Qatar Airways' debut flight from Doha to Thessaloniki lands

The new four times-weekly service from Doha to the airline’s second gateway in Greece commenced just one month ahead of the launch of its third destination in Greece, the beautiful island of Mykonos

Qatar Airways’ first flight to Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, proudly touched down at Thessaloniki International Airport ‘Makedonia’, as the airline’s Airbus A320 was welcomed with a traditional water cannon salute, followed by welcome ceremony for VIP delegates. The new four times-weekly service from Doha to the airline’s second gateway in Greece commenced just one month ahead of the launch of its third destination in Greece, the beautiful island of Mykonos.

The VIP delegation on board the flight, headed by Qatar Airways Group representative, Captain Jassim Al-Haroon, Vice President Operations Amiri Flight, included H.E. Mr. Constantinos Orphanides, Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic in State of Qatar, and was welcomed by H.E. Mr. Abdulaziz Ali Al-Naama, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Hellenic Republic; Mr. Yiannis Boutaris, Mayor of Thessaloniki; and Fraport Greece Executive Director of Commercial and Business Development, Mr. George Vilos.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, noted: “Qatar Airways’ new service to Thessaloniki will help reinforce links between the State of Qatar and Greece, and deepen the friendship and co-operation between our two great countries. Our second gateway in Greece, Thessaloniki is a major tourist destination all year round offering access to some of Greece’s most famous resorts. We are delighted to support Greece’s tourism industry by providing more global travellers the opportunity to visit this iconic city.”

Mr. Alexander Zinell, Fraport Greece Chief Executive Officer, added: “I am delighted to welcome Qatar Airways to Thessaloniki ‘Makedonia’ Airport and the first ever-scheduled flights to and from Thessaloniki and Doha. The decision by our new airline partner, Qatar Airways, is a clear indication of the Thessaloniki ‘Makedonia’ Airport growth potential. Passengers from Northern Greece and the Balkans can now benefit from direct flights linking Thessaloniki with the international hub of Doha and beyond. We look forward to working closely with Qatar Airways and support them in ensuring the success of the new route.”

Qatar Airways has been operating to Athens since June 2005, and in 2015 expanded its service to the Greek capital from twice daily to three times daily to meet growing demand. The Athens route is operated by a mix of the airline’s state-of-the-art aircraft, including the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. In January 2018, Qatar Airways was also the first airline to bring the Airbus A350 to the city. The first flights to Thessaloniki will be operated by an Airbus A320 aircraft, featuring 12 seats in Business Class and 132 seats in Economy Class.

Qatar Airways’ strong growth strategy in Europe continues, with service to Mykonos commencing in May. The launch of these additional two gateways into Greece confirms the airline’s strong commitment to boosting tourism in Greece, especially from regions with strong Greek populations such as Australia and the Middle East. With the launch of service to Mykonos, the award-winning airline will operate 58 times a week between the five-star Hamad International Airport (HIA) and Greece.

The new gateway will connect Thessaloniki to Qatar Airways’ global network, through its state-of-the-art hub in Doha, to more than 150 business and leisure destinations including Qatar, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, Singapore, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Vietnam. In 2018-19, Qatar Airways will be adding many more exciting new destinations to its network, including London Gatwick and Cardiff, United Kingdom; Lisbon, Portugal; Tallinn, Estonia; Valletta, Malta; Cebu and Davao, Philippines; Langkawi, Malaysia; Da Nang, Vietnam; Bodrum, Antalya and Hatay, Turkey; Mykonos, Greece and Málaga, Spain.

Doha – Thessaloniki Flight Schedule:

• Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sundays
• Doha (DOH) to Thessaloniki (SKG) QR205 departs: 07:40 arrives: 12:50
• 
  Source: eturbonews.com

Thessaloniki City Guide Application

  

The time has come!

Well designed, easy to use and...free!!

The android application designed by Inthessaloniki.com team is now available on Google Play and of course, its totally free!

We created a city guide that will help you explore this magic city and discover everything that has to offer. It offers travel tips and info, sightseeing, nightlife, easy-to-use maps and interface that will make your trip more pleasant and unforgettable.

                              

Our goal is to greatly enrich your travel experience and help you feel the vibes of Thessaloniki. The reasons that this city is unique in so many aspects.

 Click here and download Thessaloniki City Guide for FREE

Thessaloniki City Guide features

By downloading Thessaloniki City Guide from Google Play Store you'll have the chance to enjoy:

• Hundreds of destinations and sightseeing's with photos and information
• Detailed, easy-to-use maps of the city of Thessaloniki with hundreds of points of interest all around (Poi's).                                                                   
• Lists that include your favorite spots and destinations                                                            
• Guided Tours and unique Adventures in Thessaloniki and nearby destinations
• Services and accommodation offers that will make your life easier

                             

Many updates will follow on a regular basis. The application is available in English and Greek language. New content and advanced features will be added soon!!

New content, improved interface, new destinations, ...and a 3D enhanced reality version that will surprise you, are some of the new features that will follow... ;)

Best wishes from all of us! Keep traveling

Inthessaloniki.com team

Read more: http://www.inthessaloniki.com/en/thessaloniki-city-guide#ixzz5AK6zYZda

Getting to & from Thessaloniki (Northern Greece)

Traveling to Greece's second largest city is simple and worth the trip whether it is by car, train, ferry or flight. This page will give you enough information to get there and back, but like the islands I recommend working with a reliable Greek travel agent who can coordinate your flights, ferries and hotels and help you make the most of your time, as well as solve them if there are any problems or changes that need to be made.

By Air By Air Thessaloniki is linked to Athens, Ioannina, Hania, Heraklion, Lemnos, Lesvos, Rhodes and Skiathos (in Summer). The city's airport (16 km outside Thessaloniki) is international and served by many of the major airlines. You can even fly here from the USA. For flights to Thessaloniki try www.flytrip.gr   For transfers from the airport  and to any other place contact http://www.taxiway.gr/index.asp?lang=gr By Train  Rail services link Thessaloniki with, Athens and the towns of Macedonia and Thrace. The line through what was once Yugoslavia provides connections with Central and Western Europe. The line through Bulgaria connects to Eastern Europe and the line through Istanbul, Turkey with the countries of the Near East. Information: State Rail ways office at No 18, Aristotelous St. tel.2310 276.382 and the new railway terminal, tel. 2310 517.517. (They had a website that was worse than useless) Or visit http://www.trainose.gr/ where you can find more information on the troubled National Train System of Greece. They received a large EU Grant for improving train service on the Athens-Thessaloniki line, among others but that does not mean they will. In 2010 it was discovered that the Greek railway was losing so much money that if they gave all their passengers taxi fare instead of running the trains it would have cost them less. Be aware that there are express and local trains and the locals make a million stops and take hours longer to get between Athens and Thessaloniki. By Bus  Coach services are operated by KTEL between Thessaloniki and Athens, Larissa, Volos, Patras and Aedipsos (only during the summer). BUSES FROM ATHENS TO THESSALONIKI The trip lasts 6 hours to Thessaloniki. Ticket price is 35 euro one-way and 55 euros return ticket. You don't have to pre-book for a ticket. In fact you can't. You can pay at the terminal, before bus departure or on the bus. If you are there 30 minutes before departure you should find a seat. For further information pls contact ktelgr@otenet.gr or call 210-51.50.025 BUSES FROM THESSALONIKI TO ATHENS MONASTERIOU 69 STATION (near railway station): 07:15 - 08:30 - 10:00 - 12:00 - 13:30 - 15:00 - 16:30 - 18:00 - 21:00* - 23:00 - 24:00 GATE 7 AT THE CENTRAL STATION "KTEL MACEDONIA", 194, GIANNITSON STR: 07:30 - 08:45 - 10:15 - 12:15 - 13:45 - 15:15 - 16:45 - 18:15 - 21:15* - 23:15 - 00:15 The trip to Athens lasts aprox. 6 hours. Ticket price is 35 euro per single route and 55 euros return ticket. You don't have to pre-book for a ticket. You can pay at the terminal, before bus departure or on the bus. If you are there 30 minutes before departure you should find a seat. For further information contact ktelgr@otenet.gr or call 2310-500111. Visit www.athensguide.com/practicalinfo for info on getting to the Athens Bus terminal. KTEL  has two daily buses to Istanbul Turkey, leaving at 10.00 a.m. and 10.00 p.m. Departing from Irenes Street 17, in the centre of Thessaloniki. Ticket prices are: 45 euro one-way(35 euro for students) 80 euro return ticket(64 euro for students) By Sea Apparently the ferry service to and from various islands has been suspended. However there is ferry service connecting Kavala to Athens and the various islands and you can take a bus to and from Kavala to Thessaloniki. See http://mikk.ro/BExh Driving You can drive from Athens to Thessaloniki in about 5 hours on the National Road. We drove to Meteora, stayed overnight and then continued to Thessaloniki. Its not a bad drive and you pass some interesting countryside. Of course it is a lot more interesting for the passenger than it is for the driver who has to keep his eye on the road to be alert for all the crazy things Greek drivers do. But even that can be entertaining and if you are a good driver you won't have any problems. Be aware that the stretch of road at Tempe is the most dangerous in Greece. The highway narrows from 4 lanes down to one lane as it cuts through a narrow pass through a ravine next to a river. To add to the excitement there can be fog here too. Much of the time cars are only going about 5 miles an hour because traffic backs up during busy periods. But it is the most likely place to have an accident on the Greek roads. There are some beautiful beaches to stop at on the way to Thessaloniki around Mount Olympus too. If you are planning to rent a car and drive from Athens to Thessaloniki or touring around Greece check out Swift Rent-a-Car. They will pick you up at the airport or your hotel and drive you to the National road and let you by-pass the notorious Athens traffic. See their website at www.greektravel.com/swift and while you are at it see my guide to driving in Greece at www.athensguide.com/driving If you have flown into Thessaloniki and need to rent a car I recommend  http://mikk.ro/BExg who have offices all over Greece. Where to Stay  Like any city there are hotels of every category. There is a youth Hostel at 44 Alex Svolou street where beds are cheap. There is also a campground at the beach of Agia Triada, but it's 27 kilometers away and limits your nightlife. The Hotel Capsis Bristol has low summer rates and a great location and is one of the best small hotels in Greece. See the Thessaloniki hotels page or visit  Booking.com's Thessaloniki Page where you can find hotels of all catagories and prices and information on booking them. Travel Agents For hotels, transportation and more info contact www.olympos-travel.gr  especially if Thessaloniki is part of a bigger plan that has you traveling all over Greece and visiting the islands too. They can keep it all together for you and in the end save you money. A good Thessaloniki-island combination would be with Lesvos. There are several ferries a week and you can start in Athens, spend a few days in Lesvos, take the ferry to Thessaloniki, spend a few days there and then take the train down to Athens. Or you can do it in reverse. More Interesting Stuff For taxi tours of Thessaloniki and the surrounding areas as well as transfers to and from the airport see Taxi in Thessaloniki You can also include Thessaloniki in any mainland tours you do with George the Famous Taxi Driver, for example Athens-Delphi-Meteora-Vergina-Pella-Thessaloniki. See www.greecetravel.com/taxi  Dolphin Hellas Travel offers a Footsteps of Saint Paul Guided Tour that begins in Thessaloniki and visits all the most important early Christian sites in Greece. For information on visiting Istanbul from Thessaloniki see www.flytrip.gr For organized tours of Mainland Greece that include Thessaloniki and Macedonia see www.greecetravel.com/tours/mainland

Greek Fashion Show to be Held at Odeon of Herodes Atticus

Greece’s Central Archaeological Council (CAC) gave permission to designer Vassilios Kostetsos to stage a fashion show at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus entrance square on March 31st.

The ancient stone theater was built on the slope of the Acropolis hill in 161 AD by Athenian magnate Herodes Atticus. Renovated in 1950, the theater is now used for select music and theater performances.

The fashion show will start at 1pm and will last 20-30 minutes. The show is by invitation only and will have an audience of no more than 200 people. A total of 30 models will walk in a circle along a specific section of the square.

The launch will be from the southeastern corner of the square, where a small awning, measuring 4x5m will be placed for the models to wait. During the show classical music will be playing.

The models will change clothes outdoors, while a self-supporting panel of dimensions 1X1, 80m with the company’s logo will be placed at the starting point of the climb to the square.

The designer’s suggestions received the “green light” from the Department of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities and the Athens Ephorate of Antiquities (EFA), before they got the final approval from CAC.

source:reporter

Google Partners With Cretan Firms to Promote Greek Tourism

Koules, the Venetian Fortress of Heraklion, Crete

Small businesses in Crete will have an extra edge this coming tourist season as a partnership program with Google seeks to expand their digital side.

Google and the Region of Crete on Monday announced the launch of cooperation to extend the tourist season by enhancing the digital presence of the island’s businesses.

The program, part of Google’s Grow Greek Tourism Online initiative, is under the Ministry of Administrative Reconstruction and is part of the National Alliance for the Enhancement of Digital Skills and Labour in Greece.

Participants will be trained free of charge by Google, so that small- and medium-sized tourism businesses enhance their digital presence and at the same time use the internet to attract tourists over the summer months.

(Source: AMNA)

24 Hours in Thessaloniki the land of Alexander the Great

White Tower – Thessaloniki

For those who have made up their mind and are ready to visit Thessaloniki for the first time, there are a few must-do activities that are impossible to miss.

Whether it is checking the traditional seaside walk, visiting famous museums or experiencing the local nightlife, there is a lot to do in Greece’s second-biggest city, even when visiting just for a day.

An ideal itinerary will normally start in Aristotelous Square, the city’s most popular thoroughfare, where everywhere it’s possible to breathe in the fascinating history of the city.

Aristotelous Square

The next stop will be the Crypt of Agios Dimitrios, patron saint of Thessaloniki. This holy spot is located underground and it is the same spot where the saint was martyred. The place now functions as an exhibition space that displays different objects rescued from the fire that destroyed the city back in the 5th century.

Twenty-four hours in Thessaloniki should also include a visit to the Arch of Galerious and the Rotunda, ancient temples of Byzantine origin.

Heading then towards the area called Louloudakia, it is worth to visit the Turkish baths. Also called hammams, many baths were built in the city during the Turkish occupation. The most famous hamman is known as Yahudi Hammam or The Bath of the Jews, which dates back to the 16th century. In the same area, there are flower stands and shops, as well as busy locals running their daily errands

Bath of the Jews (courtesy: Best of Greece).

Open markets showcase a colorful array of fresh produce, such as fish, fruit and spices, but it’s also possible to visit markets for antiques and vintage objects. Markets are the place citizens choose for everyday shopping.

Spices and flower bulbs in the open market (Courtesy: Travel Photo Discover

The best way to end your day in town is walking around the district known as Ladadika, famous for its historic role in trading oil. The area is populated with beautiful bars and tavernas as well as with stories from the past of Thessaloniki.

Where to stayIts cosmopolitan atmosphere, affordable luxury, modern facilities, four-star services as well as a business-oriented character are all features of the biggest city hotel in Northern Greece, bearing the top quality mark of Capsis Hotel chain.
The recently renovated Capsis HotelThessaloniki is the ideal destination for a truly unforgettable stay in the heart of Thessaloniki. Its key position makes it a perfect choice for anyone visiting, either for leisure or for business.

The spacious conference facilities are one of the best options for conducting conventions and organizing business events. The hotel features: 407 guestrooms and luxurious suites, 18 modern and fully equipped multipurpose venues, an underground parking area, fitness center, roof garden with swimming pool, restaurant and Cafe Capsis.

Best greek portal to book flights and hotels for visiting Greece is HERE 

http://greece.greekreporter.com

World Heritage Sites in GREECE

Because of its geographical position, Greece was a crossroad of civilisations that had left their traces everywhere: the architecture of the museums and settlements, miniature art, daily life, nutritional customs and in all forms of popular art in the various regions of the country. The visitor can come into contact with this multihued and impressive mosaic through trips into historical, cultural, artistic and folkloric traditions.

Greece as a World Heritage siteAccording the UNESCO’s official website:
"The monuments included on the World Heritage List are selected and approved on the basis of their value as the best examples of human creative genius. They exhibit an important interchange of human values and bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or has disappeared. They are directly linked to important stages in human history and for this reason they have outstanding universal significance and are a part of mankind’s common heritage".

Greece is preferentially included on the list of World Heritage Monuments, satisfying all the institution’s significant and strict criteria.

Eighteen ‘precious stones’The first monument in Greece to be included on UNESCO’s list was the Temple of Apollo Epicurius in 1986. Since then number of entries on the list has dramatically increased. Today it includes eighteen monuments throughout the country. More specifically the monuments are as follows:

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Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae (1986)

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Acropolis archaeological site, Athens (1987)

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Archaeological site of Delphi (1987)

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Sanctuary of Asklepios, Epidaurus (1988)

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Mount Athos (1988)

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Medieval city of Rhodes (1988)

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Meteora (1988)

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Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki (1988)

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Archaeological site of Mystras (1989)

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Archaeological site of Olympia (1989)

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Archaeological site of Delos (1990)

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Monasteries of Daphni, Hosios Loukas and Nea Moni of Chios (1990)

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Archaeological site of Heraion of Samos (1992)

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Archaeological site of Aigai (Vergina) (1996)

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Archaeological sites of Mycenae and Tiryns (1999)

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Historic centre (Chora), Monastery of Saint John Theologos and the cave of the Apocalypse in Patmos (1999)

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Old Town of Corfu (2007)

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Archaeological Site of Philippi (2016)

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The inclusion of a monument on the list of World Heritage Monuments implies that the international community constantly takes care of their maintenance and promotion. Greece, a country that is a cradle of culture, makes sure of promoting this great wealth. Travellers can enjoy these splendid monuments and reflect on the unique human genius that was able to make such measures of progress.

For more information about the World Heritage Sites in Greece you may visit the Official Website of the Hellenic National Commission for UNESCO.