Alexandroupoli Travel Guide - A Western Thrace Tour

Alexandroupoli, located very close to Istanbul, is a wonderful address for weekend getaways. Let us tell you a little about the town, which we've been to many times and now know like the back of our hand..

Things to Know About Alexandroupoli

Alexandroupoli, where two fishermen settled, is an oh-so-charming place which, to the west, connects Europe and Asia by sea and road, is remembered for its lighthouse and is still a fishing town today. Although it's like a small village, Alexandroupoli, which offers countless options for fun, has recently become one of the favourite holiday options for people like us, especially because of its closeness to Turkey and easy access. Some even go just to have dinner and come back.. Here's the Alexandroupoli Travel Guide..

Alexandroupoli has gathered almost everything on two main streets: the seafront with the lighthouse, the symbol of the city, and Democracy Avenue, one street up.

Places to Visit In and Near Alexandroupoli

As you know, Greece, just like Turkey, is a very rich country in terms of history, culture and sea. Today many people choose to holiday in Greece because it's close. This year we too planned to spend part of our leave in Greece. As well as being very close to the border, with getting there by car being very practical, there are many alternatives around here, both historic and for swimming.

Places to Visit in Alexandroupoli - click the link to reach the detailed list of places to visit.

Where Is Alexandroupoli?

Alexandroupoli is a coastal city in Greece's East Macedonia and Thrace region. The distance from the coast to the Enez district of Edirne is very short. It has a coast on the Aegean Sea. It's 300 km from Istanbul.

When to Go to Alexandroupoli?

Alexandroupoli, very similar to Kavala, also has the features of a Mediterranean climate. While the summer months are very hot and dry, the winter months, as in Edirne, are rainy and cold. The swimming season starts at the beginning of May and continues until the end of October. The June-August period is the hottest. In our view the ideal seasons for sightseeing and wandering around are spring and autumn.

How to Get to Alexandroupoli?

Alexandroupoli, 300 km from Istanbul, takes 4 hours to reach by your own vehicle if there's no traffic at the border. As a different alternative, buses departing from Istanbul can also be used.

There are no direct flights to Alexandroupoli, so flying to Alexandroupoli is a real ordeal. I wouldn't really recommend considering this option.
Our choice was to go abroad by private car. What you need to do to go abroad by car is here!

Where to Stay in Alexandroupoli?

In Alexandroupolis, which turns into a seaside town in summer, coming back without enjoying the sea is of course unthinkable! As someone used to the clarity of the Gulf of Saros, I also liked the sea on the other side of the Aegean, on the Alexandroupoli side, a lot.

You know how they always say Greece and Turkey are very alike. People's ways of life, their excited approach to things, their shops, traffic and food are alike; we could even say the same. The most important point where they're not alike is camping culture and the facilities at campsites.

On the tour I did entirely by bike last year, I'd also stayed at the Campsite Municipal of Alexandroupolis. The campsite is made up of very large caravan and tent areas, divided by asphalt roads parallel to the sea and to each other. We paid 40 Euros for 2 days for 2 people, 1 car and 1 tent. With an electricity hookup box at every pitch, taps every 50-100 metres and very clean toilets/showers, it won our hearts. The campsite has a very long and wide beach. You can swim with a view of Samothrace and Gökçeada.

Apart from the campsites, there are many three-star hotels and guesthouses and one five-star hotel. You can choose from these depending on your budget. I can recommend Hotel Erika, close to our famous köfte place. A double room is between 70-80 Euros, and a simple breakfast is included.

Alexandroupoli Airport & Getting Around the City

First of all, I recommend going to Greece by your own vehicle. You may just spend a little extra time at the border crossing. Apart from that, you can be sure you'll have a very enjoyable car journey.
While in Greece there's a terrible parking problem in the centre of Thessaloniki, in the cities of Alexandroupoli, Xanthi, Komotini and Kavala we didn't come across any parking fees. Since it isn't paid like in other European countries, there's no extra payment when travelling by car.

After parking your car you can tour the city on foot very comfortably. You'll hardly even need public transport. If you're going to the city's other far-off places, you can get there very easily by bus. Instead of the bus you can also choose taxis; taxi prices are very affordable too. Of course, let the bus be your first choice. 🙂

Alexandroupoli Cuisine

Greek cuisine, Turkish cuisine's cousin, which makes even the pickiest person aware of the existence of gastronomic pleasure by offering 1000 options when it comes to food, is ready and waiting to make you a happy person in Kavala too.

Not just in Alexandroupoli but in most cities you'll visit in Greece, you should taste the vegetable dishes, fish and wonderful Aegean meze that are the essentials of Greek cuisine. Fresh salads, olives and white cheese, with different ways of cooking, generally take their place on the tables.

When travelling in Greece, watch out for siesta (afternoon nap) hours. Shops that generally close after 2 o'clock open towards the evening, and some don't open at all. You should take care not to go for dinner before 8-9, otherwise you may find many restaurants closed. In Alexandroupoli there are lovely tavernas and restaurants around Hotel Erika.

Köfte & Greek Salad

Our favourite was a köfte place called Kanabidis. Don't come back without eating the köfte, chips and Greek salad. Köfte is ordered by the piece, and you can't get enough of the taste. Each köfte was 1 Euro, and the Greek salad was between 4-5 Euros.

An amazing taste! While it's similar, the olives are pitted. It was the tastiest time for tomatoes.. Plenty of olive oil, cucumber, and the white cheese called feta is wonderful. It's a bit different from our cheeses. The salad's presentation and taste can change depending on the city you eat it in. For example, I didn't get the flavour and pleasure I got here and in Xanthi in other cities.

Pumpkin fries - κολοκυθάκια τηγανητά

As you know, Greece's taverna tables with seafood are very famous. It's almost impossible to sit somewhere nice and get up from the table unsatisfied. Some dishes are ones we're not familiar with in daily life, and some are familiar but their tastes aren't what we're used to. Our favourite flavour is Greek-style fried courgette, also called 'Kolokithakia Tiganita'. Kolokithi/κολοκύθι means courgette. It's at the top of the flavours you can try here or in other Greek cities. Moussaka is a similar but different favourite of ours too! 🙂

Aya Yorgi

Definitely go to Aya Yorgi, where delicious seafood comes from, which we couldn't fit in on this trip. I strongly recommend trying the grill, octopus, mussel pilaf and fried courgette at this restaurant. The difference from Turkey is that it's a bit crispier.

Shopping in Alexandroupoli

It's at the top of the enjoyable activities you can do in the city centre. On Dimokritos, that is Democracy Avenue, there are very nice shops where you can buy souvenirs.

Do You Need a Visa for Alexandroupoli?

Yes, you need a Schengen visa to go to Alexandroupoli. Visas are not required for green (special) and grey (service) passports. A visa is required for the burgundy (ordinary) passport.

Cycling in Alexandroupoli

In terms of bike routes, Greece has lovely roads of a quality to rival Europe as a whole. Roads to ride in silence make riding very enjoyable with their gentle gradients.

As we always say, the bike is the most effective way to get to know a city or the place you're visiting. There are roads to pedal in many towns like Thessaloniki, Larissa, Kavala, Nafplion, Volos, Karditsa, Messolonghi, Trikala and Lamia. You can reach my post on the Greece Bike Tour I did in 2016 from the link.

I have a great suggestion for you;
drive as far as the İpsala border crossing, and from there you can reach Alexandroupoli in about 2 hours. You can do this tour either as a day trip or by staying at the campsite.