My sweetie and I are going to wedding in September in a small village about forty miles from Skopje. Getting there seems quite expensive and we're trying to figure out the best route, moneywise. I was
My sweetie and I are going to wedding in September in a small village about forty miles from Skopje. Getting there seems quite expensive and we're trying to figure out the best route, moneywise. I was quite frustrated that the EuroRail site basically seems to skip over Macedonia (FYROM). It isn't mentioned in the text and only one route map indicates a stop in Skopje with no information as to how to book or when the trains run.
We're thinking maybe it would be cheaper to get a flight into a large city such as London, Amsterdam, Budapest or Prague,then getting onto a smaller airline. I'm looking into the Macedonian airline and into Sky Europe as possibilities for the latter, but have no idea what the larger destination should be. Does anyone know what might be the best bet for a Boston to ????? flight in early September? It's unfortunate the wedding is September 12 because a three week wait would put us into the cheaper season but we don't expect the bride and groom to arrange their wedding date to accomodate us.
Thank you to anyone who has anything to say on this topic.
Feel free to make suggestions for activities once we're there. Except for drinking beer--our hosts seem to have that one covered pretty well. I'm interested in farming, beekeeping and the like. My husband's an accountant and yes, they really are pretty obsessive and compulsive. Nice, though.
My recommendation from Boston would be to fly to any of the cities you listed and then transfer. The two major carriers with interest in Macedonia are Lufthansa and the Swiss airline (whatever it is called), and I have hubbed through both Frankfurt and Zurich to Skopje. Those big airlines oversee the little birds that actually fly to the country. I've only been to Skopje and there's not much there -- see the Turkish quarter -- but on my next trip I'm planning a trip to Ohrid, which is supposed to be the most beautiful place in the country. Good luck, and hope this helps!
I should have written this much sooner. Thank you, Carla, for your good advice. We did, indeed, get to Macedonia and had at terrific time. The wedding was the most joyful thing I've ever seen, the Macedonian people warm and welcoming, the food fresh and seasonal. We flew SwissAir (my, that was nice!) to Zurich, then MAT (the Macedonian airline) to Skopje. The 40 mile trip to Probistip took about two hours. We spent a week in Ochrid and it is, indeed, lovely. The hotels are very expensive. Families go to the bus station and wait for riders to disembark, then rent them rooms in their apartments. It's a real cottage industry. We stayed with a wonderful family. Lake Ochrid is crystal clear. The local markets and Skopje's Turkish bazaar are interesting. What a wonderful country is Macedonia! I cannot wait to go back and want to explore the rest of eastern Europe.
I can see that the last post is a long time ago, almost 3 years. :( :( :(
I can help on providing some links with information on how to get to Macedonia
http://airports.com.mk is the web site of the 2 main airports in Macedonia - Skopje and Ohrid. have in mind that local names are Alexander the Great and St. Paul the Apostle. Be aware that connection to local cities is not available - only wil taxi drivers that can easiliy rob you (charge you more than real). Usually should cost 10eur / 600mkd in one direction.
I can see that some of you really had a great time in Macedonia despite some things that are more Balkan that european - but that just the way it is in the Balkans everywhere.
The country has some places that are MUST SEE'S like: Ohrid Lake, Ohrid old town, Vevcani, remains of Via Egnatia road, the stone columns of Kratovo/Kuklica, the ancient observatory Kokino, the Matka canyon, the Demir Kapija canyon and wineyards and the ski-resort: Popova Sapka, Mavrovo and Kozuf.
If anyone goes to Macedonia I must inform that the inclusion of the word FYROM is a bad and negative thing to include in any communication. People can be very sensitive.
In addition i provide you a Macedonian tourism portal, which I think it might be of help. http://travel2macedonia.com.mk
I highly recommend a trip over to Ohrid. It is so amazing and was one of my favorite stops during my trip to Macedonia this summer. The lake is beautiful and the small town of Ohrid is fun -- built on a side of a hill with quite a bit of history. There are also quite a few other places to see in and around the lake. Make sure you head down to the south side of the lake and visit The Saint Naum Monastery.
