Leave Istanbul and, a few hours later, drink coffee in another country. Alexandroupoli (Dedeağaç) and Xanthi (İskeçe) make that possible.
What can you do in Alexandroupoli?
Alexandroupoli is a lovely weekend route with calm streets and seaside walking paths, plus natural beauty nearby. Food matters too: there are restaurants where you can eat tasty seafood in very large portions, so come hungry. One practical note: most places are closed on Sundays.
The city lies on the Aegean coast in the northeast of Greece, close to the Turkish border, which makes it one of the first Greek cities people think of when leaving Istanbul.
Where to stay
On our first motorcycle tour into Greece, after İpsala we looked for a place to stay in Alexandroupoli, explored the city in the evening and spent time there until the ferry to Thassos the next day. We chose a campsite when arriving by motorcycle; the video is titled “We stayed at the most beautiful campsite”.
What to look at in Xanthi?
Xanthi is close to Alexandroupoli and a Greek city we love. Its Old Town has a lovely atmosphere and sometimes hosts festivals. You can sit among the colourful houses on the old streets all day. The city lies in Western Thrace at the foot of the Rhodope mountains.
Can you do it in a day?
Both places can be visited as a day trip or with a few nights, and a Schengen visa is enough. Are two days enough? For us, yes. Educated Moto Riders offers motorcycle tours for those who prefer to ride such routes with a group.
Read the full story in Turkish with photos and videos: Dedeağaç ve İskeçe.