AEROPORT ALEXANDRE LE GRAND (ALEXANDAR VELIKI)

Paris-Skopje. There are no direct flights between France and Macedonia. From Paris, four companies provide weekly connections for Skopje with correspondence in Ljubljana (Adria Airlines), Vienna (Austrian Airlines), Belgrade (JAT) and Budapest (Malev). Other flights are possible through Prague, Zagreb, Zurich, Rome, Milan and Istanbul. But the journey can be long (sometimes more than 12 hours) and expensive (rarely below 300 euros). The most economical is to fly to Thessaloniki, Belgrade or Sofia and complete the bus or train journey to Skopje (from 4 to 6 hours).

From Switzerland and Belgium. Weekly flights from Zurich, directly with MAT and Helvetic Airways, via Ljubljana and Vienna with Swiss and Adria Airways. From Brussels, no direct flights: connections in Budapest, Belgrade, Ljubljana, Prague, Vienna, Zagreb and Zurich with the Adria Airways, Autrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Czech Airlines, JAT, Malev and Swiss airlines. Note that the Macedonian charter company Skywings International sometimes provides direct connections to Brussels-Skopje.

Taxis. The airport is located in Petrovec, about twenty kilometers east of downtown by motorway. At the beginning of 2011, no buses connected him to Skopje. A regular line was scheduled for the summer of 2011. If this is not the case, then taxis must be taken back. Two possibilities: white taxis chartered by the company managing the airport, the price of which is displayed, or private taxis at much more random rates. Coming from Skopje, the best thing is to order a taxi by phone, at 15188 for example. Count about 1,500 MKD (25 €). Be careful, if you take a taxi on the street, ensure that the meter is connected and tell the driver the direction "aerodrom vo Petrovec" and not "aerodrom" only (read below).

Rental vehicles. At the airport, notice offices are found (02 256 1847), Europcar (07 020 5546), Hertz (07 021 7881), Sixt (07 544 8902), Sharr Express (04 435 0902) 380), Inter Ways (02 3062 484) and National (02 311 9019). If you rent your car elsewhere in the country, the tenants of these companies generally accept that you go to the airport. Please note that the airport is very badly indicated from Skopje. On the one hand, we must be suspicious of the signs "Aerodrom Municipality" in Skopje. They actually designate a district of the city located on an old airport. On the other hand, since no sign gives direction to the real airport (!), you must take the motorway towards Athens (!), then after the toll (30 MKD), Veles. It is only at the last moment that the airport is finally indicated…

Duty free. The airport is being expanded with a second terminal planned for 2014. At the moment, there are only two shops in the airport, including one in the boarding area. It is better to avoid shopping, especially in wine, at the time of departure. There are several reasons: the choice is limited, the tariffs are considerably higher than those in the city and, finally, as Macedonia is not part of the Schengen area, a search of cabin baggage is carried out in the event of correspondence in the EU. Therefore, even if your alcohol bottles are sealed in Skopje, they will be refused by customs at the airport of call.