Nafplio is situated in the northeast Peloponnese, on the Argolic Gulf, partly on a picturesque peninsula.

Note: Nafplio is also called Nafplion, Nauplia and Navplion.

There is no airport close to Nafplio. The nearest airport is located in Athens. From Athens, visitors have a few options, such as the bus, train, taxi or rental car.

By Bus: There are regular buses from Athens to Nafplio every day. Buses from Athens depart from Kifissos KTEL Bus Station very frequently, about 4-5 times per day. The bus trip takes about 2 hours. There are also buses to Nafplio from other towns of Peloponnese and specifically from towns in the peninsula of Argolida, such as Ermioni, Kranidi and Epidaurus. From Athens, there are also bus tours to Nafplio that usually include Mycenae and Epidaurus. Nafplio station is on Syngrou Street, by Plateia Kapodistrias. For general information on schedules and fares, visit www.ktelargolida.gr. A one-way fare is about €18.

By Train: There are four trains a day from Athens (Larissa station) to Nafplio via Corinth (the second part of the journey is by narrow-gauge rail); the journey takes about two hours.

By Car: If you want to drive to Nafplion from Athens, you take the National Highway from Athens to Corinth. After the Corinth Canal, you follow the signs to Tripolis. In the middle way between Corinth and Tripolis, you see signs to Nafplion. The road from Athens to Nafplion is modern and very easy to drive. It gets narrow at some point between Corinth and Nafplion but for a short distance. It is generally easy and comfortable.

Allow at least 3 hours for the drive from Athens to Nafplio, including a brief stop at the Corinth Canal and some time in Argos. There is a huge, free parking lot just next to the Nafplio port. Note that old town is not fully accessible by car, there are walking areas and stairs leading to areas up in the hill. Part of the hotels don`t have parking lots and can`t be reached without walking up some steps.

If you are arriving at Athens Airport, the bus route X93 will take you from the airport to Kifisou Avenut (KTEL Kifisou).

If you are leaving from the center of Athens, you can get to the Kifissos KTEL Bus Station via bus or metro.

Bus: the OASA No 51 bus, which departs from Menandrou Street. To find Menandrou Street, head to Omonia square and then walk for 5-10 minutes along Agiou Konstantinou, this will bring you to Menandrou Street, which is the third road you meet.

Metro: Despite the fact that Athens has a great Metro system, there is no stop at the Kifissos KTEL Bus Station. The closest stop is `Eleonas` and then a 15-20 minute walk or around a 5-10 euro taxi ride.

All the major sights are within the old town and can easily be covered by walking. The municipality is providing free bicycles for a day, just in front of the Town Hall, by the KTEL bus station.

If you plan to stroll around, Nafplio is a good base to head out to the numerous archeological sites surrounding it. Epidaurus theater, Mycenae, Tiryns are just some of them. Nearly all town villages and tourist spots are serviced by local buses at all times.

The bus station is at the end of the park, just before the old town, at Sygrou str 8. It is here you may catch the bus to the ancient (but still servicing) theater of Epidaurus, the ancient town of Mycenae.

Nafplio is a very safe place to visit. Nevertheless, you should always take precautions when traveling, ie., keep your passport in your hotel safe if you can, don`t carry a great deal of cash, be vigilant about your own safety and beware of pickpockets. There is almost zero violence or mobbing in the city, except the occasional pick pocket when you relax too much under the sun. Nights are safe, you can walk around at all times with no danger. It is considered one of the safest places in Greece.

The land surrounding Nafplio is incredibly fertile. In spring, you will be intoxicated by the smell of thousands of orange trees in full bloom. Oranges are known as `Argolid`s gold` and you can find them fresh in juices and salads, as well as in jams, spoon sweets and more. This region also yields lemons, apricots, grapes, olives, eggplants, walnuts and potatoes. It is also known for a sweet melon, called `Argitika.` Further from Nafplio in Traheia you can try the kefalotyri cheese and in Iria, you can join an artichoke festival in May.

Beyond the produce itself, you can try the king of local specialties - milk lamb slow cooked for hours with potatoes in an earthen pot, called `bogana`. There is also the tradition of baking `gouronopoula` (a small pig) for hours, which simply melts in the mouth. The region of Argolida is also home to a traditional handmade pasta, called `Gkogkes.` They are made from flour, water and salt and served with local manouromyzithra and hot oil.

The currency in Greece is the euro (€). Once you`re in Greece you`ll have to use the euro in most places. It is recommended to exchange at least some money before you leave home so that you can avoid lines at airport ATMs.

Greek is the official language spoken in Nafplio. Hotels, tourist attractions and restaurants in popular areas generally have staff that speaks some English. The Greeks will be more friendly and eager to help if you try to speak some Greek. Just a couple of words are fine, they love it when they hear a stranger speaking their language. On the street, many people (especially young people) speak at least basic English. If you head off the beaten track then it`s a good idea to brush up on your Greek! We suggest you get a good English-Greek guidebook and familiarize yourself with common phrases such as hello, goodbye, excuse me and numbers 1-10.

Hop on/off Buses: This tour will take you on a short tour of the city to the impressive Palamidi fortress, high above the town.

Tourist Train: The train is run by the same company has the hop on/off bueses and will take you the same route, except the Palamidi fortress.

Taxis also offer tours.

Nafplio is loaded with good restaurants with extensive menus, in English. All the tables are on the pedestrian streets or in the squares and it is just a matter of finding the one with the right scenery and the menu that appeals to you. Staikopolou street which is two blocks above Constitution Squatre (Platia Syntagma), has many of them and the rest are scattered around the city. There are also seafood restaurants on Boubalinas street along the waterfront.

There are tons of bars and clubs. Nafplio nightlife can rival any, with the choices ranging from sidewalk café`s where you can talk, to discos and nightclubs that can be found clustered are Nea Chios on the coast road (many of these are serious clip joings) where you can barely hear yourself think. In between there are bars that play old rembetika, jazz, blues, rock or no music at all. It`s just a matter of wandering around until you hear something you like, stopping in for a drink and then deciding if this is the place for you.

As most places in Greece there are coffee bars are fun for the whole family. Adults can enjoy a quiet drink or two (or many) while the kids have ice-cream or local sweets and then run around playing with the other kids whose parents are doing the same. Because much of Old Nafplio is car-free, there is little threat of cars driving.

The shops stay open late so you don`t have to just hang out and drink. You can hang out and shop for jewelry, clothes at the many boutiques, Greek Art, ceramics, sandals, leather goods, musical instruments, carpets and just about anything else you might `need`.

After dinner (or even before) The Antica Gelateria di Roma is a traditional Italian Ice-cream shop owned by a traditional Italian, Marcello Raffo. His ice-cream is all produced on premises using the original Sicilian recipe and all natural ingredients. (Ice-cream was invented in Sicily.) The variety of flavors, sundaes and special shakes and coffees is diverse and the espresso and cappuccino are excellent. They also have a variety of Italian products for sale.

Walking the town, you`ll find all types of Greek products to buy. The town specializes in Kombolois which are Greek worry beads made from amber and other materials. There is a museum for kombolois as well as many such shops. Also, Nafplio has a history of Greek traditional culinary products, based on the tradition of locally produced crops.

Nafplion has not escaped the invasion of mass-produced souvenirs that threatens to overwhelm Greece, but you`ll also find some genuinely fine handicrafts for sale here. Year-round, the weekly Saturday market occupies most of the road alongside Kolokotronis Park, from around 7am to 1pm. You can buy everything from tools to garlic here.

Emergencies: call tel. 112. Nafplio Hospital, + Nafplio Hospital 27520 27309.

The national emergency numbers for Greece are:

-100 - Police
-199 - Fire
-166 - Emergency medical service