Organize your stay Northern Macedonia
Money Northern Macedonia
The local currency is the Macedonian denar: Македонски Денар/Makedonski Denar in Macedonian, Denari Maqedonas in Albanian, Makedon Dinarı in Turkish. It is abbreviated MKD or Ден/Den. In 2024, €1 was worth 61.58 MKD. The exchange rate varies, but remains fairly stable. This means that with 1,000 MKD, you have roughly the equivalent of €16. The most commonly used banknotes are those of 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000 MKD. There are also MKD 5,000 and 10,000 banknotes and MKD 1, 2, 5, 10 and 50 coins.
Budget & Tips Northern Macedonia
Plan on a budget of less than €100 per day for two if you're thrifty, and around €200 if you opt for a more upmarket vacation. For meals, allow around €45 per day for two people, eating out only (no alcohol). You can reduce this by two or three by eating on the go (pita, burek, ćevapi...) and buying victuals in the markets. There are also wide variations on accommodation: €20-40 for two sleeping in a youth hostel or guesthouse, €40-70 in family-run hotels, €70-100 in good classic hotels and over €100 if you want to treat yourself. For transport, if you rent a city car, count €30-45 per day between rental fees and fuel, if you use only the bus and cab, count €20-30 for two people per day. For visits, museums are not expensive (1-2 €), but allow 5-25 € per person for wine tastings and 40-100 € per day for the services of a mountain guide.
Passport and visas Northern Macedonia
European Union nationals can enter the country with a valid passport or national identity card for a stay not exceeding 90 days.
Driver's license Northern Macedonia
French and EU national driving licenses are accepted. If you are bringing your own vehicle, an international green card is required on entering the country. Car rental conditions are the same as in France and the EU. However, you may pick up your rental car in another country (usually at Thessaloniki airport in Greece). In this case, you'll need to pay an additional insurance fee to enter North Macedonia (usually called "Skopia" in Greek). Tip: if you pay with a "credit" card (and not just a "debit" card), these fees will be considerably reduced.
Health Northern Macedonia
Drinking water poses no risk. If the health care system isn't up to scratch, it's still fine. However, it's best to avoid any problems while you're there. Here's what the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends: "Northern Macedonia is not a member of the European Union, and the European health insurance card is not valid there. It is strongly recommended that you take out insurance in France to cover medical expenses and repatriation costs, as the latter can be very high, albeit of mediocre quality."
Mandatory vaccination Northern Macedonia
No specific vaccinations are required. But here's what the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs has to say: "It is recommended to be up to date with diphtheria-tetanus-poliomyelitis (DTP) and measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccinations. In all cases, seek the advice of your GP or a travel advice center. Preventive vaccination against hepatitis A and B may also be advisable, as may vaccination against typhoid fever or meningococcal disease, depending on the length and conditions of your stay. "
Security Northern Macedonia
Delinquency is low. However, beware of pickpocketing in tourist areas and bus stations in Ohrid and Skopje. There are three main types of risk. Firstly, traffic, mainly due to the state of the roads: avoid driving at night to avoid being surprised by potholes, for example. Then there are the risks associated with earthquakes. Major earthquakes are currently rare in the region, but several of the country's cities were destroyed by earthquakes in the last century (Skopje in 1963, Debar in 1967...). In the event of a tremor, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises: "Stay calm. Do not stand. Indoors: take shelter under a solid piece of furniture or at the foot of a solid piece of furniture, get into a safe position (curled up on the floor), move away from windows, if possible hold on to something fixed, and wait for the tremors to stop. Outdoors: move away from buildings, power lines and trees, protect your head, watch out for falling rubble, chimneys, etc. In vehicles: clear the road, stop in a suitable place away from power lines, bridges, footbridges, tunnels, underground passages, do not use your vehicle except in an extreme emergency, unless instructed to do so by emergency officials, do not try to get out of your vehicle if power cables have fallen on it, wait for help, leave the way clear for rescue and emergency vehicles." Finally, the third risk is World War I munitions. Along the border with Greece, many areas have not been completely secured: on the shores of Lake Prespa and Bitola, in the Galičica and Pelister national parks and around Gevgelija and Lake Dojran. In all these areas, it is advisable not to stray from the marked trails, or to use the services of professional guides. Finally, the border region with Kosovo is a smuggling zone, with all kinds of trafficking and police patrols. That said, in this same area, the risks associated with armed Albanian independence movements now seem to have disappeared.
Time difference Northern Macedonia
No time difference with mainland France, Switzerland and Belgium (same time zone). However, as North Macedonia lies much further east, the sun rises and sets earlier. Take this into account to avoid driving at night and plan your day.
Spoken languages Northern Macedonia
There are four official languages in North Macedonia. Macedonian (closely related to Bulgarian and Bosnian-Serbian-Croatian) is the first official national language. It is spoken by almost the entire population. Albanian is the second official national language. It is spoken or understood by around 35% of the population. Turkish and Romani are local official languages. The most frequently spoken foreign languages are Bosnian-Serbo-Croatian, English, German and Italian. French speakers are rare. The language of tourism (English) is not always well mastered by... tourism professionals. Ready-made formulas in English are therefore of very limited use here, especially in villages and towns with few tourists. We strongly recommend that you prepare two minilexicons in Macedonian and Albanian, with around twenty key words and formulas (or buy small dictionaries). In the "Key words" section, we give you some useful words in the four official languages. In our experience, a "hello" and a "thank you" in local languages often make all the difference in contacts with the locals. Conversely, speaking only in English can be perceived as a lack of respect.
Communication Northern Macedonia
In some rural or mountainous areas, your cell phone will be inoperable. But on most roads, you'll have a good network. As far as the Internet is concerned, Wifi is available free of charge in all our accommodation, with one or two exceptions. This is also often the case in cafés and restaurants.
Electricity and measurements Northern Macedonia
Electrical outlets are Schuko or F-type, as in most of Europe. They are different from those in France, Belgium and Switzerland. But they accept "our" electrical appliances. No need for an adapter, then. Otherwise, North Macedonia follows the metric system and the unit of temperature is the degree Celsius.
Luggage Northern Macedonia
In summer, it's very hot, but sometimes chilly in the evenings in the valleys and near rivers. You'll need light clothing, a single layer of wool, mosquito repellent, sun cream, a hat and a water bottle. And don't forget your swimsuit for the lakes and pools. If you don't want to be caught unprepared, bring a raincoat in case of storms. In spring and autumn, you'll need warmer clothes, and a raincoat becomes indispensable. As for winter, which lasts from November to April in mountainous areas, you'll need warm clothes, gloves, a hat, a scarf and even après-ski. All year round, don't forget to take along good shoes that will allow you to walk in towns as well as on hiking trails. A headlamp can also be useful for exploring certain caves, churches and fortress nooks and crannies.
