Alexandroupolis

Alexandroupolis (Greek: Αλεξανδρούπολη, Alexandroúpoli) is a city in Western Thrace, northeast of Greece.

Understand
Alexandroupolis is a small town with a harbour and an airport. Though some guides describe it as "dusty", it has a rocky beach and a typical Greek nightlife. It is the last major Greek town before the Turkish border on the highway to Istanbul.

By train
There are several trains from Thessaloniki. Slow trains take 6h, fast ICs take only 4 1/2h.

Train connections are relatively frequent to the rest of the country, though the rail link to Bulgaria via Dikea has been canceled until further notice. Trains are running only to Dikea, 15km short of the Bulgarian border. There are no buses from Dikea to the border city of Svilengrad, with taxi and hitchhiking being the only options to access Svilengrad and the extensive Bulgarian rail network for the time being.



By bus
National Network of Buses or KTEL operates a frequent schedule of buses to all the major cities of the country. Shuttle buses depart twice daily to Athens (approximately 8–9 hours) and there are hourly connections to Thessaloniki.

OSE, the national train operator, has set a daily bus shuttle to Istanbul that departs the main station early (around 7AM) every morning. Tickets are usually easy to find and can be booked in the ticket office.

By boat
The most important connection is the ferry to Samothrace.

Get around
Since the city and especially the center is small and flat, you can easily walk to explore the city: for the sights outside the city, a vehicle is essential.

See

 * is a wetland nature reserve at the outflow of the River Evros (Έβρος) or Maritsa. The main river channel is the border with Turkey: there's no legal crossing point, but smugglers and migrants often try to cross. You may therefore find access restricted.
 * is a wetland nature reserve at the outflow of the River Evros (Έβρος) or Maritsa. The main river channel is the border with Turkey: there's no legal crossing point, but smugglers and migrants often try to cross. You may therefore find access restricted.
 * is a wetland nature reserve at the outflow of the River Evros (Έβρος) or Maritsa. The main river channel is the border with Turkey: there's no legal crossing point, but smugglers and migrants often try to cross. You may therefore find access restricted.
 * is a wetland nature reserve at the outflow of the River Evros (Έβρος) or Maritsa. The main river channel is the border with Turkey: there's no legal crossing point, but smugglers and migrants often try to cross. You may therefore find access restricted.
 * is a wetland nature reserve at the outflow of the River Evros (Έβρος) or Maritsa. The main river channel is the border with Turkey: there's no legal crossing point, but smugglers and migrants often try to cross. You may therefore find access restricted.
 * is a wetland nature reserve at the outflow of the River Evros (Έβρος) or Maritsa. The main river channel is the border with Turkey: there's no legal crossing point, but smugglers and migrants often try to cross. You may therefore find access restricted.
 * is a wetland nature reserve at the outflow of the River Evros (Έβρος) or Maritsa. The main river channel is the border with Turkey: there's no legal crossing point, but smugglers and migrants often try to cross. You may therefore find access restricted.
 * is a wetland nature reserve at the outflow of the River Evros (Έβρος) or Maritsa. The main river channel is the border with Turkey: there's no legal crossing point, but smugglers and migrants often try to cross. You may therefore find access restricted.
 * is a wetland nature reserve at the outflow of the River Evros (Έβρος) or Maritsa. The main river channel is the border with Turkey: there's no legal crossing point, but smugglers and migrants often try to cross. You may therefore find access restricted.
 * is a wetland nature reserve at the outflow of the River Evros (Έβρος) or Maritsa. The main river channel is the border with Turkey: there's no legal crossing point, but smugglers and migrants often try to cross. You may therefore find access restricted.

Eat
Along the promenade by the harbor and in the area between Promenade and Leof.Dimokratias street are a great variety of restaurants and fast food.

Drink
Due to the university and the many young people, the nightlife is quite good for the size of the city. Most of the cafes and bars are located in the district at and above the promenade and in the city park.



Sleep
There are no cheap youth hostels, but a lot of 1-star hotels and a couple of upscale hotels by the seaside. Backpackers often just stay at the beach near the train station. There is also a located right on the beach.

Go next

 * Samothrace island is reached by twice-daily ferry, taking 2 hours.
 * Didymoteicho to the north has several old churches and museums. Dadia Forest National Park is along the road there.
 * Rhodope Mountains - fantastic landscapes and ancient Thracian sanctuaries
 * Komotini - Small town with a Muslim character
 * Turkey: the highway border post is at Ipsala, on the road to Istanbul. You can also cross and find onward transport at Pythion, but there is no border crossing to Enez on the coast.