TRANSPORT
LAND
Lufthansa (LH; %210 617
5200; http://www.lufthansa.com)
Qatar Airways (QR; % 210
950 8700; http://www.qatarairways
.com)
SAS (SK; %210 361 3910;
http://www.sas.se)
Singapore Airlines (SQ;
%210 372 8000, 210 353 1259;
http://www.singaporeair.com)
Thai Airways (TG; %210 353
1237; http://www.thaiairways.com)
Turkish Airlines (TK; % 210
322 1035; http://www.turkishairlines
.com)
Virgin Express (TV; % 210
949 0777; http://www.virginxpress
.com)Tickets
EasyJet off ers some of the
cheapest tickets between
Greece and the rest of Europe
and covers a huge range of
destinations. If you’re coming
from outside Europe, consider
a cheap fl ight to a European
hub like London and then an
onward ticket with easyJet.
Some airlines also off er cheap
deals to students. If you’re
planning to travel between
June and September, it’s wise
to book ahead.Land
Travelling by land off ers you
the chance to really appreci-
ate the landscape, as well
as the many experiences
that go along with train or
bus travel. International
train travel, in particular, has
become much more feasible
in recent years with speedier
trains and better connec-
tions. You can now travelfrom London to Athens by
train and ferry in less than
two days. By choosing to
travel on the ground instead
of the air, you’ll also be re-
ducing your carbon footprint.
It’s a win-win situation.Border Crossings
ALBANIA
The main crossing at Kaka-
via can have intensely slow
queues.
Kakavia 60km northwest of
Ioannina (see p 306 )
Krystallopigi 14km west
of Kotas on the Florina-
Kastoria road
Mertziani 17km west of
Konitsa
Sagiada 28km north of
IgoumenitsaBULGARIA
As Bulgaria is part of the EU,
crossings are usually quick
and hassle-free.
Exohi a new 448m tunnel
border crossing 50km north
of Drama
Ormenio 41km from Serres
in northeastern Thrace
Promahonas 109km north-
east of ThessalonikiFORMER YUGOSLAV
REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA
(FYROM)
Doïrani 31km north of Kilkis
Evzoni 68km north of
Thessaloniki
Niki (p 282 ), 16km north of
FlorinaTURKEY
Kipi is more convenient if
you’re heading for İstanbul,
but the route throughKastanies goes via the fas-
cinating towns of Soufl i and
Didymotiho in Greece, and
Edirne (ancient Adrianoupo-
lis) in Turkey.
Kastanies (p 299 ) 139km
northeast of Alexandroupoli.
Kipi 43km east of
AlexandroupoliBus
The Greek railways organisa-
tion OSE (Organismos Sidiro-
dromon Ellados; www
.ose.gr) operates the major-
ity of international buses in
Greece. However, the railway
company’s once-plentiful
international buses were
in limbo with the cessation
of all international trains in
2011, so be sure to check
ahead. See the relevant
city’s Getting There & Away
sections for information on
departure/arrival points and
where to buy tickets.
See also the boxed text,
Inter national Bus Routes,
p 780.
See Florina (p 282 ) and
Ioannina (p 306 ) for alterna-
tive public transport options
to Albania.Train
The Greek railways organisa-
tion OSE (Organismos Sidiro-
dromon Ellados; http://www.ose.gr)
has been seriously aff ected
by the country’s fi nancial
problems, with international
trains eliminated in 2011 and
domestic routes severely
curtailed. The situation is
fl uid, so check ahead.
When services are operat-
ing, the destinations outlined
in the boxed text Inter-CLIMATE CHANGE & TRAVELEvery form of transport that relies on carbon-based fuel generates CO^2 , the main cause
of human-induced climate change. Modern travel is dependent on aeroplanes, which
might use less fuel per kilometre per person than most cars but travel much greater
distances. The altitude at which aircraft emit gases (including CO^2 ) and particles also
contributes to their climate change impact. Many websites off er ‘carbon calculators’ that
allow people to estimate the carbon emissions generated by their journey and, for those
who wish to do so, to off set the impact of the greenhouse gases emitted with contribu-
tions to portfolios of climate-friendly initiatives throughout the world. Lonely Planet off -
sets the carbon footprint of all staff and author travel.