u/Professional-Ad7915

Hi, my family and I've had no luck finding a one way car rental from Athens city to Gythio port. Not sure if anyone has advice or knowledge of any car companies that offers this?

However, I heard no companies offer this so I am looking for ways to visit the towns I have listed below and drop off a car - I'm assuming Kalamata is the only one way drop off option. I heard KTEL bus goes from Kalamata to Sparta to Gythio, but the KTEL bus website does not have any daily tranfers listed from Kalamata to Sparta, and then to Gythio (only on Friday and Sunday)

The only options I see are:

1. Bus. Drop rental off at Kalamata airport > Bus (Kalamata to Sparta to Gythio port for 3pm ferry) - (but there are no options Kalamata to Sparta to Gythio on wednesday mornings) - not an option
2. Taxi. Drop rental off at Kalamata airport > taxi from Kalamata to Gythio. Not sure how expensive this is? And how expensive taxis are? There are 3 of us.
3. Drive back to Athens Piraeus (4 hours of gas & time wasted) to drop off and take a ferry from there
4. Open to recommendations and advice for other options

Our original pathway (open to changing the order to make logistics work):

1. jun 19 - Athens city (renting on our 3rd/last day staying in Athens city center)
2. jun 20- Nafplio (Corinth/Mycenae along the way)
3. jun 21 - Kardamyli
4. jun 22 - Limeni
5. jun 23 - Monemvasia
6. jun 24 - Gythio port for ferry to Crete on Wednesday 3pm

https://preview.redd.it/oimrnc1jnmxg1.png?width=964&format=png&auto=webp&s=42cc2e4ef8bdfda5e57f9e51005d80f00d08d365

https://preview.redd.it/7hlmvcjlnmxg1.png?width=932&format=png&auto=webp&s=9de4d8e6003a646510a9dd7dd2c37862142589c8

day 1 (west coast)

• wake up in Kissamos, rent car
• drive scenic coastline down
  • (skip Balos? :( i heard rental cars aren't allowed & we are doing other beaches like Preveli & Seitan - how does Balos compare?)
  • Voulolimni beach
  • Elafonissi pink beach
  • kedrodasos beach
• sunset & dinner at Falasarna Beach
• drive to Chania to sleep

day 2 - Chania / 3pm cooking class

• wake up in Chania
• explore until 3pm - evening cooking class excursion until 11pm
• sleep in Chania

day 3 - Samaria Gorge

• wake up 6am, buy bus & ferry tix in advance?
• hike, return to parking lot around 8pm
• eat dinner & sleep in Chania

day 4 - Chania during day, Plakias to sleep

• wake up Chania
• afternoon
  • Seitan Limania Beach
  • Holy Trinity Tzagaróli Monastery (Agia Triada Monastery) - optional
  • Katholiko Bay
• explore Chania old town & dinner
• drive to Plakias at night to sleep

day 5 - Plakias/preveli/Rethymno

• wake up Plakias - 8am
• Kourtaliotiko Gorge - 2 hrs (arrive around 9am)
• lunch in Plakias - 12pm
• preveli beach - 3 hrs? (leave 3pm?)
• drive 1 hr to Rethymno, dinner - 4 hrs
• leave Reythmno - 7pm (1 hr to Chania)
• arrive port 8pm & drop off car rental
• ferry 9pm

---

any advice appreciated!

• my main concern is day 5. is that enough time? i know it is a little packed
  • how many hours to spend in Rethymnos
• we are still looking for rental car options to pickup in Kissamos and drop off at Port of Souda, but not sure if they are usually on time for the dropoff or do we need more time between dropoff and ferry (only accounted 1 hr between them so far)

its 5 days, not 6 days, my bad!