Getting from Thessaloniki to Kavala

by Cristina | July 8th, 2009

kavala If you plan to spend your vacation in or near Thessaloniki , taking a day trip to Kavala is a great choice. The medieval castle, perched on a hill overlooking the town, is the city’s landmark. Also, the town’s fortifications still exist and create a lovely old feel.

Since there is no rail station in Kavala and there isn’t any ferry connection between Thessaloniki and Kavala either, the only choice to travel between the two cities is by road.

By bus

The buses to Kavala depart from the main KTEL terminal in Thessaloniki. There are about 15 daily connections so you don’t need to worry much about booking in advance.

There are two possible routes. The slowest (3 h) is via the mountains and the buses leave every full hour. The fastest (about 2 h) via Nea Peramos and there are 4 departures per day ( 9 a.m., noon, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.). The ticket costs about €15* per person, one way.

By car

If you like to drive, it’s a great idea to rent a car and explore the area around Thessaloniki. There are two routes between Thessaloniki and Kavala. The shortest (map below) is about 160 km and takes little over 2 hours. You’ll be driving on E90.

Here’s a map to help with directions:

thessaloniki-to-kavala