Really interesting. And your quote about it not existing for tourists but still welcoming them, I think that's the kind of destination we're all looking for! I think I'd need a big bag though, my souvenirs would be all the cats and dogs :)
Wonderful review Matt! Next time, try to go to Ladadika area downtown in Thessaloniki for some excellent tavernas and restaurants with live music after 7pm or so and try to get a bus and travel towards the airport area to a seaside area called Perea for fantastic food if you are a fan And by the way, end of the month the city will have finally in operation its 1st metro line! So public transportation wil be more friendly and convenient
Glad you enjoyed Thessaloniki, Matt. I visited around 6 years ago around this time for a weekend break and my experience mirrored yours. As it happens, I'm heading there this week for work this time. I'll give it your best.
YES!!!! Well done Matt, you know I am a big fan of your destination videos. You have a most entertaining way of telling your audience. Yes , TH-cam is numbers, entertainment, but once in a blue moon, being informative about a destination is great in my view!!! Thank you, Stay well
I do appreciate your destination videos, Matt, so would be happy to see some more, as and when you feel like it 👍🏻 I have been to the airport - but only to head south to a beach hotel on one of the peninsulas, so it's nice to see what I missed 😂
I love all your videos - visiting places, the travel itself and the status stuff. I think 2nd cities would be an interesting theme; a lot of 2nd cities I find to be much more interesting and preferable than 1st cities. Thessaloniki looks to be a great place.
Enjoyed the video Matt, I spent a few days there after a cruise last year, it's a lovely city. I enjoy the destination content-more please. Second city reviews would be interesting, I look forward to the Birmingham edition!! (Sorry)!
Thanks - always odd after a cruise when you have to start paying for stuff again.... I tend to head straight home so I can pretend everything is still free!!! And Manchester is bigger these days....
Hi Matt, another great video and it would be nice to actually see the surroundings of the places you visit. Thessalonoki Is definitely on my bucket list Anyway I left you a message on your Instagram about the BA pantomime show. Fingers crossed you get the message soon as tickets are selling out fast. Cheers Steve Morgan
I would love to see a second city series Matt. Potentially less crowds! This is a great video, thank you. Also agree with you re BA, although Brum is the second city! 😂 Once upon a time BA had Euro hub (purpose built too)at BHX with a daily flight to JFK amongst many others, what a shocker! I still miss it… every time I drive down M40!
Very well done, Matt! If you had stayed longer you might have visited Sythonia and Athos. The monastries there and the unspoiled nature is an unforgettable adventure.
Enjoyed the video. Ryanair does year-round Thessaloniki-Stansted, and EasyJet does year-round Thessaloniki-Gatwick and seasonal to Manchester. Also, yeah, many Greek regions are distinct. If you're used to the South, then Makedonia will feel very different.
I found your channel because I was looking for travel videos about Seville. I loved that video and really found it useful for my trip. Seville is now one of my favorite cities. I’m American and barely an aviation geek, so maybe I’m not the core audience. It seems like social media really rewards you for finding a core audience and giving them exactly what they’re interested in and nothing else. Travel is such an individual thing I guess, you’re extremely interested in videos like this if you’re planning a trip to Greece and you don’t care otherwise. Maybe that’s it. Anyhow, hope you keep making them. This is some of the best travel content I’ve seen on TH-cam.
Thanks! High praise.... It's an interesting issue.... I'm making 52 videos a year on travel subjects, although varied travel subjects. My audience can dip in and out as they wish.... If I went down to 20 or 30 videos a year on one specific subject the channel may do "better" but I think it would be less rewarding for me....
Glad you enjoyed. I hope my tips helped a bit. I wish my plans would have allowed to fly there and meet you in person, but I was travelling elsewhere. It's a great city with good vibes. Thessaloniki is ideal for 2-3 days before or after a nice vacation in the Halkidiki area, a couple hours south-east, the one with the 3 "fingers" as you see the map, it's a great place. Also, in the summer schedule there are direct British Airways flights from/to Gatwick, which can often be found very cheap. Last July I had to travel to London, the flights from Athens were insanely expensive, and I found a dirt cheap late evening SKG-LGW on BA for around £100 if I recall correctly. Then I flew the same morning ATH-SKG on Aegean, met with a friend, had lunch, then back at the airport, and saved a ton of money and had a great time.
Great destination video Matt👌👏, and history on top of it. You don"t get a lot Greater than Old Alexander😊. Like the prices you mentioned🍻🍻. will certainly include a few days there next year when visiting Greece. More of these destination videos will be most welcome. Thank you for putting in the hard yards👍😎🇿🇦
I found this really informative, Matt, and enjoy your laid back but well edited presenting style. Whilst I do enjoy a trip report to see different products, it’s really great to see what you can get up to in the destinations, so that the travel has a purpose, something many reviewers miss a trick with. Could I suggest NI’s second city LDY, and the fantastic Loganair product out of Heathrow as an upcoming second city review? Maybe wait for the weather to perk up, mind you. Thanks for the great content, keep it coming.
Thanks for the kind words. Not a bad idea actually - although I'll probably get bored of saying Derry/Londonderry every 20 seconds.... I spent a night there a few years back and really liked it actually - a fascinating place.... Cheapest Wetherspoon's I've ever been to.....
Love your channel. You are my favourite aviation TH-camr! And I am impressed how reasonably fit your are considering the amount of alcohols you consume 😁😁
Thessaloniki (or Salonika) was also an aviation hub where some Imperial Airways services from Europe terminated and passengers changed onto flying boats to Egypt. Thessaloniki is becoming a Balkan city tourist spot. It has preserved much more of its architectural heritage than Athens (which between 1950-1975 demolished a lot of its neo-classical and Ottoman-era buildings, creating the rather grey concrete look of much of its centre and suburbs with a few exceptions) and is a more walker friendly city. Salonika used to have regular service to LHR under Olympic but I wonder if Aegean could resume this at some stage?
Thanks - I'd love to see a direct flight on Aegean although stopping in Athens does add a couple of flights to the itinerary which is helpful for maintaining status
@@MattsPlanet Indeed! When I lived in Paris I decided to take a city break in Salonika and had the option of flying direct on the Cyprus Airways A330 (which served Salonika as part of the Paris CdG to Larnaca route). I decided it was cheaper with Olympic via Athens. About 24 hours before I departed i got an e-mail from Olympic Airways apologising that because a Boeing 737-400 had gone tech the flight would be operated by an A340 instead! It was a near empty flight but with PTVs and very comfortable.
Just on the by and by...on 30 November Thessaloniki is opening a new Metro system. Plus if you next go, there are some great regional rail journeys from Thessaloniki to Edessa and Larissa (Larissis)
+1 for destination videos. The idea of second city videos is a good one! In other news, I'm finally GGL, after a slightly irroped 3 ticket trip down to South America for an extended Saturnalia celebration. Don't know if you've been following the news but Sri Lankan appear to have finally pulled the plug on the Curry Club run. Quite how doubling the price is going to help fill out the cabin I'm unclear, but I'm sure their tariffs group is filled with smarter folk than I. Bit of a shame. I was quite taken with Jakarta and I'm now left looking for an alternate route for a return visit which still yields reasonable TPs.
I've got a video talking about SriLankan on Sunday... Riyadh is now the cheapest option at £1,300+... Although the Abu Dhabi fare is coming back down again.... Congrats on the GGL - perhaps I'll see you in the CCR.... Or probably outside as I can't get in and you'd have to invite me!!!
@@MattsPlanet Let me know your movements and an invite is a given! I don't actually travel all that much from LHR so GGL is really just a by product of a multiyear plan to acquire GfL before BA makes it uneconomical. Which I'm expecting just before my final flight, of course. I don't think the AUH-CGK actually is coming down: there was a price spike a short time ago which got reversed quickly though: maybe that is what you saw? I'm actually looking at flights ex-FCO at the moment: GBP 1800/840 TPs. Not as good as the ex-AUH of course, but positioning is a hell of a lot easier/cheaper, and the price/tp is in the same ball park as my Central/South American trips this year. Availability seems reasonably open too: no 6 months advance required.
I was constructing an argument to suggest that you may have meant Britain’s second Airport city, not just Britain’s second city, But then I thought that Edinburgh, Glasgow and even Belfast may be offended as well. Manchester is clearly Britain’s second Airport city. Purely because I’ve never flown from BHX. Anyway, we all know that Belfast George Best City Airport is the best little airport in the universe and Liverpool John Lennon airport is the best regional airport in England. Great video please do a Europe's second City series.
Aegean still doesn't provide direct flights from Thessaloniki to London. So I avoid them, as the competition does offer them, EasyJet, Ryanair, even BA for the half of the year. Why book a 2-leg flight, which will likely end up more expensive too?
I like the destination videos, but that’s because I like travel / places full stop. I think they’re instantly a bit more niche unless you’re always doing Paris, New York or Rome and so you get fewer casual or first time viewers. Second city serious is a really good idea, though!
Daddy Matt in Macedonia! Seems in BA's mind, their 2nd city is Edinburgh and not Manchester. I personally think it's actually Dublin, the 2nd city in the British Isles overall. I've visited Thessaloniki back when I was doing the required runs with Aegean (in those good old days!). I used the regular city bus between the airport and the city both ways. I stayed at a hotel along the Egnatia thoroughfare, served by that airport-bound bus. In terms of shopping for rare used vinyl, its shops can in fact compete with those of Athens. It's both urban and provincial, and coastal!
Oh mate, you're going to upset people saying Dublin is in the British Isles.... Dublin is on the Island of Ireland, which is not British.... Its why the full name is "Great Britain and Northern Ireland" - longest name of all UN members I believe...
Hi Matt, I can't find any fares on Aegean (in Business) to SGK (Thessaloniki) for under 1250EUR return from LHR. Deos that sound about right to you? Approx 1650 EUR to 6/6 Segements and the remaining milage (24000). By the end of the year, I'd be looking to get Aegean Gold Status, and the quickest/cheapest way for me to do that is to get the 6/6 segements on A3; which; given the proximity/distance, nesting a return trip to Thessaloniki (from Thessaloniki) is the easiest. Alternatively, is Thessaloniki served year around to Lisbon, Germany or Poland? - I’m thinking of flying to another star alliance place (on BA - cheaper) - then getting my 6/6 a3 segments without paying what I suspect is Aegean’s most luxury and price gouged route (LHR-ATH).
Did you include a Saturday night layover in the itinerary? Generally airlines will fleece you for intra week Business return trips as they assume your employer is paying and can afford it . For me at least £100 return direct on easyjet from London seems preferable in this case than mucking around with points/miles/transfers..
I originally only did business from ATH - CAI then have done economy since.... If you only need the 6 legs (and will top up the star alliance miles elsewhere) then that is a lot to pay - Aegean can be expensive up the front...
@@MattsPlanet It’s a combination of both. I’ll need 12k miles and 6 segments and I think it makes sense (money and time wise) to do it whilst on A3 metal.
in ancient Greece the significant cities in the region/kingdom of Macedonia were Pella, Dion, Aigai etc. Thessaloniki became more important city in the Roman period but mainly in the medieval times/Byzantine Era where along with Constantinople and Adrianople were the three major cities Great centres of the Greek Empire/Greek medieval world also known as Byzantine Empire or Eastern Roman Empire.
Kalamata has a very similar vibe, with lots of pavement cafes and restaurants fronting the harbour and sea. Plus it has more pleasant winters as Thessaloniki can get pretty cold. I would also recommend Napflion out of season too.
Re Greek only signs at the White Tower - if you have an android phone Google Lens could be a real boon here.. just take a photo of the sign with the App and a picture with translated text will appear on the phone. Particularly useful in countries which don't use a Roman script, meaning its difficult to decipher even basic words. I assume the I phone has an equivalent, but don't know what it is..
I really enjoy your channel; but your historical info can be misleading. Ancient Greece were actually greek-speaking city-states, like Athens, Sparta, Thebes and more. One of them was the Kingdom of Macedon and the city of Thessaloniki was a part of it (and of Chalcidian League). So saying that this city was not greek but macedonian is like saying that Leonidas was not Greek but Spartan.
Now - I knew this would happen!!! Birmingham calls itself the second city, but "Manchester" has a bigger population now.... It all depends on where you draw the urban limits of course, but Manchester is now the second biggest city....
Oooof... That's a bit of a miss isn't it???? So big a miss I might do some "invisible mending" and fix that before the video goes live.... Thanks for the correction!!!
Your ignorance in history makes you annoying when you are reffering to Greece and Macedonia as something separate! In addition you were in the city and you ve seen almost nothing mate!
@@MattsPlanet There was no Greece as an entity back then. There where Greek city states. Macedonia was a kingdom and as such was seen as backwarded by the other Greeks.
Really interesting. And your quote about it not existing for tourists but still welcoming them, I think that's the kind of destination we're all looking for! I think I'd need a big bag though, my souvenirs would be all the cats and dogs :)
Touristy, but not too touristy!!! And the animals were abundant.... Plenty in the middle east too....
Wonderful review Matt! Next time, try to go to Ladadika area downtown in Thessaloniki for some excellent tavernas and restaurants with live music after 7pm or so and try to get a bus and travel towards the airport area to a seaside area called Perea for fantastic food if you are a fan
And by the way, end of the month the city will have finally in operation its 1st metro line! So public transportation wil be more friendly and convenient
Its a place I'd definitely be happy to go back to - thanks!
I'd certainly enjoy more 2nd city reviews from you Matt as your content is always very down to earth and informative - thanks!
Thanks for that - I'll aim to make some more!
It’s criminal your destination videos aren’t doing well, I certainly enjoy them.
Thanks - I'll keep making them as I enjoy the process - a bit more flexibility with the structure than a flight review!
Glad you enjoyed Thessaloniki, Matt. I visited around 6 years ago around this time for a weekend break and my experience mirrored yours. As it happens, I'm heading there this week for work this time. I'll give it your best.
What a coincidence!! Have a great trip..
YES!!!!
Well done Matt, you know I am a big fan of your destination videos. You have a most entertaining way of telling your audience. Yes , TH-cam is numbers, entertainment, but once in a blue moon, being informative about a destination is great in my view!!!
Thank you,
Stay well
Thanks mate.... Again, this video is performing terribly but those who do watch it, really like it!!
I love the destination videos, and I'd never known about Thesa.... if you hadn't shown it, so, thank you.
Thanks - the positive feedback inspires me to make more....
Please do some more destination videos, this was excellent. Well done 👍
I enjoy making them so I will!! Thanks for watching - not many people do!
Would definitely enjoy more of these videos Matt.
Thanks - viewing figures are ticking up.... Slowly!
I do appreciate your destination videos, Matt, so would be happy to see some more, as and when you feel like it 👍🏻 I have been to the airport - but only to head south to a beach hotel on one of the peninsulas, so it's nice to see what I missed 😂
Thanks Roger. I will keep making these even though the viewing figures really are terrible!!!
Very good Matt, made me consider the city!
That's all I can ask!
WOW i think that will be on my list for a 4 day break thanks for the video matt im going to look at that for early next year good health
Thanks mate - it was really nice!
Thanks Matt - very well done
Thanks for watching!
I love all your videos - visiting places, the travel itself and the status stuff. I think 2nd cities would be an interesting theme; a lot of 2nd cities I find to be much more interesting and preferable than 1st cities. Thessaloniki looks to be a great place.
But neither Birmingham or Manchester are!!!!!
@@roybackhouse117 Well, there are always exceptions :)
Every country has a second city! Lots of scope for a series...
Enjoyed the video Matt, I spent a few days there after a cruise last year, it's a lovely city. I enjoy the destination content-more please. Second city reviews would be interesting, I look forward to the Birmingham edition!! (Sorry)!
Thanks - always odd after a cruise when you have to start paying for stuff again.... I tend to head straight home so I can pretend everything is still free!!! And Manchester is bigger these days....
Great Vid. I'll add it to my wish list, might not be for a few years got a few new countries to visit first although I am overdue a Greece visit.
Its a top spot, but whether it trumps an entire new country is doubtful!
Its a great gateway to the Halkidiki peninsular. City break in Thessaloniki before beach breaking/more exploring somewhere in Halkidiki.
Sounds like a plan! Just need to find the time...
Hi Matt, another great video and it would be nice to actually see the surroundings of the places you visit. Thessalonoki Is definitely on my bucket list
Anyway I left you a message on your Instagram about the BA pantomime show.
Fingers crossed you get the message soon as tickets are selling out fast.
Cheers Steve Morgan
Cheers Steve - renting a car will be a definite option next time
Always find these destination videos really interesting - vaulable anchors for when I visit and reasons to do so. More!
Thanks! More coming, although the viewing figures are always terrible!!!
Thanks Matt. I've added Thessaloniki to my next Euro road trip.
Quite a lot of Eastern Europe to get through to get there on a road trip!!!
Nicely done!! For family Vacations near Thesaloniki it would be interesting if you'd check out Chalkidiki for maybe another video.
It sounds like Thessaloniki is a good starting point for the region
@@MattsPlanet Yes the area is full of hidden gems.
I would love to see a second city series Matt. Potentially less crowds! This is a great video, thank you. Also agree with you re BA, although Brum is the second city! 😂 Once upon a time BA had Euro hub (purpose built too)at BHX with a daily flight to JFK amongst many others, what a shocker! I still miss it… every time I drive down M40!
Thanks. Birmingham calls itself that, but Manchester is now accepted as being bigger.... Its on Wikipedia so it must be true....
Very well done, Matt! If you had stayed longer you might have visited Sythonia and Athos. The monastries there and the unspoiled nature is an unforgettable adventure.
Quick in and quick out was my approach this time and I'm sure there's a lot just over the horizon!
Great city, great vid
Thanks
Enjoyed the video. Ryanair does year-round Thessaloniki-Stansted, and EasyJet does year-round Thessaloniki-Gatwick and seasonal to Manchester. Also, yeah, many Greek regions are distinct. If you're used to the South, then Makedonia will feel very different.
Thanks - I enjoyed the North of Greece. I perhaps shouldn't have been surprised, as Southern Italy is a world away from Northern Italy
I found your channel because I was looking for travel videos about Seville. I loved that video and really found it useful for my trip. Seville is now one of my favorite cities.
I’m American and barely an aviation geek, so maybe I’m not the core audience. It seems like social media really rewards you for finding a core audience and giving them exactly what they’re interested in and nothing else. Travel is such an individual thing I guess, you’re extremely interested in videos like this if you’re planning a trip to Greece and you don’t care otherwise. Maybe that’s it.
Anyhow, hope you keep making them. This is some of the best travel content I’ve seen on TH-cam.
Thanks! High praise.... It's an interesting issue.... I'm making 52 videos a year on travel subjects, although varied travel subjects. My audience can dip in and out as they wish.... If I went down to 20 or 30 videos a year on one specific subject the channel may do "better" but I think it would be less rewarding for me....
Glad you enjoyed. I hope my tips helped a bit. I wish my plans would have allowed to fly there and meet you in person, but I was travelling elsewhere. It's a great city with good vibes.
Thessaloniki is ideal for 2-3 days before or after a nice vacation in the Halkidiki area, a couple hours south-east, the one with the 3 "fingers" as you see the map, it's a great place.
Also, in the summer schedule there are direct British Airways flights from/to Gatwick, which can often be found very cheap. Last July I had to travel to London, the flights from Athens were insanely expensive, and I found a dirt cheap late evening SKG-LGW on BA for around £100 if I recall correctly. Then I flew the same morning ATH-SKG on Aegean, met with a friend, had lunch, then back at the airport, and saved a ton of money and had a great time.
They were a huge help - thanks!!! My hotel ended up being about perfect for the things you mentioned
Excellent. I also enjoyed your brief vlog on Seville...
Thanks Richard. Not trying to [provide a full education on places, but give an impression of what they're like to visit
Nice one, enjoyed it.
Thanks as always
Great destination video Matt👌👏, and history on top of it. You don"t get a lot Greater than Old Alexander😊. Like the prices you mentioned🍻🍻. will certainly include a few days there next year when visiting Greece. More of these destination videos will be most welcome. Thank you for putting in the hard yards👍😎🇿🇦
Thanks mate. More destination videos to come, even if they perform terribly!!! I do enjoy making them. And travelling for them too!!
Thank You ✈️
Thanks as always!
I found this really informative, Matt, and enjoy your laid back but well edited presenting style. Whilst I do enjoy a trip report to see different products, it’s really great to see what you can get up to in the destinations, so that the travel has a purpose, something many reviewers miss a trick with. Could I suggest NI’s second city LDY, and the fantastic Loganair product out of Heathrow as an upcoming second city review? Maybe wait for the weather to perk up, mind you. Thanks for the great content, keep it coming.
Thanks for the kind words. Not a bad idea actually - although I'll probably get bored of saying Derry/Londonderry every 20 seconds.... I spent a night there a few years back and really liked it actually - a fascinating place.... Cheapest Wetherspoon's I've ever been to.....
Love your channel. You are my favourite aviation TH-camr! And I am impressed how reasonably fit your are considering the amount of alcohols you consume 😁😁
Thanks!!!! I think most people would be quite surprised by how little I drink when the camera isn't rolling....
Great video
Thanks!
Thessaloniki (or Salonika) was also an aviation hub where some Imperial Airways services from Europe terminated and passengers changed onto flying boats to Egypt. Thessaloniki is becoming a Balkan city tourist spot. It has preserved much more of its architectural heritage than Athens (which between 1950-1975 demolished a lot of its neo-classical and Ottoman-era buildings, creating the rather grey concrete look of much of its centre and suburbs with a few exceptions) and is a more walker friendly city. Salonika used to have regular service to LHR under Olympic but I wonder if Aegean could resume this at some stage?
Thanks - I'd love to see a direct flight on Aegean although stopping in Athens does add a couple of flights to the itinerary which is helpful for maintaining status
@@MattsPlanet Indeed! When I lived in Paris I decided to take a city break in Salonika and had the option of flying direct on the Cyprus Airways A330 (which served Salonika as part of the Paris CdG to Larnaca route). I decided it was cheaper with Olympic via Athens. About 24 hours before I departed i got an e-mail from Olympic Airways apologising that because a Boeing 737-400 had gone tech the flight would be operated by an A340 instead! It was a near empty flight but with PTVs and very comfortable.
Just on the by and by...on 30 November Thessaloniki is opening a new Metro system. Plus if you next go, there are some great regional rail journeys from Thessaloniki to Edessa and Larissa (Larissis)
Beautiful video. I enjoyed watching it. You found some nice places.
I will subscribe to your channel. I want to follow your videos.
Thanks and welcome!
+1 for destination videos. The idea of second city videos is a good one!
In other news, I'm finally GGL, after a slightly irroped 3 ticket trip down to South America for an extended Saturnalia celebration.
Don't know if you've been following the news but Sri Lankan appear to have finally pulled the plug on the Curry Club run. Quite how doubling the price is going to help fill out the cabin I'm unclear, but I'm sure their tariffs group is filled with smarter folk than I.
Bit of a shame. I was quite taken with Jakarta and I'm now left looking for an alternate route for a return visit which still yields reasonable TPs.
I've got a video talking about SriLankan on Sunday... Riyadh is now the cheapest option at £1,300+... Although the Abu Dhabi fare is coming back down again.... Congrats on the GGL - perhaps I'll see you in the CCR.... Or probably outside as I can't get in and you'd have to invite me!!!
@@MattsPlanet Let me know your movements and an invite is a given! I don't actually travel all that much from LHR so GGL is really just a by product of a multiyear plan to acquire GfL before BA makes it uneconomical. Which I'm expecting just before my final flight, of course.
I don't think the AUH-CGK actually is coming down: there was a price spike a short time ago which got reversed quickly though: maybe that is what you saw?
I'm actually looking at flights ex-FCO at the moment: GBP 1800/840 TPs. Not as good as the ex-AUH of course, but positioning is a hell of a lot easier/cheaper, and the price/tp is in the same ball park as my Central/South American trips this year. Availability seems reasonably open too: no 6 months advance required.
Thessaloniki is a city you fall in love forever! ( an Athenian 60 years old boy....)!
Very poetic! Thanks
Always interesting,
Thanks!
I was constructing an argument to suggest that you may have meant Britain’s second Airport city, not just Britain’s second city, But then I thought that Edinburgh, Glasgow and even Belfast may be offended as well. Manchester is clearly Britain’s second Airport city. Purely because I’ve never flown from BHX. Anyway, we all know that Belfast George Best City Airport is the best little airport in the universe and Liverpool John Lennon airport is the best regional airport in England. Great video please do a Europe's second City series.
Cheers Roy - pleased I inspired you to comment! The whole Manchester / Birmingham thing was always going to be controversial!!!
Aegean still doesn't provide direct flights from Thessaloniki to London. So I avoid them, as the competition does offer them, EasyJet, Ryanair, even BA for the half of the year. Why book a 2-leg flight, which will likely end up more expensive too?
Good point - it is strange that they service so many places from SKG but not London....
2nd cities FTW.
That taxi fare is daylight robbery, though.
I didn't think it was outrageous, but I'm currently in Asia where you can go 10 miles for £3.....
I like the destination videos, but that’s because I like travel / places full stop. I think they’re instantly a bit more niche unless you’re always doing Paris, New York or Rome and so you get fewer casual or first time viewers.
Second city serious is a really good idea, though!
Series, not serious 🙄
Thanks. An encouraging response to this video even if the views were a bit thin.... But these do tend to be discovered over time so they build slowly!
Daddy Matt in Macedonia! Seems in BA's mind, their 2nd city is Edinburgh and not Manchester. I personally think it's actually Dublin, the 2nd city in the British Isles overall. I've visited Thessaloniki back when I was doing the required runs with Aegean (in those good old days!). I used the regular city bus between the airport and the city both ways. I stayed at a hotel along the Egnatia thoroughfare, served by that airport-bound bus. In terms of shopping for rare used vinyl, its shops can in fact compete with those of Athens. It's both urban and provincial, and coastal!
Oh mate, you're going to upset people saying Dublin is in the British Isles.... Dublin is on the Island of Ireland, which is not British.... Its why the full name is "Great Britain and Northern Ireland" - longest name of all UN members I believe...
@@MattsPlanet British Isles = The combined archipelago of GB, Ireland, Man, the Hebs, the Orks and the Shets. Any more questions? HAHAHA!!!
if you're looking for a good "take away" lunch, and not street food, then Paradosiako is good & cheap. Always ask locals where to eat.
So many choices!!!
Hi Matt,
I can't find any fares on Aegean (in Business) to SGK (Thessaloniki) for under 1250EUR return from LHR. Deos that sound about right to you? Approx 1650 EUR to 6/6 Segements and the remaining milage (24000).
By the end of the year, I'd be looking to get Aegean Gold Status, and the quickest/cheapest way for me to do that is to get the 6/6 segements on A3; which; given the proximity/distance, nesting a return trip to Thessaloniki (from Thessaloniki) is the easiest.
Alternatively, is Thessaloniki served year around to Lisbon, Germany or Poland? - I’m thinking of flying to another star alliance place (on BA - cheaper) - then getting my 6/6 a3 segments without paying what I suspect is Aegean’s most luxury and price gouged route (LHR-ATH).
Did you include a Saturday night layover in the itinerary? Generally airlines will fleece you for intra week Business return trips as they assume your employer is paying and can afford it . For me at least £100 return direct on easyjet from London seems preferable in this case than mucking around with points/miles/transfers..
@ Yep, off season (Feb/Mar) are all showing €1250-€1300 for LHR-SKG via ATH on the A3 site - even with a Saturday night in Thessaloniki.
I originally only did business from ATH - CAI then have done economy since.... If you only need the 6 legs (and will top up the star alliance miles elsewhere) then that is a lot to pay - Aegean can be expensive up the front...
@@MattsPlanet It’s a combination of both. I’ll need 12k miles and 6 segments and I think it makes sense (money and time wise) to do it whilst on A3 metal.
Is Great Britain's 2nd City Manchester? It may be England's, but Edinburgh is larger than Manchester I believe...
Edinburgh is about a quarter the size of Manchester... Which is now a little bigger than Birmingham
in ancient Greece the significant cities in the region/kingdom of Macedonia were Pella, Dion, Aigai etc.
Thessaloniki became more important city in the Roman period but mainly in the medieval times/Byzantine Era where along with Constantinople and Adrianople were the three major cities Great centres of the Greek Empire/Greek medieval world also known as Byzantine Empire or Eastern Roman Empire.
Its all very fascinating - and not very well known, in the UK at least
Greece's first city
Indeed!
Kalamata has a very similar vibe, with lots of pavement cafes and restaurants fronting the harbour and sea. Plus it has more pleasant winters as Thessaloniki can get pretty cold. I would also recommend Napflion out of season too.
Cracking olives in Kalamata too I'd imagine? Both good tips for when I next need a weekend in Greece
Re Greek only signs at the White Tower - if you have an android phone Google Lens could be a real boon here.. just take a photo of the sign with the App and a picture with translated text will appear on the phone. Particularly useful in countries which don't use a Roman script, meaning its difficult to decipher even basic words.
I assume the I phone has an equivalent, but don't know what it is..
Thanks - it is a good point. I have used that sort of app on menus and it is quite remarkable but it didn't occur to me here!!! Great tip
I really enjoy your channel; but your historical info can be misleading. Ancient Greece were actually greek-speaking city-states, like Athens, Sparta, Thebes and more. One of them was the Kingdom of Macedon and the city of Thessaloniki was a part of it (and of Chalcidian League). So saying that this city was not greek but macedonian is like saying that Leonidas was not Greek but Spartan.
I can only apologise! Not something that featured heavily in English school history lessons....
7:29 think you've annoyed lots of Brummies with that comment. :)
Edit: can see someone else shared the same observation.
Now - I knew this would happen!!! Birmingham calls itself the second city, but "Manchester" has a bigger population now.... It all depends on where you draw the urban limits of course, but Manchester is now the second biggest city....
Macedonia is my favourite Italian word - it means fresh fruit salad!
Are they being ironic???
Ancient Greek word
This hotel is..... well....
It was quite special!
@MattsPlanet lol 😆
Locals prefer to call it Thessaloniki.
That probably doesn't work when written!
Oooh Matt. You’ve probably offended many Brummies …. Birmingham is the second city , despite what many Mancunians think !
Oooof... That's a bit of a miss isn't it???? So big a miss I might do some "invisible mending" and fix that before the video goes live.... Thanks for the correction!!!
Haha ‘fraid so - it’s Birmingham!
I personally like the destination stuff, if you decide to continue the 2nd city series you've got 1 avid viewer.
Macedonia is GREECE
Which I think I make clear in the video????
Brno rules!
So I hear!!!! Even if I still have no idea how to pronounce it!!!!
@ Brr know
Indeed it does! Had a meeting with colleagues there last year, great small town.
I’m clearly in the minority, but I do prefer seeing a new destination video ahead of another seat and lounge review.
*ducks*
I'm probably with you actually!!! But the viewing figures don't lie I'm afraid.... I'll keep making these videos though!
Your ignorance in history makes you annoying when you are reffering to Greece and Macedonia as something separate! In addition you were in the city and you ve seen almost nothing mate!
Go back far enough and it Greece and Macedonia were very separate...
@@MattsPlanet
There was no Greece as an entity back then. There where Greek city states. Macedonia was a kingdom and as such was seen as backwarded by the other Greeks.
Thessaloníki was the sister of Alexander the Great
Good to know!
400 Jahre unter Osmanen, nicht 600 Jahre!
Meine güte, ein bißchen mehr Recherche.
That's what Wikipedia said...