The queue at Bogorodica started climbing before six

At midnight there were three cars queuing at Bogorodica heading into Greece. Six hours later - twenty-nine. At half past eight the border camera caught two full lanes, lorries on the left and passenger cars on the right, all the way back to the roundabout.

This is neither a record nor a surprise. It is an ordinary August morning at the busiest crossing into Greece, with half of Macedonia on the road to Halkidiki and Pieria.

That same morning, Medzitlija was empty

While Bogorodica filled up, the camera at Medzitlija showed bare asphalt. The peak-hours average from 7 to 12 August is 18.2 vehicles at Bogorodica, 12.7 at Star Dojran and 2.1 at Medzitlija.

The gap looks dramatic, but it has its logic. Medzitlija sits far to the west and makes sense mainly for people setting off from Ohrid, Bitola and the southwest. For someone from Skopje or the Vardar valley, the detour through Bitola usually costs more time than the wait at Bogorodica.

Out in the morning, back in the evening

The measurements show two different pictures depending on direction. Heading into Greece the peak falls between six and nine in the morning, averaging 25 vehicles in the queue. Heading back into Macedonia the peak sits at the opposite end of the day - between six and ten in the evening, averaging 41 vehicles.

Which means the same crossing can be calm when you set off and packed when you return, or the other way round. The hour you leave decides more than the crossing you choose.

How we get the numbers

We measure the state of all three crossings every five minutes, using sensor data and user reports, while the cameras are published by the state roads authority. On the border crossings page you can watch the cameras live, see the waiting time by hour and a seven-day forecast.

Before you set off, it is worth a glance. Five seconds on a screen sometimes saves an hour on the tarmac.