FYR of Macedonia Travel Forum

Hi,
I'm planning a trip through the Balkans March 2008 and need info on getting from Belgrade to Skopje.
I'm looking for info on bus and train sevices between the two cities, specifically times, journey duration and most importantly...prices!
Also wondering if I need to make a bus or train reservation in advance of this trip or if I can just buy a ticket in Belgrade when leaving.
Thanks

There are two daytime trains and one overnight train. Journey time in theory is about 8.5 hours, but trains on this line are often delayed. Times can be checked at www.bahn.de , entering "Beograd" for Belgrade.

Buses are more frequent than trains (about a dozen every day) and usually faster, although journey times vary a lot depending on how many intermediate stops there are on a particular route - 7 hours would be typical. Check times at on the Belgrade Bus Station site, in English, using the Serbian spelling (Skoplje with an 'l'):
http://www.bas.co.yu/basweb_eng/redvoznje_1.ASP

Of course you will need to check times again closer to your trip as March is a long way away - there will be roughly the same number of departures but maybe not at exactly the same times.

Unless you are travelling on a particularly busy day there should be no problem buying your ticket when you get to Belgrade, and in fact I think you would find it hard to make an advance reservation anyway.

Neither of these sites give prices. I don't know the price in the direction you asked about, but it's probably not too different from the bus fare from Skopje to Belgrade which is around 17-23 euro. The train should be cheaper than this.

For both Serbia and Macedonia, especially the latter, travelling is easier if you learn to read the Cyrillic alphabet before you arrive.

Hi,

This is the website of the Skopje bus station, also with prices.

http://www.sas.com.mk/en/index.php

Personally, when traveling e.g. from Skopje to Ohrid by bus with more people at once, I buy the ticket a few days in advance if possible, just to avoid unpleasant surprises. Buying a ticket on the day of leaving generally is not a problem however...

Cheers

Let's see what my Jizdenka ( www.jizdenka.cz ) sez about railway prices.

Beograd - Skopje = 44.20 Euro regular (non-discounted price sold outside of ex-Yugo).
Within ex-Yugo (+ Bulgaria + Greece + Romania + Turkiye ) even the one-way price is 30%- 50% off the regular international (TCV) price. Ex-Yugo, Romania and Bulgaria is closer to 50% off, Turkiye and Greece rather 30% off. That yields 22-25 Euro.

BTW: we paid 19 Euro for Thessaloniki - Nish in 2006. Thus I have difficulty to imagine, the Beograd-Skopje ticket would be less, than 20 Euro or more, than 25 Euro.

I'd like to take my bike in the bus or in the train from Belgrade to Skopje (april 2008). What is the best to do? I arrive with my bike in Belgrade trainstation and I prefer to take the nighttrain to Skopje, but is this possible?

I am not sure it is possible by bus. With the train I know, it's a grey area. Officially NOT allowed but VERY much possible and perhaps easier than in bus. You will have to deal with the railroad personal and your task is to present yourself and the bike as neat as possible (+pay the fine, of course or how it is called). The number of chair cars on the night train is fairly limited - if it is full you may need to deal with different sleeping/couchette car attendants.