Bioleder
Traveller
2 comments
Posted 1 year ago
Hi! We are a mature couple travelling for the next 3 months with Interrail.
How do we get from Vienna to Thessaloniki? The website here says Budapest/Zagreb/Beograd/Thessaloniki, or Sofia/Bucharest/Beograd/Thessaloniki
what is your choice? any other route?
Bye and thanks in advance
Bioleder
MisterSteve
Traveller
928 comments
Unfortunately the page is out of date. But then again, the official site sof the train operators aren't much better. All interntaional services into Greece were suspended during covid and according to the Hellenic Train website they still are. To make things worse, due to a distasterous crash a couple of months ago many internal services were also suspended and are only coming back slowly.
If that wasn't enough problems, the route via Beograd has been closed for at least three years with no sign of it reopening (this was supposedly due to it being rebuilt). The route via Sofia did not go via Beograd and the train is running towards, but not across, the Greek border - however it is reported to be easier to get a direct bus from Sofia (Interrail not valid).
If you are heading for Athens the other option is to go via Italy and using one of the ferry company partners of Interrail which will get you closer, although a bus may still be needed.
nltrainer
Traveller
1346 comments
There IS a much better and kept uptodate site: seat61.com. Has overveiw of all overland routings, mostly holy train, from GB=UK to all EUR countries. GR has since some yrs NO INternat trains at all, so this means as above: partly other means or via ITaly and ferry.
Besides that trains In GR itself seem after that nasty accident some monthes ago also in a state of constant reorganisation and are not too relaible. Forget any long-time advance booking etc-it will only lead to misery.
Bioleder
Traveller
2 comments
Hi MrSteve and nltrainer. Thank you so much, that really helped. We will get back here, in case we need more info, if that's ok. Starting in Italy now, seems much easier :-) bye, Bioleder