City guide
Which ticket works where, how late the trains run, and how to use the network without collecting a fine.
By Loena Luxury Suites. Updated September 2026.
How the Thessaloniki network works. Line 1 and its eighteen stations, service hours, ticket prices, validation, and when a taxi makes more sense.
Thessaloniki has one metro line, a dense network of city buses, and taxis on the meter. OSETH sets the fares and OASTH runs the buses. One rule catches visitors out. A bus smart ticket does not work on the metro, and a metro ticket does not work on a bus, so budget for two separate tickets if you plan to use both.
The metro
Line 1 runs under Egnatia. It has three terminals, New Railway Station at the western end, Nea Elvetia and Mikra out east, and the split comes after 25is Martiou. Two stations serve Ladadika, Venizelou with exits at Alkazar and Bezesteni, and Dimokratias with exits on 26is Oktovriou and Lagkada. Sintrivani opens onto the international fair grounds, while New Railway Station has a second exit at the Giannitson coach terminal. The Kalamaria extension, five stations over 4.78 kilometres, was inaugurated on 27 August 2026.
| When | Service | Frequency on the central section |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday to Thursday | From 05:15 until 00:30 | Every 2 minutes 55 seconds after 07:30 |
| Friday and Saturday | From 05:15 until 02:00 | Every 2 minutes 55 seconds after 07:30 |
| Weekday mornings | From 05:15 | Every five minutes until 07:30 |
| Weekend mornings | From 05:15 | Every ten minutes until 07:30 |
On the metro you buy from the vending machines inside the stations. Validate twice on every journey, once entering and once leaving. On the bus you buy at an OASTH ticket office, from a vending machine, or from the machine on board, and the on-board machine takes a bank card or a contactless payment only. Inspectors check at random and the fine is issued on the spot. Children up to the age of six travel free with an adult who holds a validated ticket.
| Ticket | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Metro basic ticket | 0.60 euros | One journey |
| Metro day ticket | 2.50 euros | Unlimited metro travel for 24 hours |
| Metro bundle of 10+1 | 5.80 euros | Eleven journeys |
| Bus ticket, urban zone | 0.60 euros | Unlimited urban-zone buses for 70 minutes |
| Bus day ticket | 2.50 euros | Urban and suburban zones for 24 hours |
| Special bus lines | 2.00 euros | Airport lines, the Cultural Route and EXPRESS services, for 70 minutes |
Buses cover what a single metro line misses, with frequent stops across the centre and the districts around it. An urban-zone ticket lets you change buses as often as you like within seventy minutes. Airport services are priced as special lines. Since 27 August 2026 the X3 has linked Mikra metro station straight to Makedonia Airport, on the same timetable every day of the year. After the last train, or when you are carrying luggage, take a taxi from one of the central ranks.
No. OSETH states it plainly, the smart tickets and cards for the buses cannot be used on the metro or the other way round. If you expect to ride both in one day, buy a separate ticket for each.
The last train leaves the three terminals at 00:30 from Sunday to Thursday, and at 02:00 on Friday and Saturday. The first one goes at 05:15 every day. Anything after that means a taxi back to Ladadika.
Not directly. Since 27 August 2026 the X3 special line has run from Mikra metro station to Makedonia Airport, keeping the same timetable all year. The X3 charges the special-line fare, higher than an ordinary urban ticket, so allow for it.
