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How to Get to Meteora by Car – Driving Guide for Visitors

Only a decade ago, traveling around Greece by car it will be an adventure on its own. Nowadays Greece has managed to efficiently connect the different regions by overcoming the obstacle of the mountainous terrain through constructing a modern highway system, making getting to Meteora by car very easy and safe. A system that has implemented numerous tunnels and gorge bridges. Drivers now can also use GPS to navigate easily from point to point.

Why Drive to Meteora?

  • Scenic mainland routes through mountains and villages

  • Ultimate flexibility to stop en route (e.g., Thermopylae, Lake Plastira)

  • Easier access

  • Best for groups, photographers, and slow travelers

Find out more – Read our Meteora Monasteries Guide

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1 Day Trip from Athens to Meteora to admire the amazing monasteries!
Driving to Meteora

Main Driving Routes to Meteora

🔹 Athens to Meteora

  • Distance: ~355 km

  • Time: ~4.5 hours

  • Highway: A1 (Athens–Lamia–Trikala), then exit toward Kalambaka

  • Optional stop: Thermopylae battlefield

🔹 Thessaloniki to Meteora

  • Distance: ~230 km

  • Time: ~3 hours

  • Highway: Egnatia Odos (A2) → Trikala → Kalambaka

  • Optional stop: Vergina archaeological site

🔹 Delphi to Meteora

  • Distance: ~230 km

  • Time: ~3.5–4 hours

  • Scenic, mountainous roads — allow extra time

  • Great combo for 2–3 day itineraries

Read our Guide – Link to: How to Travel from Meteora to Delphi

 

Parking & Navigation Tips

  • Free parking available at most monasteries

  • Arrive early during high season (April–October) to get parking near steps

  • Avoid weekends when local tourism spikes

  • Use Google Maps or Waze – roads are well maintained and signed

Tip: Some monastery roads are steep and narrow. Drive slowly and be cautious in fog or rain.

Rental Car Tips

  • Available in Athens, Thessaloniki, or Trikala

  • Automatic cars are limited – book early

  • International Driving Permit required for non-EU travelers

  • Gas is ~€1.80–€2.00/L — plan fuel stops near Trikala or Kalambaka

Planning your overnight at Meteora? Find useful tips here.

Pair Your Drive with a Guided Experience

Even if you’re driving yourself to Meteora, you can enhance your visit with a local guided tour and skip the logistics.

Local guides | Hotel pick-up and drop-off service | Avoid the traffic

400€ Tour list image

Meteora Food and Wine Private Tour 5 of 5 bubbles 13 reviews

Culinary 6 hours
300€ Meteora Private Sunset Tour

Meteora Private Sunset Tour 5 of 5 bubbles 188 reviews

Discover monastery, hermit caves, Byzantine church, breathtaking views, and unforgettable sunset!

FAQ – Driving to Meteora (What You Need to Know)

Yes, you can reach each monastery by car, but we strongly advise against it during the high season (April–October).
Parking is extremely limited and often overcrowded, especially from late morning to mid-afternoon. Drivers often end up parking far from the entrance and walking uphill in the heat.

Avoid the hassle: Save time, stress, and fuel by leaving your car at your hotel and joining a guided tour with hotel pickup.

👉 Book a Half-Day Tour | Join the Sunset Tour

Yes, roads are paved and well-maintained, but many are steep, narrow, and winding, especially near the monasteries.
Drivers unfamiliar with mountain routes or nervous about tight parking spaces may find it stressful — especially when navigating crowded lots or tour bus zones.

 Why drive when you can relax?
Take in the views, hear local stories, and stop at the best photo spots — without worrying about the road.

Absolutely. Many travelers create a 2–4 day road trip including Delphi, Thermopylae, and Mount Olympus.

The Monastery of the Holy Trinity and Great Meteoro are the less accessible (over 300 steps). Rousanou, Varlaam and Saint Nicolaos have an average number of 140. Some of the monasteries apart the staircases requires uphill walking in paved paths. The Holy Monastery of St Stephen is connected with a walking bridge, thus making it more accessible than any other monastery.

In each monastery there is an entrance fee of 5 euro per person. Kids up to 12 years old they don’t pay entrance fees in the monasteries.

There are many reasons not to want to drive while exploring Meteora — like if you’re not confident driving on the opposite side of the road, your spouse is a terrible copilot and you just want to have fun instead of arguing; or if you want to enjoy the scenic road and not to feel stress about the narrow and curvy roads. Lack of parking space outside the monasteries is especially frequent phenomenon during the pick period in the summer. So by joining one of our tours might save you a lot of headaches and unwanted distractions.

Parking space is quite limited outside the monasteries. Especially during the high season its impossible to find parking near the popular monasteries like Great Meteoro. Our advise is to start early, before 09.00am so you can have better odds to park near the monasteries entry. Even better let your car at the parking lot of your Hotel and consider joining the half day tour or the hiking tour. 

Yes, they are open on Sundays. Actually all the monasteries are open on Sundays. 

Its almost impossible and not recommended to try to visit all the six active monasteries in one day. If you have to select a couple of monasteries try to visit the less crowded monasteries which is the Saint Nicholaos and Holy Trinity. If you wish to see the most important with a lot of intresting thing to see inside then visit Great Meteoro and Varlaam. If you have to consider the difficulty level with the staircases then choose Saint Stephen. 

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