Saturday morning is the worst possible choice

If you're heading for Greece via Bogorodica on a Saturday morning, arm yourself with patience - the wait can top an hour, and in the worst slots an hour and a half. It's no accident: the whole country decides to set off at the same time, the same morning, toward the same sea. Our own measurements at the crossing show it in black and white - weekend mornings toward Greece are the peak of all peaks.

Leave at dawn or wait until the afternoon

The rule is simple. Toward Greece it's calmest before 06:00, while everyone's still asleep, or after 13:00, once the morning rush has cleared. If you can shift your departure by a few hours, you save yourself a whole wait under the sun.

Going home, it's the other way round

On the way back the crowd moves to the afternoon - everyone heads home after packing up post-lunch. For the drive home leave before 12:00 or wait until after 19:00, once the waves of travellers have passed. And if you get to pick the day, Thursday is calmest in both directions - midweek is always emptier than the weekend.

Check before you get in the car

The border isn't the same every hour and every day, so instead of guessing, take a look. Our guide to a holiday in Greece has a live clock from Bogorodica, Medzitlija and Star Dojran - the cameras are on, and next to them sits the typical hour-by-hour pattern. Take a look a minute before you leave, and set off when it's clear, not when everyone else does.