At sea to greece by train in August. How to get to Greece

Grekoblog has more than once touched on the topic of travel by railways in Greece and, it would seem, has completely exhausted it. However, relatively recently, the Greek railway operator TrainOSE made one important innovation - now it became possible to buy tickets for intercity trains on-line, which will allow all of us to be more flexible in planning our trips.

The introduction of the service for booking and buying railway tickets on-line opens up another opportunity for travelers. Now it is quite easy not only to buy a ticket for the required date, but also to view the train schedule along the route. If someone has come across an attempt to find out the timetable of the Greek railway before - will not let you lie - it was a very difficult task. Especially for those who were not very at ease with the Greek language. It's easier now. And although the work of the English-language version of the site still leaves much to be desired, nevertheless, it is much more "advanced" than the one that was previously.

However, for those who are used to using Google Chrome, the problem with the language is not that big. In its composition, the Greek language has much more in common with Russian than the same English. Therefore, at worst, you can always clarify everything incomprehensible by resorting to the help of an on-line translator - there should not be any special difficulties.

It is clear that Grekoblog could not pass by the opportunity to test the service and did exactly on the eve of the New Year. So for those who are experiencing difficulties with the operation of the service, we decided to print a step-by-step instruction.

First of all, we go to the service website: http://www.trainose.gr/

Trainose.gr service start page

In the left corner, we have a window Αναζήτηση δρομολογίων, which means - "Search for a schedule." Since the English version at the time of the test did not display the Latin names of the necessary stations, I had to "drive in" in Greek. For those who do not have a Greek keyboard layout, you can start typing in English: a drop-down list will appear, from which you can then select the names of the desired stations in Greek. Then we enter the travel dates, choosing απλή μετάβαση, if we are traveling one way, or με επιστροφή, if we are interested in a return ticket too. Press again Αναζήτηση δρομολογίων and see the schedule for the desired day.

Directly in the train schedule, the English version works much better.

In our case, it can be seen that on the selected day (January 10), 7 trains leave from Athens to Thessaloniki. Departure time of the 1st from Athens is 7:18 am with arrival in Thessaloniki at 12:41. It follows from the schedule that it is more profitable to buy via the Internet: the ticket price starts from 19 Euro, while when buying through the cashier the best offer is 21.3 Euro.

Having chosen a suitable route in time (in our case, number 58, departing at 16:16 from Athens), press the button “Preview and buy tickets”, which appears in the lower right corner, and see confirmation of the selected train.

Before choosing seats in the carriage, the system will offer to check if everything is correct

If everything is correct, press “Continue” and proceed to the selection of seats in the car.

Each carriage contains seats at a different cost, although the difference between them is not obvious.

So, before us is a diagram of the train and seats in the car. Before we move on, you should pay attention to the following points:

A1, B2, B3 and B4 - show the numbers of the cars and their class. A - these are cars of a higher class, B - of a lower class. The price, accordingly, will also differ. The green color of the carriage is the one in which we choose the seats in this moment... You can switch between cars by hovering the mouse cursor over them.

The color in which the seats are highlighted corresponds to their value. In our case, orange stands for 19 Euros, blue for 29. Seats closer to the edge of the contour line are near the windows, the rest are at the aisle.

In our case, only seats are available on the train. And do not delude yourself that this is because of class B - in class A, too, the seats are only seated, although they are more comfortable.

Before proceeding to the selection of seats, in the “People traveling” menu, indicate how many of you are going to travel by this train.

If you still have questions or you see an unfamiliar color of places, then in the upper right corner, click the usage guide, which will give answers to all possible questions.

Having chosen the place you like, click on it with the mouse - it will be painted in a different color. Then click on “Buy tickets”. After that, you will be redirected to the payment menu, where you can enter your card details to pay for the selected seat.

Card payment interface for selected seats

Please note: in our case, the system confirmed that the ticket was selected for train # 58, departing on January 10 on the Athens-Thessaloniki route. The selected seat is located in the B4 carriage, and its number is 82. The total cost of the ticket in our case is 19 Euro.

At the next stage, the system will ask you to indicate the name that will be entered in the ticket, as well as an arbitrary password word “for every fireman”. This will be followed by document generation. To be honest, I never figured out how to print it, so I used the PRTSC button to “take a picture” of the ticket on the screen, and then save it via PAINT as a JPG file. After all these "shenanigans" I just printed the file on the printer.

The document contains initials, surname, ticket number, route, cost, train number, date and time of departure, class of the carriage, its number and place.

At the station in Athens, before boarding the train, he simply showed the printout to the controller - he nodded and did not ask any additional questions. Within an hour after departure - already inside the train - there was another control, and it was also required to simply show it to the controller. The ticket did not need to be punched, not certified, or composted. However, just in case, you should have a document with you, in which your name and surname will be written in the same way as on the ticket.

This, in fact, is all. I hope this post will be useful to you and good luck with your travels.

Moscow is almost 2 thousand kilometers away from Athens, and 2500 kilometers between St. Petersburg and Athens. Therefore, for Russian citizens, as well as citizens of the CIS countries, the most correct choice is air travel. There are direct flights between many major Russian airports and ports in Greece. The flight lasts from three and a half to four and a half hours, depending on the ports of departure and destination. The flight from Moscow to Athens takes just over three hours, from St. Petersburg - more than four hours.

A trip by rail, car or bus from Russia will take at least three days, so this option is suitable if you are planning to travel all over Europe and look, among other things, in Greece. Airfare to Greece from Russia depends on the season, with the highest prices from June to early September (and Easter week). However, in the periods - April-May and from the end of September to October, prices decrease, dropping the lowest from November to March (with the understandable exception of Christmas and New Year, when prices are like in high season). Please note that if you are flying on weekends, you will have to pay extra.

You can reduce costs by contacting some specialized agent or discounter (an agent who makes money on the clientele's love for discounts): they not only find discount air tickets for their clients on “last minute” flights, but sometimes also offer benefits for students or young people, as well as a number related services- sell together with a ticket, a train ticket, a car rental agreement, a ticket for and so on. There are also companies that buy large quantities of tickets in bulk and then sell them at a discount. Sometimes it is more profitable to buy a package of services - this is a complex voucher that covers not only air travel, but also accommodation in the host country and other services.

Even if you never buy a ticket for your flight via the Internet, the very wandering around the sites is worthwhile: at least you will find out where and who has the most profitable offer... But companies usually put on the site a very meager set of fixed prices for tickets that cannot be refunded or changed, on the one hand, and prices of a very economy class, on the other, so if you want to expand your choice, then you need to call the office of the company or Look for advice on one of the websites that offer discounts and other travel perks.

The cheapest options are associated with all sorts of restrictions: a flight on the night from Saturday to Sunday, say, or a mandatory stop for three days, or the ticket is valid only for a month or two. Moreover, for violating the conditions for receiving any discounts and more or less seductive benefits, they immediately scare you with terrible punishments for any violation: you may even lose the full cost of the ticket if you are late for departure or change the date of return. Sometimes discounts are offered for people under the age of 26.

• Airport in Athens

It is very easy to get lost in the huge Athens airport or miss your flight, especially when changing from one plane to another. Airport regulations require that the interval between your arrival in Athens and your departure from Athens on another plane must be at least 55 minutes, however some airlines require an interval of 90 minutes. Bearing in mind the usual, especially for the Olympic, delays and protracted - safety! - checks, try to adhere to this rule when buying tickets.

Some - but (alas) not all - automatic ticketing systems will not satisfy your request if the interval between flights does not fit the above limits. Drop off your luggage for check-in and check-in for the entire route, up to the last destination. Even international flight departing from your home country will be monstrously late; if you follow this rule, you will have a good chance to complete the journey along the route you have chosen on the same day, although your checked baggage may be delayed for a day.

Although Athens remains the main destination of low-cost flights, there are direct flights from Moscow to and to, as well as to the islands of Crete, Kos, Kerkyra, Zakynthos, Skiathos, (Thira), Lesbos, etc. And having arrived on a plane of any company to Athens, you can buy a ticket for any domestic flight - the planes of the Greek companies Olympic Airways and Aegean Airlines fly to more than three dozen ports on the mainland and on the islands. The charter season runs from early May to late October. During the high season, you may find that companies are rarely or reluctant to make deals involving only the purchase of an air ticket.

A direct flight to the island of your choice can be more expensive, so it is recommended that you take into account that many places can be reached significantly cheaper if you take a flight via Athens. Domestic flights from Athens can be booked on the Aegean Airways website. The cost of round-trip tickets during the high season starts from reasonable prices for a flight from Moscow to Rhodes, or Kerkyra, and reaches the average prices for a trip to or Kefalionia. The usual prices for air travel in both directions between Russia and Athens depend on the season, for example, in winter it is cheaper, and when flying in August or on Easter, the cost of air travel will double. During the high season, prices go up.

If the price is most important to you, then at the height of the tourist season, there is no choice but to get to with transfers, through some suitable European cities. Each airline has many fares according to which it carries passengers. Some of them you may not even be aware of, because they are confidential. You can get your hair on end from other officially recommended airlines by international associations, because the price of an air ticket issued at this fare can be very high. But we will only talk about the most popular of them. Fares that do not impose any restrictions on the carriage of passengers are usually called normal.

They are divided into the following categories: First (F) - for a ticket to first class, Business (C) - in Business Class, Full (annual) - economic. Tickets issued for these fares are usually subject to free change of dates and itinerary, and have no time limits. If you wish to return such a ticket, only the cost of the form will be deducted from you. For an unused return ticket, half of its cost will be refunded minus the communication fee. In addition, passengers with such tickets can carry more baggage free of charge: 40 kilograms in first class and 30 in business class. The excursion rate is not particularly different from normal rates. But there is one limitation: usually this is a certain minimum and maximum stay at your destination.

A ticket issued at this rate is almost always subject to a full refund, allowing you to change the dates and route of transportation. However, to change the date, you must contact the airline no later than 72 hours before departure. However, most passengers do not want to fly in Business Class. Therefore, the most extensive category of tariffs that we use is called special tariffs. Each company itself determines how much it will take tourists on vacation for. All special rates have a number of general rules: it is impossible to redeem a one-way ticket, after departure, if you are late or change your mind, the ticket cannot be returned, a return before departure is also impossible or is carried out with a huge fine.

All rates have a minimum and maximum stay at the destination. Another characteristic feature of this group of fares is the impossibility of booking it: the rules state that payment for the ticket must be made no later than 24-72 hours after booking. The logic of the airline is quite obvious here - the lower the tariff, the stricter the conditions for its application. So, for example, you can buy an inexpensive ticket issued at a youth fare, most often only three to seven days before departure. The fare, of course, is also limited by the age of the passenger - from 12 to 25 years old. If you bought a ticket with a fixed return date, it will not give up, even if you try to return it 10 minutes after purchase. Roughly the same conditions when buying a ticket at the age fare.

It provides a discount for people over 60: 25 percent off the price of a full annual economy class ticket. And a prerequisite for buying a ticket at a group fare is a voucher proving that you are abroad. Moreover, such a voucher must be at the same time for 6-10 passengers. The most affordable tickets for regular flights can be purchased at the Apex fare. An even cheaper version is called Super Apex. Both tariffs have a lot of restrictions. You can only fly at this rate in the economy class cabin. In addition, the strict "Deadline", that is, the deadline for the purchase of a ticket, appears as a strict tariff condition.

Most often, you need to purchase such a ticket 21 days, 14 days, 7, 3 days before departure and, conversely, not earlier than 7 days, not earlier than 3 days. Another serious limitation is the so-called "Blackout days", the days on which this tariff cannot be used. According to the rules of some airlines, a ticket purchased at the Super Apex fare obliges the passenger to stay in the country of destination for a certain period of time. For example, the tariff conditions of the Aeroflot airline stipulate that a passenger must stay in the country from 7 to 14 days. Recently, special offers and promotional rates have become noticeable. This is how airlines try to fill unloaded flights in the off-season or attract passengers to new flights.

Perhaps the biggest disadvantage of these programs is their unpredictability, so planning a trip relying on such a rate is certainly not worth it. So, if you want to save some money on regular flights, you need to follow fairly simple guidelines. The most important of them sounds simple: you need to buy a ticket in both directions at once, it will always cost you 30-50% cheaper. Generally, all confidential, special and promotional fares are valid only when you buy a roundtrip ticket. There is no need to look for any special background here, this is exclusively a marketing ploy of your air carrier: the company forces you to use its services when you return home.

If you need your itinerary to run through more than two cities, try to organize your trip so that the flight is as close to a straight line as possible. The air ticket price is calculated in terms of miles, and the straighter the route, the more acceptable it will be. There is such a tricky thing in air travel rates as the "Sunday rule". When planning your trip, try to include at least one Saturday to Sunday night in your stay. Compliance with the "Sunday rule" will give you the opportunity to enjoy various discounts.

• Packages and tours to Greece

Almost any tour operator certainly includes Greece in their programs, although, as a rule, you find that you are only offered a choice of famous resorts- these are the islands of Rhodes, Kos, Skiathos, Zakynthos, Kerkyra and, on the mainland, Tolo, the region of Messinia and the Halkidiki peninsula. When purchasing one of these "last minute" vouchers, especially in spring or autumn, you may find that it costs a little more than a plane ticket, and whether you stay in an expensive hotel or a modest refuge is up to you. However, if you want to get to a less touristy and "more Greek" resort, it is better to purchase a ticket from some specialized agency.

There are also such offers to clients as trips to the islands and to those corners that are not too crowded with tourists. By and large, we can say that these agencies are divided into two categories: some, like large chains, offer a contract for the entire season, including accommodation in a hotel and air travel (sometimes your own plane). Others organize individual tours, include in the contract all the troubles with transport and settlement at the place of rest. Services of the second category are sometimes more expensive, but flights and accommodation, as a rule, are, respectively, much higher quality.

• Traveling to Greece by train

A train journey from Moscow to Greece takes from two and a half to three and a half days and can be more expensive than air travel. This trip is also difficult to plan because there are no direct trains and the ticket has to be bought from different operators. However, you can get the opportunity to make stops along the way, for this you need to purchase an Interrail card (only for EU citizens) or Eurail (for residents of other countries), covering the entire network of European railways, including Greece.

These cards are not valid on Russian railways, they can be issued only for travel abroad. Usually they travel from the UK via France and to Bari or Brindisi, from which there are ferries to. The alternative is a longer way overland via and. Book your seats in advance (especially in summer), and the most cheap tickets will cost you several hundred euros, of course not including travel expenses. You can use more expensive cards that give you more options.

Reims - -, and from Milan along the Adriatic coast, get to one of the four ports with ferry berths.

However, even if you manage to get on the most high-speed freeways, you are unlikely to be able to drive all the way without at least two overnight stops. Most ferries leaving Italy call at (Kerkyra), where you can stay for a while - you just need to make a note on the ticket about your intention. As a rule, ferry service is all year round, but from December to April the number of flights and services is reduced. The road from any Italian port to Patras costs the same as the road to or Kerkyra. The cheapest route is from Brindisi to Igoumenitsa, but there is no ferry going further to the port of Patras.

In addition, drivers have already figured out that the extra fuel costs and tolls for using Italian motorways eat up all the savings on cheap ferry tickets departing from the pier in Brindisi or Bari, so if you take the more expensive tickets for ferries leaving from Ancona or, then you will not lose anything in money. The duty is charged on all international ferries - about 10 € per person, as well as for each car or motorcycle, usually (but not always) they are included in the ticket price. For those who are not EU citizens, the fee is 19 € per person and is sometimes charged twice - at boarding and at the exit.

• Ferries Italy-Greece

If you want to sail from Italy to Greece you have to choose one of five ports. Regular ferries that take passengers and cars on board connect Ancona, Bari and Brindisi with Igoumenitsa (main port) and / or Patras (at the northwest end). All these flights operate all year round, but less frequently from December to April. Ferries run less regularly from Venice and Trieste to Patras via Igoumenitsa or Corfu. Tickets for longer routes are more expensive, but the difference in price just coincides with the cost of travel to Brindisi. Almost all flights have the option to stop at Kerkyra.

To get to or at Athens as quickly as possible, head to Patras, from where you can reach across the country. In summer (especially in July-August), tickets must be booked several weeks in advance. In winter, you can simply set a course for the main ports (Brindisi and Ancona, perhaps more reliable than the rest). Nevertheless, booking seats in advance, at least a few days in advance, will not hurt, especially if you are by car or want a separate cabin.

In contact with

Due to the difficult financial situation, the Greek government at one time "gave up" on all international trains connecting Greece with the rest of Europe, and the country for a long time was cut off from the rest of the European rail network, but now that has changed! What does it mean?

This means that a map has now become available in Greece, which allows you to make an unlimited number of travels to Europe by train.

All you have to do is book a train ticket and start traveling wherever you want. With InterRail Global you can visit up to 30 European countries within 5 days (from € 200), 7- (from € 246), 10- (from € 292) or 15- (from € 361) travel days.

What is InterRail pass?

The history of the InterRail pass began in 1972 when national railways Several European countries have teamed up to offer young people a “single rail pass” that would allow unlimited travel by train across the European continent.

Originally InterRail pass was intended only for young people under the age of 26, but currently there are options for children, youth, adults and senior passengers, but only exclusively for those who are a citizen of any European country or who have permanently resided legally in Europe for more than 6 months.

The essence of this proposal is that many European railway operators have adopted the pricing style of low-cost airlines, i.e. if you order the service in advance on the basis of "no refund, no critical changes in travel plans", the price for each individual trip in the package InterRail pass can be very low.

For example, if you book a ticket in advance, the fare from Paris to Zurich starts at € 19, the same ticket will cost you € 109 if you buy it at the station on the day of departure. So if you have a route that you are ready to book in advance on conditions of non-refundable ticket and unchanged directions, for example, London-Paris, Paris-Zurich, Zurich-Venice, Venice-Paris and Paris-London, InterRail pass is the most cheap option if you are concerned about buying it in advance. Why in advance? More on this below.

How to choose, buy and use InterRail.

InterRail Pass can only be purchased by citizens of European countries or those who have legally resided in Europe for more than than 6 months.
You can buy InterRail Pass if you are a citizen of one of the following countries: Great Britain, Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Serbia, Iceland, Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic countries, Malta, Morocco, Turkey, Algeria, Tunisia.

You can also purchase an InterRail Pass without being a citizen of the listed countries if you can prove that you legally reside in these countries for at least 6 months. You cannot buy the InterRail Pass if you live outside of these countries, such as the United States, Canada, India and Australia. In this case, you are eligible to purchase the Eurail Pass.

Pre-purchase of InterRail is possible up to 3 months before the start of the trip.
To qualify for the Youth InterRail Pass, you must be under the age of 26 on the first day of validity.

Single Country InterRail Pass

You can buy one or more InterRail passes with coverage in only one country each. They also exist in versions for adults, for children (ages 4-11), for young people (ages 12-25 inclusive).

Prices depend on the country in which you plan to use the pass.
The Pass is not available in the traveler's own country of residence. This rule exists to ensure that no one buys InterRail for commuting and business travel.

However, travel to your own border is often available with a discounted pass depending on your country of residence. There is no separate pass for Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, but one for the entire Benelux. Such a pass is also available for residents of Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, but for them it is valid only in two countries that are not the country of residence. For example, a Dutchman can only use such a pass in Belgium and Luxembourg.

The Greece Plus Pass includes a ferry service between Greece and Italy. There is no Inter Rail Single Country pass for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro.

What is included in the InterRail Pass

When you buy an InterRail Rass you get the following set:

- the ticket itself attached to the sheet, which includes the date of departure, time of departure, station of departure, station of arrival, train / bus / ferry number (these columns are filled in BEFORE boarding transport);

- an InterRail travel guide, in which on English language describes how to use the travel card correctly, all discounts for each individual country, additional payments that may be required during travel, etc .;

- a map of Europe for travelers with InterRail. This map shows the countries that use the travel pass, passenger railways and sea routes, as well as the time from point A to point B. On the other side of the map there is information on the type of trains and reservations for them (mandatory, possible, recommended) and the cost of this reservation

If you have an InterRail Flexi Pass and find a fare cheaper than the cheapest regular regular pass available, it can be used during the validity period of the pass and you do not need to use one of your paid travel days.

What trains can be used on InterRail in continental Europe?

The InterRail Pass gives unlimited free travel on all trains operated by the national rail operator in each of the countries it covers. These are not special "InterRail" trains, all these normal, regular trains operating in this country. However, sometimes you will need to pre-book seats and / or make additional payment some of them.

InterRail Pass also covers some private rail operators, especially in Switzerland. The InterRail Pass does not entitle you to free metro travel in cities on the roads of some small private rail operators such as FEVE in Spain or Circumvesuviana in Italy (Naples-Pompeii-Sorrento).

What does the InterRail Pass look like?

InterRail "Flexi" Pass

Example:

This is a global pass valid for 5 days within 10 days of the Flexi InterRail Pass.

As you can see, the total expiration date is 10 days, from 11/17/2009 to 11/26/2009, and there are 5 columns indicated by the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Just write the date in one of these lines to "Spend" the used day. Each line entitles you to free travel from midnight to midnight, subject to the necessary additional fees and surcharges.

Night trains starting after 19:00 are valid the next day, within the total validity period of the pass. The "continuous" pass looks the same, but without the table of used days, as in the Flexi.

To find out more or book tickets (in Greek), follow this link:

Has made an invaluable contribution to European culture. Literature, architecture, philosophy, history, other sciences, the system of statehood, laws, art and myths of ancient Greece laid the foundation for modern European civilization. Greek gods known all over the world.

Greece today

Modern Greece is little known to most of our compatriots. The country is located at the crossroads of East and West, connecting Europe, Asia and Africa. Length coastline is 15,000 km (including islands)! Our map help find original corner or Island, which I haven’t been to yet. We offer a daily feed news... In addition, for many years we have been collecting Photo and reviews.

Holidays in Greece

Distance acquaintance with the ancient Greeks will not only enrich you with the understanding that everything new is well forgotten old, but will also encourage you to go to the homeland of gods and heroes. Where, behind the ruins of temples and the rubble of history, our contemporaries live with the same joys and problems as their distant ancestors thousands of years ago. An unforgettable experience awaits you relaxation, thanks to the most modern infrastructure, surrounded by virgin nature. On the site you will find tours to Greece, resorts and hotels, weather... In addition, with us you will learn how and where visa and find Consulate in your country or Greek Visa Application Center.

Real estate in Greece

The country is open to foreigners wishing to purchase the property... Any foreigner has the right to do so. Only in border areas, non-EU citizens need to obtain a purchase permit. However, the search for legitimate houses, villas, townhouses, apartments, the correct execution of the transaction, the subsequent maintenance are not an easy task that our team has been solving for many years.

Russian Greece

Subject immigration remains relevant not only for ethnic Greeks living outside their historical homeland. The forum for immigrants discusses how legal issues and the problems of adaptation in the Greek world and, at the same time, the preservation and popularization of Russian culture. Russian Greece is heterogeneous and unites all immigrants who speak Russian. At the same time, in recent years, the country has not met the economic expectations of immigrants from the countries of the former USSR, in connection with which we are witnessing a reverse migration of peoples.

From Moscow (Domodedovo) to Athens - five flights a week, to Thessaloniki, Rhodes and Heraklion - four flights a week, one flight a week to about. Kos. this company also operates seasonal flights to Crete from Moscow.

From the island of Cyprus

There is a regular flight from Limassol to Lavrion (40 km from Athens).
You can also take cruises offered by Salamis Lines or car ferries from Athens to Larnaca (they have several cabins for passengers), but the cost of such a trip is much higher than the cost of air travel.

From Turkey

There is a regular service between Turkish resort towns and the islands of Greece (Marmaris - Rhodes, Bodrum - Rhodes, Fethiye Rhodes, Kusadasi - Samos, Chios - Cesme, Lesbos - Ayvalik). The cost of tickets is relatively high, which can be explained solely by the tourist orientation of these lines. Ticket Marmaris - Rhodes costs from $ 40 one way, Cesme - Chios from $ 35. Small discounts are available for roundtrip tickets.

According to agreements between Greece and in each direction, two voyages are carried out - on a Greek and Turkish ship, respectively. At the same time, tickets in each of the countries are sold, as a rule, only for their own ships. For example, on the island of Lesvos, tickets are sold for the morning, Greek ferry to Turkey, but it is not possible to buy tickets for a Turkish ship leaving in the afternoon.

From Israel

The situation with ferries is constantly changing. In 2010, the service was again restored, however, we are talking about cruise ships following the route Athens - Limassol - Haifa / Ashdod - Port Said (Egypt) - Limassol. Cyprus-based company Salamis Lines began selling tickets for these cruises, including those who travel between Israel and Greece one way. The cost of sailing is quite high - 250 euros one way, which is one and a half times more expensive than a flight between the two countries. Tickets are sold by Cypriot companies Salamis Lines, Varianos Travel and Israeli Rosenfeld Shipping.

By bus and car

Distance from Athens by road: Moscow - 3180 km, Sofia - 820 km, Bucharest - 1220 km, Tirana - 815 km, Istanbul - 1135 km, Skopje - 710 km.

Arda Tur buses depart daily from Sofia to Thessaloniki: at 10.00, 12.30, 17.00, 23.30 (the schedule is subject to change and must be clarified in advance!). The journey takes about 6 hours.