In 2013 my fellow pilgrims and I drove in less then 3 hours from Haarlem, The Netherlands to the airport of Cologne/Bonn in Germany where we took a Germanwings flight directly to Thessaloniki. At the time for us the cheapest way to get to Thessaloniki. Near the Makedonian airport of Saloniki we had booked a hotel in advance and the next morning a taxi took us to the Chalkidiki busstation. The Chalkidiki busstation is near the airport (taxifare: EUR 9 ). 7 till 8 coaches a day  leave for the town of Ouranoupolis which is 120 km ahead. The bus timetable you will find here.

   Inside the busstation is a map of the peninsula. Here you buy your tickets and they sell coffee and snacks.

The bus stops at various villages such as Arnea were water is coming from a tree. When you see the roadsign above you are in Ierissos. Then you only have to pass the canal of Xerxes . It takes the bus appr. 2,5 hours to bring you from Saloniki to your destination for EUR 12 pro person. It is not an unpleasant trip passing the mountainous area of Chalkidiki and the small villages. But when the mountain comes in sight, often covered in clouds, you are happy that you are almost there. The mountain on the left and also, in the distance, the tower of Ouranoupolis in the middle of the image.

hv