Using the International Railway Services you will get as far as Thessaloniki. After that, you can use the Suburban Railway to get to Athens by train.
You can either book your tickets online with Trainose or take advantage of several international train tickets you can use to cut down your expenses. You’ll find more information on them at the end of this page.
Arriving in Greece by train from Europe
The International Railway Services operated by Trainose connect Thessaloniki to Sofia, Bucharest, and Belgrade (via Skopje).
Belgrade (SRB) – Skopje (MKD) – Thessaloniki (GRC)
Train 335 operates daily on the route Belgrade – Nis – Skopje – Veles.
One-way train tickets from Belgrade cost €33.80, while a return ticket is €54.50.
One-way train tickets from Skopje cost €12.20, while a return ticket is €19.50.
Tickets for children aged 4-12 receive a 50% discount. Please also note that children under the age of 6 travel for free on Serbian Railway routes. Groups of 6 people or more receive a 20% discount.
International tickets like Eurail, Interrail, or Balkan Flexipass are accepted, but you will be charged an extra fee for seat reservations when you choose this option to get to Athens by train.
Bucharest (ROU) – Thessaloniki (GRC)
Train 1461 operates every Friday on the route Bucharest – Sofia – Thessaloniki.
There are two categories of tickets available.
For category A, one-way train tickets from Bucharest cost €59.80, and one-way train tickets from Sofia cost €16.80.
For category B, one-way train tickets from Bucharest cost €39.80, and one-way train tickets from Sofia cost €14.40.
Tickets for children aged 4-12 receive a 50% discount. Please also note that children under the age of 4 travel for free. Groups of 6 people or more receive a 20% discount.
International tickets like Eurail and Interrail are accepted, but you will be charged an extra fee for seat reservations. Balkan Flexipass is accepted for Regio Călători trains in Romania, but not for CFR Călători, so keep this in mind if you’re crossing Romania while trying to get to Athens by train.
Sofia (BGR) – Thessaloniki (GRC)
Train 361 operates daily on the route Sofia – Blagoevgrad – Sandanski – Thessaloniki.
One-way train tickets from Sofia cost €16.80, while a return ticket is €33.60.
Tickets for children aged 4-12 receive a 50% discount. Please also note that children under the age of 4 travel for free. Groups of 6 people or more receive a 20% discount.
A special price of €25.00 is offered to a limited number of seats for return tickets bought at least 15 days prior to the dates of travel.
International tickets like Eurail, Interrail, or Balkan Flexipass are accepted with no extra fee for seat reservation. So Bulgaria’s more budget-friendly with travelers trying to get to Athens by train.
Please note that International Railway one-way tickets are valid for 15 days, while return tickets are valid for one month. Seat reservation is mandatory.
How to get to Athens by train using the Intercity Network
You can get to Athens by train and arrive at the Athens Railway Station.
If you are coming from Thessaloniki, your route will be Thessaloniki – Sindos – Adendron – Platy – Aeginio – Korinos – Katerini – Litochoro – Neoi Poroi – Rapsani – Larissa.
Athens Railway Station or Larissa…?
The Athens Railway Station is the main train station in Athens, but also the largest one in Greece. It was born by merging two railway terminals which used to be next to each other: Larissa Station and Peloponnese Station. The trains arriving and leaving in Larissa connected Athens to central and northern Greece. On the other side, the Peloponnese Station connected Athens to the Peloponnese Peninsula, as the name suggests.
People still call the Athens Railway Station the Larissa Station, and there is also a metro station bearing the same name. So don’t be confused when you’re trying to get to Athens by train!
International Tickets to get to Athens by train
On the International Railway routes from above, you saw Eurail, Interrail and the Balkan Flexipass mentioned. Besides making your travels in Europe more flexible, they also offer a wide range of partner discounts you can use during your trip.
Check out the sections below to learn more about the benefits of these International Train Tickets and how far you can travel with them when you’re trying to get to Athens by train.
Balkan Flexipass
With the Balkan Flexipass, you can travel on the national rail networks in the Balkan Peninsula. This includes Bulgaria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, The Serbian Entity of Bosnia Herzegovina, and Turkey. Ticket prices start from € 105.00 and vary depending on how many days you intend to spend traveling by train. The longest period you can opt for is 15 days within 2 months.
There are discounts available for youths (under 28 years), and children under 4 years of age travel for free.
There are two great benefits you get with the Balkan Flexipass:
- Free crossings on ferries from Patras to Ancona and Bari (Italy)
- 30% discount for ferries from Piraeus to Astpalea, Chios, Donoussa, Heraklion, Ios, Kalymnos, Kos, Koufonissi, Leros, Lipsi, Mykonos, Mytilene, Naxos, Paros, Santorini, Simi, Syros, and Tilos.
The Balkan Flexipass is the cheapest option to get to Athens with an International Train Ticket.
Eurail Pass
With the Eurail Pass, you can visit up to 31 countries in Europe. Ticket prices start from € 247.00 and vary depending on how many days you intend to spend traveling. The longest period you can opt for is 3 months.
The Eurail Pass comes with a handy planner app and a free travel pack with a map, a Eurail Pass Guide, and a souvenir.
You can choose between 1st or 2nd class seats. First-class tickets provide wider seats and extra perks, in less crowded carts. Prices also vary depending on age group: child (4-11 years), youth (12-27 years), adult (28-59 years), senior (over 60 years).
Check out the European Railway map. It also includes travel times.
Pay attention when you book the Pass: you might be eligible for a free upgrade to 1st class, depending on when you’re planning to get to Athens by train!
Interrail Pass
With the Interrail Pass, you can visit up to 31 countries in Europe. Ticket prices start from € 177.00 and vary depending on how many days you intend to spend traveling. The longest period you can opt for is 3 months. The Interrail Pass comes with a rail planner app and a free Interrail wristband, a map, and a Eurail Pass Guide.
You can choose between 1st or 2nd class seats. First-class tickets provide wider seats and extra perks, in less crowded carts. Prices also vary depending on age group: child (4-11 years), youth (12-27 years), adult (28-59 years), senior (over 60 years).
Check out the Interrail European Railway map. It also includes travel times.
Pay attention when you book the Pass: you might be eligible for a free upgrade to 1st class, depending on when you’re planning to get to Athens by train!
This article is also available on GPSmyCity.
Alternative ways to get to Athens
How to get to Athens from the airport
How to get to Athens from the port