Thessaloniki · Month comparison
November vs May
May ranks #1 overall vs November at #6. Peak Thessaloniki — 24°C, every cafe terrace open, no summer mass-tourism.
November
#6 of 12 months
Strong option
Thessaloniki International Film Festival fills every cinema, cafe and hotel in town.
- ↑TIFF (early-mid Nov) is the major event of the city year — 200+ films, parties at Olympion
- ↑Christmas lights go up on Aristotelous in the last week — early-festive vibe
May
#1 of 12 months
Best match
Peak Thessaloniki — 24°C, every cafe terrace open, no summer mass-tourism.
- ↑24°C with low humidity — best waterfront-walking and Ano Poli-hike weather of the year
- ↑Aristotelous Square cafes spilling onto the pavement until 02:00, mostly locals
| Factor | November | May |
|---|---|---|
| Weather score | 5 | 10 |
| Value score | 9 | 8 |
| Crowd score | 8 | 8 |
| Events score | 10 | 7 |
| Atmosphere | 9 | 10 |
| Avg high temp | 15°C | 24°C |
| Monthly rain | 60mm | 45mm |
| Daily sunshine | 5hrs | 9hrs |
November trade-offs
- ↓60mm rain across 12 wet days — pack a proper raincoat, not a windbreaker
- ↓TIFF week itself sees hotel rates spike 50-80%
May trade-offs
- ↓Sea at 19°C — Perea and Halkidiki beach day trips work, but cool
- ↓Occasional spring thunderstorms — 2-3 wet afternoons across the month
Scores compare months within Thessaloniki. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →