Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece, with more than 1,500,000 inhabitants in its metropolitan area. It is the administrative and governmental centre for all of Northern Greece and a key hub for the Balkan region, hosting the country’s second largest port and basic infrastructure for trade and transport to and from other Balkan countries.

Living in Thessaloniki is like stepping into history, from ancient Greek and Hellenistic times to Roman times, the Byzantine and Ottoman Empire and the modern era. More than 2300 years of history are present in the same place at the same time.

Thessaloniki is one of the most vibrant cities in Greece, home to a very large student community and a diverse day and nightlife. Famous for its taverns with many different delicacies, its cafes by the sea and its nightlife, Thessaloniki is a city that never sleeps.

Urban transport

Thessaloniki offers an easy and fast way to get around. No part of the city is more than 30 minutes from the centre by public transport.
The best way to get to know the historic centre is a walk to the UNESCO monuments, the market, the traditional taverns, and the coastline with its magnificent sunset, the distance between them is no more than a few minutes walk, after all. Public buses and taxis are the main means of transport in Thessaloniki, while bicycles have become increasingly popular in recent years.

Buses: The Thessaloniki Urban Transport Organisation (O.A.S.TH.), the second largest in Greece, connects the entire city through a dense network of bus lines. You can buy your tickets at the ticket offices of O.A.S.TH., at the 1200 shops or at the vending machines inside the buses. The cost of the tickets is EUR 0,90 for single tickets for adults and EUR 0,45 for students. A free service is offered to disabled persons.

All the necessary information about timetables, real-time bus tracking, journey times, best routes, etc., is available on the official website of OAST. More information here.