Getting to Greece

Best options considering insurance etc.

 
 
 
 
 
 
mtravel
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Location: Legnano, Italy
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My Motorhome: Carthago Malibu 600DB
Base Vehicle: FIat Ducato 2.3 140CV
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Re: Getting to Greece

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Posted: 25.03.2023  ·  #41
For those who (as I will do) want to go to Greece by land crossing Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and North Macedonia in sequence, a good site from which to get information on the routes is https://www.autobahn.com.de/en/ .
Among those I know, I checked some countries and the information seems to me quite accurate and reliable.

If you do not plan to visit Ljubljana (capital of Slovenia and quite north-east) you can avoid buying the Slovenian vignette by following the no-toll route Monfalcone - Padriciano - Basovizza - Pesek (I-SLO border) - Kozina - Podgrad - Rupa (SLO-HR border ).
Remember that the Slovenian vignette (which can be purchased for a week or a month) is valid for vehicles under 3.5tons.
Beyond this weight you must equip yourself with the DarsGo ( https://www.darsgo.si/portal/en/home ).

Have a happy journey, Max


mtravel
Love's the Craic
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Gender:
Location: Legnano, Italy
Age: 70
Posts: 192
Registered: 02 / 2020
My Motorhome: Carthago Malibu 600DB
Base Vehicle: FIat Ducato 2.3 140CV
Subject:

Re: Getting to Greece

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Posted: 12.10.2023  ·  #42
Having recently returned from Greece, I resurrect this post with some information on our land route to reach it from Italy.

From Italy (Gorizia area) in any case you must first cross Slovenia and then Croatia.
Then there are two possible routes, the first through Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania, the second through Serbia and North Macedonia.
We choose the second.
For two reasons, we wanted to visit something in Belgrade (especially the great Church of St. Sava).
And because our insurance does not cover Albania and the Serbian region of Kosovo (also critical due to political/religious disputes) and given the shortness of the visits it made no sense to buy a local one.

Of the countries we crossed we made short visits to the capitals Ljubljana, Zagreb and Belgrade, due perhaps sto a state visit, we were unable to do the same in Skopje.
However, all of them are well described by tourist guides and official sites, so I won't dwell on descriptions of their heritage.

In practice, from at least Strasbourg (F) to the border between North Macedonia and Greece (Evzoni) you run on a good if not excellent motorway.
The Slovenian electronic vignette (effectively vehicle registration, category and license) can be bought at the FRATTA service on the Italian A4 motorway.
After that, leave the A4 at Villesse/Gorizia exit and Italy at the Vrtojba border (just after Gorizia) and proceed in the direction of Ljubljana.

Excellent rest area at the Park&ride Stanežiče (GPS 46.10710, 14.44665, 10€/24h EHU included).
Bus 1 or N1 takes you to the center, electronic ticket on a kind of rechargeable debit card at the station where you paid for the parking.
Beautiful city with a very Central European character and crossed by the Ljubljanica river. It's worth a day's visit, we didn't go up to the fortress.

Then highway to Zagreb (at the Bregana border we were weighed, pay attention to your grossweight/payload).
In Croatia manned toll gates, you pay in euros or major credit cards (No Amex and Diner's).
Wild camping is strictly prohibited in Croatia. You can only use campsites, authorized areas or some tavern/restaurant that accepts you.
In Zagreb we stayed at Camping/Motel Plitvice (GPS 45.77407, 15.87752).
Far from the center, you can go there by bus but, between walking to the stop and the route, expect almost two hours.
We went to the center with the camper but it is a small six meter van.
Camping quite obsolete, it has certainly enjoyed better times but for one night it's fine.

Transfer to Belgrade, tolls paid in Serbian dinars or credit cards, they accept euros with a slight increase in price.
Night at Camping Center Belgrade area (GPS 44.81780, 20.50363).
Despite the name it is not a campsite but a normal stopover with services (toilet, shower, water taps, EHU but not for all pitches).
Not very suitable for motorhomes over seven metres. At the exit bus 35 for Trg Republike (Republic Square).
Complicated payment system (smartphone, sms, credit card or bank account), instructions only in Cyrillic.
We went and returned without a ticket, they told us that no one checks. Smile...

Belgrade-Skopje
In North Macedonia at toll gates (manned) you may pay in Macedonian dinars or credit cards, they accept euros with a slight increase in price.
In Skopje we slept at Camping Bellevue (GPS 41.99593, 21.55044). The same notes apply as the one in Zagreb.
I had a parking lot at the Holiday Inn hotel (GPS 41.99486, 21.43673). 5€/24h but we couldn't get there, streets closed by the police as soon as we approached them.

Skopje-Evxzoni (GR).
Just routine, no particular note except that diesel costs much less in Macedonia.
Refueled to the last drop just before the border.

Max


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