Ohrid practical tips How to get to Ohrid and where to stay in Ohrid?

How to get to Ohrid and where to stay in Ohrid? Is Ohrid safe? Is Ohrid cheap?

In this post, I answer these questions and share even more Ohrid tips and practical information.

Check out this blog post if you still wonder if it’s worth visiting Ohrid and what to do there.

Ohrid basic information

What is the currency in Macedonia?

The currency is the Macedonian denar (MKD), and 1 EUR is around 62 MKD. In part of places they accept also Euro, still it’s good to exchange at least some denars. And it’s good to have cash too.

Is Ohrid cheap?

Well, it’s the most touristic place in Macedonia, gaining more and more popularity in recent years. So it can’t be extremely cheap anymore. However, it’s still one of the most budget friendly countries to visit in Europe, and for sure, for tourists from UK, Western Europe and even Central Europe, it will be visibly cheaper.

Which language do they speak in Macedonia?

The official language in Macedonia is Macedonian. As simple as this. It’s a language from the South Slavic group, so if you know any other Slavic language, you can recognise a few similar words.

Macedonian uses Cyrillic alphabet.

In a few places, for example, Struga, which is quite close to Ohrid you will also hear and see Albanian.

Of course, with many people, you can communicate in English, German, etc.

Is Ohrid safe?

I think it’s quite a common question, I was asked a few times if I felt safe in Ohrid. My answer is yes, absolutely. Of course, as in every touristic (and non-touristic, actually, too) place you have to be cautious. But I honestly felt safer there than in some super famous places, like, let’s say, Barcelona. I’ve been visiting the whole Balkan region for many years now, and I don’t think you should worry more here.

How to get to Ohrid in Macedonia

Fly directly to Ohrid

There is an airport, although the number of direct flights to Ohrid is not that big yet.

You can look at Wizzair, which flies to Ohrid from Vienna, Dortmund, and Malmo. With Polish LOT, you can get from Warsaw or Katowice, and with AirSerbia, from Belgrade.

There are also charters from Amsterdam, Maastricht, or Zurich. I don’t see that any airline would fly directly to Ohrid from the UK at the moment.

How to get from Ohrid Airport to the centre

There is no public transport from the airport to the centre of Ohrid. If you don’t rent a car, you will need to take a taxi. You can also contact your hotel earlier and see if they can organise the transport.

Taxis are not expensive, so you can use them more during your stay. Ask about the price before the drive. From the airport to the centre, it should cost around 12 Euro. Here you can check prices to different places.

And here you can review information regarding renting a car.

Fly to Skopje and bus

The number of flights to Skopje is obviously bigger than to Ohrid. Look at Wizzair, as you can get to Skopje from London and many other European airports. Also Easyjet, Lufthansa, or SAS. You can have a look at the timetable and airlines here.

How to get from Skopje Airport to the centre

There is a public bus from the the airport, you can check timetable here, and all the information here. The bus doesn’t go too often, so you can also take a taxi, which should cost around 25 Euro. Here details.

In that case, it should be around 20-25 minutes drive.

Is Ohrid far from Skopje?

It’s around 170 km, 3-4 hours by bus. The price depends on the day or the company; generally is costs around 15 Euro. The websites of stations or companies are not the best, so you can check this website to see the timetable and buy tickets.

Bus stations both in Skopje and Ohrid are a bit further from the centres, it will be most comfortable if you take a taxi.

Fly to Tirana and bus

In recent years, number of flights to Tirana has increased. As a result, you can land in Tirana and take a bus to Ohrid. It takes around 3 hours.

Where to stay in Ohrid

In Ohrid town itself, there are mainly guesthouses and ‘villas’ as accommodation options. Larger hotels are already outside the Old Town, or in the villages around the lake.

I can recommend one place. It was new, clean with modern design and swimming pool. The owners were nice and helpful, and most importantly, it had wonderful views of the lake.

The villa is located right below the fortress, so you have to climb a bit when coming from the port or the centre, but it’s absolutely worth it (and the effort is not really big!). I can see that the price of this accommodation has increased, and it is not such a ‘typical’ Macedonian price. But the standard is also a bit higher than in many places. I’m posting it here because the place is just great: Villa Fortezza.

Where to eat in Ohrid

Macedonian cuisine is interesting and rich. It would have to be a whole separate article about it to show what to eat when visiting Ohrid. The good thing is that you can try a lot of different local foods and restaurants, as the prices are not that scary. In Ohrid I would like to recommend one restaurant. It’s on the way from the port to Kaneo and is called Kaj Kanevche. During my stay of several days, I came back here a few times, delicious food, great views, atmospheric and traditional.

I guess from practical information, that’s it. Or is there anything else that you wonder about? If yes, you can let me know in the comments or via email. As you can see, there is nothing to worry about when it comes to a trip to Macedonia.

Ohrid is absolutely amazing and so worth visiting. Here are details describing why and tips about what to do in Ohrid.