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| My Favourite Planet > English > Europe > Greece > Macedonia > Veria |
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| Veria, Macedonia, Greece |
How to get to Veria |
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page 4 |
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A mosaic of a peacock at the monument to Saint Paul the Apostle in Veria. |
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Veria has a railway station and is a hub for local and inter-city bus services.
There are regular trains between Thessaloniki and Edessa, stopping at Veria.
Several direct buses run every day between Thessaloniki and Veria.
There are also buses between Veria and the archaeological site
at Vergina see below.
Various estimates are given for the distances between Veria
and other places in Greece, according to the route taken.
Here are some approximate distances:
Athens 508 km south.
Thessaloniki, regional capital and transport centre,
70 km east.
Vergina, site of the ancient Macedonian capital of Aigai
(see below), 14 km southeast.
Pella, birthplace of Alexander the Great, 56 km northeast.
See also How to get to Macedonia. |
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Please note:
Due to Greece's economic crisis, information about opening times,
timetables, fares, prices, etc. is changing continually.
Many tourist information offices have been closed, and many
official websites offer no indication of these changes.
Below is the most up-to-date information we have been able to find.
If you have any more up-to-date information you would like to share,
please get in contact. |
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getting to
Veria,
Macedonia |
By bus |
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Local buses
Local buses in and around Veria are operated by Veria Urban KTEL (Αστικό ΚΤΕΛ Βέροιας, Astiko KTEL Verias).
Website: www.astikoverias.gr
Although the website is in Greek and English, there
is currently very little information in either language.
Tickets for local destinations cost
between 45 cents and €1.10.
Local buses used to run between Veria and Vergina,
but this is no longer mentioned. Currently the only
information about buses to Vergina are those
operated by the KTEL Imathia inter-city bus company
(see below). |
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Astiko KTEL Verias
bus company |
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getting to
Veria,
Macedonia |
Inter-city buses |
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Inter-city buses in Imathia regional unit, of which Veria is the capital,
are operated by KTEL Imathia bus company.
www.ktel-imathias.gr (Greek only)
KTEL Imathia ticket offices at bus stations
Veria: (+30) 23310 22342
Naousa: (+30) 23320 22223
Alexandreia: (+30) 23330 23312
Thessaloniki: (+30) 2310 595432
Athens Terminal A: (+30) 210 5152548 |
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KTEL Imathia bus company
www.ktel-imathias.gr
(Greek only) |
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Thessaloniki - Veria by bus
Buses for Veria and other places in Imathia depart from the central KTEL "Macedonia" inter-city bus station, 5 km west of Thessaloniki city centre (see bus stations below).
For some reason KTEL Imathia timetables show a slightly different list of bus stops for the route from Thessaloniki than for the journey from Veria. If you want to visit one of the places along the routes, ask the bus company which bus stops there.
Schedule and ticket information in English for buses between Thessaloniki and Veria is available on the website of the KTEL Macedonia bus station, Thessaloniki:
ktelmacedonia.gr/en/routes/tid=12
Thessaloniki - Veria
Every hour, 5:35 - 21:30 (first bus Sat-Sun 7:00).
Via Alexandreia - Makrohori
Route: Magnesia, Chalkidona *, Loudias, Alexandreia,
Vrisaki (Brysaki), Kambochori, Kalochori, Makrohori
* Change buses at Chalkidona for Pella. See below.
Journey time: 1 hr 30 mins
Fare: €7.40, return €10.50
Thessaloniki - Veria - Naousa
Every hour, 6:15 - 21:00
Via Alexandreia - Makrohori - Veria
Route: Malgara, Kleithi, Niseli, Kouloura, Makrohori,
Veria, Patrida, Naousa train station
Journey time: Thessaloniki - Naousa 2 hours
Fare: Thessaloniki - Naousa €9.50 |
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Bay No. 20 for KTEL Imathias buses
for Veria (arrivals and departures)
at the KTEL Macedonia bus station,
Thessaloniki. |
Athens - Veria by bus
Buses for northern Greece arrive and depart from Athens Terminal A, also known as Kifissos Bus Terminal
(see bus stations below).
Journey time: 7 hours
Single fare: €49
Athens - Veria
Every day, 8:30 and 15:00
Route: Schimatari, Thebes, Kastro, Lamia, Almyros,
Larissa, Katerini (from Katerini, local buses to Dion)
Veria - Athens
Every day, 8:30 and 15:00
Route: Veria, Katerini, Larissa, Almyros,
Stylida, Lamia, K. Vourla, Thebes, Athens |
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getting to
Veria,
Macedonia |
Bus stations |
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For further details about bus travel and bus stations in Macedonia, see:
How to get to Macedonia, Greece |
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Veria (Βέροια)
KTEL Imathias bus station,
28 Hras Street, 59100 Veria, Imathia, Macedonia, Greece.
KTEL Imathias: www.ktel-imathias.gr (Greek only)
The small bus station is in a small courtyard in the town centre (10 minutes walk from Veria Archaeological Museum), hidden behind houses and shops. There is also an entrance to the courtyard from Odos Trempesina, on the west side. There is a ticket office and waiting room, toilets and a small cafe.
If you have to wait some time for your bus, you may prefer to sit at a nearby cafe in the town or visit one of the many old churches. You can leave your luggage at the bus station.
The train station is 3 km outside the town (see below). |
+30 23310 22342 |
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Thessaloniki (Θεσσαλονίκη)
KTEL "Macedonia" inter-city bus station,
Giannitson Street 194, Thessaloniki.
5 km west of the city centre.
KTEL Imathia ticket office : +30 2310 595432
Timetables and fares for buses between Thessaloniki and Imathia:
ktelmacedonia.gr/en/routes/tid=12
The website of the Thessaloniki bus station in Greek and English.
For further details see: How to get to Macedonia, Greece |
+30 2310 595435 |
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Naousa (Νάουσα)
Buses to/from Naousa stop in the street outside the KTEL Imathias office.
36 Odos Chatzimalousi 36, 59200 Naousa.
On the east side of town, opposite the church of Agios Georgios.
KTEL Imathias: www.ktel-imathias.gr (Greek only)
Frequent buses to/from Thessaloniki.
Journey time: 2 hours. Ticket: €9.50, return €12.50.
Schedules in Greek and English: ktelmacedonia.gr/en/routes/tid=12
Local buses
Local blue and white buses in Naousa are run by Astika Leoforeia Naousas (Αστικά Λεωφορεία Νάουσας).
29 Odos Alexandrou Chonou, 59200 Naousa.
Tel: +30 23320 28500
www.astna.gr (Greek only)
e-mail: astikoktelnaousas@gmail.com
The local bus station is on Vasileos Filippou Street, south of the Central Square (Κεντρική Πλατεία, Kentriki Plateia).
Taxi
Taxis in Naousa are silver. There are taxi ranks at Central Square and opposite the Naousa hospital.
Tel: +30 23320 25400, +30 23320 22552, +30 2332 022636
The Archaeological Site of the Nymphaeum of Mieza (the School of Aristotle) is 5 km northwest of the train station and 3.5 km east of Naousa. There are no buses to the site.
See also Naousa train station below. |
+30 23320 22223 |
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Edessa (Έδεσσα)
Edessa KTEL bus station is at the south side of town,
on the corner of Filipou and Pavlou Mela streets.
5 minutes walk from the centre,
15 minutes from the railway station (see below).
Frequent buses to/from Thessaloniki.
Journey time: 2 hours. Ticket: €9.70.
Schedules in Greek and English: ktelmacedonia.gr/en/routes/list/tid=29
2 buses daily each way between Athens and Edessa via Larissa.
Journey time: 6 hours. Ticket: €50.90. |
+30 23810 23511 |
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Pella (Πέλλα)
There is no bus station at Pella, only a bus stop about 100 metres north of the EO2 National Road, and 1 km south of the village and museum. There is a bus timetable at the bus stop. You can ask about current bus times in Pella village (museum, post office, no ATM), or at the bus stations in Thessaloniki or Edessa.
For further details see How to get to Pella. |
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Athens (Αθήνα)
Athens has two main inter-city bus stations,
generally known as Terminal A and Terminal B.
Buses between Athens, Thessaloniki and other destinations in Macedonia
and Thrace depart and arrive at the Kifissou Street KTEL Bus Station,
also known as Terminal A.
100 Kifissou Street.
Ticket office: (+30) 2105 12 94 07
Tickets can be purchased at the bus station, which has a snack bar,
toilets, and a kiosk (sweets, drinks, newspapers, cigarettes...).
There are no decent shops within easy walking distance.
Buses to Terminal A
X93 express bus from Athens Airport (Door 5).
Around every 35 minutes. Every 65 minutes at night.
It also stops at the Liossion Street bus station (Terminal B).
51 from the centre, at the corner of Menandrou Street and Zinonos Street,
near Metaxourgeio Square, 2 blocks west of Omonia Square.
Every 15 minutes. Fare €1 one way.
From Terminal A into the centre, the 51 stops at the Metaxourgeio metro station.
420 from Piraeus, at the corner of Thermopilon and Akti Kondili streets.
Terminal A is quite a long way north of the city centre and not easy to find.
We do not recommend walking. It is possible to get to the bus station by a combination of metro trains and buses, but it really is a chore, especially with luggage. If there are 2 or more of you, take a taxi.
KTEL ticket office at Omonia Square, central Athens
59 Sokrates Street, Omonia Square.
In a narrow side street, just west of Omonia Square.
+30 Tel: +30 210 52 37 889
Monday - Friday 7:00 - 17:00, Saturday 7:30 - 15:30, Sunday closed.
A very useful office and excellent service. The helpful staff speak English,
and tickets for all destinations from Athens can be bought in advance! |
+30 210 51 52 224 |
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getting to
Veria,
Macedonia |
By train |
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For further information about train travel and stations in Macedonia, see:
How to get to Macedonia, Greece |
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Trains in Greece are run by OSE (Ο.Σ.Ε.):
www.ose.gr (Greek and English)
Train schedule and fare information at Trainose, the official OSE website for passenger train information:
www.trainose.gr (Greek and English).
The website has recently improved its information in English. However, rather than show timetables and fares, you have to use the ticket booking interface, name the desired departure and destination stations and enter planned date of travel. The site then shows the trains and fares for that particular journey on that day. If you click on a train or route number in the list, a tab opens showing stations along that route.
Thessaloniki - Veria - Edessa
Frequent trains daily each way between Thessaloniki and Veria, on the Thessaloniki - Edessa - Florina line, known as the Thessaloniki Suburban Railway (SUB; Greek, ΠΡΟΑ).
Some trains are direct, others require a change at Platy (Πλατύ).
Journey time 1 - 3 hours.
Fare €4 - €11.50, depending on type of train (Intercity, Regional and Thessaloniki Suburban Railway)
Note: Some of the 22 daily trains listed on the Trainose website include those for which you may have to wait several hours for a connection at Platy.
To/from Athens and Larissa
If you are travelling by train from Athens or Larissa, and you want to go straight
to Veria or Edessa without going into Thessaloniki, you can change trains to the
Thessaloniki-Veria-Edessa-Florina line at Platy (Πλατύ), 35 km northeast of Veria.
There are currently 6 trains daily each way between Thessaloniki and Athens:
5 Intercity (IC) trains. Ticket €45.40.
1 Regional (REG) train. Ticket €25.10.
Journey time around 4-5 hours. |
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getting to
Veria,
Macedonia |
Railway stations |
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Veria (Βέροια)
Veria railway station is 3 km outside the town, or to be more precise
below the town, as the station is on the plain and Veria is at the top
of a steep hill - 128 metres (420 feet) above sea level.
Local blue buses (€1) and taxis shuttle between the station and town centre. |
+30 23310 24444 |
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Thessaloniki (Θεσσαλονίκη)
Macedonia's main train station, with connections southwards to Athens,
northwestwards to Veria and Edessa, eastwards to Alexandroupoli,
as well as (international trains).
28 Monastiriou Street.
1 km west of the city centre.
OSE Travel Service for information and tickets in the city centre.
For further details see: How to get to Macedonia, Greece |
+30 2310 517517 |
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Naousa
(Νάουσα) Central Macedonia
The train station is 7 km east of the city centre by road! It is just east
of the main Veria - Skydra road, 2 km south of Kopanos (Κοπανός).
Local buses (see above) run between Naousa town centre and the station,
and there are also a few taxis (see above).
The Archaeological Site of the Nymphaeum of Mieza (the School of Aristotle) is 5 km northwest of the train station and 3.5 km east of Naousa.
There are no buses to the site. |
+30 23210 59700 |
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Edessa (Έδεσσα)
Train station: Leoforos Nikis.
The station is at the east side of town, 10 minutes walk
from the centre along 18th October Avenue.
The KTEL bus station (see above) is about 15 minutes walk.
Taxis, which are usually available at the station, cost about €5.
Station Radio Taxi Edessa
Tel: 23810 23392 and 23810 22904 |
+30 23810 23510 |
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Athens (Αθήνα)
The main railway station in central Athens, for trains to northern Greece is
called "Larissa Station" (Stathmos Larissis). Northwest of Omonia Square,
10 minutes walk.
Not to be confused with the train station of (Larissa, Thessaly).
Trains also usually depart from here for stations to Corinth and along the north coast of the Peloponnese to Patras (the old Peloponnese Station is now closed down). However, currently (2019) the line is closed due to reconstruction works, and it is uncertain when it will be reopened. Train services have been replaced by a system of buses and trains along the route.
Larissa Station has its own Metro stop on Metro Line 2 (Syntagma - Sepolia;
the red line on Metro maps).
Or take trolley bus No. 1 from Venizelou (Panepistimiou) Street.
Note: The OSE Main Information Centre in central Athens has closed down. |
+30 210 82 37 741 |
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getting to
Veria,
Macedonia |
Travelling between Veria and Vergina |
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The small, modern town of Vergina (Βεργίνα), 14 km southeast of Veria, is the site of the ancient Macedonian capital Aigai (Αιγαί) before it was moved to Pella at the beginning of the 5th century BC (see the History of Pella).
This World Heritage Site includes an enormous tumulus, or hill mound, built as a tomb for the Macedonian royal family, and recently converted into one of the world's most spectacular museums displaying royal tomb treasures.
Visiting Vergina early in the day is recommended: in summer the site and museum are very busy, and in winter they close at 15:00 hours. A visit to the wonderful museum will take less than 2 hours, and the scanty remains of the nearby archaeological site less than hour.
There are a couple of restaurants, cafes and shops in Vergina, as well as a large pay car park. Finding a parking space on the narrow roads is seldom possible, especially in summer.
How to get to Vergina
The only access to Vergina by public transport is from Veria. The local Astiko KTEL Verias bus company (see local buses above) used to run eight buses a day between Veria and Vergina. However, at present there is no information about this service on their website.
The website of the KTEL Imathia bus company (see inter-city buses above) lists buses Monday - Saturday from Veria to Alexandreia via Vergina.
06:50 Mon-Fri, via Neokastrou (Νεοκάστρου)
08:10 Sat
09:15 Mon-Fri
09:30 Sat
11:15 Mon-Sat
13:30 Mon-Sat, via Neokastrou (Νεοκάστρου)
14:40 Mon-Sat
17:30 Mon-Sat
20:15 Mon-Sat
There is no information about Sunday services or buses back to Veria.
A Taxi from Veria to Vergina costs about €15.
If you have time, you could also visit the nearby town of Naousa (see Naousa bus station above). Although not as interesting as either Veria or Vergina, it is a pleasant town, and is near to Mieza, the location of Aristotle's academy, in which the philosopher taught Alexander the Great. |
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Manolis Andronikos (Μανόλης
Ανδρόνικος, 1919-1992),
the Greek archaeologist who
discovered and excavated
the Royal Tombs at Vergina.
Bust near the Thessaloniki
Archaeological Museum.
Aigai
the royal capital of Macedon
archaeological site and museum
59031 Vergina.
Tel: +30 23310 92347
www.aigai.gr
(Greek and English)
Opening hours
Winter
Monday closed
Tuesday - Sunday 9:00 - 17:00
Summer
Monday 12:00 - 20:00
Tuesday - Sunday 8:00 - 20:00
Tickets: €8, reduced €4
Valid for archaeological site
and museum ("Building for the protection of the royal tombs") |
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getting to
Veria,
Macedonia |
Travelling between Veria and Pella |
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This is where things get tricky!
A visit to Pella, the second ancient capital of Macedonia and the birthplace of Alexander the Great, is highly recommended: the archaeological site and the new museum are fascinating.
See: Travel guide to Pella
In theory, it should be possible to visit Pella and Vergina/Veria on the same day. If you have your own transport it should be no problem. However, if you are dependent on public tranport it can be difficult.
Despite the fact that it is only 55 km between Pella and Veria, since there is no direct connection by public transport it can take at least 2 hours to travel the distance.
Buses to Pella (Pella regional unit) and Veria (Imathia regional unit) are run by separate KTEL bus companies. There is no coordination between the two companies, and it is practically impossible to get information from one company about the services of the other.
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Marble head of
Alexander the Great
in Pella Museum. |
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However...
Pella - Veria by bus via Chalkidona
Most buses between Thessaloniki and Pella and and some buses to/from Veria stop at Chalkidona (or Halkidona, Χαλκηδόνα), a small town just to the west of the city, around 30 minutes by bus. It is possible to change buses here, although you may have to wait up to an hour for a connection.
Ask at the KTEL Imathia and KTEL Pella desks in Thessaloniki bus station for the latest arrival/departure times for Chalkidona.
If you have further actual information about buses between Chalkidona, Pella and Veria, please get in contact.
The other options are either via Edessa or Thessaloniki.
Veria - Pella via Edessa
It is also possible to take a train from Veria to the pleasant town of Edessa (see below), then a bus from there to Pella (48 km). Or vice versa.
Bus: According to the KTEL Pella website (www.ktelpellas.gr, Greek only), buses from Edessa to Veria depart at 11.00 and 16.00.
There is no further information about the route, stops along the way or buses in the other direction.
However, the KTEL Imathia website (www.ktel-imathias.gr, Greek only) only lists one bus per day from Veria to Edessa, at 15:15.
Route: Veria, Patrida, Naousa, Kopanos, Marina, Lourochoriou, Rizo, Skydra, Mavrovouni, Rizari, Edessa
Train: As discussed above, 8 or possibly more trains daily travel between Thessaloniki and Edessa via Veria.
Veria - Pella Thessaloniki
Depending on the vagaries of timetables, it may actually be quicker to take the bus from Pella to Thessaloniki, then travel to Veria from there.
But even using this tactical ploy the journey Pella - Thessaloniki - Veria could take 3 hours or more.
Pella - Thessaloniki 40 mins, €4.10
Thessaloniki - Veria 1.5 hours, €7.40
+ Plus waiting times!
Even if you really adore buses, bus stops and bus stations, this could prove a tedious 3+ hours, and you also have to keep opening times at Pella and Vergina in mind.
Conclusion and recommendation
If you want to travel to both Pella and Vergina in one day by public transport, you may get lucky with connections and have a wonderful time...
... On the other hand, given the current uncertainties in transport schedules, you may face a frustrating and disappointing day.
A more realistic plan would be a two day itinerary.
DAY 1: Arrive early at Pella, then travel on to Edessa and while away an afternoon exploring the enigmatic ruins of ancient Logos (a pleasant 15 minutes walk from the centre down a traffic-free path), and an evening enjoying the spectacle of the waterfalls while eating dinner in one of the waterfall park's tavernas.
DAY 2: After an overnight stay in Edessa (good choice of accommodation), head off early for Vergina via Veria. After being suitably astonished at the ancient paintings and golden treasures of Vergina, take a stroll through the streets of Veria, with its old mosques and churches, see where the Apostle Paul preached Christianity to the Jews of the city, and enjoy streetside lunch before your onward journey. |
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Veria,
Macedonia,
Greece |
Area map |
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Interactive map of Macedonia and the North Aegean Sea.
See also our interactive map of Greece. |
Photos, maps and articles: copyright © David John,
except where otherwise specified.
Some of the information and photos in this guide to Veria
originally appeared in 2004 on davidjohnberlin.de.
All photos and articles are copyright protected.
Images and materials by other authors
have been attributed where applicable.
Please do not use these photos or articles without permission.
If you are interested in using any of the photos for your website,
project or publication, please get in contact.
Higher resolution versions are available on request.
My Favourite Planet makes great efforts to provide comprehensive and accurate information across this website. However, we can take no responsibility for inaccuracies or changes made by providers of services mentioned on these pages. |
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