The end of the long weekend filled the roads, and the biggest jam is exactly where it was expected - at the Evzoni-Bogorodica border crossing, heading from Greece into Macedonia. According to reports from the ground, the wait to enter the country runs to more than two and a half hours, with the queue on the Greek side stretching from the toll booth all the way to the crossing itself.

In the opposite direction, from Macedonia into Greece, vehicles are moving through faster. That is the logic of every return wave - leaving is always simpler than coming back.

The situation is similar at the Dojran crossing. The shortest delay, according to reports from the ground, is at Medzhitlija - about ten minutes to enter Macedonia. If you have a choice and the patience for the longer road, that number speaks for itself.

How many people crossed

The Interior Ministry published figures for the past 24 hours. At Dojran, 2,876 Macedonian citizens entered the country and 1,181 left. Among foreign nationals, 1,593 entered and 908 left.

At Bogorodica the numbers are larger: 2,040 Macedonian and as many as 7,632 foreign nationals entered, while 3,116 Macedonian and 4,280 foreign nationals left.

The ministry says it is taking all necessary measures and that all human and technical capacity has been deployed to speed up the flow. The Automobile Association reports heavier than usual traffic outside urban areas.

Where the holdup actually forms

This is the detail worth knowing before you set off. On the Macedonian side at Bogorodica no significant delay has been reported - the bulk of the backup builds on the Greek side, before the entry into Macedonia. So the hours you spend waiting are not being spent at our counters.

Alongside Macedonian plates, the queue holds cars from Serbia, Hungary and Germany. Three consecutive days off for the Assumption holiday produced a predictable result.

There is congestion inland too - at the toll stations and on the Ohrid-Skopje route, especially on the approach to Gostivar.

Anyone driving back tonight should count on a longer trip. The school year starts in two days, which means this wave neither began nor ended today.