Greece, Meteora

How to get to Kalabaka and Meteora by bus, train and car

RiA
17 November, 2024
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If you’ve already spent time on the islands or in the main cities of Greece, such as Athens or Thessaloniki but are yet to go further inland, here’s how to get to Kalabaka and Meteora by bus, train, coach and car.

1. Getting to Kalabaka from Athens and Thessaloniki by bus and train

If you’re staying in Athens or Thessaloniki and travelling from either city, you can get to Kalabaka by bus via Trikala from Liosion bus station (note there’s no direct service) or via train departing Larissa Station in Athens. You can also get the bus (again no direct service so via Trikala) from Thessaloniki Macedonia KTEL bus station or the train from Thessaloniki railway station daily as well. Bus trips can take anywhere from 3 hours 45 minutes up to 5 hours.

There will be direct and indirect trains from Athens and Thessaloniki train stations, so check first. Most of the indirect trains stop at Palaepfarsalos station where you’ll need to get a connecting train to Kalabaka.

Check the details of the platform before you get on at Larissa or Thessaloniki Station. Train trips can take up to 5 hours depending which city you depart from and whether your train is direct or not.

If you’re travelling from one of these major cities, read my post to show you how to get to Meteora from Athens or Thessaloniki by bus and train in more detail.

2. Getting to Kalabaka from Athens and Thessaloniki by coach (tour group) and car

You can take day trips from Athens and Thessaloniki (or stay longer of course) via coach with the likes of GetYourGuide or Visit Meteora.

You can also drive there yourself from both cities which can take up to 3 and a half hours depending on which city you depart and traffic.

It may be better (and easier) to visit Kalabaka with an organised tour group if you’ve not been before or you’re not confident driving generally in another country or on the other side of the road. If you’re interested in driving and need to hire a car, read my posts for tips on hire car rental.

3. Getting around Kalabaka and Meteora

Once you’ve arrived in Kalabaka, getting around is pretty easy. If you’re staying in the centre of town a lot of things are within walking distance, even the National History Museum. There are local buses which can take you to the likes of the village of Kistrak, but to ensure you get a seat, get on at the bus station which is on Averof street.

Visiting Meteora

UPDATE:

Once you’ve setttled in Kalabakla and Meteora, it’s time to visit the Monastries of Meteora. There’s now only a few ways to get to Meteora and its monasteries as the local KTEL Meteora bus service which provided a hop-on, hop-off experience between the monasteries, is no longer running. Here’s how to get to the monasteries:

Guided tour in Meteora

I love a sunset and because of that, I was definitely going to do a tour which incorporated that, so I chose GetYourGuide’s Meteora: Sunset tour with Monastery and Hermit Cave, which was great. To get a real sense of the monasteries surroundings, so I booked a hiking tour with Visit Meteora. Staying in Kalabaka and Meteora was great so if you’re interested in visiting, here’s a review of where I stayed – Alexiou Hotel.

By car or taxi

You can also hire a car and drive to the monasteries. This is an easier option if you want to visit the monasteries at your own pace, however there’s not a lot of parking and it can get quite busy. Taxi is probably the best option if you’re not doing an organised tour since you can be dropped off.

It’s pretty easy to get to Kalabaka and Meteora by bus, train, coach and car.

For more things to do in Meteora read my post 8 cool things to do while in Meteora.