If you are setting off for Greece this morning, you probably already know it - at „Bogorodica“ the wait is around two hours to leave the country. The summer season has had its say, and queues are lining up again at the southern border. At the northern crossing „Tabanovce“ the situation is bearable: around 30 minutes to enter the country. At all the other crossings, the Auto-Moto Association says, there are no longer holdups.

Two hours at „Bogorodica“ is by now a familiar summer picture - every summer the same story, every summer the same wait, and every summer the surprise as if it were the first time. Traffic on the state roads otherwise flows without interruption on dry lanes, but the frequency outside the cities is noticeably higher, which means one thing: half the country is on the road to the sea.

The AMSM also issues a special appeal for careful driving and strict respect for road signs. The reason is not a formality - on stretches passing through cuttings and gorges there is a constant danger of rockfall. Particular attention is asked on the Katlanovo - Veles, Mavrovo - Debar - Struga, Vinica - Berovo and Kočani - Delčevo routes.

Advice for those just setting off: plan your departure earlier or later, outside the peak, bring water and patience. Two hours at the border will not vanish because of an appeal, but at least it will not catch you off guard. Summer in the Balkans has always been measured both in kilometres and in hours of waiting at the exit counter.