Travel and transport agencies Macedonia

Paris-Skopje. There are no direct flights between France and Macedonia. From Paris, four companies provide weekly connections for Skopje with correspondence in Ljubljana (Adria Airlines), Vienna (Austrian Airlines), Belgrade (JAT) and Budapest (Malev). Other flights are possible through Prague, Zagreb, Zurich, Rome, Milan and Istanbul. But the journey can be long (sometimes more than 12 hours) and expensive (rarely below 300 euros). The most economical is to fly to Thessaloniki, Belgrade or Sofia and complete the bus or train journey to Skopje (from 4 to 6 hours).

From Switzerland and Belgium. Weekly flights from Zurich, directly with MAT and Helvetic Airways, via Ljubljana and Vienna with Swiss and Adria Airways. From Brussels, no direct flights: connections in Budapest, Belgrade, Ljubljana, Prague, Vienna, Zagreb and Zurich with the Adria Airways, Autrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Czech Airlines, JAT, Malev and Swiss airlines. Note that the Macedonian charter company Skywings International sometimes provides direct connections to Brussels-Skopje.

Taxis. The airport is located in Petrovec, about twenty kilometers east of downtown by motorway. At the beginning of 2011, no buses connected him to Skopje. A regular line was scheduled for the summer of 2011. If this is not the case, then taxis must be taken back. Two possibilities: white taxis chartered by the company managing the airport, the price of which is displayed, or private taxis at much more random rates. Coming from Skopje, the best thing is to order a taxi by phone, at 15188 for example. Count about 1,500 MKD (25 €). Be careful, if you take a taxi on the street, ensure that the meter is connected and tell the driver the direction "aerodrom vo Petrovec" and not "aerodrom" only (read below).

Rental vehicles. At the airport, notice offices are found (02 256 1847), Europcar (07 020 5546), Hertz (07 021 7881), Sixt (07 544 8902), Sharr Express (04 435 0902) 380), Inter Ways (02 3062 484) and National (02 311 9019). If you rent your car elsewhere in the country, the tenants of these companies generally accept that you go to the airport. Please note that the airport is very badly indicated from Skopje. On the one hand, we must be suspicious of the signs "Aerodrom Municipality" in Skopje. They actually designate a district of the city located on an old airport. On the other hand, since no sign gives direction to the real airport (!), you must take the motorway towards Athens (!), then after the toll (30 MKD), Veles. It is only at the last moment that the airport is finally indicated…

Duty free. The airport is being expanded with a second terminal planned for 2014. At the moment, there are only two shops in the airport, including one in the boarding area. It is better to avoid shopping, especially in wine, at the time of departure. There are several reasons: the choice is limited, the tariffs are considerably higher than those in the city and, finally, as Macedonia is not part of the Schengen area, a search of cabin baggage is carried out in the event of correspondence in the EU. Therefore, even if your alcohol bottles are sealed in Skopje, they will be refused by customs at the airport of call.

Created in 2011, this cable car (Жичара Милениумски Крст/Žičara Mileniumski Krst) allows you to reach the top of Mount Vodno in just over 4 minutes. Built by the Austrian company Dopelmaer and operated by the transport company JSP Skopje, it consists of 28 cabins for eight passengers and two cabins for four passengers that make a 1,600-meter-long journey between 570 and 1,060 meters above sea level. See also "Millennium Cross Gondola (arrival)".

This bus station (Скопска Автобуска Станица/Skopska Avtobuska Stanica) has numerous connections to all towns in the country (Ohrid, Bitola, Tetovo, Prilep, Kruševo, Strumica..) and also to Serbia, Albania, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Zurich and Bern in Switzerland, Istanbul in Turkey and Thessalonica (Солун/Solun) in Greece. Timetables and fares on the website. On site: ticket offices, toilets, lockers, waiting room, cafés-restaurants and shopping arcade.

This agency organizes mountain bike tours in the Skopje region (downtown, Matka Canyon and Mount Vodno) and in the rest of the country, including Mount Jakupica in the central part of the country. It also offers mountain bike rentals. Alternatively, Rent a Bike Skopje (rentabikesk.mk) can deliver a city bike or mountain bike directly to your hotel. Other bike rental companies in Skopje: BikeStop (bikestop.com.mk), MS Energy (rentabikeskopje.business.site) and Outdoor Adventure Macedonia (oa.mk).

Notice has only two agencies in the country: one in Skopje (Ramstore shopping centre), another at the airport. Call rates on small roses are competitive (less than € 30/day).

Suspended above the city, this huge concrete station (Железничка Станица Скопје/Železnička Stanica Skopje) was the focal point when the city was rebuilt after the 1963 earthquake. It is little used today. Two small national lines run from here to Gevgelija (Greek border) via Veles, Negotino and Demir Kapija and to Kičevo via Tetovo and Gostivar. Timetables and fares on the national railway website (mzt.mk).

The island of Golem Grad is relatively close to Konjsko (4 km, approx. 30-minute crossing). But as this hamlet is rather difficult to reach by car, it's more convenient to embark at Stenje. Here, several fishermen and small boat owners offer the crossing, which takes 1h30. Once there, allow at least an hour for the visit. Allow 5 or 6 hours for the trip from Stenje, and 2 or 3 hours from Konjsko. Finally, it's also possible to visit the island from Dupeni beach, on the eastern shore of Lake Prespa.

This border post (Граничен Премин Стење-Горица/Graničen Premin Stenje-Gorica, Vendkalimi Kufitar Goricë-Stenjë) allows you to cross into Albania. The first village crossed by SH 79 is Dolna Gorica (Долна Горица, Dollna Gorica). Situated on the shores of Lake Prespa, it is part of the municipality of Pustec (Пустец, Liqenas), which has around 3,000 inhabitants, 97% of whom are Macedonians. It is home to the Prespa National Park information center (prespanationalpark.gov.al).

The North Macedonian Railway Company (Македонски Железници, Hekurudhat e Maqedonisë së Veriut) operates four passenger train lines: 1) between Skopje and Gevgelija (Greek border) via Veles, Gradsko, Negotino and Demir Kapija; 2) between Veles and Kočani via Štip; 3) between Veles and Bitola via Prilep, between Skopje and Tabanovci (Serbian border) via Kumanovo; 4) between Skopje and Kičevo via Tetovo and Gostivar. International connections with Thessaloniki (Greece), Pristina (Kosovo) and Belgrade (Serbia) are currently suspended.

The arrival station of this cable car (Жичара Милениумски Крст/Žičara Mileniumski Krst) is located at an altitude of 1,060 m, right next to the summit of Mount Vodno and the Millennium Cross. The surrounding area is furnished with cafes and a viewing platform offering great views of the Skopje region. The gondola is designed to carry bicycles and is closed for maintenance on the first Tuesday of the month. See also "Millennium Cross Cable Car (departure)".

This border crossing is located between the village of Pelince/Пелинце (140 inhabitants), in Northern Macedonia, and the monastery of Prohor Pčinjski/Прохор Пчињски, in Serbia. It is in less frequented than the Tabanovce-Preševo one, on the highway near Kumanovo. But since there are fewer customs officers here, there can be a wait quickly. Running along the Pčinja River, the road passes through beautiful countryside and connects to the Serbian town of Vranje/Врање, 35 km to the northwest.

Located on the E-75 highway, it is the main passage for cars and trucks between Northern Macedonia and Serbia. It lies between the Macedonian village of Tabanovce/Табановце and the Serbian municipality of Preševo/Прешево. The latter has a population of about 59,000, 90% of which are Albanians. Tabanovce, on the other hand, has about 800 inhabitants, of which 36% are Serbs, 29% Macedonians and 26% Albanians. The village has a beautiful abandoned mosque from the late ^sixteenth century.

This border post (Граничен Премин Ќафасан/Graničen Premin Ḱafasan, Vendkalimi Kufitar Qafë Thanë) is the main crossing point between North Macedonia and Albania. We don't recommend using it, as Albanian customs officers are overzealous here. Some cases of theft and corruption have been reported. It's best to cross to the other side of Lake Ohrid, at the Saint-Naum-Tushemisht border crossing, between the Saint-Naum monastery and the town of Pogradec.

Since 2006, the Basse-Normandie region has been involved in the development of the Republic of Macedonia. A cooperation office with bilingual staff was opened in Skopje in order to meet the needs of actors interested in cooperation.

ЈСП/JSP, the Skopje Public Transport Company (Јавно Сообраќајно Претпријатие Скопје/Javno Soobraḱajno Pretprijatie Skopje), operates most of the city's bus routes, including Chinese-made double-decker buses. Tickets can be purchased at JSP kiosks or via the "Skopska" app for smartphones on Google Play and App Store. The network is extensive, with frequent buses and night routes, but the signage is not necessarily well designed for tourists. See also "Macedonia Square bus stop".

This organization (Ј.П. Градски Паркинг) is in charge of parking in Skopje. There are four pricing zones: it's more expensive in the city center, and rates drop the further you go towards the suburbs. Payment is made by SMS to 144 144, sending the zone code and license plate number. Example: A3___FV343VV. Payment is made by credit card and the letter S must be texted at the end of the parking period. JP Gradski Parking also manages several closed parking lots and offers bicycles for hire.

This border crossing is located between the village of Pelince/Пелинце (140 inhabitants), in Northern Macedonia, and the monastery of Prohor Pčinjski/Прохор Пчињски, in Serbia. It's less busy than the Tabanovce-Preševo crossing on the freeway near Kumanovo. But as there are fewer customs officers here, it can quickly become a waiting game. Following the Pčinja river, the road passes through beautiful countryside and connects with the Serbian town of Vranje/Врање, 35 km to the northwest.

This local agency offers short one- to three-day excursions, mainly in Skopje and Ohrid, with English-speaking guides and/or drivers. Some offers are interesting, such as the "2 Day Rural Tour", which includes Lake Prespa and the church of Kurbinovo, as well as Kruševo and the Makedonium. On the whole, however, it's still very urban. Short discovery tours are also available to Kosovo and Albania, or transfers with visits en route to Sofia (Bulgaria), Thessaloniki (Greece), Tirana (Albania) or Pristina (Kosovo).

Built in 1873, this railway station (Железничка Станица/Železnička Stanica) currently has only four connections per day to Skopje. While passenger traffic to Serbia was suspended in 2022, it may resume. In addition, work is underway to connect Kumanovo to Kriva Palenka via Beljakovce (65 km) in 2025. The line should then continue to the Bulgarian network at Gyueševo, just across the border.

Rule Turs/Руле Турс is the largest private bus company in North Macedonia. It has a website (sas.com.mk) with national and international bus connections to and from the Skopje bus station, all companies combined. This page is in Macedonian only, but quite practical. There is an English-language interface for ticket reservations (ruleturs.mk/tickets), but it doesn't work very well. The website sas.com.mk also provides telephone numbers for the country's main bus stations.