This document provides information for travelers visiting Thessaloniki, Greece, including transportation from the airport to hotels, public transportation options within the city, taxi services, and top things to do. It can take 15-20 minutes to get from the airport to hotels by taxi, costing around €15. Public buses cost €0.80-€0.90 per ride and a 24-hour ticket is €4. Taxis can be hailed on main roads or found waiting at designated stops. The document recommends visiting archaeological and Byzantine museums, landmarks like the White Tower, relaxing along the waterfront, nightlife in Valaoritou street, Greek food, and shopping on Tsimiski and Mitropoleos

1. Offered by:
© 2012 by Nick Dounias and Eleftheria Vlogiari

2. Hotel info
Classical Hotel Makedonia Palace, 2 Megalou Alexandrou avenue, Thessaloniki, 54640
Greece
See directly in
Google Maps

3. Airport to City
By Bus:
You can catch the bus outside the arrivals hall. Bus line No.78 operates an hourly service
between the airport and the Central Bus Station of Thessaloniki. Check the time schedule
here. Closest stop to the hotel is called “EVZONON” (see previous slide map) and the
journey is approximately 30 min. The fare for this ride is €0.90 when bought on board.
There is also a night bus service (No.78N) that takes the same route, and runs all night
every 30 min for the same ticket price.
By Taxi:
A 24-hour taxi service is available at the airport. The journey time to the hotel is 15-20 min
(depending on traffic conditions) and costs approximately €15.

4. Public Transportation
BUS:
• The only choice for public transportation in Thessaloniki is by public buses. There is a dense network of bus lines
connecting most parts of the city and suburbs. All bus services are run by OASTH (ΟΑΣΘ) organization. Ticket
cost is €0.80 when bought from the kiosks, or €0.90 when bought from vending machines on board (no change
is given at these machines) and it has to be validated in one of the special machines found on all buses. In order
to reach some destinations, one may have to combine two or more buses. The ticket in such cases cost €0.90
(when bought from a kiosk), is valid for 90 minutes after its validation and needs to be validated again in the
subsequent bus. 24-hour ticket (€4) is also available for unlimited bus trips.
• Bus Route maps can be viewed on interactive map with pinned bus stops here.
• A cultural sightseeing tourist bus (No.50) is also available and its start point is at the White Tower. The ticket
costs €2 and can be also used for 24-hour unlimited bus trips within all OASTH routes.
More information about bus routes and timetables: OASTH web site, Travels in Greece, Sightseeing bus info
TAXI:
• Taxis are available throughout the city, 24 hours a day. Along the main roads taxis can be hailed only in
designated places, easily identified by the "TAXI" sign. In all other streets, taxis will stop when hailed everywhere.
It is not uncommon for passengers to share a ride, if it is suitable for all of them. Taxis are also stationed in
"piazzas" waiting for customers; ask anyone for the closest piazza and get in the first taxi in line. A taxi ride can
be ordered either by phone or by mobile application.
 By phone: call one of the following taxi companies (add +30 in front of the phone numbers): Thessaloniki-231051525, Lefkos
Pyrgos-2310214900, Makedonia-2310550000, Megas Alexandros-2310866866, Mercedes Club-2310525000 and Omega-
2310511855. Surcharges may apply, depending on the time of the ride, luggage, airport pickup, appointment, etc. Fares change
frequently and one should check for the latest fares when entering a taxi: they are always posted in a visible spot, usually in front
of the co-driver's seat.
 Mobile Application (free of charge): see the available taxi ordering mobile apps for iPhone and android in the last slide.
• A metro line is also under construction. Major works have started in summer 2006 and traffic in the city is expected to be seriously
disrupted during the course of construction (at least 5-6 years), so visitors should be prepared for heavy traffic at rush hours. Due to its
design innovations, it is said will form the most modern metro in Europe :)

5. Top 10 things to do in Thessaloniki
1. Visit the Archaeological Museum of the city, admire treasures from the Macedonian and
Hellenistic era that flourished at this city.
2. Visit the Museum of Byzantine Culture.
3. Visit Kamara (Galerius’ arch), Rotonda and the White Tower the famous landmarks of
the city. Climb up to the last floor of the White Tower (nowadays open as a museum)
and enjoy a panoramic view of the city.
4. Take a relaxing walk on the seafront, enjoy the stunning sunset behind Mt.Olympus or
drink your cold coffee/cocktail at one of the floating bars in front of Alexander the Great
statue or at one of the fashionable coffee shops along the waterfront.
5. Stroll down to the port area where you can visit the museum of photography and have
dinner or cocktail at Kitchen bar.
6. Don’t miss a bar crawl at the famous Valaoritou area the heart of youth entertainment in
Thessaloniki and get a taste of city’s intense nightlife. (Thessaloniki is famous for that
while it holds a position on Lonely Planet’s 1000 Ultimate Experiences top 10!).
7. Enjoy contemporary Greek food at one of the city’s bar restaurants (consult the links of
the next pages).
8. Try gyros and souvlaki. Try also the delicious sweets that Thessaloniki is famous for
(recommended stores: Terkenlis, Elenidis triangles).
9. Walk up to the Byzantine city walls (Kastra) at Ano Poli, and enjoy a meal with awesome
city view after the sightseeing fatigue (recommended tavern: Kreonidis).
10. Shopping on Tsimiski and Mitropoleos streets, most central and commercial streets of
Thessaloniki (shopping hours: Mon., Wed., Sat.: 9.00 am to 2.30 pm, Tue., Thu., Fri.: 9.00 am to 2.30 pm and
5.00 pm to 9.00 pm.).

6. Useful Links
• Lonely Planet about Thessaloniki
• Thessaloniki and Halkidiki virtual guides (directions, information for public services,
consulates & other points of interest)
• Thessaloniki’s Urban Mobility Center (a suite of e-mobility services aiming to provide
optimal routing, traveler information and sustainable mobility and environmental protection
awareness services)
• Thessaloniki City Walks & Tours (The inspiration for these organized walks came from
the complexity of Thessaloniki's history. Each one represents either a time era, a cultural process
or an urban feature palying an important role for the city's evolution or identity)
• Thessaloniki Food Festival 2012 : The city is famous for the great quality and variety of
food as well as the numerous sophisticated restaurants. A large number of restaurants in
cooperation with the municipality inspired this kind of festival where every Tuesday you can eat
almost anywhere a full menu with 10 euro (per person).
• Use-It : Tourist info for young travelers (and not only ;-). Like many other European cities, Use-it
is also available for Thessaloniki . For those who are seeking to act like a local, find low
budget quality eating, accommodation or entertainment options.