Traveling in Northern Greece, one cannot fail to visit the legendary Meteora - monasteries located on top of the rocks. Meteora is one of the top 5 most popular places in Greece. Many tourists start their journey to the monasteries from Thessaloniki. How to get from Thessaloniki to Meteora?

Distance Thessaloniki - Meteora

Thessaloniki is a city in Central Macedonia, Meteora is located in the Trikala region, in the mountains of Thessaly, near the city of Kalambaka. The distance between Thessaloniki and Meteora is 225 km and the journey will take 3-4 hours.

From Thessaloniki to Meteora by bus

To get to Meteora from Thessaloniki, you must first get to the bus station. This can be done by taking bus number 78, which runs from the airport to the city bus station. You can get from the city itself by buses No. 1, 12, 31, 8, 45, 80, 89B. Before leaving, it is better to check the schedule, you can choose any bus going to KTEL Makedonia.

At the bus station you need to take a bus to Trikala. It is a city located 20 km from Kalambaka. In Trikala, you can take a bus to Kalambaka. The earliest departs after 15:00. From Kalambaka to Meteora you can quickly get by taxi or buses that leave a couple of times a day from the fountain in Plateia Dimarcheiou square. If you like hiking, you can walk up the stairs that lead to the monasteries. The main thing to keep in mind is that the path is not the easiest.

Thessaloniki to Meteora by train

To catch a train to Meteora, you need to get to the New Railway Station in Thessaloniki (Neos Sidirodromikos Stathmos). From the airport, bus number 78 runs to it, from the city - buses number 2, 8, 10, 52, 64 and other routes. Trains run from Thessaloniki Station to Kalambaka. This is the final station, but some routes involve changing at Paleofarsalos station - you need to be careful when buying a ticket. The earliest train leaves for Kalambaka after 6:00 am, the latest is around midnight.

From Thessaloniki to Meteora by car

Can be reached by rented car. It will be faster than public transport, and you will also be able to move between monasteries and villages more easily. It is easy to drive from Thessaloniki to Meteora on your own, except for the last kilometers, when there are many turns. Leaving Thessaloniki, follow the signs for the E90 (Egnatia) road heading west towards the town of Kozani. After passing the town of Grevena, take the exit towards Trikala and drive towards Kalambaka. Directly near the monasteries there is equipped parking. Arriving before the tourist buses, you can find a free place for the car.

Adviсe

  • When going to Meteora by car, please note: there are paid sections of the road on the highway.
  • It is better to buy tickets for trains and buses in advance to guarantee yourself a place on the desired date during the high tourist season.
  • Given the price of travel by train or the cost of renting a car, in some cases it is more profitable to buy an excursion from Thessaloniki to Meteora . It will already include not only a transfer, but also a guide.
  • During the low season the monasteries close early. Therefore, it is worth setting off on a journey with a margin of time. Better yet, stay overnight in Kalambaka so that you can explore one of the most interesting sights in Greece the next day. In Kalambaka, the infrastructure is well developed: there are ATMs, hotels, taverns, shops.