Transportation in North Macedonia - (2019 INFO)
The country can’t be awarded for being the easiest place to get around or having useful official tourist informations about the transportation in North Macedonia.
The best and cheapest way to explore North Macedonia is by hiring a car or a van (for a bigger group) and doing a road trip with Skopje being the starting point. There are also daily buses connecting the capital with the rest of the country.
North Macedonia is a land of beautiful mountains where you can hike, lakes where you can swim and remotely located monasteries where you can discover millennia old culture and traditions. However, the biggest problem that a solo budget traveler is experiencing is arranging transportations to these locations.
Even for locals is impossible to let’s say find local transportation from Mavrovo (Heart of the Bistra National park) to the starting point of the Korab waterfall trail. By using the local transportation you can only get from city to city and will end up missing out on all the beauty that is along the road. Alternatively, you will need to hire a taxi in the city/town centers to take you to these places but that will cost a fortune.
Transportation in North Macedonia - (2019 INFO)
The transportation in North Macedonia will change in the upcoming years since more and more travelers are showing interest in this landlocked country, coming here for an amazing multi day or one day treks, fishing, religious tours or even for cheap delicious foods and drinks.
Car Hire in North Macedonia
Renting a car in North Macedonia is still pretty inexpensive. Most roads are perfectly doable with let’s say a small WV (or anything similar). The cost of a rental car can be as low as 24Euro/day in low season, and up to 29Euro/day in high season. The price for gas is more or less the same as anywhere else in Eastern Europe, currently it is 1Euro per liter for Diesel - most cars in the country run on this fuel.
Visit ABC Rental company and get a discount if staying in one of our apartments.
Van Hire in North Macedonia - With or Without driver
Hiring a van is by far the best transportation option in North Macedonia for bigger groups. We would recommend hiring a van with a driver to show you all the beauties of this small Balkan country without the hustle of constant navigation and finding the way.
Hiring a driver in North Macedonia
Having a personal driver is the most comfortable way of transportation in North Macedonia. The prices for this service are relatively still low in comparison to the rest of Eastern Europe. Not to mention the prices for a driver hire in the Western part of the European Union. All drivers we work with are completely reliable, open for tailor made trips, speak good or average English and knowledgeable about the country. The price per day with their car is set by your desired destination.
Driver Macedonia is our recommended company for this type of transportation in North Macedonia - Check their website here
Multi day tours around North Macedonia & Day trips starting from Skopje
Since starting our family business of renting apartments in Skopje, me and my wife were thinking how to make the trip of ur guests to North Macedonia more fulfilling and enjoyable. From June of 2018 we started offering multi-day and one-day trips around the country with starting point from Skopje. So far we had only good times and a lot of memorable experience with our guests.
If you are willing to go on a day trip from Skopje and see the best of North Macedonia with us, visit this page.
Transportation in North Macedonia by using the local buses
Buses in North Macedonia usually depart on time from their starting point, but the arrival is not always on time. That means you can not rely on the accuracy of the time tables provided by the bus company, especially when having a connecting transportation.
In order to book your bus journey you always have to visit the bus station and purchase your ticket in advance. The online booking system doesn’t exists in North Macedonia.
If you would like to visit some remote town or village in the country you can find a bus line from the local bus station in the city that you are in, but don’t expect much multi language skills from the person working on the counter or a bus that is from this century. The buses in smaller towns are usually dating from the times of young Yugoslavia.
The bus line operating between Skopje and Ohrid is the most frequent and modern one.
If you need more info about that connection, check out our blog post on - Skopje to Ohrid by Bus (2019 Timetable & Price list Included).
Taxis at the Bus Stations
Always be cautious when getting into a cab that is waiting for passengers at the a bus station in North Macedonia. Usually they are not licensed (called “Wild Cabs” in North Macedonia) and hunting for first-timers in the country so they can overcharge them.
For example, if you are traveling from the Skopje bus station to our apartment, you should not pay more that 150-200MKD. However, most of the unregistered these cabs will charge you from 300/400MKD up to 1200MKD (20Euro). Check some of the local taxi companies in Skopje here, and always make sure the taxi has a radio station and taxi meter, plus it has the company logo on the top of the vehicle.
Train as transportation in North Macedonia
Trains in the country are super slow and locals rarely use them as means of transportation. The only one that is being constantly used, mostly by students, is the one connecting Skopje to Veles. The ride itself is pretty picturesque in good weather so it worths a day trip.
If you would like to travel from Skopje to Belgrade by train, be prepared for a very long trip for the same amount of money that you will pay if you are traveling by bus.
Private transfers in and out of North Macedonia
Private transfer is also a very popular way of transportation in North Macedonia because of the relatively low prices.
We offer transfer from and to Skopje Airport, as well as to Ohrid and some other cities in Skopje.
If you choose us as your driver and would like to get some insider travel tips about North Macedonia during the drive contact us here.
Very popular destinations from Skopje with affordable prices besides Skopje Airport and Ohrid are: Pristina, Belgrade, Sofia & Thessaloniki.
Check “Driver Macedonia” price list here.
If you have any questions regarding transportation in North Macedonia or getting in/out of the country please check out our Facebook Group.
You can also post a question to see if someone wants to share a car/driver/tour/ride/expense with you on a certain date.