Cheap flights from London to Thessaloniki

October is the cheapest month for this route, and it earns that spot: the summer crowds have gone from the Aegean while the sea is still warm. September and June sit in the middle, busier than October but calmer than July and August, when Greek holiday traffic and school breaks push fares up. Winter is quiet and cheap apart from the days around Christmas and New Year, when Greeks living abroad fly home. Midweek departures, especially Tuesday and Wednesday, tend to cost less than Friday and Sunday flights. Book a few weeks ahead for summer travel, and closer to the date if you fly in November or February.

Low-cost carriers do most of the work on this route. Ryanair, easyJet, Jet2, Wizz Air Malta and TUI Airways all sell seats here, and each one charges separately for checked bags, seat choice and food. British Airways and its BA EuroFlyer arm fly it as full-service options, with a cabin bag and a drink in the fare. Sky Express, a Greek airline, is worth checking for connections through Athens, and Mokulele Flight Service also shows up in results. Direct flights exist, but plenty of itineraries include a stop, so weigh the total travel time against the fare. On two separate tickets, a delay on the first leg is your problem, not the airline's.

Every flight from London lands at Makedonia Airport, the one airport serving Thessaloniki. It sits outside the city, so you will need a transfer: buses and taxis wait outside arrivals, and the ride into the centre is short. If you land late, check the bus timetable before you book, since evening services thin out. Car hire desks are in the terminal if you plan to drive onward. On the way back, allow extra time in summer, when the terminal fills with holiday traffic.

Currency

EUR (€)

Power sockets

Type C, F · 230 V

Language

Greek

Emergency number

112, 100, 166

Driving side

right

Calling code

+30

Internet domain

.gr, .ελ

EU / Schengen

EU member, Schengen area

Population of Thessaloniki

310 k (2021)

Time zone

UTC+03 (Europe/Athens)

Country facts: Wikidata

• London has five airports — City, Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton and Stansted — so check which one your fare leaves from before you book.
• On Ryanair, easyJet, Jet2, Wizz Air Malta and TUI Airways a cabin bag is usually included and a checked bag is not.
• If your itinerary includes a stop, find out whether it is one ticket or two, and who rebooks you if the first flight is delayed.
• Greece is in the Schengen area, so your passport needs to be valid well past your return date.
• October is the cheapest month, but fares climb around Greek holidays and the Christmas period.