Logistics services in Greece.

Greece logistics overview: modes, trade and gateways

Logistics services in Greece use sea, air, rail, and road to move cargo in and out of the country. Containerised freight moves through a network of 57 commercial ports and oil terminals along about 13,700 km of coastline, with Piraievs and Thessaloniki among the main hubs. Greece handled about 5.7 million TEU in 2024, supported by a liner shipping connectivity index of 60.1.

Air freight uses 25 airports with scheduled service, led by Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport and major regional gateways such as Heraklion and Thessaloniki. Rail offers about 2,345 km of track and handled about 579 million tonne-km in 2021, linking ports like Piraievs, Thessaloníki, Vólos and Alexandroupoli to inland origins and destinations. Road freight connects Greece to Albania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, and Turkey, with international trucking corridors such as Athens to Sofia, Istanbul, and Bucharest supporting regional trade flows.

Freight forwarders in Greece handle container, bulk, and project cargo moving through ports such as Piraievs, Thessaloníki, Volos, Alexandroupoli, and Iraklion. Greece moves about 5.7 million TEU and has 49 seaports in the World Port Index, with rail access in several major ports, so check that your forwarder can coordinate both port and inland moves, including rail when useful.

When choosing freight forwarders in Greece, review their performance on customs processes and timing, as Greece scores 3.2 on customs and 3.9 on timeliness in the logistics performance index. EU and OECD membership and low average tariffs around 1.33% affect procedures, so confirm the broker is experienced with EU rules and work with partners familiar with trade lanes to Italy, Germany, Cyprus, Bulgaria, the USA, China, Iraq, and the Netherlands. Also ask how they work with main shipping lines present locally, such as MSC, CMA CGM, COSCO, Maersk, and others that serve Piraeus, Thessaloniki, and key island ports.

FCL and LCL shipping from and to Greece centers on a dense port network and sizable container flows. Greece handled about 5.7 million TEU in 2024, ranking 30th of 168 worldwide and 8th of 36 in its region. The country has 49 seaports in the World Port Index, including 1 large, 7 medium, 7 small, and 34 very small facilities. Piraievs is the large container hub, with cargo pier depths around 15.5 m and rail access.

Other important seaports include Thessaloníki, Vólos, Alexandroupoli, and Iraklion, all rail-served with cargo pier depths between about 7.9 m and 11.3 m. Liner connectivity is relatively high, with an LSCI of 60.1 in 2021 and a world rank of 24th of 169. Many container shipping lines maintain offices in Greek cities, including MSC, CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, HMM, Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk, ONE, X-Press Feeders, ZIM and ANL, especially in Piraeus and Thessaloniki. These carriers support both FCL and LCL options across Mediterranean and deep-sea trades.

Air freight in Greece uses a network of 25 airports with scheduled services, plus a larger total of 82 airports nationwide. Main air cargo gateways include Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport, Chania, Corfu, Heraklion and Kavala. In 2023, air transport handled about 16 million tonne-km of freight, ranking 90th of 184 countries globally.

Time-sensitive exports like packaged medicine and high-value manufactured goods often move by air, especially on lanes to partners such as Germany, Italy and the USA. Air can also support imports of cars, refined petroleum products, and pharmaceuticals when inventory urgency outweighs higher transport costs.

Rail and road freight in Greece support sea and air gateways and connect to neighbouring markets. The rail network extends about 2,345 km and carried around 579 million tonne-km of freight in 2021, ranking 81st of 113 globally. Several major ports, including Piraievs, Thessaloníki, Vólos and Alexandroupoli, have rail connections directly into their cargo areas, allowing intermodal moves between ship and train.

Road freight links Greece with Albania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Turkey. International trucking corridors such as Athens to Sofia at about 951 km, Athens to Istanbul at about 972 km, and Athens to Bucharest at about 1,355 km form key regional routes. These corridors back up maritime channels for trade flows with EU neighbours and beyond.

Customs clearance in Greece operates within a system that is part of both the World Trade Organization and regional blocs such as the EU and OECD. Greece has been a member of the World Customs Organization since 1951. Average applied tariffs stood around 1.33 percent in 2022. The logistics performance index customs score was 3.2 in 2022, above the world median of 2.6.

Import and export border compliance is relatively quick, with median export and import times of about 3 days in 2018. For smooth clearance, shippers should ensure accurate commercial invoices, packing lists and transport documents and work with brokers familiar with EU trade rules and the main Greek seaports and airports.