Thessaloniki is rewarding to explore one neighbourhood at a time. Take the metro for the longer stretch, step outside for a church or market, and leave room for the waterfront. The main planning decisions are simple: which station serves your day, which eastern branch you need, and whether your onward journey requires a bus.
Transport references checked: 22 September 2026. Check the operator before travelling for disruptions, departure times and ticket changes.
Understand the metro before you board
The network now contains 18 stations. The Kalamaria extension added Nomarchia, Kalamaria, Aretsou, Nea Krini and Mikra; its inauguration was announced on 27 August 2026. Older maps may still show these stations as a future project. See the official extension announcement and current station directory.
From New Railway Station, the shared central corridor runs through Dimokratias, Venizelou, Agias Sofias, Sintrivani and the eastern neighbourhoods to 25th Martiou. Here the network divides: one branch continues through Voulgari to Nea Elvetia; the other heads through Kalamaria to Mikra. Follow the train’s destination display rather than assuming every eastbound departure serves the same terminus.
For a journey between the two outer branches, plan through 25th Martiou and check the platform information for your change. A station map explains the connection; it does not tell you whether a disruption is affecting that journey today.
Choose a station around your day
For a first visit, Venizelou makes a useful starting point for the old commercial centre and its markets. Agias Sofias suits the central shopping streets and Agia Sofia church. Sintrivani is a useful starting point for Kamara and the Rotunda, with the waterfront a separate walk. Treat these as neighbourhood suggestions, then check the walking route to your actual entrance.
Give yourself time above ground. Crossings, luggage, steps and the exit you choose all matter. For a linked sequence of landmarks and waterfront stops, continue with our Thessaloniki walks from the metro: markets, monuments and the sea.
Tickets and the last train
Buy or reload your metro ticket at a station ticket machine. Keep it until you have left the system: validation is required both when entering and when exiting. Choose the fare product for your journey and confirm any reduced-fare eligibility through the official metro ticket information. Check airport-bus and boat ticket rules separately.
The operator’s published hours are Sunday–Thursday 05:15–00:30 and Friday–Saturday 05:15–02:00. These are the first and last departures from the terminal stations, not departure times at every stop. Recheck the schedule for a late arrival, public holiday or early flight; do not build a tight airport connection around the last train.
Getting from SKG Airport into the city
The metro does not reach the airport. Your public-transport options include a direct city bus or a bus connection to a metro terminus. The official airport transport page lists these routes:
- 1X / 1N: airport, city centre, New Railway Station and KTEL Makedonia.
- 2X: airport to Nea Elvetia metro interchange.
- 3X: airport to Mikra metro interchange.
- 79: airport to the eastern bus interchange at IKEA.
The airport identifies the bus terminal outside Exit 4 of Terminal 1, in the arrivals area, with tickets available from the ticket booth or OSETH machines. Confirm the destination before boarding. The transport authority writes the Mikra airport route as X3, while the airport uses 3X; both descriptions connect Mikra with the airport. OSETH’s network announcement also identifies bus M2 between Mikra and IKEA.
Compare the whole journey to your accommodation. A direct bus may spare you a transfer; a bus-and-metro combination may suit a destination near a station. Allow for waiting, traffic and the final walk rather than comparing only the time on a train.
Buses, coastal boats and the tram question
OASTH buses extend your options beyond the metro. Use OASTH’s route and stop tools to check the service you need. For sightseeing, Cultural Route 50 starts at the White Tower and links historical and cultural landmarks. Check its current departures and fare arrangements before setting off.
For time on the water, Karavakia lists coastal services connecting Thessaloniki with Neoi Epivates and Perea, with landing information for the port and White Tower. Treat this as a seasonal, weather-dependent outing. Read the operator’s dated notice and timetable, and check your return before leaving the city.
There is no present-day tram network to add to your route. OASTH’s history records the withdrawal of the city’s trams in 1957.
Keep your route and your discoveries together
WAY4I’s Thessaloniki Subway Map and Guide brings the metro-and-city approach together. Use station choices to organise your day, and keep an operator check separate from your sightseeing plan. A saved route or illustrative riding estimate cannot account for today’s waiting time, transfers or disruptions.
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