How to Get to Halkidiki, Greece
There is no airport on the peninsula, it is convenient to get to Halkidiki through Thessaloniki. Planes from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Voronezh, Irkutsk, Tomsk, Salekhard and others run to Macedonia Airport. Most flights are connecting, only Muscovites can fly without transfers.
From the regions it is cheaper to first get to Moscow, and from there fly to Greece. Check jibin123 for customs regulations and visa requirements of Greece.
The planes of the Aegean Airlines, Ellinair, Turkish Airlines, Aeroflot and Es Seven depart from the capital’s airports. The first offers the most successful option – a direct flight, the journey will take about 3 hours. Aeroflot, Es Seven and Ellinair also fly direct. The remaining flights with transfers in Istanbul, Athens and Vienna, the flight may take more than a day.
For residents of the Northern capital, the trip will cost almost 2 times more. Lufthansa, Aegean Airlines, Aeroflot and others fly from St. Petersburg airport. The most budget route is from Turkish Airlines, you will have to spend about a day on the road. Can be reached with Lufthansa in 6-7 hours.
From the airport to Halkidiki
The nearest settlement of the peninsula is about an hour away. Halkidiki is large, the distance from the airport to cities and towns is 60-150 km. It is cheaper to get to the hotel by buses of the KTEL ChalkidiksS SA company (off. site in English). They depart from the bus station of Thessaloniki (you will have to take a taxi to it), the routes cover 32 settlements of Chalkidiki. The fare is 5-30 EUR, the journey will take 1.5-3.5 hours. A taxi will be a little faster – up to 2.5 hours, the trip will cost 30-150 EUR, depending on the destination. The prices on the page are for November 2021.
Transportation
With public transport in Halkidiki, things are not very good. There are bus stations in many more or less large settlements, but they are mainly focused on routes to Thessaloniki, traveling around the peninsula itself by bus is problematic – it is often impossible to get from one town to another without transfers. In addition, they rarely go – only 3-7 flights a day, but regularly (at the bus stop you need to vote for the bus to stop). The fare depends on the distance – from 2 to 25 EUR. 5 * hotels have free shuttle buses to the nearest resort towns.
The most rational option for those who want to travel around the whole of Halkidiki is car rental. Cheaper than a taxi and easier than public transport. Another way is group tours on buses or boats.
Local taxi companies and companies of Thessaloniki operate on the peninsula. The car can be ordered by phone, taken at a special parking lot or stopped on the street. In small remote villages, it is worth going to a tavern or cafe – there will definitely be a car there. In Halkidiki, there are uniform rates for the entire mainland Greece – 0.70 EUR per km during the day and 1.20 EUR – at night (plus 1.20 EUR for landing), the minimum cost is 3 EUR. The trip is paid strictly according to the meter, which is equipped with all cars without exception.
There are bike rental points in many cities of the peninsula – Neos Marmaras, Hanioti, Nea Moudania and others. Prices are moderate – 1 EUR per hour, 5 EUR per day and 30 EUR per week. In some hotels you can take it for free. Given the poor state of public transport, cycling is a good way to get around at least the nearby villages and beaches.
Rent a Car
Those who do not plan to spend their entire vacation on the beach should consider renting a car. It is more convenient to move between the sights scattered throughout the peninsula by car. Roads in Halkidiki are well paved, with the exception of a few small sections – there is a primer. There are practically no serious traffic jams, on weekends the traffic is more intense. There are enough parking spaces, including free ones. The main thing is not to leave the car in places with yellow markings and under prohibition signs.
In Thessaloniki, you will have to use paid parking lots – 3.50 EUR per hour, in Halkidiki they are also found – 1.50 EUR per hour or 2-3 EUR without time limit.
It is better to rent a car at the airport – a large choice and savings on transfers. However, you can find a rental point in any major tourist center of the peninsula. There are international companies (Avis, Budget, Hertz and others) and local rental offices. The latter are usually cheaper, but the service is worse. Prices per day of rent in large companies start from 30-50 EUR, in small ones – from 15-20 EUR.
Halkidiki Hotels
There are a lot of accommodation options in Halkidiki – apartments and hotels, hostels, boats, guest houses and villas. Most of them focus on the “fingers” of Cassander and Sithonia. Many hotels have swimming pools, some have breakfast included, and some offer free bike rentals.
It is better for economical tourists to look for housing away from the sea – prices there start from 25 EUR for a double room per day. On the first coastline between the “fingers” you can find a hotel for 35-45 EUR per night. The cost of living in Kassandra and Sithonia is very different. If on the first one it is not a problem to find a hotel for 45-60 EUR per day, then on the second rooms cost from 70 EUR.
There are about 40 3 * hotels on the peninsula, staying in them will cost 40-100 EUR. “Fours” are much smaller, the price range is 60-140 EUR. There are only 10 5 * hotels, to relax according to the “luxury” program in one of them you will have to pay from 120 to 400 EUR, and the price tag per day in villas reaches 900 EUR.
