The three crossings are not the same at the same moment

On 27 July at 16:53, the cameras at the three border crossings into Greece showed three different pictures. At Bogorodica, lines of trucks were waiting. At Medzitlija there was almost nothing. At Star Dojran traffic moved normally. That is the whole point of checking before you leave: the queue is not the same everywhere, and it changes from hour to hour.

That is exactly why we put all three cameras in one place on Metla. Not to tell you there is a queue, but so you can see for yourself, at the moment you set off.

The mandatory equipment and the fines that cost the most

The second half of the preparation happens at home, not at the border. An international driving licence is mandatory alongside the Macedonian one, and without it the fine in Greece goes up to 300 euros. The green card is mandatory international insurance and you must carry the original.

The rest is equipment in the vehicle. A warning triangle and a first-aid kit carry a fine of 40 to 80 euros if missing. A fire extinguisher, at least one in working order, is a fine of 80 euros. None of these figures is high on its own, but taken together they add up to more than the price of a night's stay.

A crowd forecast, seven days ahead

Besides the live cameras, the Greece guide also carries a forecast of border congestion seven days ahead. If you can move your departure by a few hours or by a day, that is the difference between a quiet crossing and waiting in a queue.