Which means of transport to use Central Greece?

From the airport to the city centre Central Greece

To reach mainland Greece from a French-speaking country, the three main airports are Athens, Thessaloniki (Macedonia) and Kalamata (Peloponnese). These have year-round connections with other airports in Greece and abroad.

Athens airport (25 or 39 km east of the city center): year-round connections with Paris-Roissy, Nice, Brussels-National, Brussels-Charleroi, Geneva, Zurich and Luxembourg, seasonal connections with Paris-Orly, Lyon, Marseille, Lille, Bordeaux, Nantes, Toulouse, Strasbourg, Montpellier, Basel-Mulhouse, Montreal and Toronto, cab fares €40-55 (€57-72 to Piraeus), shuttle buses (X95 to Syntagma Square, X96 to Piraeus..), metro (line 3 to Syntagma Square, Piraeus...), regional train (line A1 to Athenian Larissa station, Doukissis Plakentias station with metro connections, Piraeus...), local car rental companies.

Thessaloniki airport (17 km south of city center): year-round connections with Paris-Beauvais, Brussels-Charleroi, Brussels-National and Zurich, seasonal connections with Paris-Roissy, Basel-Mulhouse, Geneva, cab fares €25-35, shuttle buses (no. 1X or 1N), local car rental companies.

Kalamata airport (10 km northwest of city center): seasonal connections with Paris-Roissy, Paris-Orly, Lille, Lyon, Nantes and Geneva, cab fares €15-25, shuttle buses, local car rental.

Arrival by train Central Greece

Greece no longer has international rail links.

Arrival by boat Central Greece

Greek ports. The two main Greek ports with links to Italy are Patras, in the Peloponnese, and Igoumenitsa, in Epirus.

Italian ports. In Italy, the three main ports for Greece are Brindisi (almost 1,300 km from the Mont Blanc Tunnel), Bari (almost 1,200 km) and Ancona (just over 700 km). Other less frequent departures are from the ports of Venice, Ravenna and Trieste.

Crossing times. From Brindisi: 7h-8h crossing with Igoumenitsa, 16h-18h with Patras. From Bari: 9h-12h with Igoumenitsa, 16h-18h with Patras. From Ancona: 16h-22h with Igoumenitsa, 21h-25h with Patras.

Main companies. Grimaldi Lines (grimaldi-lines.com/en), Minoan Lines (minoan.gr), Ventouris Ferries (ventourisferries.com/en), Superfast Ferries (superfast.com/en-fr) and Anek Superfast (anekitalia.com/en).

Fares. On the Igoumenitsa-Ancona route, for example, you can expect to pay between €170 and €460 for two in a cabin with a car. Fares also vary according to season, level of comfort (classic seats, convertible seats, cabins), type of vehicle, fuel prices, etc.

Public transport Central Greece

International connections. Greece has bus connections with the Balkan countries, in particular with Albania, Northern Macedonia, Bulgaria and Turkey. These routes are operated by several Greek and foreign companies. Thessaloniki's bus stations have the most international connections. We explain this in detail in the Thessaloniki pages.

National bus connections. The cooperative, private intercity bus network KTEL (Κοινό Ταμείο Εισπράξεων Λεωφορείων/Kino Tamio Ispraxeon Leoforion) provides the bulk of public transport across Greece. Fares are reasonable (€46.70, for example, for a 6h Thessalonica-Athens journey) and the network is dense (almost 4,200 lines), even if not all villages are served. It operates with vehicles that are often modern and owned by the drivers. The general website (ktelbus.com/en) links to the websites of the 62 regional branches. Depending on the situation, tickets can be purchased online, at bus stations or from the drivers. In the following chapters, we'll show you the main bus stations and their connections.

National rail links. The two main rail links are between Athens and Thessaloniki and Athens and Corinth. However, many of these lines closed down between 1990 and 2010. Since 2017, the national network has been owned by the Italian semi-public group Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane. Formerly known as OSE (Οργανισμός Σιδηροδρόμων Ελλάδος/Organismos Sidirodromon Ellados), the national company is now called Hellenic Train (hellenictrain.gr/en). Its website was modernized in 2024. It is now possible to view possible routes and buy a ticket online (€43, for example, for a 4h50 Thessalonica-Athens journey).

Urban networks. All major cities have urban transport companies. These are mainly buses, often quite old but inexpensive. Athens and Thessalonica are the exceptions, since they have a metro system. The OASA company (oasa.gr/en) manages public transport in the Athens conurbation: metro, tramway, bus and trolley-bus. In the Thessaloniki conurbation, OSATH (oasth.gr/en) manages buses, while Elliniko Metro (emetro.gr) is in charge of the only metro line due to open in 2024.

Bike, scooters & co Central Greece

Cycling. Greece doesn't lend itself well to cycling: many motorists drive dangerously, roads can be in poor condition and city centers rarely have cycle lanes. Moreover, self-service bicycle systems are still underdeveloped in urban areas. However, the number of cyclists is on the rise. For safety reasons, we strongly advise against cycling alone in Athens: it's better to use an agency offering a guided group tour with a classic or electric bike. In Thessalonica, it's much nicer: the seafront is well equipped for cycling (as well as scooters, roller skates...). Excursions outside the city are feasible all over Greece. But we recommend that you wear full safety equipment (helmet, reflective vest and devices, parking lights) and avoid riding at night. Throughout the country, agencies offer excursions with guides who know the best routes to take and those to avoid.

Electric scooters. After almost disappearing from city centers during the coronavirus health crisis, self-service electric scooter systems have been gradually returning to Athens and Thessaloniki since 2024. But there is still no legislation governing the use of electric scooters, apart from two safety requirements: the wearing of a helmet (not supplied by the companies) and a speed limit of 25 km/h. As with bicycles, the utmost caution is advised here too.

Motorcycles. Motorcycles, quads and scooters are available for hire. Don't imitate the locals, and wear a helmet... on your head! Danger can come from anywhere: a pothole in the road, sun glare, a bad driver, a gust of wind, and so on. Accidents happen, and without a helmet, your insurance won't cover you. Too few rental companies insist that you wear a helmet. So be sure to ask for one. In Greece, to drive an AM category moped (under 50 ^cm3), you need to have held a B driving license for six years and be at least 27 years old. For category A1 (up to 125 cm³), a further five hours of "relevant" training is required.

With a driver Central Greece

Cabs. Cabs are available throughout the country, including some villages and almost all tourist sites. Fares are cheaper than in Western Europe, but drivers generally speak poor English. In the larger cities, the vehicles display a distinctive color: yellow in Athens, blue and white in Thessalonica, dark red in Patras, dark green in Ioannina... Otherwise, they are generally gray. All are equipped with a taximeter and an illuminated exterior device bearing the words "TAXI" or "ΤΑΞΙ". Here are the official rates in 2024 for Athens and Thessaloniki. Pick-up: €1.80. Minimum fare: €4. Rates per kilometer: €0.90 and €1.25 out of town. Night rate per kilometer (0h-5h): €1.25. Luggage: €0.39. Port, airport and station surcharge: €1.07. Reservations: €5.65. Official flat rates apply for ports and airports, e.g. €40 between Athens airport and the center of Athens (€55 overnight).

Application. On your smartphone, download the "Freenow" app to find a free cab in your area. This works mainly in Athens and Thessaloniki. The extra cost is €1.20.

Abuse. It is not uncommon for drivers to charge excessive fares, especially for journeys to and from ports and airports. To file a complaint, contact the tourist police: +30 21 09 20 07 30 in Athens, +30 23 10 55 48 74 in Thessalonica, +30 26 10 69 50 73 in Patras, +30 26 65 02 96 46 in Igoumenitsa, +30 27 21 04 46 81 in Kalamata, +30 24 21 03 90 57 in Volos, +30 26 51 06 59 22 in Ioannina, +30 25 51 03 73 81 in Alexandroupoli... The direct local number 1571 can also be used to contact the tourist police anywhere in the country, with service in foreign languages (sometimes in French). In Athens, the traffic police are best placed to take legal action (central office Th. Diligiannis 24-26, near the Metaxourgeio metro station and the tourist police information center, +30 21 05 23 01 11). At the very least, you need to provide the vehicle registration number and the time and location of the "offence", possibly the vehicle model and the driver's license number. You can also report a driver (without a complaint) to the SATA cab union (+30 21 05 23 95 24, [email protected]). However, the threat of a complaint is usually enough to get the driver to charge the legal rate.

VTC. There is no Uber-type chauffeur-driven car service in Greece.

Chauffeur-driven vehicles. A number of companies offer chauffeur-driven vehicles for day trips or longer to the main sites near Athens: Cape Sounion, Delphi, Mycenae, Meteora, Corinth and Epidaurus. These include Chauffeur Greece (chauffeurgreece.com/en) and Prestige Greece (prestigegreece.com). These two companies not only offer comfortable luxury cars, but also vehicles adapted to carry passengers in wheelchairs (ramps, fastening systems, etc.). The Athenian company Amea Taxi (www.amea.taxi) specializes exclusively in transport and tourist excursions for people with reduced mobility. It offers special assistance for getting on and off trains, planes and boats.

By car Central Greece

Freedom... and great caution! Despite the excellent KTEL bus network, we recommend visiting mainland Greece by car. This is to take advantage of archaeological sites, beaches and good restaurants far from urban centers. Beware, however, as driving "Greek-style" is confusing and sometimes very dangerous: disregard for speed limits and crosswalks, red lights often ignored, turn signals systematically forgotten, frequent overtaking on the right, poor condition of the vehicle fleet, slow vehicles driving on the emergency lane, double-parking in towns... All this combined with a lack of police controls. In short, you need to be extremely vigilant as soon as you hit the road. Greece has the highest road accident rate in the European Union and associated countries: 149 deaths per million inhabitants in 2023, compared with 88 in France (close to the European average), 104 in Belgium, 99 in Luxembourg and 55 in Switzerland.

Roads and freeways. Most major roads are in relatively good condition, with wide lanes, good signage and so on. The country now has a fairly dense motorway network, despite its rugged terrain: A1 between Athens and Thessalonica, A2 (Egnatia Odos) in the northern part (from Igoumenitsa to Alexandroupoli via Thessalonica), A6 between Corinth and Kalamata, A8 between Athens and Patras(via Corinth), E65 between Athens and the Meteora... The problem is the tolls. They are extremely numerous and considered too expensive by most locals. For example, to cover the 500 km between Athens and Thessalonica, it costs around €40, with some 15 toll booths where you have to pay between €0.70 and €3.90 each time (credit card or cash). As a result, many stretches are almost empty, even in high season. Despite the inconvenience of having to stop frequently at toll booths, and tariffs comparable to those in France, Greek freeways are not very busy, are easy to navigate and often boast beautiful scenery. They are managed by eight private companies, which offer an electronic toll tag (e-PASS) valid throughout the network. These can be purchased from the following companies: Attiki Odos (aodos.gr), Moreas (moreas.com.gr), Nea Odos (neaodos.gr), Egnatia Odos (egnatia.eu), Olympia Odos (olympiaodos.gr), Aegean Motorway (aegeanmotorway.gr or myeway.gr), Kentriki Odos (kentrikiodos.gr) and Gefyra (gefyra.gr). National roads are also fairly well maintained. The disadvantage here is that you find yourself in the stream of (bad) local drivers... As for the secondary roads, they are of very variable quality, especially as they are often winding, narrow mountain roads. Use them with the utmost caution at night and in case of precipitation.

Bring your own vehicle. Few Western European travellers come to Greece with their own vehicle. This is an idea worth considering for longer stays. Several options are available. The most common is to take the ferry between the Italian ports (Bari, Ancona...) and those of Patras and Igoumenitsa (see "By boat" above). In this case, you should allow at least two days for the journey without a stopover. Alternatively, you can travel via the Balkans. In this case, there are two main routes. The quickest is to take the E-75 "European route", a freeway that crosses the continent from north to south. You need to pick it up in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary or Croatia. This represents a journey of around 2,000 km from Strasbourg to Thessalonica, via Serbia and Northern Macedonia (allow 2-4 days with stopovers). Still via the Balkans, you can follow the Adriatic coast through Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania. In this case, the journey between Lyon and Ioannina will be around 2,100 km on decent national roads with few motorway sections (allow 3-5 days with stopovers).

Rent a car locally. Car rental companies can be found in almost every town, as well as in the main ports and airports. For a city car, expect to pay between €30 and €80 per day, depending on the length of your stay and the season. Vehicle fleets are generally fairly modern (which is rarely the case on the islands) and well-maintained. The main international rental companies (Europcar, Avis/Budget, Hertz/Thrifty, Sixt, Entreprise, Alamo...) are well established. There are also Greek national companies such as Auto Union (autounion.gr), Avance (avance.gr), ACE Car Rental (acerentacar.gr), Ansa (ansa.gr) or Drive Hellas (drive-hellas.com), as well as local companies. Demand is very high in July and August, so it's best to book in advance directly with the agencies, on the companies' websites or on the central reservation sites.

Highway code. Since 2003, the highway code has been the same in all European Union countries. There are, however, a few peculiarities in Greece. The one to remember concerns traffic circles: vehicles on traffic circles must give way to vehicles coming from the right, unless otherwise indicated on the road signs. The maximum alcohol limit is the same as in France and Luxembourg: 0.5 g/l (0.2 for young drivers).

LPG and electric vehicles. Since 2024, new rules have applied to boat transport: LPG vehicles must have at least half their tank empty to embark; the batteries of electric and hybrid vehicles must not exceed 40%. This applies to all vessels within Greece and to connections with Italy. A list of service stations offering liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) can be found at mylpg.eu/stations/greece, and a list of electric vehicle charging points at charging.gr, nrgincharge.gr and blinkcharging.com. Charging stations are also available in some hotels, usually upmarket.

Accessibility Central Greece

The fate of disabled people and strollers is unfortunately not a priority in Greece, far from it. This results in poor accessibility, especially in all public transport, trains and local buses. In Athens, however, access is finally available in the most recent metro stations and some important tourist sites such as the Acropolis. On the sea side, ferries and other boats are not always very accessible either: on the big ferries, access is theoretically assured for all, but in practice, it is another story (the escalators used to get on the boat are deactivated when it comes to disembarking...). Elevators are provided, but they do not necessarily serve all the floors of the ferries.

Tourist traps Central Greece

Apart from the universal classic (in cabs, keep an eye on the meter or check the flat rate for the airport or port), there's not much to report.