Thessaloniki Airport has a large number of car rental companies and regular bus routes.
Car rental
If you're heading to the beaches of northern Greece, such as the Halkidiki Peninsula, a rental car is the most convenient mode of transport. There are many car rental companies operating 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.
Bus to Thessaloniki
You can get from the airport to Thessaloniki without a transfer by bus 1X and slightly cheaper with a transfer by line 79.
Route 1X
Connections to the city centre and the bus/train station are provided by bus line 1X during the day and line 1N at night, following practically 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. Daily line 1X in July and August has an interval of 15-20 minutes.
Tickets can be purchased for 1,80 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 at the kiosks at the most important stops in the city or at the machine directly on the bus, which only accepts coins and does not refund.
- Travel time to the city centre: 45 minutes
- Frequency: 30 minutes, 15-20 minutes in July and August
- Price: 1,80 eur for express lines 1X and 1N, valid for one ride only
- Timetable for line 1X
- Timetable for line 1N
Route 79
A slightly cheaper alternative is bus line 79, which runs once every 30 minutes between the airport and the IKEA bus station, 3 km away, from where you can continue to the centre about once every 10 minutes with lines 2K or 3K.
A transfer ticket (maximum 2 journeys and 70 minutes) costs 1,10 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.
To the city centre with a transfer to a bus. IKEA station, the journey takes about 60 minutes.
You can generally buy tickets at the kiosk at the airport to stock up for getting around the city and avoid having to find ticket kiosks or counting out change at the ticket machine. Ticket prices around the city are as follows:
- 0,90 eur - 1 ride
- 1,10 eur - 2 rides and a maximum of 70 minutes at a time
- 1,30 eur - 3 rides for a maximum of 90 minutes
- 1,80 eur - 4 rides and max. 120 minutes
- 1,80 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.