Thessaloniki

Why don't you take a flight from Athens to Thessaloniki? It's a 50 minute flight and there are about 15 per day. It will be faster than the train or a rental car (and much cheaper than a rental car)

I was in Thessaloniki last September, I don't recommend going by car, and what would be the point if you rent a car to not use it, and park it outside the city?

By the way I confirm that finding a parking space in Thessaloniki is hell and that the city is very easy to visit on foot or by public transport.

If you want to go to Meteora from Thessaloniki you just have to rent a car in Thessaloniki. Nothing could be easier

Ditto--we need to know the entire itinerary to know more, but if you can alter the flight plan, that would be easy.

We arrive in Athens on April at 10:30 AM. We were thinking of either taking train to Thessaloniki or first driving to Delphi for 3 nights & then going up to Thessaloniki. After Thessaloniki we are planning to go to Meteora & then to Corfu. If we don’t go to Delphi at beginning, we would go to Delphi after Corfu.

Since you are apparently willing to do a lot of driving by choosing these destinations, whatever order you visit them, here is another idea:

Flight Athens → Thessaloniki

Visit Thessaloniki

Pickup Car Rental in Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki → Meteora (3 hours)

Meteora → Igoumenitsa (5h30)

Ferry Igoumenitsa → Corfu (1h30 ferry)

Corfu

Ferry Corfu → Igoumenitsa

Igoumenitsa → Delphi (5 hours)

Delphi → Athens (3 hours)

Return rental car to Athens

Regardless of the itinerary, if you take the ferry to Corfu with the rental car you must ask the rental company if they allow it, and if yes, how much is the extra charge.

That was the route I was thinking. Flying to Thessaloniki sounds like a better plan. Do you have any suggested car rental places in Thessaloniki? We used Pop’s last time we were in Greece & loved them but unfortunately they don’t have an office in Thessaloniki.

It takes four hours by train from Athens to Thessaloniki so flying won't really save you much (if any) time.

It currently takes 5 hours, not 4, to go from Athens center to Thessaloniki by train.

https://newtickets.hellenictrain.gr/Channels.HellenicTrainWeb/

The first train to Thessaloniki leaves at 07:58 and arrives at 12:51

A flight from Athens to Thessaloniki takes 50 minutes, there are flights approximately every hour from 7:00 a.m.

The last time I rented a car in Peloponnese + Kythira Island, two years ago, was with Capital Rent a Car. They are recommended by French travel guides. They have an office in Thessaloniki and another in Athens. Prices are ok, cars too (they only have Fords)

https://capitalrent.gr/index.php/en/

There is a fee of around €80 for drop off in Athens if the pickup is in Thessaloniki, and €14 for Ferry insurance

It's up to you...

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Great, thank you for the info & assistance!