Car hire and driving in Thessaloníki
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In Greece traffic drives on the right. Picking up at SKG means 14 km (9 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1061257 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648793 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648841.
Drives from Thessaloníki
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thessaloníki to Lárisa | Greece | 121 km (75 mi) | about 1 h 50 min |
| Thessaloníki to Skopje | North Macedonia | 196 km (122 mi) | about 3 h |
| Thessaloníki to Plovdiv | Bulgaria | 226 km (141 mi) | about 3 h 27 min |
| Thessaloníki to Sofia | Bulgaria | 231 km (144 mi) | about 3 h 31 min |
| Thessaloníki to Elbasan | Albania | 245 km (153 mi) | about 3 h 45 min |
| Thessaloníki to Tirana | Albania | 272 km (169 mi) | about 4 h 9 min |
| Thessaloníki to Pátra | Greece | 285 km (177 mi) | about 4 h 21 min |
| Thessaloníki to Vlorë | Albania | 292 km (182 mi) | about 4 h 27 min |
| Thessaloníki to Peristéri | Greece | 299 km (186 mi) | about 4 h 34 min |
| Thessaloníki to Çanakkale | Turkey | 299 km (186 mi) | about 4 h 34 min |
| Thessaloníki to Stara Zagora | Bulgaria | 301 km (187 mi) | about 4 h 35 min |
| Thessaloníki to Durrës | Albania | 302 km (188 mi) | about 4 h 36 min |
| Thessaloníki to Istanbul | Turkey | 508 km (315 mi) | about 7 h 45 min |
| Thessaloníki to Ankara | Turkey | 845 km (525 mi) | about 12 h 53 min |
| Thessaloníki to Berlin | Germany | 1,506 km (936 mi) | about 22 h 58 min |
| Thessaloníki to Bursa | Turkey | 521 km (324 mi) | about 7 h 57 min |
| Thessaloníki to Kyiv | Ukraine | 1,239 km (770 mi) | about 18 h 54 min |
| Thessaloníki to İzmir | Turkey | 437 km (272 mi) | about 6 h 40 min |
| Thessaloníki to Rome | Italy | 882 km (548 mi) | about 13 h 27 min |
| Thessaloníki to Gaziantep | Turkey | 1,311 km (815 mi) | about 20 h |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in Thessaloníki?
The right, as everywhere in Greece.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.