Getting from Crete to Thessaloniki

If you are heading to Thessaloniki from Crete you are making one of the longer domestic journeys in Greece, from the largest island to the second city, and the contrast between the two could hardly be greater. Thessaloniki is an urban, northern Greek city of Byzantine churches, Ottoman markets, exceptional food and a waterfront that stretches for kilometres past the White Tower. After Crete's ancient Minoan sites, mountain gorges and beach villages, it offers something completely different and equally rewarding.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Crete to Thessaloniki. The two are not connected by sea and the indirect routing via Piraeus and the northern Aegean takes the better part of two days. Flying is the only practical option. You may occasionally find a direct service but it is rare and at over 19 hours it is not worth it when flying takes just over an hour.

Getting there by air

Both Crete and Thessaloniki have airports. Direct flights from Heraklion to Thessaloniki take around 1 hour 10 minutes, making this one of the more straightforward domestic connections in Greece without going through Athens. Chania also has connections to Thessaloniki in summer. Book ahead in summer as this route fills up with Greek domestic travellers.

Your best option

Fly direct from Heraklion to Thessaloniki. It is the only realistic approach and at just over an hour it is one of the quickest ways to get from one end of Greece to the other. If you are based in Chania, check the direct Chania to Thessaloniki service before routing through Heraklion.