Arrival guide
By air, road, rail, coach or sea, and what happens once you reach Ladadika.
By Loena Luxury Suites. Updated September 2026.
How to reach central Thessaloniki and Ladadika. Makedonia Airport, the drive from the Balkans, the railway station, the two coach terminals, and the port.
Most guests fly into Makedonia Airport, east of the city. A good number drive down from Sofia, Skopje or Belgrade. Each of those has its own guide, linked right below this paragraph. Three more ways in get almost no coverage anywhere. Trains, coaches and the ferry berth decide how your first hour in Thessaloniki goes, and the rest of this page covers all three.
| How you come | Where you land | Into the centre |
|---|---|---|
| Plane | Makedonia Airport, east of the city | Bus 01X or 01N, otherwise a taxi |
| Train | New Railway Station on Monastiriou | Metro Line 1, two stops to Venizelou |
| Intercity coach | Makedonia terminal or Monastiriou | Taxi or city bus from Giannitson, metro from Monastiriou |
| Ferry | Makedonia passenger terminal, inside the port | On foot into Ladadika |
| Car | The partner garage, 250 metres from the door | On foot |
By rail
Thessaloniki's New Railway Station stands on Monastiriou in Xirokrini, west of the centre and about 1.5 kilometres from our door. Metro Line 1 begins directly underneath it. One stop puts you at Dimokratias, two at Venizelou, and from either one it is a short walk to Ernestou Emprar. The Athens intercity runs twice a day, about five hours each way. The same platforms serve Larissa, Edessa and Florina, plus Katerini for anyone heading up Mount Olympus. No international train runs to Sofia or Skopje, whatever a ticket search suggests. Greek rail has been disrupted since 2023 and services have come back only in part, so read the operator's timetable before you build an arrival day around a train.
By coach
The city has two intercity coach terminals, and which one you land at is settled by whoever sold you the seat. Makedonia terminal sits at Giannitson 244, five kilometres west of the centre. It takes the Athens coach, all the domestic KTEL services, and the operators running in from Sofia and Istanbul. The Monastiriou station, beside the railway station, takes every FlixBus route and Simeonidis Tours. So a passenger off the Skopje or Istanbul FlixBus is one metro stop from Ladadika, while a passenger off the Athens coach still has five kilometres to cover by taxi or city bus. Makedonia keeps a left-luggage counter, and that counter fills the gap between a coach that arrives at breakfast and a self check-in that opens at 15:00.
| Operator | Terminal | Distance from Ladadika |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic KTEL and the Athens coach | Makedonia, Giannitson 244 | Five kilometres west |
| Services in from Sofia and Istanbul | Makedonia, Giannitson 244 | Five kilometres west |
| FlixBus, every route | Monastiriou, beside the railway station | One metro stop |
| Simeonidis Tours | Monastiriou | One metro stop |
By sea
The Makedonia passenger terminal sits inside the port, and the port authority places the port 500 metres from the city centre. Our measured table puts it at 8 minutes on foot from the entrance. Come off a boat and you wheel the bag along the quay, through Ladadika, and into the lift while a taxi from anywhere else would still be on the ring road. Sailings towards the Sporades are seasonal. The pattern moves from one year to the next, so check what is running on your dates before you build a trip around a boat.
Seven of our guides start at a border crossing instead of a departure lounge. Each one covers the road or the short flight, the hours it takes, and what people from that country tend to come and see. Read the one that matches the border you will cross.
The quarter is partly pedestrianised and street parking is not realistic. There is a partner garage open around the clock, 250 metres from the door, at extra cost. Self check-in starts at 15:00, and we send photo instructions beforehand because the entrance is discreet and the lift is small. Arrive well before that and you have no reception to sit in, so leave the bags at the coach terminal counter or keep the first half of the day light.
No. International services to both cities have stopped, and Greek rail has been disrupted since 2023 with only part of the network restored. Overland from either capital means a coach or the drive. FlixBus from both sets down at Monastiriou, one metro stop from Ladadika.
Whoever sold you the ticket decides. FlixBus and Simeonidis Tours use the Monastiriou station next to the railway station, one metro stop from us. The Athens coach, the domestic KTEL services and the Sofia and Istanbul operators use the Makedonia terminal at Giannitson 244, five kilometres west of the centre. Check your booking confirmation for the terminal name before you land.
Eight minutes on foot. The Makedonia passenger terminal is inside the port, which the port authority puts 500 metres from the city centre, and the walk to 13 Ernestou Emprar runs straight through Ladadika. Bring the bag on wheels.
There is no reception here, so the bags cannot wait with us. The Makedonia coach terminal runs a left-luggage counter, which covers a morning arrival by road. Off a ferry or a train you are already in the centre, so most guests take the morning slowly over a table in the quarter and come up at three.
