Many travelers need to get from Athens to Thessaloniki (or the other way around) at some point during their vacation in Greece. Both cities have incredible sights to see and offer excellent night life and shopping opportunities.
By Air
The fastest and most popular way to get from Athens to Thessaloniki is via a domestic flight . There are several daily flights between the two cities, but the number varies according to the season. It takes about 50 min to fly between the two cities.
Athens’ International Airport is located about 33 km/20 miles from the city center, while Thessaloniki’s International Airport is located at only 13 km/8 miles from the city center. Both airports are served by local public transport.
By Train
There are two railway stations in Athens but the one which connects the capital to Northern Greece (Thessaloniki) is Larissis R.S. There are both express and regular trains available between the two cities. The journey takes between 5.5 hours (express) and 7.5 hours (regular). Trains leave couple of times a day.
To get to Larissis R.S. you need to take Metro Line 2 (Syntagma ->Sepolia) or trolley bus no.1 from Venizelou (Panepistimiou) Str.
Tourist cards are issued for 10, 20 or 30 days and allow the holder to make an unlimited number of travels on every route served by the railway (2nd class). Considering that such a card for 10 days for a person costs €43.13, it might serve you well in case you want to do more train explorations.
>>more information on Trains from Athens to Thessaloniki
By Bus
There are buses running between Athens and Thessaloniki daily. They leave every two hours (generally) from Terminal A (Kifissou St.). The journey takes 6 hours 30 min and costs €35 per person. To get to Terminal A, you can catch bus no.051 from Omonia Square (every 15 minutes and costs €1 one way).
>>more information on Buses from Athens to Thessaloniki
By Ferry
There are ferries connecting Athens (Piraeus) to Thessaloniki but they usually run only twice a week (at very weird hours, like Saturday night). The journey is too long to even consider it as an alternative.
>>more information on Ferries from Athens to Thessaloniki
Driving
The driving distance between Athens and Thessaloniki is about 516 km. It takes roughly 6-7 hours of driving on a National Road. The scenery around you is really beautiful so don’t worry about getting too bored.
Plus, you can stop in Meteora for a night and visit the monasteries and then continue with your journey (if you take the longer road).
>>more information on Getting from Athens to Meteora
If you are a good driver you don’t need to worry about the not-so-well-behaved Greek drivers. They are notorious for changing lanes without signaling and similar stuff. Be careful around Tempe, where the road narrows from 4 lanes to only one.
You can rent a car once you get to Athens. If you come from an EU country your driver’s license is valid in Greece. Other nationals should have an international driver’s license.
Here’s a map (of the shortest route) to help with the directions:
Other related information:
>>Getting to Halkidiki
>>Getting from Athens to Thessaloniki
>>Getting from Athens to Piraeus
>>Getting from Athens to Santorini
>>Getting from Athens to Istanbul
>>Getting from Athens to Corfu
>>Getting from Thessaloniki to Meteora
>>Getting from Hydra to Santorini (and return)
>>Getting from Thessaloniki to Kavala
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