4.9
4.6Travel Information between Athens and Thessaloniki
 Distance | 187 miles (302 km) |
|---|---|
 Available travel modes | Train, bus, flight or ferry |
 Ticket price range | $20 - $103 |
 Cheapest mode | Train • $20 (€18) • 4 h 53 min |
 Fastest mode | Flight • $48 (€44) • 50 min |
 Popular travel companies | KTEL Thessalonikis, Blue Star Ferries, Aegean Airlines or Hellenic Train |
Take a train, bus, flight or ferry to travel 187 miles (302 km) between Athens and Thessaloniki. The most popular travel companies which serve this journey are KTEL Thessalonikis, Blue Star Ferries, Aegean Airlines or Hellenic Train among others. Travelers can even take a direct bus, ferry, flight or train from Athens to Thessaloniki.
Travel optionsfrom Athens to Thessaloniki
How to get from Athens to Thessaloniki by train, bus or flight.
Our recommendation
The best way to travel from Athens to Thessaloniki is by taking a flight because it’s the best combination of price and speed.
A3136Cheapest
A3136Fastest
A3102Other options
A3128A3116A3118Find all the dates and times for this journey by train, bus, flight, and ferry .
Compare prices and tickets Prices for trains, buses and flights
Compare train, bus, flight, and ferry prices over the next three weeks. See the best deals at a glance, find the lowest fares, and choose the option that fits your budget.
Dec 01
Dec 02
Dec 03
Dec 04
Dec 05
Dec 06
Dec 07
Dec 08
Dec 09
Dec 10
Dec 11
Dec 12
Dec 13
Dec 14
Dec 15
Dec 16
Dec 17
Dec 18
Dec 19
Dec 20
Dec 21
How to Travel from Athens to Thessaloniki?
Visitors can travel from Athens to Thessaloniki by train, car, bus or flight. This is a popular route, with the train being the recommended mode of transport. The distance between the two cities is around 300 miles. It takes 4 hours and 23 minutes to reach Thessaloniki from Athens by train, 5 hours 45 minutes by bus, and less than an hour by plane.
What is the Cheapest Way to Get from Athens to Thessaloniki?
The cheapest way to travel from Athens to Thessaloniki is by bus, which takes 5 hours and 45 minutes. The trip is direct, and departs from Athens and arrives at Thessaloniki Monastiriou. There are several service operators for this route, including KTEL Thessalonikis, which travels every three hours daily with a trip duration of 5 hours and 45 minutes, and Eurobus SK, which travels once a week with a duration of 7 hours.
What is the Fastest Way to Travel from Athens to Thessaloniki?
Flying is the fastest way to travel from Athens to Thessaloniki. The trip takes just under an hour, but it is also the most expensive mode of transport compared to the others. The two most common Airlines that serve this route are Olympic Air and Ellinair, both of which service this route every day.
Find and Book with Omio the Best Tickets from Athens to Thessaloniki
Omio is a booking platform that allows you to compare and choose the best mode of transport to use from train, flight or bus to get you from Athens to Thessaloniki.
Travel from Athens to Thessaloniki by train
Taking the train from Athens to Thessaloniki is a safe, fast, and pleasant way to reach your destination, and the trip takes only 4 hours and 23 minutes. Some trains offer WiFi and plug sockets, and first-class passengers enjoy additional benefits. There are several trains that serve this route and which depart at different times, and there are additional night trains that reach Thessaloniki in around 5 hours. This route is serviced by Greek Railways (OSE), and trains depart every 4 hours.
Travel from Athens to Thessaloniki by bus
Traveling by bus from Athens to Thessaloniki is not only the cheapest option, but also offers many more departure times. There are several commonly used bus operators, namely KTEL Thessalonikis and KTEL Magnesias, which both travel every 3 to 4 hours daily with a trip duration of 5 hours 45 minutes. Trips offered by Eurobus SK and Korona Travel take 7 hours and trips are offered once a week. There are two different bus depots in Athens: KTEL Attika bus station and KTEL bus Station Kifissou. In Thessaloniki, buses arrive into either Monastiriou 67, which is close to the railway station, or Gianitson 244 near the center of Thessaloniki.
Travel from Athens to Thessaloniki by Plane
If you prefer a fast journey, the best way to travel from Athens to Thessaloniki is by plane. The trip takes just under an hour. The arrival airport is Makedonia (SKG) in Thessaloniki. You can fly with either Olympic Air (Aegean) or Ellinair, which are the two biggest Airlines in Greece. Ellinair offers this route twice a day, while Olympic Air offers 11. On arrival, you can take a pre-booked taxi to your accommodation or the city center. You can also take a bus into the city.
More than 1,000 travel companies trust us to sell their tickets all in one place.
FAQs: Travel from Athens to Thessaloniki
Travel to Thessaloniki easily. Whether you want fast, cheap or something entirely different, our travel experts have collected everything you need to know so you can find the best option from Athens to Thessaloniki.
There are 4 travel options from Athens to Thessaloniki. You can take a train, bus, flight or ferry.
The cheapest way to travel from Athens to Thessaloniki is a train with an average price of $20 (€18).
This is compared to other travel options from Athens to Thessaloniki:
A train is $30 (€27) less than a bus with an average ticket price of $50 (€45) from Athens to Thessaloniki.
A train is $83 (€75) less than a ferry with an average ticket price of $103 (€93) from Athens to Thessaloniki.
Taking a train costs $28 (€26) less than taking a flight, which average ticket prices of $48 (€44).
The fastest way to get to Thessaloniki from Athens is by flight with an average travel time of 50 min.
Other travel options to Thessaloniki take longer:
Bus takes on average 5 h 45 min.
Taking a ferry requires on average 27 h 50 min of travel time.
Taking a train requires on average 4 h 53 min of travel time.
The distance from Athens to Thessaloniki is approximately 187 miles (302 km).
The average frequency per day from Athens to Thessaloniki is:
- 8 buses a day.
- 2 ferries a day.
- Around 15 flights per day.
- 3 trains a day.
However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your trip from Athens to Thessaloniki as scheduled services by train, bus, flight or ferry can vary by season or day of the week.
These are the most popular departure and arrival points when traveling from Athens to Thessaloniki:
- Most travelers board their ferry from Port of Piraeus and arrive in Port of Thessaloniki.
- Most travelers take a flight from Athens International Airport to Thessaloniki International Airport.
The following travel companies offer services from Athens to Thessaloniki:
- KTEL Thessalonikis can take you to Thessaloniki by bus. If searching for a good deal on buses, you can find tickets for KTEL Thessalonikis from Athens to Thessaloniki for $50 (€45).
- Blue Star Ferries or Seajets can get you to Thessaloniki by ferry. You can find a good deal for ferry tickets with Seajets from Athens to Thessaloniki for $66 (€60) on Omio.
- Travel with Aegean Airlines for flights to Thessaloniki. If you’re looking for a good deal on tickets, check for Aegean Airlines Athens to Thessaloniki tickets on Omio for $49 (€45).
- Travel with Hellenic Train to go to Thessaloniki by train. For a good deal on tickets, you can find Hellenic Train Athens to Thessaloniki tickets on Omio for $20 (€18).
Yes, there are direct routes from Athens to Thessaloniki with the following travel companies:
- You can find 8 direct buses per day to take to Thessaloniki with KTEL Thessalonikis.
- You can find 1 direct ferry per day to take to Thessaloniki with Blue Star Ferries.
- You can find 9 direct flights per day to take to Thessaloniki with Aegean Airlines.
- You can find 3 direct trains per day to take to Thessaloniki with Hellenic Train.
Direct services to Thessaloniki tend to save you time and add more convenience as you won't need to transfer at another stop in between, so it's worth paying attention to before booking tickets for your route.
Travelling from Athens to Thessaloniki: related information
Here are some other resources that might have the information you need
Travel to popular destinations by train, bus or flight
The Omio App Makes Travel Planning Easy
We’ll get you where you want to go. From live train updates to mobile tickets, our innovative app is the ideal way to plan and keep track of your travel.
