Touching down at Skopje International Airport (SKP) is the easy part. The next half hour — finding your rental, getting on the right road, and driving into the city — is where a little local knowledge saves you time and stress. Here is everything you need to know about your first 30 minutes on the ground.
Picking up your car
Skopje Airport is small and refreshingly simple to navigate. After you clear passport control and collect your luggage, the arrivals hall opens straight onto the car park. With Superstar Rent A Car, your vehicle is delivered to the airport and ready when you land — no shuttle buses, no off-site depots, and no deposit to leave behind.
Before you drive off, take two minutes to do a quick walk-around of the car, check the fuel level, and make sure you have the rental documents and Green Card in the glovebox. Your Green Card is included with every Superstar rental — more on why that matters below.
The road into Skopje
The airport sits about 20 to 25 kilometres east of the city centre, near the town of Petrovec. The drive is straightforward: follow signs for Skopje and join the A1/M-1 motorway heading west. In normal traffic, the journey takes around 20–30 minutes.
- The route is almost entirely motorway and well signposted in both Macedonian (Cyrillic) and Latin script.
- Speed limits are 120 km/h on the motorway and 50 km/h once you enter the city.
- There are 1 toll booths between the airport and Skopje itself.
What to know before you pull away
A few quick local notes make the drive smoother:
- Headlights: In North Macedonia you do not need daytime headlights on, but keep them handy for tunnels.
- Seatbelts are mandatory for all passengers, and using a phone without a hands-free kit is fined.
- Fuel is widely available; you will pass several stations on the A1 if you need to top up.
- Parking in the centre is mostly paid and zoned — look for the blue-lined bays and pay by meter or SMS.
Arriving in the centre
As you approach Skopje, the motorway feeds into the city’s main boulevards. The central area around Macedonia Square and the Old Bazaar is compact and walkable, so many visitors park once and explore on foot. If your accommodation is in the centre, ask whether they offer parking — street space can be tight during the day.
Land, drive, explore
That is really all there is to it. With your car waiting at the terminal and a clear run into town, you can be checking into your hotel or sitting down for your first Macedonian coffee within half an hour of landing. Ready to make your arrival effortless? Book your car with Superstar Rent A Car — free airport delivery, no deposit, and the Green Card included.