Join us on a scenic two-day journey from Ohrid to Athens via Bitola, Florina, and Thessaloniki — full of charming towns, breathtaking landscapes, and vibrant city life.

Getting from Ohrid to Athens isn’t as straightforward as one might think. While the distance isn’t huge, historical tensions between Greece and North Macedonia have left transport links quite limited.

We chose the shorter route via Bitola and Florina instead of the longer one through Skopje. Both options required an overnight stop, but this path meant less time on buses. We were especially happy to spend a night in Thessaloniki — a city we absolutely love.

The journey involved multiple legs: a bus from Ohrid to Bitola, a night in Bitola, a private car across the border to Florina, a replacement bus to Edessa, and then a train to Thessaloniki. The next day we took the final train to Athens.

We started bright and early on what would be another scorching day. Our host kindly arranged a taxi to the bus station. After a wait and a truly terrible coffee, we boarded the bus for the two-hour ride across the mountains to Bitola.

Bitola was a delightful surprise. Far from the usual sketchy border-town reputation, this historic town has beautiful architecture and a lovely pedestrian-only street lined with cafés and restaurants. We enjoyed pre-dinner drinks in the main square and excellent pide for dinner.

The next morning, after a simple breakfast of coffee and burek, our driver took us across the border to Florina in Greece. The crossing was quick and easy. At Florina station we learned part of the train line was replaced by bus. With time to spare, we relaxed in a friendly café with coffee and delicious Greek cakes.

The bus journey to Edessa took us through stunning countryside — endless peach orchards, Lake Vegoritida, and the charming town of Aridaia. In Edessa we caught the train for the final leg into Thessaloniki.

After a long day of travel we checked into a simple but clean hotel near the station, then headed into the city for dinner and cocktails. Thessaloniki’s vibrant food and bar scene reminded us once again why we love this city so much.