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Rent From Locals

Car Rental Thessaloniki (airport) - Rent From Locals

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84 cars available

84 cars

84 cars

How you pick up your car

Thessaloniki airport is at Mikra, on the south-east edge of the city, about 16 km from Aristotelous Square: 20 minutes with clear roads, longer at rush hour. When you land, the supplier meets you on arrival, sends you directions to their office, or sends a shuttle to take you there, and confirms which after booking. Add your flight number when you book so the supplier can follow any delay.

The short-stay car park, P4, is opposite the terminal. The first 20 minutes are free, and it charges by the hour after that. If the supplier meets you at the terminal, agree beforehand which of you pays the parking.

The airport is on the Halkidiki side of the city, so if you're heading straight for the beaches you don't cross Thessaloniki at all.

Distances from the airport

  • Thessaloniki centre17 km, 20-30 min
  • Thessaloniki port18 km, 20-30 min
  • Kallithea (Kassandra)77 km, 65-90 min
  • Vergina83 km, 1.5-2 h
  • Litochoro106 km, 1.5-2 h
  • Neos Marmaras (Sithonia)107 km, 2-2.5 h
  • Edessa107 km, 1.5-2.5 h
  • Ouranoupoli120 km, 2-3 h

By road, without stops. Allow more time in summer.

Practical tips

  • Not at the kerb: stopping in the Arrivals and Departures lanes is prohibited and the police fine there. Meet in the P4 car park opposite the terminal, where the first 20 minutes are free and up to an hour costs 6 euros.
  • Fuel before you return: there are stations (EKO, Revoil, Shell) on the Thessaloniki-Perea road about 2 km south of the airport. For a late return, the Shell at Georgikis Scholis 80, towards the city, is listed as open 24 hours.
  • Ring road works: the city's ring road is being rebuilt as an elevated flyover until about May 2027, and some sections close at night from 23:00 to 05:00. Allow extra time in the evening.

Driving rules in Greece

  • Speed limits: in towns the limit has been 30 km/h since 1 January 2026, and 50 km/h on roads with two or more lanes in each direction, on one-way roads with two or more lanes and on roads with a central divider. Outside towns it is 90 km/h, 110 km/h on expressways and 130 km/h on motorways. Signs can set other limits.
  • Alcohol: the limit is 0.5 g/l. It is 0.2 g/l for new drivers, and for motorcycle and moped riders.
  • Phones: hands-free only. Since the new traffic code of 2025, a first offence costs €350 and a 30-day licence suspension.
  • Helmets: compulsory on mopeds, motorcycles and quads, for the rider and the passenger.
  • In the car: a warning triangle, a first-aid kit and a fire extinguisher are compulsory. Check they're in the boot at pick-up.
  • Emergencies: call 112.

Places to visit by car

Distances from Thessaloniki.

  • Kassandra (Halkidiki)

    Kassandra (Halkidiki)

    the Potidea canal, where the first peninsula begins, is 67 km away, just over an hour by the Nea Moudania road. Afytos and Kallithea on the east coast are about 85 km, 1 hour 20 minutes. On summer weekends leave early: the road is at its busiest from mid-morning.
  • Sithonia (Halkidiki)

    Sithonia (Halkidiki)

    Nikiti, at the top of the second peninsula, is 97 km, about 1 hour 40 minutes. Neos Marmaras is 117 km, about 2 hours, and Kavourotrypes in the south-east 137 km, about 2 hours 20 minutes. A road runs right round the peninsula, so you can go down one coast and come back up the other.
  • Ouranoupoli and the Mount Athos cruise

    Ouranoupoli and the Mount Athos cruise

    125 km, about 2 hours 20 minutes, via Polygyros and Ierissos. This is as far as you can drive: Athos is reached only by boat. In summer, sightseeing cruises of about three hours run along its coast. They stay 500 m offshore, so women can go too. Landing on Athos is for men only, with a permit (the diamonitirion) and the daily ferry to Dafni. Departure times vary by operator.
  • Vergina (ancient Aigai)

    Vergina (ancient Aigai)

    68 km, just over an hour on the motorway west. From 1 November to 31 March the royal tombs museum is open 09:00-17:00 and closed on Tuesdays; the €20 ticket also covers the necropolis, theatre and palace.
  • Pella

    Pella

    45 km, about 45 minutes, on the old road to Edessa. The capital of ancient Macedon and Alexander the Great's birthplace, with a museum by the site. From 1 April to 31 October the museum is open daily 08:00-20:00 (Tuesdays from 12:00); from 1 November to 31 March it is open 08:30-15:30 and closed on Tuesdays. Tickets are €10, or €5 reduced.
  • Edessa waterfalls

    Edessa waterfalls

    91 km, about 1½ hours via Pella and Giannitsa. The falls are in a park on the east side of town, and a path goes behind the 70 m Karanos fall. A free car park is reported next to the park.
  • Mount Olympus from Litochoro

    Mount Olympus from Litochoro

    Litochoro is 90 km, about 1 hour 10 minutes down the A1. The steep road on to the Prionia trailhead is another 17 km, about 25 minutes, with a short section reported unpaved.
  • Lake Kerkini

    Lake Kerkini

    98 km, about 1 hour 40 minutes north. Local fishermen take boats out from Kerkini village to see the pelicans, which show their breeding colours in January and February.

Questions and answers

Is Thessaloniki airport open 24 hours?

Yes. The terminal and the car parks are open every day, around the clock.

Can the supplier wait for me outside Arrivals?

No. Parking is prohibited in the Arrivals and Departures lanes, so the meeting point is usually a car park opposite the terminal.

What does the short-stay car park cost after the free 20 minutes?

In P4, opposite the terminal, 21 to 60 minutes costs 6 euros and 1 to 4 hours 11 euros. The other car parks also give the first 20 minutes free.

How far is Halkidiki from the airport?

Kallithea, on Kassandra, is 77 km away, 65 to 85 minutes; Neos Marmaras, on Sithonia, 107 km, about 2 hours. Allow more on summer weekends.

Driving and parking in the city: Car Rental in Thessaloniki