Greece’s railway has a complicated and deeply painful recent history. In February 2023, 57 people lost their lives when a passenger and freight train collided at Tempi on the mainline between Athens and Thessaloniki. I was in two minds about writing about this journey. I don’t want to minimise what happened, but I also don’t feel that acknowledging the tragedy means I cannot share my own experience of travelling by train across this beautiful country.
One of the things I enjoy most about travelling by train is that it allows you to experience a country beyond the obvious tourist trail. Sometimes that means spectacular scenery or historic railway lines; sometimes, as in this case, it can be as simple as travelling across the country in search of something to eat.
As a serial consumer and fan of Greek food, a free day during a prolonged stay in Athens gave me the perfect excuse for a rather specific railway mission: to visit the home of my favourite Greek dessert, Trigona Panoramatos (ฯฯฮฏฮณฯฮฝฮฑ ฮ ฮฑฮฝฮฟฯฮฌฮผฮฑฯฮฟฯ).
These filo pastry triangles filled with custard cream originate from Panorama, a suburb set in the hills above Thessaloniki. I had sampled probably a few too many from the Milonas Bakeries (ฮฆฮฟฯฯฮฝฮฟฮน ฮฯ ฮปฯฮฝฮฌฯ) chain in Athens, but how would the authentic version compare? And, more importantly, could I make it there and back to Athens in a single day?
The Greek people I know thought I was completely mad for even attempting it in a day. They may have had a point – but with a free day, a railway timetable and a serious trigona craving, I couldn’t resist. The answer was a resounding yes.
Hellenic Train operates the mainline between the capital’s Larissa Station (ฮฃฯฮฑฮธฮผฯฯ ฮฮฑฯฮฏฯฮทฯ) and Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city. Several InterCity services run each day, with the journey taking around five hours.
I booked InterCity 50, departing Athens at 07:58 and arriving in Thessaloniki at 12:51, with the return journey on InterCity 57, departing at 17:10 and arriving back in Athens at 22:04.
It would be a long day, with only a few hours in Thessaloniki – but hopefully a very rewarding one.
Here’s the all-important route map of the journey with key stops along the way from Athens to Thessaloniki:
The Outbound Journey
Departure from Athens
Athens railway station appears to have been under construction since time began, with half of its platforms missing and the first platform in use starting at 7.
Inside, it’s like stepping back in time, with functionality very much the priority โ although there is some Greek marble, in suitably brown tones, lining the corridors.
A couple of beast-like ancient departure and arrival boards sit alongside their much smaller modern equivalent: a flatscreen TV. The old boards have been retained for timetable information, while the newer screens provide live running information, including which platform to head to. I rather liked the contrast between the two generations of railway technology sitting side by side.
There’s an Everest cafรฉ for a morning coffee, along with a waiting room and ticket office. It may not be the grandest of railway stations, but it has a distinctly Greek character to it, and I found its slightly old-fashioned feel rather charming.
Athens to Thessaloniki in Second Class
A few minutes before departure, the seven-carriage train operated by Hellenic Train rolled into Track 8 at Athens Larissa Station, ready to leave at 07:58.
The train must surely be in the running for Europe’s boldest train livery. Apparently, the specially designed livery is intended to help minimise the graffiti that plagues much of Europe’s railway network. Whatever the practical reasoning, I rather liked it – particularly today.
You see, I couldn’t help noticing the triangles and how appropiate they were for the trip I was about to make. Thank you, Hellenic Train, for bringing trigona to the train and designing a livery around my favourite dessert.
The carriage numbers were displayed on metal boards mounted on the exterior. Carriage 5 spotted, I boarded and went in search of my seat.
The train offers two classes of travel across its air-conditioned carriages: First Class and Second Class, as well as the crรจme de la crรจme of any good long-distance railway journey – an onboard restaurant.
For the outward journey, I would be travelling in Second Class, saving First Class for the return trip. A little variety seemed appropriate for a journey of nearly five hours.
Second Class accommodation on the Athens-Thessaloniki corridor typically consists of open-plan carriages in a 2+2 configuration, with a mixture of airline-style seating and tables of four. This gives passengers a choice between settling in for the journey or having a little more space to work, eat or chat.
The train was fairly busy today, with five Second Class carriages in use and most seats occupied at some point during the journey. Somehow, though, I had lucked out. My rear-facing airline-style seat remained empty beside me, giving me a whole pair of seats to myself as Greece began to unfold outside the window.
The train departed Athens quite quickly, soon picking up speed as it passed through some of the suburban stations of the Greek capital. Before long, the urban landscape began to give way to rolling hills, with mountains eventually joining the view.
Breakfast in the Restaurant Car
The Athens-Thessaloniki service has its own restaurant car, marked among the bright livery with a large K for kantina (ฮบฮฑฮฝฯฮฏฮฝฮฑ).
Inside, the purple theme continues from the rest of the train, with plenty of tables surrounded by moveable chairs. You might expect these to move around with the motion of the train, but they have been cleverly adapted with weights installed in the backs, keeping them heavy and firmly in place.
The kantina is branded as ‘Perfetto: Train Your Taste’ – a slightly amusing slogan for a railway restaurant. I’m not sure my taste buds needed training for the food on offer, but they were enjoying it. The kantina offers a range of drinks, snacks and even cooked meals for those opting for the set menu – a treat for my return train perhaps…
For breakfast, I settled for a Freddo cappuccino and a croissant. As a beginner learning Modern Greek, I was rather proud of myself for ordering it in Greek – until I accidentally misgendered the sugar and in an instant the lady switched to English. Oh well.
Exploring Thessaloniki
Having arrived at Thessaloniki’s New Station on time, it was time to explore the city – and, after nearly five hours on a train, I was ready to properly stretch my legs.
With four hours now between trains, I saw what I could in Greece’s second city. I managed to make it down to the waterfront to see the White Tower of Thessaloniki, walk past the Arch of Galerius and its adjacent Rotunda, and visit the Church of Agios Dimitrios.
But, of course, there was one particularly important item on the itinerary.
I found the shop dedicated solely to Trigona Panoramatos (ฯฯฮฏฮณฯฮฝฮฑ ฮ ฮฑฮฝฮฟฯฮฌฮผฮฑฯฮฟฯ) called Trigona Elenidi (on Dimitriou Gounari 13). There was something oddly comforting about discovering that an entire shop exists purely to sell my favourite Greek dessert – and that other people apparently agree that this is a perfectly reasonable business model. Mission accomplished.
It was then back on the metro to New Station. With some time to admire the Brutalist architecture and its similarly varied departure screens, it was soon time to set off for Athens again – this time in Hellenic Train’s First Class accommodation.
First Class occupies a single carriage, with just four compartments each containing six seats (three on each side). The rest of the carriage is given over to luggage storage and crew accommodation, making these a relatively exclusive part of the train. The compartments are understandably popular and mine was full for the entire journey back to Athens.
The main difference from Second Class is the accommodation itself. While European First Class compartments are generally more spacious than their Second Class counterparts, the real attraction here is having a compartment in the first place – as mentioned Second Class on this train is entirely open-plan. For those who enjoy the traditional European railway experience of travelling in a compartment, First Class provides exactly that.
After settling into the compartment for a while and cooling down from the Thessaloniki heat, I headed back to the restaurant car. It was time to โTrain My Tasteโ once again – this time to sample the set menu.
Restaurant Car Set Menu
The restaurant car was packed on the return leg, but nevertheless this didn’t put me off. I headed straight to the counter to order the set menu – an absolute bargain at โฌ9.90 for three courses. Unfortunately there wasn’t much choice, so my three courses were pretty much decided for me.
The host made some room for me at one of the reserved tables, complete with a tablecloth, plant and paper placemats and soon brought over my first course, a block of feta cheese with bread.
Next, my main course arrived. Something I had previously been advised was best left to the confines of a Greek home: stuffed peppers or Yemista (ฮฮตฮผฮนฯฯฮฌ). With little alternative, I went with it, followed by chocolate cake for dessert.
It turned out to be a rather good meal. It was filling and tasty, and enjoyed from my table as the sun began to set outside. Once dinner was finished, it was back to my compartment for the remainder of the journey through the suburbs of Athens.
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Athens to Thessaloniki Scenery Showcase
The AthensโThessaloniki railway crosses a wonderfully varied landscape, although much of the journey has a distinctly dry, sun-baked character during the summer months. Leaving Athens, the train passes through the suburbs before the landscape opens out towards Oinoi (ฮฮนฮฝฯฮท) and Lamia (ฮฮฑฮผฮฏฮฑ). Continuing north, Larissa (ฮฮฌฯฮนฯฮฑ) marks another major point on the journey, before the mountainous backdrop becomes increasingly prominent as the train heads towards Katerini (ฮฮฑฯฮตฯฮฏฮฝฮท).
Golden fields stretch towards the horizon, occasionally broken by clusters of trees, small settlements and distant hills. The highlight is undoubtedly the approach towards Mount Olympus (ฮฮปฯ ฮผฯฮฟฯ), whose imposing peaks rise above the landscape and provide one of the most memorable views of the journey. As the train continues towards Thessaloniki (ฮฮตฯฯฮฑฮปฮฟฮฝฮฏฮบฮท), the scenery gradually changes again, but there is almost always something to watch unfolding beyond the window.
Check out our Scenery Showcase video below on YouTube to experience the sights and sounds of the AthensโThessaloniki train ride.
The future of the Athens-Thessaloniki
As Greece’s railways continue to modernise, the future of the locomotive-hauled trains currently working the AthensโThessaloniki route appears increasingly limited.
Hellenic Train has already published details of its new trains (click here to learn more), which will eventually bring a very different style of operation to the route. Following a similar approach to the modernisation of Italy’s InterCity fleet, these trains are essentially regional units adapted for longer-distance InterCity services.
For passengers, one of the most noticeable changes will be the loss of the restaurant car, with the new trains expected to offer vending machines instead.
Modern trains will undoubtedly bring their own advantages, but there’s something rather special about the experience offered by the current service: a long-distance journey in a proper locomotive-hauled train, with First Class compartments, Second Class seating and, most importantly, a restaurant car where you can sit down to a meal as Greece passes by outside the window.
So, if you’re considering the Athens-Thessaloniki journey, there may be good reason not to leave it too long. The route will continue, but the experience of travelling it in this form may not.
Booking the Athens to Thessaloniki Train
Fares on the Greek railways are a relatively simple affair. Dynamic pricing hasn’t reached the Athens-Thessaloniki route yet, meaning the fare is the same whether you book well in advance or on the day of travel.
With the number of daily services now reduced to two each way, booking ahead is still worthwhile if you want to secure your preferred train and seat.
Hellenic Train provides a discount for a return journey booked in one transaction as shown in the table below:
| Journey Leg | Second Class (Class B) | First Class (Class A) |
| Athens to Thessaloniki | Full Prices: โฌ43,00 one way โฌ68,80 return | Full Prices: โฌ52,50 one way โฌ84,00 return |
As the railway modernises and newer trains with fixed seating capacities are introduced, it’s possible that a more demand-based approach to fares could eventually appear. For now, though, things remain pleasingly straightforward.
Tickets can be booked directly through Hellenic Train or at station booking offices.
Conclusion
Was it worth travelling nearly ten hours by train in a single day for a dessert? Absolutely.
The Greek people I know thought I was completely mad for attempting this mammoth journey in a day. They may have had a point, but the journey turned out to be one of those railway days that makes the early start and late finish completely worthwhile.
There was the changing scenery from the dry plains around Athens to the mountains of central Greece, the sight of Mount Olympus, breakfast and dinner in the restaurant carriage, and the chance to experience both Second and First Class on the same train. And, of course, I got my fix of Trigona Panoramatos.
There’s something rather lovely about being able to settle into a long-distance train, watch Greece pass by outside the window and let the hours disappear. With the railway now changing and the current trains eventually being replaced, I’m glad I made the journey while this particular version of the AthensโThessaloniki service is still running.
So, were the Greeks I know right that I was crazy to do it all in a day? Possibly. Would I do it again? Almost certainly.
This journey experience report was first published in August 2026.
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