Rhodes airport is pretty run down, perhaps because it was already dark and raining. There was no lounge operated by Aegean Airlines or any other Star Alliance partner. But we hardly had any time to stay because our flight to Thessaloniki left at 7:50 p.m.
The boarding of the A320-200 (ID: SX-DGO) standing on the apron took place again by bus. The rain from the landing approach from Athens had meanwhile cleared. So we could board the plane dry via the stairs.
When boarding, we were able to take a quick look at the illuminated cockpit of the A320 from both the outside and the inside. Really impressive!
We had actually reserved 1A and C for this flight and hoped that the middle seat would remain free. However, we were disappointed when boarding. Since the man on 1B was now sitting separately from his family, we quickly changed seats and took a seat on 3D and F. The middle seat also remained empty.
The pilot took off from runway 25 shortly after 8 p.m. The estimated flight time was 60 minutes. During take-off and climb we flew through stronger turbulence again. A few thunderstorm cells could be seen below us. After a 20 minute flight, the seat belt signs were finally turned off and the service, drinks and peanuts, began. The outfit of the flight attendants is also interesting: blouses without sleeves. Looks really good and is something different.
After three quarters of an hour, at 8:46 p.m., the pilot began his approach to Thessaloniki Airport. It got turbulent again. We were just unlucky with the weather today. However, on the final approach the sky became clearer and we had a good view of the brightly lit city. At 9:06 p.m. the pilot touched down the Airbus A320. The runway seemed to be very short here, too, because the pilot had to put his irons on his feet.
We took a taxi, an outdated Skoda Octavia, into town for €20. The taxi driver drove with us to the 398,000 km mark. That's what the car felt like and we were happy to finally be in it Hotel Aegeon to have arrived.
Taverne Rouga – Thessaloniki
Since there was nothing to eat on the two domestic flights (Athens - Rhodes - Thessaloniki), we looked for a taverna on TripAdvisor and found the highly acclaimed Rouga.
Despite 10:30 p.m. local time, the restaurant was still very busy and new guests kept coming to eat. With live music, we enjoyed half a liter of red wine, Greek salad, tzatziki, beef patties and lamb (price €30 for two). I found it interesting that in Greece people eat together from the middle of the table. At least that's what the locals around us did.
Are you still looking for a flight to Thessaloniki?
The International Airport of Thessaloniki can be reached from many German cities all year round. You can find cheap flights through online travel agencies such as Flugladen.de, Bravofly,ebookers.de,Expedia,lastminute.deorSkyscanner.
