Car Hire in Thessaloniki - Getting to Thessaloniki
Most foreign visitors to Thessaloniki arrive by air. Makedonia International Airport is located 16kms outside the city at Mikras. From here, you can take a bus or taxi into town. Bus number 78 runs to the city (usually stopping in Aristotelous Square and at the train station) and costs €1, while a taxi ride is about €8.
The airport is served from Athens by Olympic Airways and Aegean Air. In addition, EasyJet is planning to add service to Thessaloniki from London and Athens. Currently, there are no direct flights to Thessaloniki from the USA; however, connections can be made at a number of European cities. From London, there are direct flights on Olympic Airways.
By car from Athens, take the 516-kilometre National Road, a four-lane highway that's the best in Greece. The trip from Athens takes six to eight hours and much of the drive is extremely scenic.
Five daily express trains make the trip from Athens to Thessaloniki in about six hours, but most are crowded, do not have air-conditioning and are subject to delays. The overnight sleeper, which has first-class compartments as well as sleeper compartments, is recommended. Coach class tickets from Athens to Thessaloniki are €35; express train service is €45; and sleeper service is €60. A taxi ride from the train station to Aristotelous Square takes about 10 minutes and costs about €5.
Coach services to Thessaloniki from Athens are operated by KTEL Company, and arrive at the station at 65 Monastiriou, opposite the train station. Ten daily buses from Athens make the trip to Thessaloniki in about seven hours, including a 20-minute stop. Buses are air-conditioned and a one-way ticket costs €30.
If you're coming from other parts of Europe, you must take the ferry from the Italian ports of Bari, Ancona or Brindisi to Igoumenitsia on the northwestern coast of Greece, and then drive across the Pindus Mountains to Thessaloniki. The trip takes seven to eight hours and is scenically spectacular.
If you are planning to head off to the islands from Thessaloniki, keep in mind that ferries run to Lemnos, Lesbos and Hios all year round, while in summer there are also ferry services to the island groups of the Sporades, Dodecanese and Cyclades.
As for getting around Thessaloniki itself, there is a good public transportation system, though since most of its attractions are clustered closely together, you may find it more convenient to go on foot.
