Difference between revisions of "Thessaloniki"

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{{Infobox Italian Location
 
{{Infobox Italian Location
 
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|country = Greece
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'''Thessaloniki''' is a city in [[Greece]].
 
'''Thessaloniki''' is a city in [[Greece]].
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== Hitchhiking out ==
 
== Hitchhiking out ==
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=== East towards Kavala and [[Istanbul]] ([[Turkey|TR]]) {{E|90}} ===
 
=== East towards Kavala and [[Istanbul]] ([[Turkey|TR]]) {{E|90}} ===
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 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 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.
 
  
Another option: Bus #83 goes all the way to Lagkadas. If you stay on the bus until it reaches this small town, you can try hitching out in the direction of Kavala, Istanbul, etc.
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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 at Filothei (Φιλοθέη) when you see a  BP Oil in green colour 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 . 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 [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.
  
*"I've also followed 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 to the direction of Malaka.
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Bus #83 goes all the way to Lagkadas (Λαγκαδάς). If you stay on the bus until it reaches this small town, you can try hitching out in the direction of Kavala, Istanbul, etc.
So what I can highly recommend you is: Go to the truck station in Thessaloniki, where you can also drive by 83. There is certainly some Turkish trucks who drives to the direction of Turkey, but on the border 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 border. 2012 Arsen
 
  
*''I followed the instructions and went 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''
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Update (July 2022): the options listed above are extremely outdated and not very helpful. This route is still difficult, but there are better options.
  
*''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 to look for it), and got a ride halfway to Istanbul within 10 minutes. It surprises me how closed-minded 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 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''
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1) with bus number 83 you can get to Laguna from where there's about 20 minutes walk to the knot that ties local road 2 and highway 2. Here you can get directly to the entrance of the highway for Kavala where you filter out any cars not going your way. The traffic is very slow but the cars can stop and they get a good look at you. There's a gas station about 30km down before Evangelios
  
*''First of all: it's not easy at all to hitchhike in Greece btw Thessaloniki. 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 '''doesn't''' stop on the highway. We drove to the next station and waited for the bus #86 to drive back. The whole in the fence is an 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''
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2) The highway entrance after BP near Megalohare kantina is still very local, but there's enough traffic so it's possible to hitch longer rides. Since Greeks don't stop often we opted to go for the first ride which brought us to the 3rd option
  
*''In Thessaloniki Kamara you can take bus 83. There is no need to take bus 27 and change to 83. The ride towards the HH point takes about 20 to 30 minutes. The bus will drive on the highway. Stay on the bus until it leaves the highway and continue for about 5 minutes on the local road. Leave the bus when you see a petrol station on your right. Walk for 100 metres until the traffic light where you will find some shade from trees. It is so hot between 12 and 4. 500 metres further from the traffic light is the highway. I first tried there but all the traffic was heading for Thessaloniki. So I went back to the traffic light. The cars are local but there are several trucks going to Turkey. They take the national road to avoid the tollcosts from the highway. Try to get the attention of the trucks. I used a cardboard written Kavala-Turkey. The truck took me to the border and there I slept in the truck with the driver. At the border change to a car. The waiting time for the truck was about 40 minutes. The waiting time for the car was 5 minutes. May 2012. Len''
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3) 40,7214723, 22,9740939 or the spot right after the exit for Laguna is risky. The cars drive fast so be careful and there's a high probability the highway patrol tells you to get off. However we hitched a ride within 5 minutes with a Kavala sign as there are a lot of Turkish truck drivers going from Athens to Istanbul.  
  
=== North-West to [[Skopje]] (FYROM) ===
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None of these options are perfect, but they seem way more likely than the BP station since 4-5 hours of hitchhiking there yielded only 2 rides going to Kilkis. Since we changed strategy we only needed about an hour and a half in total. Good luck!
  
"Don't bother to hitch hike to the border!!!
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=== North-West to [[Skopje]] ([[North Macedonia]]) ===
  
There is a free bus from the city centre to the border!! Theses 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, and it is written "free shuttle"). I didn't take it but I was picked up by a guy working at a casino who gave me the information. Another nice information: you can eat and drink for free 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"
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Option 1:
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Don't bother to hitch hike to the border! There are free busses from the city centre which belong to the casinos across the border just before Gevgelija. You can find 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"). The buses leave at 17:00 and 21:00 so only useful for arriving in Skopje at night.
  
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 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).
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Option 2:
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Take a Bus to Agios Athanasios. From "KTEL Macedonia Bus station" lines 81A, 89B, 89K go there. You can hitch on the nearby junction to Highway A1/E75 to Skopje.
  
*''My girlfriend and me stood at the junction just next to the old paytoll, which seemed to be the best place since cars were going rather slowly. After 10-15 minutes we were picked up by a Macedonian woman who brought us to the border. A week later I hitchhiked alone from the same spot and was picked up after 40 minutes and got to the junction with Polykastro before which the highway goes into one line for 500 metres. On that spot I thumbed and got to the border after another 40 minutes. December 2011, [[User:Rozwal|Rozwal]]''
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Option 3:
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Actually hitch hike. Highway EO2 effectively runs down the center of Thessaloniki to Edessas. It's a normal road (called "Monastiriou", "Egnagia" and others) up until the junction with the ring road (A2/E90). You can walk down it (going north-west) while hitch hiking. There are gas stations along it where you can hitch hike. Just past the ring road there is a stop light before the ramp where you can hitch hike. Just beyond that 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 you are at Agios Athanasios as in option 2 above. Take the exit to A1/E75 to Skopje.
  
*''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 to Polykastro. There are no gas stations or shops nearby, so bring food and water just in case! August 2012, [[User:Chaba|Chaba]]''
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=== South to [[Athens]] ===
 
 
Alternatively, you can get off [http://goo.gl/maps/aLQTM here] which is reported to be a better place for cars to stop. But there you have a lot of cars going to the West, while if you come the previous stop you will have cars going only towards Polykastro or the border.
 
  
*''I took bus 81A from KTEL busstation to Agios Athanasios. Got off when it turns from the 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, but I was very lucky as an Austrian car passed and got me straight to Belgrade. January 2011, Lana''
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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'' (some of these buses don't go all the way to Malgar). You can go out on the stop "''25 Martiou''" which is the closest to the tolls but on the bus, it's announced differently (in Greek ''Ikostis Pmptis Martiou'' ask the driver). There you can ask and find the Malgara Toll Station toll station (in Greek ''diodia'') on E75 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.
  
=== 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.
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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 2 km 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.
 
 
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}} ===
 
=== West to [[Igoumenitsa]] {{E|90}} ===
  
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.
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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]]
  
 
In [[Igoumenitsa]] you can get a ride with trucks over the sea to [[Italy]].
 
In [[Igoumenitsa]] you can get a ride with trucks over the sea to [[Italy]].
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=== North-East to [[Sofia]] ([[Bulgaria|BG]]) ===
 
=== North-East to [[Sofia]] ([[Bulgaria|BG]]) ===
  
Take the bus #27 from the centre to it's final stop, where also other buses stop(you need #85). Then take bus #85(A, B or M) and you're already on your way. Almost any stop of this bus leaves you at a good hitchhiking point, but the nineteenth stop ''21o chiliometro'' (21st kilometre) is right on a petrol station on the way to Serres and the Bulgarian border (to Sandansky, Blagoevgrad, Sofia). If you can't explain all this to the driver just ask him to get off at Assirus. It's a village near the motorway. When you ask the locals for the motorway use the word "autobahn" instead of "motorway" or "highway". The road is E79 and it's not a motorway, 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 kilometres out of the city towards all destinations.
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Take bus 83 (any of them will get you there, even the express) from Aristotellous Square stop (on Egnatia Street). You 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 the bus driver you want to get off at this exit. Otherwise, he might not get off the highway here and the next stop is too far to walk back from. Stand on the shoulder of the ramp. There is not a lot of traffic here, so it might take you up to an hour to get a ride, but I think its worth it because most of the cars going as far as Bulgaria will get on the highway here. Good luck!
  
Update: If you want to get to  ''21o chiliometro'' make sure to make that really clear to the busdriver since the bus doesn't stop at every stop nor says the stops out loud.  
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Update (August '22)
Try to <b> not </b> end up on Assirus. Hitchhiking out of this village is a pain. And if you are unlucky enough to end up there: Don't ask locals for the highway because they will take you to the old highway. If you want to get to the new highway to Sofia ask for "autobahn".  
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Don't take bus 83! You have to take bus 83B to get to the right place! Taking bus 83 will make you walk for a long time until teaching the ramp.
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Also, I wasn't so lucky there. I waited a total of 4 hours before I gave up.
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I think it's better to go to the Shell gas station at 40°41′01.72″N 22°56′28.28″E and ask people. Thumbing on ramps is pretty difficult in Greece.
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You can take bus 53 until Strophe
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Oraiokastrou to get to the gas station.
  
[Update: getting off at Assirus has not proved a good idea, it's quite difficult to reach the new motorway from there. A kind local took me there on unpaved roads, and after I had to climb over a fence and descend on a rough path...]
 
  
 
=== North to [[Kilkis]] ([[Greece]]) ===
 
=== North to [[Kilkis]] ([[Greece]]) ===
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Basically you need to take 2 buses. Very similar to the above direction to Sofia. But this time it is bus #27 / #27a  and bus #84 / # 84a. You can change buses in two different places.
 
Basically you need to take 2 buses. Very similar to the above direction to Sofia. But this time it is bus #27 / #27a  and bus #84 / # 84a. You can change buses in two different places.
  
* 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.
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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.
 
  
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 Macedonia (but not the most common way to Skopje. it is a different border).
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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.
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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).
  
 
== Sleep ==
 
== Sleep ==
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!
 
  
 
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=/13098671/Mikropolis]). They were very friendly and could advise on where to squat for the night.
 
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=/13098671/Mikropolis]). They were very friendly and could advise on where to squat for the night.
  
If you find yourself at the train station at night beware that it is closed at 01:00 and the guard will kick you outside (where it's safe to sleep if it's warm) if he sees you. However it is possible to hide in the main yellow café while he checks for people, then after he locks the terminal you can go and sleep on the seats. There are other homeless people around but they won't give you any trouble.
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=== Camping ===
  
=== Camping ===
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====The university campus ====
The university campus in Thessaloniki is just in the city centre and it's the perfect place to sleep in your van/tent/sleeping bag, because it's the only green place in the city and because the police are not allowed to enter the university! There are few guards but don't have the right to touch you. It's generally safe, though perhaps not suitable for a single female.
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The university campus in Thessaloniki is just in the city centre and it seems to be a perfect place to sleep in your van/tent/sleeping bag, but IT IS NOT!
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It's '''NOT SAFE THERE''' ''(upd.2022)''. 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, really. Plus, starting from 2019 it is a place where a lot of immigrants sleep. Police has no right to enter that area because of some tragic past, i.e. it's ideal place for drug sellers and crime.
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====Forest Recreational Center====
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Forest Recreational Center near the Zoo (''Neapoli-Sykies, 554 38'') which 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 not a good gift.
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Homeless animals are a big problem in the big cities as Thessaloniki or Athens, so you better have something to protect yourself from them during the night (get some long sticks near you). Normally they are scared of "throwing a rock gesture" because some greeks do that against dogs. So, if you see an unfriendly dog try to pretend taking a rock from the ground - it should work for lonely dog.
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====Airport====
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Place to stay for a short term. It is not closing for the night, so you can always overnight there.
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====Other====
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We slept at a deserted camping space by the beach in 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 Thessaloniki and you can reach it within 1,5h by bus. From the famous ottoman tower take the bus to 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 of villages before you get to Triada. Ask for the old camping at the beach, locals will guide you.
  
 
== Public Transport ==
 
== Public Transport ==
The tickets for the buses in the city cost 0.80€ and sometimes 0.90€. 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 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.
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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. So, if you want to move inside the city using a public transport download special application (''in 2022 there is an application called "Moovit").
  
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.
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The tickets for the buses in the city cost 0.80€ and sometimes 0.90€ (0.40€ for students). 2€ for airport route.
  
* ''On bus #85 the driver asked for tickets before leaving the station, I simply said (in English) that I had no money and where I was going, and he let me ride the bus anyway. September 2012, Alnair''
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'''Blackriding''' is possible. It's risky because there is no chance of recognising controllers before they enter the bus, however the very control is rare.
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Controllers are using civil clothes (they doesn't use a special clothes, they just unzip theirs jackets with controllers badges in the 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 the tax, in that 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 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.
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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.
  
 
== Shower ==
 
== 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
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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
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== Free food ==
 
== Free food ==
Thessaloniki is perhaps the only place in the world where you can eat everyday for free 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. Just follow the queue, take the food and eat it. There's never any checks. 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].
 
  
This might not be true any more, have heard that this year they started checking for a student pass.
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Thessaloniki is perhaps the only place in the world where you can eat everyday for free easily.
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 +
===Fititiki Leshi (Φοιτητική Λέσχη) upd:2022===
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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 a 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 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.
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 +
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].
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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).
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''There is another option (easy in the morning, otherwise is more difficult):''
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 +
===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.
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You can find it by following ''address: Stilponos Kiriakidi 17, Thessaloniki 546 36, Greece''
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 +
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 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.
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- 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 can physically take out and leave the dorms. You can do the same.
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- 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: 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, since September 2010 they started checking. But don't be scared, just ignore them, they don't insist! Myself, although I have a student card, I refuse to show it, many students do so out of solidarity. Tidy looks always help.
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- In the end, if you did not get any food, you are desperate and frustrated, you can try to tell staff that you are an adventurer, they are pretty understanding. They will give you food anyway if you came in the restaurant's closing time (10 a.m; 2.30 p.m & 9 p.m). There are always extra food, which they give to random people. Just ask.
  
* Actually they don't check any more. Barely anyone was showing their IDs when they started checking so they gave up. Nobody cares now. Go early if you want choice of foods. Sometimes they run out of the nicest meal or of the dessert and they give you the other one and an orange instead of the baklava or rice pudding. You can easily ask for seconds and thirds.
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== Trashwiki & Nomadwiki ==
  
* They don't even look at you, so there is no such thing as "checking". You can just go there and eat. (April, 2012)
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[[nomad:Thessaloniki]] [[trash:Thessaloniki]]
  
* '''My friends were there (1st week of September 2012) and they were asked about student cards, so they replied that "we are from Erasmus and still waiting for Greek ones, but of course we have our normal"... OK! OK! com'on, there is no problem, so you only have to say "I am a student" if any doubtful problem occur'''
 
  
 
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Latest revision as of 20:56, 13 April 2023

Thessaloniki
<map lat='40.65355504328839' lng='22.928466796875' zoom='10' view='0' float='right' />
Information
Country:
Flag of Greece
Greece
Population: 801,000
Licence plate: NA - NZ
Major roads: E75, E90
Meet fellow hitchhikers on Trustroots

Thessaloniki is a city in Greece.


Hitchhiking out

East towards Kavala and Istanbul (TR) E 90

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 at Filothei (Φιλοθέη) when you see a BP Oil in green colour 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 . 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 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.

Bus #83 goes all the way to Lagkadas (Λαγκαδάς). If you stay on the bus until it reaches this small town, you can try hitching out in the direction of Kavala, Istanbul, etc.

Update (July 2022): the options listed above are extremely outdated and not very helpful. This route is still difficult, but there are better options.

1) with bus number 83 you can get to Laguna from where there's about 20 minutes walk to the knot that ties local road 2 and highway 2. Here you can get directly to the entrance of the highway for Kavala where you filter out any cars not going your way. The traffic is very slow but the cars can stop and they get a good look at you. 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's enough traffic so it's possible to hitch longer rides. Since Greeks don't stop often we opted to go for the first ride which brought us to the 3rd option

3) 40,7214723, 22,9740939 or the spot right after the exit for Laguna is risky. The cars drive fast so be careful and there's a high probability the highway patrol tells you to get off. However we hitched a ride within 5 minutes with a Kavala sign as there are a lot of Turkish truck drivers going from Athens to Istanbul.

None of these options are perfect, but they seem way more likely than the BP station since 4-5 hours of hitchhiking there yielded only 2 rides going to Kilkis. Since we changed strategy we only needed about an hour and a half in total. Good luck!

North-West to Skopje (North Macedonia)

Option 1: Don't bother to hitch hike to the border! There are free busses from the city centre which belong to the casinos across the border just before Gevgelija. You can find 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"). The buses leave at 17:00 and 21:00 so only useful for arriving in Skopje at night.

Option 2: Take a Bus to Agios Athanasios. From "KTEL Macedonia Bus station" lines 81A, 89B, 89K go there. You can hitch on the nearby junction to Highway A1/E75 to Skopje.

Option 3: Actually hitch hike. Highway EO2 effectively runs down the center of Thessaloniki to Edessas. It's a normal road (called "Monastiriou", "Egnagia" and others) up until the junction with the ring road (A2/E90). You can walk down it (going north-west) while hitch hiking. There are gas stations along it where you can hitch hike. Just past the ring road there is a stop light before the ramp where you can hitch hike. Just beyond that 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 you are at Agios Athanasios as in option 2 above. Take the exit to A1/E75 to Skopje.

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 (some of these buses don't go all the way to Malgar). You can go out on the stop "25 Martiou" which is the closest to the tolls but on the bus, it's announced differently (in Greek Ikostis Pmptis Martiou ask the driver). There you can ask and find the Malgara Toll Station toll station (in Greek diodia) on E75 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.


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 2 km 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. 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

In Igoumenitsa you can get a ride with trucks over the sea to Italy.


North-East to Sofia (BG)

Take bus 83 (any of them will get you there, even the express) from Aristotellous Square stop (on Egnatia Street). You 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 the bus driver you want to get off at this exit. Otherwise, he might not get off the highway here and the next stop is too far to walk back from. Stand on the shoulder of the ramp. There is not a lot of traffic here, so it might take you up to an hour to get a ride, but I think its worth it because most of the cars going as far as Bulgaria will get on the highway here. Good luck!

Update (August '22) Don't take bus 83! You have to take bus 83B to get to the right place! Taking bus 83 will make you walk for a long time until teaching the ramp.

Also, I wasn't so lucky there. I waited a total of 4 hours before I gave up. I think it's better to go to the Shell gas station at 40°41′01.72″N 22°56′28.28″E and ask people. Thumbing on ramps is pretty difficult in Greece. You can take bus 53 until Strophe Oraiokastrou to get to the gas station.


North to Kilkis (Greece)

Basically you need to take 2 buses. Very similar to the above direction to Sofia. But this time it is bus #27 / #27a and bus #84 / # 84a. You can change buses in two different places.

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.

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).

Sleep

Some have had luck asking the good people at Mikropolis/Micropolis Social Space, (see [1]). They were very friendly and could advise on where to squat for the night.

Camping

The university campus

The university campus in Thessaloniki is just in the 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 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, really. Plus, starting from 2019 it is a place where a lot of immigrants sleep. Police has no right to enter that area because of some tragic past, i.e. it's ideal place for drug sellers and crime.

Forest Recreational Center

Forest Recreational Center near the Zoo (Neapoli-Sykies, 554 38) which 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 not a good gift.

Homeless animals are a big problem in the big cities as Thessaloniki or Athens, so you better have something to protect yourself from them during the night (get some long sticks near you). Normally they are scared of "throwing a rock gesture" because some greeks do that against dogs. So, if you see 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.

Other

We slept at a deserted camping space by the beach in 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 Thessaloniki and you can reach it within 1,5h by bus. From the famous ottoman tower take the bus to 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 of villages before you get to Triada. Ask for the old camping at the beach, locals will guide you.

Public Transport

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. So, if you want to move inside the city using a public transport download special application (in 2022 there is an application called "Moovit").

The tickets for the buses in the city cost 0.80€ and sometimes 0.90€ (0.40€ for students). 2€ for airport route.

Blackriding is possible. It's risky because there is no chance of recognising controllers before they enter the bus, 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 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 the tax, in that 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 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. HHer-Vert was living in that very city 5 years, and got controlled only 2-3 times.

Shower

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


Free food

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 a 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 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 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 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 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: 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".

- In the end, if you did not get any food, you are desperate and frustrated, you can try to tell staff that you are an adventurer, they are pretty understanding. They will give you food anyway if you came in the restaurant's closing time (10 a.m; 2.30 p.m & 9 p.m). There are always extra food, which they give to random people. Just ask.

Trashwiki & Nomadwiki

nomad:Thessaloniki trash:Thessaloniki