How To Reach Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki is the 2nd largest city in Greece. Not as popular as Athens or some of the Cyclades Islands, but it is the cultural capital of Greece and does attract a lot of tourists. It is located towards the northern part of Greece, also known as Macedonia, and is well connected from all sides. The city is over 2000 years old and is rich in history. The quickest way to reach Thessaloniki is directly by flight, but other modes of transport are also available.

Since Thessaloniki is a big city, it is well connected by flights (domestic & international). The quickest way to get to Thessaloniki from India is by flight. From India, there are no direct flights, but there are many flights with 1 or 2 stopovers and connecting flights from major cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi & Bangalore. Some of the airlines that offer trips to Thessaloniki are Gulf Air, Egypt Air, Etihad Airlines, Turkish Airlines and others.

The airport is at the outskirts of the city at a distance of about 15 km. You can find buses, taxis or hire a private car to get you into the city.

Thessaloniki has a new Railway station quite near its city centre. You can reach it by travelling to Athens from India, by flight and then taking a train to Thessaloniki. The journey takes about 6 hours from Athens and the average fare is €45 making it cheaper than an internal flight. A high-speed train has been in the works for a few years now and once it is functional, it will reduce the duration of the journey to half.

A drive from Athens to Thessaloniki is a little over 5 hours and is a comfortable drive with good roads and scenic landscapes. You can also travel by Coach (Bus) which would take slightly longer (around 6 hours) but is definitely the cheapest mode of transport at an average of €35 one way. There are multiple departures from Athens daily. Most of the time you don’t even need to book your seat in advance, just showing up 30 minutes before the journey should do the trick.

Many of the places of interest are within walking distance of the city centre. But for the rest of the areas, taxis and public buses are the best and most convenient modes of transport. You can also hire a bicycle or a car if you want to drive around yourself – the roads are easy to navigate.

A unique choice of moving around is a Segway! There are a few agencies who offer a Segway Tour of the city. There are also hop on hop off sightseeing buses available.