Thessaloniki Airport has a large number of car rental companies and regular bus routes.

The 1X bus line takes 45 minutes to get directly to the centre without changing for €2.

A slightly quicker journey (about 35 minutes) takes the 2X line to Nea Elvetia station, where you change to the metro. However, you need 2 tickets for €2 each.

Car rental

If you're heading to the beaches of northern Greece, such as the Chalkidiki peninsula, the most convenient transport is a rental car. There are many car rental companies at Thessaloniki Airport. Prices for a week of the cheapest ones start at around 380 eur in the summer, and the larger multinational rental companies between 450 eur and 650 eur.

Off-season prices can be half that.

Compare prices - book a car

Bus to Thessaloniki

From the airport, you can get to Thessaloniki without a transfer by bus 1X and slightly cheaper with a transfer by line 79.

Route 1X direct to the centre

Connections to the city centre and the bus/train station are provided by bus line 1X during the day and line 1N at night, on virtually the same route, but with more stops. The daytime line 1X is express and stops only about every second stop. When travelling from the city centre, please note that the line marked only with the number 1 (without an "X" or "N") does not go to the airport.

For clear information on public transport, please visit the official website oasth.gr.

Line 1X runs between 6:00 and 23:00 at intervals of 20-25 minutes, line 1N runs between 23:00 and 6:00 at intervals of 30 minutes. The daily line 1X in July and August has an interval of 15-20 minutes.

Tickets can be purchased for 2 eur at the kiosk directly at the bus stop, located just outside Terminal 1 at the arrivals hall exit. "Bus" signs direct you to the bus stop from both terminals. Tickets can also be paid by card at the kiosk.

Be sure to mark your ticket in the orange validator inside the bus.

When travelling from the city to the airport, you can also buy a ticket from the kiosks at the most important stops in the city or from a machine directly on the bus, which only accepts coins and does not give change.

• Journey time - 45 minutes
• Frequency - 30 minutes, 15-20 minutes in July and August
• Price - 2 eur for express lines 1X and 1N, valid for one ride only
• Timetable for line 1X
• Timetable for line 1N

Route 2X to the metro station

As one of our readers "martiko2d" pointed out to us in the comments, you can shorten your trip to the city centre by changing from the bus to the metro.

Bus line 2X runs from the airport to Nea Elvetia station, where you change to the metro towards the centre.

The bus and metro fares are not yet integrated, so you will need 2 tickets - 2 eur for the bus (can be paid with a card) and 2 eur for the metro (currently only cash can be paid at the machines in the metro).

• Travel time - 35 minutes
• Frequency - 20 minutes, 15-20 minutes in July and August
• Price - 2 eur for bus + 2 eur for metro
• Timetable for line 2X

View the top 10 hotels in Thessaloniki

Route 79

A slightly cheaper alternative is bus line 79, which runs once every 30 minutes between the airport and the IKEA bus station, 3km away, from where you can continue to the centre about once every 10 minutes on lines 2K or 3K.

A transfer ticket (maximum 2 journeys and 70 minutes) costs 0,80 eur and can also be purchased from the kiosk at the airport bus stop. With this method of travel, you mark the ticket in the ticket marker on one side of the ticket on the first ride and on the other side of the ticket on the second ride.

You can also use a 24-hour ticket for lines 2K, 3K and 79 for 2,50 eur.

• Timetable for line 79
• Timetable for lines 2K and 3K

To the city centre with a transfer to a car. IKEA station in about 60 minutes.

Generally, you can buy stock tickets at the kiosk at the airport to travel around the city and avoid looking for ticket kiosks or counting out change at the ticket machine. Ticket prices around the city are as follows:

• 0,80 eur - 1 ride
• 2 eur - Special ticket for the 1X express line to the airport and tourist line 50, valid for one ride only

Taxi to the centre of Thessaloniki

There are always a large number of official dark blue and white taxis waiting outside the airport to take you to the city centre for a price around 25 eur to 30 eur depending on the specific distance.

Alternative taxi companies like Uber or Bolt do not operate in the city.

By bus to Halkidiki

If you're heading to the popular Halkidiki peninsula by bus, look for the KTEL Halkidiki Bus Station (see: google.com/maps) on the southern edge of Thessaloniki, where buses run to all the major resorts in the area.

You can find timetables and ticket prices on the bus company's website KTEL Chalkidikis.

In July and August, public transport buses of line 79A run directly from the airport to this bus station once an hour throughout the day, the price of one ticket is 0,90 eur.

In the low season you need to take line 79 to IKEA bus station, from where line 36 goes to KTEL Chalkidikis station. For this connection you will need a transfer ticket for 1,10 eur.

• Guide to the Halkidiki region