Getting around North Macedonia: trains, buses, driving and domestic flights

The table below is a planning shortcut, not a rulebook. Passport column: EU, UK, US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand passports enter visa-free for short stays, so transport is the only variable — check your own entry rules before booking. Month column: July and August are the pinch point on the Ohrid corridor, when buses fill and the motorway is busiest; May, June, September and October are easier. Cost column: what a typical traveller pays per person for the main legs.

Start with the bus. Skopje's main bus station sits next to the train station, a short taxi ride from the centre, and it is where almost every intercity route begins. Skopje to Ohrid takes 3–3 h 30 and costs MKD 600–900 one way; Skopje to Bitola is about 3 h at a similar fare. In summer, Ohrid services sell out, so buy the day before at the station rather than turning up on the morning. Expect a small fee, around MKD 50, to put a bag in the hold.

Use the train only where it fits. MŽ Transport runs Skopje to Bitola in about 4 h for MKD 200–400 — cheap and scenic, but slow and infrequent, and there is no line to Ohrid at all. Timetables change without much notice, so check the day before you travel.

Hire a car if your list goes beyond Skopje, Ohrid and Bitola. Rates run €25–50 a day plus tolls, and the Skopje – Ohrid run is 2 h 30 via the motorway and the Kičevo road. A car is the practical way to reach Stobi, the Tikveš wineries, Mavrovo, Kratovo and Prespa, where buses are few and slow. If you plan to cross into Albania or Kosovo, you need Green Card insurance — confirm the firm provides it before you sign.

For groups, a shared or private driver costs €60–100 for the car on Skopje – Ohrid, roughly the same time as driving yourself, and is worth it if you want to stop at Matka or Mavrovo on the way. Book through your hotel.

Inside cities, taxis are cheap and metered: flagfall about MKD 40–60 plus MKD 40–50 a kilometre, so a Skopje centre trip is 10–20 minutes and a small fare. Ask your host for a firm name. Airport taxis set higher fixed fares, so agree the price before you get in.

There are no scheduled domestic flights. The country is too small for them, and Ohrid's airport handles international seasonal services rather than internal routes.

Buses are the backbone, but not every town is served well. Kratovo, Kruševo, Brajčino and Prespa reward a car or a driver, and some routes run only once or twice a day. If a place matters to you, check the return leg before you go, not after you arrive.

Roads are generally fine on the main corridors and slower on mountain routes; winter snow can close higher passes, so build slack into any winter drive. Tolls apply on the motorway.

Tap water is generally safe in towns, and bottled water is cheap if you prefer it. Public toilets are few and sometimes paid, around MKD 20–30; cafés and restaurants let customers use theirs. Museums often close on Monday and keep shorter hours in winter, which matters if you are timing a car day around a specific sight.

Tipping is small: round up in cafés and taxis, about 10% in restaurants for good service, and €5–10 a day per person for a guide or driver.