PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

The sector of public transportation in Greece is particularly advanced. There are local and long distance coach, railway, maritime and airline services.

        Every city has its own local transportation.  In Thessaloniki, buses are blue or red. Tickets cost 45 cents. There are reduced tickets for pupils and students that cost 20 cents.  You can also obtain a monthly card from various stands. The bus that goes to TEI is number 52 (http://www.oasth.gr).

        In Athens there is also the underground (www.ametro.gr).

     The Hellenic Railway Organisation (www.ose.gr) is the national railway company which links many cities in Greece with most capital cities of Europe. The Intercity train is the most modern train in Greece, as it is fast, punctual and offers many facilities. The journey from Thessaloniki to Athens takes under 6 hours.

        Maritime transportation links most Greek ports with almost every Greek island as well as many Italian ports. Most ferries set out from Pireus, which is the biggest port in Greece. Ferries and boats that sail from Thessaloniki serve mainly the islands of the Northern Aegean Sea (Mytilini, Limnos, Sporades), and some of the Dodekanisa Islands (www.emarine.gr, www.greekferries.gr).

     Olympic Airlines is the national airline in Greece (www.olympicairlines.com). Apart from domestic flights, there are also international ones to many European, American and Asian cities. There are roughly 10 flights from Athens to Thessaloniki every day. The flight lasts about 40 minutes and the return ticket costs 150 Euros. You can call the Macedonia Airport at: 2310 473212 or 2310 408411.

        The largest airport in Greece is the new International Athens airport called Eleftherios Venizelos (www.athensairport-2001.gr).

        There are also other Greek and foreign airlines that run both national and international flights. There are airports in all big cities of Greece and on most of the Greek islands, too.

        Long distance road transportation (KTEL) connects most Greek cities. Coaches are usually more popular than trains. The journey from Athens to Thessaloniki takes about 6 hours and the return ticket costs 45 Euros and 35 Euros for students (www.ktel-thes.gr).

For information about all kinds of journeys, call 1440.

For the Traffic Police, dial 2310 554144.