Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city, presents a diverse transportation landscape in 2024. With a significant reliance on cars and a notable percentage of the population walking, the city's traffic dynamics offer unique insights.

Average Commute Times

The average commute involves 2.3 minutes of waiting and 13.4 minutes of driving, covering a distance of 10.43 km.
  • Bus - Bus commuters spend approximately 11.25 minutes waiting and 29.88 minutes on the bus, traveling around 7.34 km.
  • Car - Car users drive for about 29.64 minutes, with minimal waiting time, covering a distance of 17.56 km.
  • Walking - Walking commuters spend about 15.17 minutes on foot, with a total commute time of 18.13 minutes over 2.74 km.
Traffic Breakdown
Car
42%
Walking
27%
Bus
19%
Motorcycle
6%
Home
3%
Bicycle
3%
Seasonal Trends

Traffic tends to increase during the summer months as tourists flock to Thessaloniki. Winter sees a slight reduction in traffic, although rainy days can lead to increased congestion.

Commuter Pain Points

Heavy reliance on cars leads to frequent traffic jams, especially during rush hours. Limited public transport options can make commuting challenging for those without access to a car.

Best Travel Times

Early mornings before 8 AM and late evenings after 7 PM are the best times to avoid heavy traffic. Midday travel between 11 AM and 2 PM is also relatively smooth compared to peak hours.

Event Impacts

Public events, especially in the city center, can cause significant traffic disruptions. During festivals and major sports events, alternative routes are recommended to avoid congestion.

Sustainability Efforts

Thessaloniki is investing in expanding its cycling infrastructure to promote eco-friendly commuting. The city is also exploring the introduction of electric buses to reduce its carbon footprint.

Ride-Sharing Impact

Ride-sharing services have gained popularity, offering flexible commuting options and reducing the need for personal car ownership. These services help alleviate parking issues in densely populated areas.

Worldwide
Greece

Traffic Rankings

Thessaloniki ranks 2nd on the Traffic rankings in Greece. The Traffic Index for Greece combines user-contributed data on commute times, traffic dissatisfaction, CO2 emissions, and traffic system inefficiencies in Greece, to provide insights into overall traffic conditions.

Worst to BestUpdated: Dec, 2024

Traffic Data

The following traffic data has been gathered from 87 user contributions.
Overall average travel
Distance
6.5 miles
Walking
5.8 mins
Waiting
2.3 mins
Driving Car
13.4 mins
Bus / Trolley
5.9 mins
Bicycle
0.6 mins
Motorcycle
1.4 mins
Total:
29.3 mins
Average when primarily using Bus
Distance
4.6 miles
Walking
5.9 mins
Waiting
11.3 mins
Bus / Trolley
29.9 mins
Total:
47.1 mins
Average when primarily using Car
Distance
10.9 miles
Walking
0.5 mins
Driving Car
29.6 mins
Total:
30.1 mins
Average when primarily using Walking
Distance
1.7 miles
Walking
15.2 mins
Waiting
0.6 mins
Driving Car
2.4 mins
Bus / Trolley
0.7 mins
Total:
18.8 mins
Thessaloniki Traffic

"Key Takeaways"

Promoting alternative transportation methods like cycling and public transit could reduce car dependency.

Implementing smart traffic management systems may help in reducing congestion and improving commute times.

Key Indexes

Emissions

Thessaloniki's CO2 emissions index stands at 4016.33, indicating a high level of emissions primarily due to car usage.

Efforts to reduce emissions could focus on promoting public transport and non-motorized travel.

Time

The average time index is 29.32, reflecting moderate commute times across various modes.

Traffic congestion contributes significantly to delays, especially during peak hours.

Inefficiency

With an inefficiency index of 116.74, Thessaloniki faces challenges in optimizing traffic flow.

Improving traffic light synchronization and encouraging off-peak travel could alleviate inefficiencies.