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Voykit pocket guide · Greece
Alexandroupolis
Αλεξανδρούπολη
Go for 1–2 nights as a ferry or border stop: walk the flat centre, eat by the harbour, then leave for Samothrace or Turkey.
Alexandroupolis is Greece's last big town before the Turkish border, on the E90 highway and the Thessaloniki rail line. The centre is small and flat, so one full day covers the cathedral, the lighthouse and the promenade; the beaches west of town and the Evros Delta need a car. Most travellers use it as a night before the Samothrace ferry or a crossing to Istanbul, not as a destination in itself.
- Country
- Greece
- Local name
- Αλεξανδρούπολη
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot, busy beaches), Dec–Feb (cold, windy)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards are widely accepted; card terminals are required in many businesses.
- Daily spend
- Budget €45–70 excl. bed · Mid €70–120 excl. bed · High €120+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Cosmote, Vodafone and Nova sell prepaid SIMs in their shops and at the airport; a passport is needed to register.
- Emergency
- European emergency 112 · Police 100 · Ambulance 166 · Fire 199 · Tourist police 1571
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Standard European round two-pin plugs.
- Tipping
- Café: Leave the coins, €0.50–1.; Taverna or restaurant: 5–10% in cash on the table; not expected at gyros shops.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel housekeeping: €1–2 a night.; Boat crew or guide: €5–10 per person for a day trip.
- Water
- Tap water is safe in Athens, Thessaloniki and most of the mainland. On many islands it is desalinated or hard: ask locally and buy bottled if unsure.
- Toilets
- Use cafés (buy something), museums and sites. Paper goes in the bin, not the toilet, in most places.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee (freddo espresso or cappuccino) | €2.50–4 |
| Souvlaki or gyros in a pita | €3.50–5 |
| Home-style cooked plate (mageirefto) | €7–12 |
| Taverna meal with wine, per person | €15–25 |
| Beer: bar / supermarket can | €4–6 / €1–2 |
| City bus ticket | €1–1.50 |
| Taxi across the centre | €4–7 |
| Museum or archaeological site entry | €2–6 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- AXD · Alexandroupolis Dimokritos
- About 7 km east of the centre; daily flights to Athens, some weekly Crete servicesAbout 4.3 mi east of the centre; daily flights to Athens, some weekly Crete services
Typical fares
- Airport (AXD) → centre, taxi
- about €15, 15 min
- Ferry Alexandroupolis → Samothrace
- about 2 h, twice daily; book ahead in summer
- Train Alexandroupolis → Thessaloniki
- about 4.5–6 h
Get around
The centre is flat and walkable in 20–30 min end to end. City buses and taxis cover the rest; a car is essential for the beaches west of town, Avanta castle, Traianoupolis and the Evros Delta.
See and do
Known for
- Evros Delta wetlands
- Samothrace ferry
- Harbour promenade and lighthouse
- Traianoupolis Roman baths
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Samothrace | Ferry from the port, about 2 h, twice daily | About 3 h |
| Traianoupolis | Car or taxi on the E90 east, about 15 kmCar or taxi on the E90 east, about 9.3 mi | About 30 min |
| Evros Delta | Car to the visitor centre, about 20 km eastCar to the visitor centre, about 12 mi east | About 40 min |
| Avanta castle and Agii Theodori cave church | Car northwest, about 10–15 km, then a 20-min climbCar northwest, about 6.2–9.3 mi, then a 20-min climb | About 1 h |
| Komotini | KTEL bus or train west, about 1 h | About 1.25 h |
| Didymoteicho | Car or bus north, about 1 h 30 min | About 2 h |
Sleep
- Centre and promenade
- Cathedral, harbour, restaurants and bars on foot; best for one night without a car.
- Dimokratias Avenue
- Main street with most hotels and the bus station nearby; 10–15 min walk to the water.
- Beach strip west (Nea Chili, Panorama)
- Seafront hotels and campsite; needs a car or taxi for the centre.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Γεια σαςya sas |
| Thank you | Ευχαριστώefharistó |
| The bill, please | Τον λογαριασμό, παρακαλώton logariasmó, parakaló |
| Where is the ferry port? | Πού είναι το λιμάνι;pu íne to limáni |
| One ticket to Samothrace, please | Ένα εισιτήριο για τη Σαμοθράκη, παρακαλώéna isitírio ya ti Samothráki, parakaló |
| Can I pay by card? | Μπορώ να πληρώσω με κάρτα;boró na pliróso me kárta |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say 'kaliméra' (morning) or 'kalispéra' (evening) on entering shops and tavernas; avoid: Launching straight into a question
- Hospitality: Accept offered coffee, sweets or raki; it is part of the welcome; avoid: Refusing flatly — take a little
- Churches: Covered shoulders and knees; quiet voices; a small candle donation; avoid: Turning your back on the altar for photos during a service
- Gestures: Wave with the palm turned towards yourself; avoid: The open palm pushed forward (moutza)
- Conversation: Family, food and football are easy topics; avoid: Lecturing on the debt crisis, Türkiye or the name of North Macedonia
- Dinner at a home: Bring pastries or wine; arrive a little late; avoid: Leaving food on the plate if you have been served more
- Dress: Casual; long trousers or skirt for monasteries; avoid: Swimwear in town, shops and churches
Scams and watch-outs
- The Evros river is the Turkish border: no legal crossing, and access to parts of the delta can be restricted.
- The rail link to Bulgaria via Dikea is suspended; trains stop 15 km short of the border.
- Summer heat and mosquitoes near the delta and lagoons.
- Beach bars west of town: ask prices before ordering.
Safe for tourists; the centre is calm at night. Real issues are summer heat, mosquitoes near the delta, unlit roads outside town and the border zone along the Evros, where access can be restricted.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Alexandroupolis yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Evros Delta wetlands
- Samothrace ferry
- Harbour promenade and lighthouse
- Traianoupolis Roman baths
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Alexandroupolis municipality: www.alexpolis.gr
- Wikivoyage: Alexandroupolis, revision 5236841 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5236841
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
AlexandroupolisΑλεξανδρούπολη
Σε αυτή τη διεύθυνση, παρακαλώ
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies here; the nearest consulates-general are in Thessaloniki, embassies in Athens.
Keep the Greek place name written down; drivers and staff may not read Latin script.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/alexandroupolis). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.