Thessaloniki - Post Report Question and Answers

Taxis in the city are numerous and inexpensive, if a bit feisty. Drivers routinely pick up other passengers en route and often refuse to take customers to destinations deemed inconvenient. Radio taxis can be ordered at a slight additional cost but are sometimes unavailable at peak hours. Buses are frequent and inexpensive, but often crowded. Traffic is heavy in the city center — often at unusual hours by U.S. standards — but generally acceptable in most other neighborhoods. Many city streets are one-way, causing additional confusion. Street parking is difficult everywhere in town. Minor streets are very narrow and crowded with parked cars. Inter-city roads are well-marked, but of wildly varying quality. Road surfaces are more slippery than in the U.S. and stopping distances longer. There is no metro in Thessaloniki at the moment, but the city has just started a metro project expected to take 6 years to finish [Athens' metro in comparison took 10 years to finish because of constant archeological finds under the city.] Trains to Athens and to neighboring countries like Bulgaria and Turkey are frequent and inexpensive. - Jul 2006