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== Hitching Out Hitchhiking out == === West to East towards Kavala and [[Istanbul]] ([[IgoumenitsaTurkey|TR]] ) {{E|90}} ===Hitchhiker This 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 #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 and go a few stops until you see the motorway. Get off when you see a JetOil rest area on the other side of the motorway. Just follow the bus and go under the motorway to reach the other side. Once you are there, rally the petrol station personnel to help you (they are very nice!). 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 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 road etc). Also, there should be a toll station (peage) about [Userhttp:Liva|Liva//hitchwiki.org/maps/?place=6374 15 km east of Lagynas]] hopes someone will help , near 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. Attention: The Jetoil rest area is now rebranded to 'BP Oil' in green colour.  Another option: Bus #83 goes all the way to edit Lagkadas. If you stay on the bus until it reaches this because she small town, you cantry hitching out in the direction of Kavala, Istanbul, etc. === North-West to [[Skopje]] ([[North Macedonia]]) === "Don't really remember everything with bother to hitch hike to the border!!! There is a free bus from the city centre to the border! These buses belong to the casinos you can find at the border just before Gevgelija. You can find theses buses on Tsimiski street. They are easy to recognize (the name of the casino is printed on the bus numbers , and it is written "free shuttle"). The buses leave at 17:00 and 21:00 though, so on it might be quicker to hit the road directly, but she wrote down what she remembered: more comfortable taking the bus.   Take a bus #8 (or #31?) from Egnatias street in the centre to KTEL (last stop). You can also take bus #45 which goes between KTEL Makedonia and KTEL Halkidiki (you want to go to ''Makedonia''). Then switch to bus #1381 which you can find on the upper platform. Afterwards, you can do different things. 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, 52the first big crossing you going to 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 junction to the highway to Skopje. However, N78if 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) .  Bus 81A from KTEL busstation to Agios Athanasios. Got off when it turns from the train highway. From there hitched to Polykastro and another ride got me to the border. At the border asked the car in front of me for a ride, which got me to Skopje. Standing on the highway there, it was very quiet === South to [[Athens]] === Take Buses #31, #12, #8 or #78 to the bus station called KTEL. From there take bus #80 or #80A to the village called ''Malgara''. You can go down on the station "''25 Martiou''" which is the closest to the tolls (in Greek ''ikostis pemptis martiou'' if you want to ask the driver). There you can ask and find the toll station (in Greek ''diodia'') easily. You'll have to walk about 2 km to find it, but then there is a possibility to get a ride even straight to Athens. Before you enter the motorway where the toll station is, 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 bit steep and there is water flowing down, you need to find your way around it. If it's day, from the fields you can see a small canteen on the motorway, head to that direction, you can bypass the ridge there very easily and also you don't need to jump the fence (easy to jump though) because there is an entrance/exit for the canteen. From the canteen you will see the tolls, they are less than 50 m away. [edit] First of all, it appears greek bus stops do have several names. "25 Martiou" is written on the roadsign but on the bus, it's announced differently. I messed up because of that various times so always be sure to ask the driver to signal your stop. Finding the canteen is a bit of trial and error, but still easily possible. In case you don't find the toll station , from the canteen go right (following the "Athen" roadsign) for about 1,5km to find a small (but picturesque) side stop (August 2017). [edit] Some of these buses don't go all the way to Malgara so you have to get out at one stop in the middle of nowheren before the bus turns back to Thessaloniki and say wait for another bus with the same or different number that goes to Malgara. It can be a little confusing so the best way is to tell someone on the bus where you want to go and let them tell you when to get off for the next bus and the station ''ikostis pemptis martiou''. (September 2019) For those not wanting to take a bus or want to hitch closer to the city (and aren't scared to walk), go to the the A1 motorway going towards Athens. It runs right beside the city centre. Starting from near the train station after walking 2kms you will arrive at the international bus station. From there it's a 6km walk along the motorway to where the E90 highway joins on to the A1 road to Athens. This is a good spot due to the high amount of Turkish trucks coming straight from the border and bypassing the city as well as any traffic coming from the north. Stand at the end of the onramp where there is a shoulder for traffic to pull over and you can get a ride to Larissa or even Athens. === West to [[Igoumenitsa]] {{E|90}} === Go to the train station, which is also the inner-city bus station. At From here, take bus 8 KTEL (the KTEL are the blue and white buses) to Makedonia bus station . From there, you will see can catch the bus #80 to the end of the line, then follow motorway going in your directionsigns walking (approx. 2km) to the [[toll station]]. Just Or rather than taking bus #80, just walk across the road (roundabout) till you come to an [[on-ramp]] where, according to Liva, is a a pretty good spot to stop cars.

=== North-East to [[Sofia]] ([[Bulgaria|BG]]) ===  Take bus 83 (any of them will get you there, even the express) from Aristotellous Square stop (on Egnatia Street). You can also arrive by city want to get off at the Kombo Gerokomeiou exit (Google maps doesnt show the bus stops this far north, but on the opposite side of the highway is a gas station called Derveni Gas S.A.). MAKE SURE you explain to intercity the bus stationdriver you want to get off at this exit. Otherwise, catch he might not get off the bus #80 highway here and the next stop is too far to walk back from. Stand on the end shoulder of the lineramp. There is not a lot of traffic here, then follow motorway signs walking (approx. 2km) so it might take you up to an hour to get a ride, but I think its worth it because most of the [[toll station]]cars going as far as Bulgaria will get on the highway here.Good luck!

=== North-east to [[SofiaKilkis]], ([[BulgariaGreece]] ) ===It's really easyBasically you need to take 2 buses. Take Very similar to the above direction to Sofia. But this time it is bus #27 from the center to it's end called ''Platia Stavroupolis/Stavroupolis square''. Then take bus #85 27a and you're already on your way. Almost any stop of this bus leaves you on a good hitchhiking point, but I use the 19th stop, called ''21st kilometer#84 / 21o chiliometro'' which is right on a petrol station on the way to Serres and to the Bulgarian border (to Sandansky, Blagoevgrad, Sofia)# 84a. The road is E79 and it's not a highway, especially after the border. These city bus tickets cost only 50 cents (that you don't even have to pay) and take you quite some kilometers out of the city towards all destinationsYou can change buses in two different places.

Im not sure if my advices will direct * This way is faster as you don't need to the same place, but I will trystay on bus #27 so long. Take bus #27 or #27a and get off at Minerva stop in Oreokastrou suburb. Once If you jump into walk some hundreds of meters from the bus number 85 watch stop where you get off, in the village Liti. Cross direction the village bus was going, you will reach a crossroads and keep goingon your left you will see another bus stop. The From there you can take bus will be going straight #84.* This way all is easier because you don't need to change bus stops, it is the way longmentioned in the Northeast to Sofia section. Once you notice a sign leading you to Take the bus #27 or #27a from the right to centre the highway towards Serres, Bulgaria scream to the driver to drop you offfinal s top ''Platia Stavroupolis'' (Stavroupolis square). Pass Then at the turn, same place take bus #84 / #84a and stand just behind it, because cars have to slow down to take this road. At this place it took me about 10 minutes to get a ride to Bulgariayou're already on your way.

=== South to [[Athens]] ===This is not so easy to find but not so hard either. You must go to the Stay on bus station called KTEL. Buses #31, #1284 whilst it passes through 2 villages, #8 Liti and #78Melissochiori. Then you'll take When it is out of Melissochiori, at one point the bus #80 to the village called ''Malgara''. You can go down on the station "25 Martiou" which is will cross the closest road going to the tolls [in Greek "ikostis pemptis martiou" if Kilkis and you wanna ask the driver]will see signs for Kilkis. There When you can ask and find are at the toll station (in Greek "diodia") easily. You'll have to walk about 2 km to find it, but then there is a possibility to get a ride even straight to Athens. Before cross roads you enter can press the motorway where stop button on the toll station is, you bus and it will have to go through some fields. If it's night be careful, stop just before after the motorway there cross. There is a small ridge that is a bit steep and bus stop there is water flowing down, you need to find your way around it. If it's day, from the fields Then you can see are at a great spot for hitching a small canteen on the motorway, head ride to that directionKilkis, you can bypass Gallikos or even North Macedonia (but not the ridge there very easily and also you don't need most common way to jump the fence (easy to jump thoughSkopje. it is a different border) because there is an entrance/exit for the canteen. From the canteen you will see the tolls, they are less than 50m.

There are many hospitality network members in the city, so try your luck there.  Some have had luck asking the good people at Mikropolis/Micropolis Social Space, (see [http://wikimapia.org/#lat=40.6360852&lon=22.939539&z=17&l=0&m=s&v=9&show= Camp in /13098671/Mikropolis]). They were very friendly and could advise on where to squat for the city center night.   === Camping === The university campus in Thessalonniki Thessaloniki is just in the city center centre and it's the perfect place to sleep in your van/tent/sleeping bag. Why? Because , because it's the only green place in the city (!) and because the police is are not allowed to get in thereenter the university! There are few guards but don't have the right to touch you. About common criminality, itIt's generally safe. Maybe , though perhaps not suitable for a girl alonesingle female. It's not so safe anymore. The drug business moved there, as unbelievable as it sounds. People selling drugs and fighting over things related to them, passerbys get attacked.. If someone has a van maybe it's okay. But sleeping in a tent or sleeping bag is an invitation to get robbed. It's the worst place to sleep, but really. Try Seih Sou, the forest on the hills above the city. Or any crowded place in the center. We slept at a deserted camping space by the beach in general nothing Ag. Triada, which is really worth a visit. We even made a big fire at night and it didn't disturb anybody. This place is about 30km south of Saloniki and you can reach it within 1,5h by bus. From the famous ottoman tower take the bus to be afraid ikea. At the last stop ask for the bus to Perea and Ag. Triada. The last bus will pass by the airport and enter a cupple ofvillages before you get to Triada. Ask for the old camping at the beach, locals will guide you.

 The tickets for the buses in the city are cheap, only 50 Centscost 0.80€ and sometimes 0.90€. Still you absolutely don't have to payBlackriding is possible. 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 Euros euro 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 in this city about not paying for public transport. Many people don't pay and controls are rare. Spent a whole month in this city taking buses daily and never got checked. == Shower == I took one shower in one hospital 500 metres from the television broadcast antenna. There are three hospitals close to each other and I just tried one. After walking around in the hospital and talking friendly to some nurses I was able to take a shower and shave. May 2012. Len There is also the "national swimming pool" which is open to the public for some hours during the day. Swimmers have to take a shower before entering the pool and nobody checks who enters them, so you might grab the chance for a bath there. It is located in the center of the city, near the University. Location on map: https://goo.gl/maps/q9XRl (Jan 2015) Last time checked, the national swimming pool was out of service. It worths to ask around about it first if it's still not in use. (July of 2018)  One even safer option is the student residence. Noone here checks who enters. Ever. Even if they see you like a complete stranger with a tons of baggage and ask you anything, just tell them that you are visiting a friend or whatever. After you enter, go upstairs to any floor and you'll find common baths everywhere. It is located near the swimming pool at the city center. You can enter 24h. Location on map: https://goo.gl/maps/H8WZU (jan 2015)

 Thessaloniki is maybe perhaps the only place in the world where you can eat everyday for free so easily..! Next to the campus of Aristotles university, Egnatia street, after the crossroad with 3rd September street there is the university canteen. Ask anybody for "''fititiki leschi''/φοιτητική λέσχη". There you can find a free full meal twice a day. 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''. You just Just follow the queue, take the food and eat it. There's never any controlchecks. There's nothing to be afraid of, just try to look more or less like a student. I mean if you're 50 years old with a huge backpack and two dogs, maybe somebody will notice that you're not supposed to be there. Otherwise it's absolutely no problem, I have brought myself more that 20 times my guests from abroad to eat there and nobody noticed them. 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.I don't think you really need this because it's very is easy to enter trough the main door. == Trashwiki & Nomadwiki == [[nomad:Thessaloniki]] [[trash:Thessaloniki]]