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 Alexander the Great Airport,
Skopje by antistar
The Greeks get all upset about Macedonia's name, force them to use the ridiculous title of Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYRM), and make life as difficult as they can for the new nation. They refuse to ratify Macedonia's accession to the EU unless the "naming issue" is resolved.
The Macedonians happily share Mother Teresa with Albania and Kosovo, even though they are Muslim nations and she was born in Skopje. But she was ethnic Albanian, so who cares. Everyone associates Alexander the Great with Greece and Macedonia, so who cares if this tiny nation steals a little of that glory. It's not like Greece hasn't got plenty of history already. Share it about a bit and stop being so petty. Or we'll keep the Elgin marbles (just kidding).
Anyway...Skopje's newly ordained Alexander the Great airport is totally unbefitting of such a great man. It's tiny. It's setting, however, is fantastic, and really dramatic when the storm clouds roll in. I snapped a picture of the sleek Alitalia Embraer on the tarmac and it looks great with the mountainous backdrop and the broody, bruising clouds on the horizon.
As the airport is small, not that many airlines serve it. There's a host of former East European airlines that fly here, like Hungary's Malev and Czech Airlines. All the main Balkan airlines fly here too, as do Austrian Airlines and Alitalia. Macedonia's flag carrier, MAT Airlines, flies to most of the major destinations.
Getting to and from the airport is by taxi only, and this should cost you no more than about 15 euros. Heading from the airport such a price is apparently difficult, as the taxi drivers seek to overcharge you. Ask your hotel to send a taxi to pick you up. Getting to the airport by taxi is less problematic. Leave a Comment
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 by Manara
It is important to remember this when you plan the timing of your outbound flights. In fact the locals repeated to us that it was not necessary to get there very early "The airport is small, you'll get through check-in and control in no time!".
Maybe it was that particular day, or maybe it was a time of the day with many flights, but when we got to the airport we found a big crowd at the check-in and at the security check, so we made it just on time.
So if you fly to and from Skopje, remember it is an airport with serious traffic. Leave a Comment
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I suggest a plane, even though train is a possibility. There's a daily train leaving from Ljubljana at about 9:00 pm, or something like that, and that arrives here the following day at about 4:00 pm. But it is tiring, and the trains aren't the cleanest things you'd see... :-) So, stick with the plane or maybe if you're driving through Europe - your own car.
Buses... there are buses coming from Belgrade and also from Sofia (Bulgaria) - daily. Leave a Comment Theme: Airplane
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 Petrovec Airport -- Skopje by shrimp56Leave a Comment Theme: Airplane
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 Swiss from Chicago by shrimp56
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Note: If you are flying MAT/Swiss combination FROM Skopje you get your MAT boarding pass in the usual line then go to a special window to get your onward Swiss boarding pass. Leave a Comment Theme: Airplane
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In addition to the airlines others have mentioned, Skopje is now served by the extensive and efficient Czech Airlines network, via Prague. They don't fly every day but prices can be quite reasonable; for example London - Skopje around $330 return (everything included) in summer 2005. Theme: Airplane
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Kosovo makes an interesting day trip from Skopje, but it's a bit of an adventure, and there's not a great deal of information available on how to get there and back. One of the most interesting routes is on the train, but you can't buy a ticket to Pristina at Skopje railway station. Instead they will sell you a ticket to the border, for about a couple of hundred Denar. Then when you cross to the other side, you will have to buy another ticket to get to Pristina. This costs 2.50 euros. Make sure you have enough euros for your trip, as this is the currency of Kosovo currently.
There are only a couple of trains a day, and they don't run at convenient times. You can find timetables in the link below. If you take the 9.38 one, you'll have 45 minutes to see Pristina before the last train leaves (it's the same one you came in on). Other than that you'll have to find where the bus station is and hope to get one back (there's scant information on buses), take a taxi (about 40 euros), or stay the night.
If you do take the train, you'll end up with a piece of curious memorabilia: a ticket stub of the newly inaugurated Kosovo Railways. There's also some stunning scenery en route, as you trundle through the mountains and onto the plains of Kosovo on the other side. You can enjoy the clapped out old carriages, with doors flapping open, and the company of the incredibly friendly Kosovan Albanians, who will probably sing Turkish songs and invite you to their home (that was my experience). Leave a Comment
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The bus situation in Skopje is a little confusing, but here's a rough guide:
1. If you are coming in from another city in Macedonia, you will almost certainly be dropped off at the New Intercity Bus Station next to the modern train station.
2. Buses to Tetovo go from a car park like bus station across the Old Stone Bridge and underneath the Kale on the north side of the river.
3. International buses usually go from the car park in front of the Holiday Inn on the south bank of the river.
The main bus station (1.) is actually pretty big and busy. You can buy tickets, exchange money, pick up a burek, etc. The other two are barely recognisable as bus stations, and more like dusty parking lots. Leave a Comment
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Skopje has a limited train service, and it runs from its sad and dishevelled "modern" train station. When you see pictures of Skopje's fine old train station before it was destroyed, the dark, miserable, shambolic corridors of its new one are a real shame. Still, tickets are cheap, and the railway does offer some interesting connections, for example you can take the UN run train to Pristina. See Kosovo tip for information on how to get to Pristina.
Local destinations include Bitola and Kocani (of Kocani Orkestar fame). International departures include Pristina in UN Mission in Kosovo (about 3 hours) and Thesalonika (about 4 hours). Leave a Comment
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 by Yiannis2000
There are toll road fees of 1-3 euros every 50+ kms, cheaper if you hold slavomacedonian currency- dinars. Leave a Comment Theme: Car/Motor Home
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Get cheap flights to Skopje. Airports in the area include Skopje (SKP). When you fly to Skopje you can take in Skopsko Kale/Kale Fortress, Kameni Most/The Old Stone Bridge, Old Bazaar/Carsija, Skopje Views, Walking Around, Sveti Kliment Ohridski, Mustapha Pasha mosque/jamija, Mother Teresa, National Gallery of Art/Daut Pasha amam and Sveti Spas. Check flights to Skopje when you want to visit these nearby places: Suto Orizari, Vodno, Markova Susica and Matka.
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