A full day across Thrace by private car. West through Tekirdağ and Keşan, over the Evros at İpsala into Greece, then west on the Egnatia motorway past Alexandroupolis, Xanthi and Kavala — from your Istanbul hotel, cruise terminal or airport to your door in Thessaloniki.
Istanbul to Thessaloniki is about 595 km, roughly 7h 5m at the wheel before traffic, the border and breaks. Private transfer priced on request per vehicle, door to door — and on a drive this long, a stop to break the journey in Alexandroupolis or Kavala can be added on request.
Pickup from hotels in Sultanahmet, Karaköy, Taksim, Şişli or anywhere else in the city, from the Galataport cruise terminal in Karaköy, or from Istanbul Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gökçen (SAW). Istanbul traffic can add a lot of time on the way out, so we plan the pickup around it.
After the O-3 motorway the route follows the D-110, which runs straight through Tekirdağ. A coffee stop here costs almost nothing in extra driving.
Past Keşan the road reaches the Evros river and the border. This is an external border of the EU and the Schengen area: every passenger goes through full passport and customs control on both sides, and the waiting time varies.
The first Greek city after the border, just off the A2 Egnatia Odos. A natural place for lunch.
The Egnatia passes Komotini and Xanthi before Kavala, a harbour town just below the motorway. Xanthi is also an option, at about 12 minutes extra.
The A2 brings you into Thessaloniki from the east. Drop-off at your hotel or address, at the port, at the main bus station, or at Thessaloniki Airport (SKG) south-east of the city.
Per vehicle, not per person. Every quote includes tolls, fuel, the cross-border route, assistance with loading and unloading luggage, and child seats available on request.
Picked up and dropped off at your exact address
Cross-border route handled. Passengers remain responsible for their own passports, visas and other travel documents.
Short photo stops may be included where operationally possible
Professional, local, English-speaking driver
We can meet you at Istanbul Airport (IST), north of the city on the European side, or at Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) on the Asian side, and set off for Thessaloniki from arrivals. Mention the airport and your flight number in your request. Airport pickups include 60 minutes of free waiting.
From Thessaloniki we also drive to the beaches of Halkidiki and south to Athens.
Heading the other way? Thessaloniki to Istanbul covers the drive east into Turkey and to the Istanbul airports.
Thessaloniki → Istanbul →The road from Istanbul to Thessaloniki is about 595 km. The O-3 motorway takes you west out of the city as far as Kınalı, where the D-110 continues through Tekirdağ and past Keşan to the border at İpsala / Kipoi on the Evros. In Greece the A2 Egnatia Odos runs the rest of the way, past Alexandroupolis, Komotini, Xanthi and Kavala, into Thessaloniki. That is roughly 7h 5m of driving without traffic; the D-110 passes through towns, and the border and Istanbul traffic add to the day.
Coach connections operate between Istanbul and Thessaloniki; check the current timetable before travelling. A private transfer collects you at your Istanbul hotel, cruise terminal or airport, keeps your luggage with you through the border, stops where you want to break the journey and drops you at your door in Thessaloniki.
Turkey is outside the EU and the Schengen area, and Greece is in both, so İpsala / Kipoi is an external border of the EU. Every passenger goes through full passport and customs control on both sides and must carry a valid passport. Visa and entry requirements depend on nationality — check them before travelling. Waiting time at the border varies, so allow flexibility.
The drive time is a free-flow figure. Istanbul traffic can add a lot of time to the first part of the day, so the quote plans the pickup around it. Tell us when you need to be in Thessaloniki and we suggest a departure time.
We collect from hotels and addresses on either side of Istanbul, from the Galataport cruise terminal in Karaköy, from the Grand Istanbul Bus Terminal, or from Istanbul Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gökçen (SAW). Address pickups include 15 minutes of free waiting, airport pickups 60 minutes. In Thessaloniki we drop off at your hotel or address, the port, the main bus station or Thessaloniki Airport (SKG). Child seats are free on request.
Everything specific to this route.
About 595 km, roughly 7h 5m of driving without traffic, via Tekirdağ, the İpsala border and the Egnatia motorway. Add time for leaving Istanbul, for the border and for breaks: it is a long day.
İpsala on the Turkish side and Kipoi on the Greek side, where the road crosses the Evros river.
It is an external border of the EU and the Schengen area, so every passenger goes through full passport and customs control on both sides. Carry a valid passport, check the visa and entry requirements for your nationality before travelling, and allow flexibility, because waiting time varies.
Coach connections operate between the two cities; check the current timetable before travelling. A private transfer goes from your Istanbul hotel to your door in Thessaloniki.
Yes. Tekirdağ adds about 5 minutes of driving, Kavala about 8, Alexandroupolis about 10 and Xanthi about 12. Add the time you spend at each and mention the stop in your request.
Yes. We can drop you at Thessaloniki Airport (SKG) instead of the city, and separate transfers run from Thessaloniki to Halkidiki. Mention your plans in your request.
This route is priced on request. We quote per vehicle, not per passenger, for your date, group and any stops, and you receive the quote in writing before anything is confirmed.
Request this transfer with your date, pickup point or flight number, group size and any stop you would like. We reply during our working hours with a written quote per vehicle.
More from Istanbul: See all Istanbul private transfers →