the Corinth Canal- they literally had just a few inches of clearance on each side!
Yes, it's a very narrow sea level canal, with very high sides. Just amazing that they dug that. It's pretty much only used for tourist trips now. Modern commercial ships could never fit. And the savings in transit distance, compared to sailing around the peloponnese peninsula, is not that great. Nothing like the saving in distance for the Suez or Panama canals.
[>Side note: I even rode on a float in Mardi Gras one year. That is definitely an experience.]
MikeHenderson Mardi Gras Season is upon us! I've been a float rider on Mardi Gras Day...It was FUN but just like rising a camel...one and done for me!...I'm now a spectator in the viewing stands at Gallier Hall...protection from the elements; seating, food & drinks and no crowds.
Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!
Rode on a Mardi Gras float a couple of times. It was fun but those days are gone. Preferred viewing parades on St Charles and Napoleon Ave. but again those days are long gone also. Now I watch on TV in the comfort of my home.
Since we're talking about riding a float in a Mardi Gras parade, I'm going to make a suggestion for Tauck.
It's difficult for a non-resident of New Orleans to get a ride on a Mardi Gras float. About the only way is to know someone in New Orleans who is "connected". My cousin is an attorney in New Orleans and his firm used to "buy" one float in the Thoth parade (one partner was probably a member of Thoth). They'd make it available to their clients, who had to pay a pro rata share of the cost, buy their throws, and pay for a weekend in New Orleans at Mardi Gras - an expensive proposition.
One year, I got one of the places on the float. You go to a Mardi Gras "supermarket" to buy your throws, and 35 years ago, that was several hundred dollars. Today, I'm sure it's north of $500.
You dress in costume, completely covered - mask, gloves, hat, etc., so that no one can really tell if you're black or white, man or woman. You're there to represent "Carnival". The more cynical of us would say it so that you can get drunk and make a fool of yourself and no one can identify you. I suppose both are somewhat true.
The experience of riding the float is something you’ll remember all your life. The parade route is jammed with people on both sides of the road, all screaming and with their hands raised towards you. Must be similar to what a rock band experiences in a concert. It's nothing like the wimpy Rose Parade.
Anyway, my suggestion to Tauck: Buy two floats in a parade close to the date of Mardi Gras – it’s impossible to get a float on Mardi Gras day. Thoth marches on Sunday before Mardi Gras and that would be a good day.
A float probably holds ten people (I don’t remember how many were on the float the year I rode). That would give Tauck 20 places to sell, and I expect they would sell for a good price.
I’d buy a place for my wife, just so she could experience it.
There are some problems, especially that some of the krewes were single sex, but that may have changed, and once you’re in costume, no one can really tell anyway.
I should think Tauck is in no financial position to even contemplate anything like this in this cancel climate.
I'm sure there are ways that you can buy a place on a float for your wife right now.
You might be correct about a market for such a thing (riding on a float in a parade), but I know someone that wouldn't be a customer.
Speaking of parades, our entire tour in the Portrait of India tour were the primary participants of a parade in Jaipur. Here are a couple of pictures of us walking in the parade, along with horses, elephants, camels, and a band.
Sam - that night was a special part of the Portrait of India tour, magical.