Changes

Another optionThis route is widely perceived to be difficult. If you are lucky it can be easy if you get to a Turkish truck. Take bus #27 from the centre (e.g. Kamara) until the very end of the line. [UPDATE: Bus bus #83 no longer starts where bus #27 finishes. Instead ask your #27 bus driver where to get off for bus #83] Switch to bus #83 goes all and go a few stops until you see the way to Lagkadasmotorway . If Get off at Filothei (Φιλοθέη) when you stay see a BP Oil in green colour rest area on the other side of the motorway. Just follow the bus until it reaches this small townand go under the motorway to reach the other side. Once you are there, rally the petrol station personnel to help you . Show them your Istanbul (or Kavala or whatever) sign and ask them to tell you if they notice someone going to Turkey. Be prepared to convince the paranoid drivers that you are not wanted by the police and show them your passport. Getting a ride can try hitching out in take anything between one minute and five hours. If it just does not work at the petrol station see the options below (thumbing up on the direction road etc). Also, there should be a toll station (peage) about [http://hitchwiki.org/maps/?place=6374 15 km east of KavalaLagynas], Istanbul, etcnear Analipsi (where bus #83a is supposed to go). When you get to the border you might want to switch to a passenger car because the truck could be stuck in customs for a while.

*"I've also followed Bus #83 goes all the intructions and waited several hundred meters after JetOil. It wasn't railly easy to hitchike in a freezing weather and nobody has stoped for about 2 hours than a turkish truck driver stopped and we've driven way to the direction of MalakaLagkadas (Λαγκαδάς).So what I can HİGH recommend If you is: Go to stay on the Truck Station in Thessalonikibus until it reaches this small town, where you can also drive by 83. There is certainly some turkish trucks who drives to try hitching out in the direction of Turkey. BUT on the board because of the strikes or controls you might have to wait more than 7 hours. There I'd advice you to pass the bridge with a truck from the front of the queue. If it is evening mostly the drivers would sleep in Keşan. So just try to speak to car drivers on the turkish boardKavala, Istanbul, etc. 2012 Arsen

*''I followed Update (July 2022): the instructions options listed above are extremely outdated and went to JetOil and got the personnel to helpnot very helpful. This route is still difficult, but it turned out to be quite hard to get a ride going east. Even though a lot of cars and trucks do stop there, the cars appeared to be going local and the trucks were heading towards Athens. After half an hour, I decided to move on and got a short ride to the highwayare better options. After 5 minutes a trucker, who was on his way to Iran, stopped for me. So even though I do not recommend thumbing up on the highway, it does work some time. December 2010, Lana''

*''I tried the recommended way of asking around at the JetOil trying to 1) with bus number 83 you can get out of Thessaloniki, with no luck. It seemed all the truckers were either sleeping, local, or going to Athens. Also, they were not that keen on taking hitchhikers anyway. After a few hours, I went to the highway right next to the station (Laguna from where there is an opening in the fence, you just have to look for it), and got a ride halfway 's about 20 minutes walk to Istanbul within 10 minutes. It surprises me how closedminded the original post is, being knot that it is entirely possible, ties local road 2 and quite easy to get a ride on the highway2. Just a lesson that Here you should never take anyone's recommendation as absolute truth. I would personally recommend getting can get directly to the gas-pumpers at entrance of the station to ask around highway for Kavala where you (they were incredibly friendly), filter out any cars not going your way. The traffic is very slow but the cars can stop and stay within clear sight on the highway in case they get you a ride before good look at you do. February 2011, Jon'There's a gas station about 30km down before Evangelios

*2) The highway entrance after BP near Megalohare kantina is still very local, but there''First of all: s enough traffic so it's not easy at all possible to hitchhike in Greece btw Thessalonikihitch longer rides. We spent one day and two hours the next day in that area to get a hike in the direction to turkey. If you take the bus #83 from town be prepared that it DOESNT Since Greeks don't stop on the highway. often we drove opted to the next station and waited go for the bus #86 first ride which brought us to drive back. the whole in the fence is an 3rd option but a bad one because the cars are driving fast and they have almost no space to stop. we got a hitch at the drive-up, direction kavala. it is wide and the cars are driving slow. if you come with the bus and go under the highway you'll find it on your left hand side. 250m to walk from the JetOil. Good Luck! July 2011, Timo''

*''In Thessalonıkı Kamara you can take bus 83. There ıs no need to take bus 27 and change to 83. The rıde towards 3) 40,7214723, 22,9740939 or the HH poınt takes about 20 to 30 mınutes. The bus wıll drıve on the hıghway. Stay on the bus untıll ıt leaves spot right after the hıghway and contınue exit for about 5 mınutes on the local roadLaguna is risky. Leave the bus when you see a petrol statıon on your rıght. Walk for 100 metres untıll the traffıc lıght where you wıll fınd some shade from trees. It ıs The cars drive fast so hot between 12 be careful and 4. 500 metres further from the traffıc lıght ıs the hıghway. I fırst trıed there but all 's a high probability the traffıc was headıng for Thessalonıkı. So I went back to the traffıc lıght. The cars are local but there are several trucks goıng to Turkey. They take the natıonal road to avoıd the tollcosts from the hıghway. Try highway patrol tells you to get the attentıon of the trucksoff. I used However we hitched a ride within 5 minutes with a cardboard wrıtten Kavala-Turkey. The truck took me to the border and sign as there I slept ın the are a lot of Turkish truck wıth the drıver. At the border change drivers going from Athens to a car. The waıtıng tıme for the truck was about 40 mınutesIstanbul. The waıtıng tıme for the car was 5 mınutes. Good Luck. May 2012. Len''

=== NorthNone of these options are perfect, but they seem way more likely than the BP station since 4-West 5 hours of hitchhiking there yielded only 2 rides going to [[Skopje]] (FYROM) ===Kilkis. Since we changed strategy we only needed about an hour and a half in total. Good luck!

"Don t bother === North-West to hitch hike to the border!!![[Skopje]] ([[North Macedonia]]) ===

Option 1:Don't bother to hitch hike to the border! There is a are free bus busses from the city center to the border!! Theses buses centre which belong to the casinos you can find at across the border just before Gevgelija. You can find theses these buses on Tsimiski street. They are easy to recognize (the name of the casino is printed on the bus, and it is written "free shuttle"). I didn t take it but I was picked up by a guy working The buses leave at a casino who gave me the information. Another nice information17: you can eat 00 and drink 21:00 so only useful for free arriving in Skopje at the casino!! Apparently you can just show up at the reception, they will give you a card and you can enjoy food and drinks for free!! I did! Anne-laure, may 2013"night.

Option 2:Take a bus #8 (or #31?) from Egnatias street in the centre Bus to KTEL (last stop)Agios Athanasios. You can also take bus #45 which goes between From "KTEL Makedonia and KTEL Halkidiki (you want to Macedonia Bus station" lines 81A, 89B, 89K go to ''Makedonia''). Then switch to bus #81 which you can find on the upper platform. Afterwards, you can do different thingsthere. You can get off at a first bus stop after you drive over the highway Athens-Skopje - [http://g.co/maps/3qj6m here]. Be careful, the first big crossing you gonna come to is the crossing with the ring road (you are going to driver underneath it) while only the next on is the one you need (you are going to drive above it). Then you have to walk almost 2km backwards (if you walk fast it takes 20 minutes) and you can hitch on the nearby junction to the highway Highway A1/E75 to Skopje. However, if the bus goes into Agios Athanasios you can better get off and find your way from there (it seems that this bus goes differently depending whether it is #81 or #81A and depending on some external stuff; you can talk to the driver to make sure).

*Option 3:Actually hitch hike. Highway EO2 effectively runs down the center of Thessaloniki to Edessas. It''My girlfriend s a normal road (called "Monastiriou", "Egnagia" and me stood at others) up until the junction just next to with the old paytoll, which seemed to be the best place since cars were ring road (A2/E90). You can walk down it (going rather slowlynorth-west) while hitch hiking. After 10-15 minutes we were picked up by a Macedonian woman who brought us to the borderThere are gas stations along it where you can hitch hike. A week later I hitchhiked alone from Just past the same spot and was picked up after 40 minutes and got to the junction with Polykastro ring road there is a stop light before which the highway goes into one line for 500 metresramp where you can hitch hike. On Just beyond that spot I thumbed there is a very big shoulder where you can hitch hike. Continue following EO2 from there for 10km (in a car by now ideally) and got you are at Agios Athanasios as in option 2 above. Take the exit to A1/E75 to the border after another 40 minutesSkopje. December 2011, [[User:Rozwal|Rozwal]]''

*''My friend and I (two guys) stood here for 4 hours and despite many cars passing only one Macedonian guy stopped but he asked for money. Then we put up our tent in the nearby field and tried our luck the next day. After another 2 hours we got picked up by Albanian workers that took us === South to Polykastro. There are no gas stations or shops nearby, so bring food and water just in case! August 2012, [[User:Chaba|ChabaAthens]]''===

AlternativelyTake Buses #31, you can get off [http://maps#12, #8 or #78 to the bus station called KTEL.googleFrom there take bus #80 or #80A to the village called ''Malgara'' (some of these buses don't go all the way to Malgar).co.uk/maps?saddr=Thessalonikis-Edessas%2F%CE%98%CE%B5%CF%83%CF%83%CE%B1%CE%BB%CE%BF%CE%BD%CE%AF%CE%BA%CE%B7%CF%82-%CE%88%CE%B4%CE%B5%CF%83%CF%83%CE%B1%CF%82%2FRoute+2&daddr=Leoforos+Konstantinou+Karamanli%2F%CE%9B%CE%B5%CF%89%CF%86%CF%8C%CF%81%CE%BF%CF%82+%CE%9A%CF%89%CE%BD%CF%83%CF%84%CE%B1%CE%BD%CF%84%CE%AF%CE%BD%CE%BF%CF%85+%CE%9A%CE%B1%CF%81%CE%B1%CE%BC%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%BB%CE%AE&hl=en&ie=UTF8&sll=40.692744You can go out on the stop "''25 Martiou''" which is the closest to the tolls but on the bus,22it's announced differently (in Greek ''Ikostis Pmptis Martiou'' ask the driver).819805&sspn=0There you can ask and find the Malgara Toll Station toll station (in Greek ''diodia'') on E75 easily.090979You'll have to walk about 2 km to find it,0but then there is a possibility to get a ride even straight to Athens.209255&geocode=FaD1bAIdtpZcAQ%3BFaD1bAIdtpZcAQ&vpsrc=0&mra=mift&mrsp=1&sz=13&t=m&z=13 here] which Before you enter the motorway where the toll station is reported , you will have to go through some fields. If it's night be careful, just before the motorway there is a small ridge that is a better place for cars bit steep and there is water flowing down, you need to stopfind your way around it. But there If it's day, from the fields you have can see a lot of cars going small canteen on the motorway, head to that direction, you can bypass the West, while if ridge there very easily and also you come don't need to jump the fence (easy to jump though) because there is an entrance/exit for the canteen. From the previous stop canteen you will have cars going only towards Polykastro or see the bordertolls, they are less than 50 m away.

=== South For those not wanting to [[Athens]] === Take Buses #31, #12, #8 or #78 to the bus station called KTEL. From there take a bus #80 or #80A want to the village called ''Malgara''. You can go down on the station "''25 Martiou''" which is the closest hitch closer to the tolls city (in Greek ''ikostis pemptis martiou'' if you wan ask the driver). There you can ask and find the toll station (in Greek aren''diodia'') easily. You'll have t scared to walk about 2 km to find it), but then there is a possibility to get a ride even straight go to the the A1 motorway going towards Athens. Before you enter It runs right beside the motorway where city centre. Starting from near the toll train station is, after walking 2 km you will have to go through some fieldsarrive at the international bus station. If From there it's night be careful, just before a 6km walk along the motorway there is a small ridge that to where the E90 highway joins on to the A1 road to Athens. This is a bit steep and there is water flowing down, you need good spot due to find your way around it. If it's day, the high amount of Turkish trucks coming straight from the fields you can see a small canteen on border and bypassing the city as well as any traffic coming from the motorway, head to that direction, you can bypass north. Stand at the ridge there very easily and also you don't need to jump end of the fence (easy to jump though) because onramp where there is an entrance/exit a shoulder for the canteen. From the canteen traffic to pull over and you will see the tolls, they are less than 50 m awaycan get a ride to Larissa or even Athens.

Go to the train station, which is also the inner-city bus station. From here, take bus 8 KTEL (the KTEL are the blue and white buses) to Makedonia bus station. From there, you can catch the bus #80 to the end of the line, then follow motorway signs walking (approx. 2km) to the [[toll station]]. Or rather than taking bus #80, just walk across the road (roundabout) till you come to an [[on-ramp]] where, according to [[User:Liva|Liva]], is a a pretty good spot to stop cars.

Take bus 83 (any of them will get you there, even the bus #27 express) from the centre to it's final stop, where also other buses Aristotellous Square stop(you need #85on Egnatia Street). Then take You want to get off at the Kombo Gerokomeiou exit (Google maps doesnt show the bus #85(Astops this far north, B or M) and you're already but on your way. Almost any stop the opposite side of this bus leaves you at a good hitchhiking point, but the nineteenth stop ''21o chiliometro'' (21st kilometre) highway is right on a petrol gas station on the way to Serres and the Bulgarian border (to Sandansky, Blagoevgrad, Sofiacalled Derveni Gas S.A.). If MAKE SURE you can't explain all this to the bus driver just ask him you want to get off at Assirusthis exit. It's a village near Otherwise, he might not get off the highway here and the motorwaynext stop is too far to walk back from. When you ask Stand on the locals for the motorway use shoulder of the word "autobahn" instead of "motorway" ot "highway"ramp. The road There is E79 and not a lot of traffic here, so it's not might take you up to an hour to get a motorwayride, especially after but I think its worth it because most of the cars going as far as Bulgaria will get on the borderhighway here. These city bus tickets cost only 50 cents Good luck! Update (that you donAugust '22)Don't even take bus 83! You have to pay) and take bus 83B to get to the right place! Taking bus 83 will make you quite some kilometres out of walk for a long time until teaching the city towards all destinationsramp.

Update: If you want to get to Also, I wasn't so lucky there. I waited a total of 4 hours before I gave up.I think it'21o chiliometro'' make sure s better to make that really clear go to the busdriver since the bus doesn't stop Shell gas station at every stop nor says the stops out loud40°41′01.72″N 22°56′28.28″E and ask people. Try to <b> not </b> end up Thumbing on Assirus. Hitchhiking out of this village ramps is a painpretty difficult in Greece. And if you are unlucky enough to end up there: Don't ask locals for the highway because they will You can take you to the old highway. If you want bus 53 until Strophe Oraiokastrou to get to the new highway to Sofia ask for "autobahn"gas station.

* This way is faster as you don't need to stay on bus #27 so long. Take bus #27 or #27a and get off at Minerva stop in Oreokastrou suburb. If you walk some hundreds of meters from the bus stop where you get off, in the direction the bus was going, you will reach a crossroads and on your left you will see another bus stop. From there you can take bus #84.* This way is easier because you don't need to change bus stops, it is the way mentioned in the Northeast to Sofia section. Take the bus #27 or #27a from the centre the the final s top ''Platia Stavroupolis'' (Stavroupolis square). Then at the same place take bus #84 / #84a and you're already on your way.

This way is easier because you don't need to change bus stops, it is the way mentioned in the Northeast to Sofia section. Take the bus #27 or #27a from the centre the the final s top ''Platia Stavroupolis'' (Stavroupolis square). Then at the same place take bus #84 / #84a and you're already on your way. Stay on bus #84 whilst it passes through 2 villages, Liti and Melissochiori. When it is out of Melissochiori, at one point the bus will cross the road going to Kilkis and you will see signs for Kilkis. When you are at the cross roads you can press the stop button on the bus and it will stop just after the cross. There is a bus stop there. Then you are at a great spot for hitching a ride to Kilkis, Gallikos or even North Macedonia(but not the most common way to Skopje. it is a different border).

If you find yourself at === Camping === ====The university campus ==== The university campus in Thessaloniki is just in the train station at night beware city centre and it seems to be a perfect place to sleep in your van/tent/sleeping bag, but IT IS NOT!  It's '''NOT SAFE THERE''' ''(upd.2022)''. The drug business moved there, as unbelievable as it is closed at 1am sounds. People selling drugs and the guard will kick you outside (where fighting over things related to them, passerbys get attacked. If someone has a van maybe it's safe okay. But sleeping in a tent or sleeping bag is an invitation to get robbed. It's the worst place to sleep, really. Plus, starting from 2019 it is a place where a lot of immigrants sleep if . Police has no right to enter that area because of some tragic past, i.e. it's warmideal place for drug sellers and crime. ====Forest Recreational Center==== Forest Recreational Center near the Zoo (''Neapoli-Sykies, 554 38'') if he sees youwhich is located on the hills above the city can be a solution. However , depending on your choice of the "height" of that forest (after highway it becomes more wild, before highway it more like a park) there can be pack of stray dogs which is possible to hide not a good gift.  Homeless animals are a big problem in the main yellow cafe while he checks for peoplebig cities as Thessaloniki or Athens, then after he locks so you better have something to protect yourself from them during the terminal night (get some long sticks near you can go and sleep on the seats). There Normally they are other homeless people around but they won't give scared of "throwing a rock gesture" because some greeks do that against dogs. So, if you any troublesee an unfriendly dog try to pretend taking a rock from the ground - it should work for lonely dog.  ====Airport====

Place to stay for a short term. It is not closing for the night, so you can always overnight there. === Camping =Other==== The university campus We slept at a deserted camping space by the beach in Thessaloniki Ag. Triada, which is just in the city centre really worth a visit. We even made a big fire at night and itdidn's the perfect t disturb anybody. This place to sleep in your van/tent/sleeping bagis about 30km south of Thessaloniki and you can reach it within 1, because it's 5h by bus. From the only green place in famous ottoman tower take the city and because the police are not allowed bus to enter ikea. At the university! There are few guards but don't have last stop ask for the right bus to touch Perea and Ag. Triada. The last bus will pass by the airport and enter a cupple of villages before youget to Triada. It's generally safeAsk for the old camping at the beach, though perhaps not suitable for a single femalelocals will guide you.

The tickets for the Google maps doesn't really know how buses work, so they are unable to get you directions from point A to B in the city cost 0.80€ and sometimes 0.90€. Blackriding is possible. If So, if you speak want to move inside the controller in city using a foreign language public transport download special application (showing that you're a tourist, not 'in 2022 there is an illegal immigrantapplication called "Moovit") they'll just leave you alone. If not, they first ask 30 Euros for the tax, you say you don't have. Then they ask your id card, you say you don't have it with you and then they'll just give you a paper to note your name and address, where you can write any fake name. Or even simpler you can give your real passport and they are supposed to send you the bill to your country. It's 100% SURE that they will not.

There were big movements The tickets for the buses in this the city about not paying for public transportcost 0. Many people don't pay 80€ and controls are raresometimes 0.90€ (0. Spent a whole month in this city taking buses daily and never got checked40€ for students). 2€ for airport route.

* ''On 'Blackriding''' is possible. It's risky because there is no chance of recognising controllers before they enter the bus #85 , however the very control is rare.  Controllers are using civil clothes (they doesn't use a special clothes, they just unzip theirs jackets with controllers badges in the driver asked middle of the road, so they already know if you didn't validate your ticket). If you speak to the controller in a foreign language (showing that you're a tourist, not an illegal immigrant) they'll just leave you alone. If not, they first ask 30 euro for tickets before leaving the stationtax, I simply said (in English) that I had no money case you can say you don't have one. Then they ask your an ID card, you say that you don't have it with you and then they'll just give you a paper to note your name and address, where I was going, you can write any fake name. Or even simpler you can give your real passport and he let me ride they are supposed to send you the bus anywaybill to your country. September 2012, AlnairIt's 100% SURE that they will not. There were big movements in this city about not paying for public transport. Many people don't pay and controls are rare. [[User: HHer-Vert|HHer-Vert]] was living in that very city 5 years, and got controlled only 2-3 times.

I took one shower ın one hospıtal 500 metres from One even safer option is the televısıon broadcast antennastudent residence. There are three hospıtals close to eachother Noone here checks who enters. Ever. Even if they see you like a complete stranger with a tons of baggage and I ask you anything, just trıed onetell them that you are visiting a friend or whatever. After walkıng around ın the hospıtal and talkıng frıendly to some nurses I was able you enter, go upstairs to take a shower any floor and shaveyou'll find common baths everywhere. It is located near the swimming pool at the city center. You can enter 24h. May 2012Location on map: https://goo. Lengl/maps/H8WZU  

This might Thessaloniki is perhaps the only place in the world where you can eat everyday for free easily.  ===Fititiki Leshi (Φοιτητική Λέσχη) upd:2022=== Next to the campus of Aristotle University, Egnatia street, after the crossroad with 3rd September street there is the university canteen. (''Address: Egnatia, Thessaloniki 546 36, Greece''). Ask anybody for ''fititiki leschi''. There you can find a free full meal three times per day: 8.00-10.00, 12.00-15.00 and 18.00-20.00. These free meals are provided for the university students, but even if you're not one, you don't have to pay and you don't have to show a student ID or any document (but due to cobtrol re-enforcement you could be asked for your ID).  To avoid control you need to be true anymorea part of a big crowd which is hard to control, therefore try to be there during the most crowded time (normally the beginning of opening) and you won't be controlled. Another 'life-hack' that you can use if you have been asked for your ID is to tell that you just started to study greek language for university and you don't own by now any proof of that (there are a lot of foreign students who really study greek for that reason, and yes - they don't have heard any proof in the beginning). It is harder during the weekends (or holidays) because there are less people and have no crowd, so if you look suspicious you can be asked for an ID. Just follow the queue, take the food and eat it. There's nothing to be afraid of, just try to look more or less like a student. Only disadvantage is that it is closed on weekends, summer holidays and not-working days for the university in general. Picture of the building [http://www.makthes.gr/filestore/modules/news/68918/lesxi.jpg here]. Alternative entrance: when you are there look to your right. At the end of the grass there is a stair case, you can go up directly to the dining hall (if it's opened, if it's not you can knock or wave through the door to another student, normally they will let you in). ''There is another option (easy in the morning, otherwise is more difficult):'' ===Alfa foititiki estia (Α' φοιτητική εστία):===Your aim is the same - free student food from student canteen, however now you are going to search it directly in canteen of student's dorms. There is no control at the entrance of student's dorms. The restaurant is located on the first floor, at the left side from the big marble stairs. The doors are opened at the meal time.  You can find it by following ''address: Stilponos Kiriakidi 17, Thessaloniki 546 36, Greece'' The best way is to be hosted there by any student through hosting application or ask some students living there to help you get the dinner (regularly even if you cannot get main dish they provide you orangers or apples which no one takes). If you cannot find a student helping you, you can try get some food by your own, follow this year instruction: - They are controling IDs only during day time and evening time, so it's very easy to get there in the morning (8 a.m - 10 a.m). In the morning there are almost no people eating, so staff is really bored of checking IDs or is even absent. - Take the trey with food and go eat as all do at the table. Don't be suspicious, you are a student now. Many students doesn't really eat there, they are taking food away which they started checking for can physically take out and leave the dorms. You can do the same. - Normally control-staff are crossing out the numbers on the paper. Each student has his own number on ID-card and he tells it in the moment of entering. It's another strategy of pretending to be a student pass: you tell random number in greek language (p.e. 103 = ekato tria, 25 - ikosi pende, 207 = diakosa epta, etc), so they will cross it out. Don't worry, students rarely take morning breakfast, so you are not "eating someone's food in his place".

* You're right- In the end, since September 2010 they started checking. But don't be scaredif you did not get any food, just ignore themyou are desperate and frustrated, you can try to tell staff that you are an adventurer, they donare pretty understanding. They will give you food anyway if you came in the restaurant't insist! Myself, although I have s closing time (10 a student card.m; 2.30 p.m & 9 p.m). There are always extra food, I refuse which they give to show it, many students do so out of solidarityrandom people. Tidy looks always helpJust ask.