Changes

 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 gas 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 gas petrol station see the options below (thumbing up on the road etc). Also, there should be a toll station (peage) about [http://hitchwiki.org/maps/?place=6374 15 km east of Lagynas], 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.

*''I followed the instructions and went === North-West to JetOil and got the personnel to help, 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 highway. 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''[[Skopje]] ([[North Macedonia]]) ===

*"Don''I tried the recommended way of asking around at the JetOil trying to 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 (there is an opening in the fence, you just have t bother to look for it), and got a ride halfway to Istanbul within 10 minutes. It surprises me how closedminded the original post is, being that it is entirely possible, and quite easy to get a ride on the highway. Just a lesson that you should never take anyone's recommendation as absolute truth. I would personally recommend getting the gas-pumpers at the station hitch hike to ask around for you (they were incredibly friendly), and stay within clear sight on the highway in case they get you a ride before you do. February 2011, Jon''border!!!

*''First of all: it's not easy at all There is a free bus from the city centre to hitchhike in Greece btw Thessaloniki. We spent one day and two hours the next day in that area border! These buses belong to get a hike in the direction to turkey. If casinos you take can find at the bus #83 from town be prepared that it DOESNT stop border just before Gevgelija. You can find theses buses on the highwayTsimiski street. we drove They are easy to recognize (the next station and waited for the bus #86 to drive back. the whole in name of the fence casino is an option but a bad one because printed on the cars are driving fast bus, and they have almost no space to stopit is written "free shuttle"). we got a hitch The buses leave at the drive-up17:00 and 21:00 though, direction kavala. so it is wide and might be quicker to hit the cars are driving slow. if you come with road directly, but more comfortable taking 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''

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 #81 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, the first big crossing you gonna 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, 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).

Alternatively, you can get Bus 81A from KTEL busstation to Agios Athanasios. Got off [http://mapswhen it turns from the highway.googleFrom there hitched to Polykastro and another ride got me to the border.coAt the border asked the car in front of me for a ride, which got me to Skopje.uk/maps?saddrStanding on the highway there, it was very quiet =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&ieSouth to [[Athens]] =UTF8&sll=40= Take Buses #31, #12, #8 or #78 to the bus station called KTEL.692744,22From 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).819805&sspn=0There you can ask and find the toll station (in Greek ''diodia'') 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 the Westthat direction, while if you come can bypass the previous stop 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 have cars going only towards Polykastro or see the bordertolls, they are less than 50 m away.

*''I took [edit] First of all, it appears greek bus 81A from KTEL busstation to Agios Athanasiosstops do have several names. Got off when "25 Martiou" is written on the roadsign but on the bus, it turns from the highway's announced differently. From there hitched I messed up because of that various times so always be sure to Polykastro and another ride got me ask the driver to the bordersignal your stop. At Finding the border asked the car in front canteen is a bit of me for a ridetrial and error, which got me to Skopjebut still easily possible. Standing on In case you don't find the highway theretoll station, it was very quietfrom the canteen go right (following the "Athen" roadsign) for about 1, 5km to find a small (but I was very lucky as an Austrian car passed and got me straight to Belgradepicturesque) side stop (August 2017). January 2011, Lana''

=== South to [[Athensedit]] ===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 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)

Take Buses #31, #12, #8 or #78 For those not wanting 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 2kms 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 Aristotellous Square stop (on Egnatia Street). You want to get off at the centre Kombo Gerokomeiou exit (Google maps doesnt show the bus stops this far north, but on the final s top ''Platia Stavroupolis'' (Stavroupolis squareopposite side of the highway is a gas station called Derveni Gas S.A.). Then take bus #85 and MAKE SURE you're already on your way. Almost any stop of this explain to the bus leaves driver you want to get off at a good hitchhiking pointthis exit. Otherwise, but he might not get off the highway here and the nineteenth next stop ''21o chiliometro'' (21st kilometre) is right on a petrol station too far to walk back from. Stand on the way to Serres and shoulder of the Bulgarian border (to Sandansky, Blagoevgrad, Sofia)ramp. The road There is E79 and it's not a motorwaylot of traffic here, especially after the border. These city bus tickets cost only 50 cents (that so it might take you don't even have up to an hour to pay) and take you quite some kilometres out get a ride, but I think its worth it because most of the city towards all destinationscars going as far as Bulgaria will get on the highway here.Good luck!

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).

 There are many hospitality network members in the city, so try your luck there. [[User:Liva|Livas]] had luck once at sleeping in the train station. She asked the people on the train station if she could sleep there even though they where closed at night, and she could!

 The tickets for the buses in the city are cheap, only cost 0.80€ and sometimes 0.50€90€. Blackriding 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.

This might not be true anymoreAlternative entrance: when you are there look to your right. At the end of the grass there is a stair case, have heard that you can go up directly to the dining hall.I don't think you really need this year they started checking for a student passbecause it's very is easy to enter trough the main door. == Trashwiki & Nomadwiki ==