More Cities To Check Out While In Macedonia Include:

Bitola, pronounced, Bee-tola, is a town about three hours from Strumica, where you’ll find the famous “Pelistar Mountain.” Tourists can actually stay at a hotel located on top of the mountain. There are also lakes at the top, which are referred to by the locals as “The Eyes”of Pelistar Mountain. Bitola’s cafe and club scene is located in the popular neighborhood called Sirok Sokak (Sheerok Soakok). The town is a mixture of old and new with remnants of the Ottoman Empire.

Ohrid (Oh-reed) boasts the largest beach resort in the country. It’s a very popular summer destination, with tourists from all over Eastern Europe. The beach resort is lined with outdoor cafes, clubs, restaurants and shops that resemble those of Miami’s South Beach and was recently named in NY Times as one of the top places to go in the world.

How to get there:
Usually you would need to take three planes to get to Macedonia from the US, but since a Turkish company bought out its airport recently, I am now pleased to announce that you can take Turkish Airlines from the United States, do a layover in Istanbul (another great spot), and then fly directly to Skopje (the capital). It even costs less than the old, three plane layover.

Flying Solo This Holiday Season?

While I love frequenting the globe, there’s nothing I detest more than spending unnecessary time at the airport and flying altogether. However, when becoming suddenly self- aware that I often do the following alone, I began making mental tallies for each time that I was pushed through security gates, passed up while waiting in bathroom lines and cursed when seated (or more like squished) in between a fat couple. During this mental tallying, I learned a valuable lesson: there is no retribution for solo travelers; if you are snubbed in the Starbucks line, you’ll look like Gal about the Crazy when trying to address it as everyone else waits kindly for their double caramel mochaccino frappes.

Since nothing says Merry Christmas more than blowing up at the flight attendant, here’s some quick and “common sense” tips to remember to get you through the security lines:

Preparation: Frustration happens when you’ve done the least amount of preparation and organization. Make sure you’ve not only checked in with your airline online but that you’ve printed out your boarding pass (if possible), and have read and re-read your ticket. What terminal and gate are you flying out of? Is the flight being operated by a sister carrier, and, if you plan on checking a bag, are there weight restrictions or baggage fees? I’ve miserably missed flights because A) I didn’t realize that my flight was operated by a sister carrier in an alternate terminal two train stops away and B) because I didn’t arrive at the airport 45 minutes before my flight departure (which is the minimum time an airline needs to get your baggage on board if flying domestically). FYI: federal government states that you must fly with your bag. You cannot check your bag for a later flight while you are on the earlier one.

Documentation/Security: Don’t forget your boarding pass, driver’s license and passport if necessary, as well as money (correct currency for trips abroad), credit cards and doctor’s notes for medication as well as any additional documentation for your cat or dog. I like to utilize a separate wallet for my travels, so that everything is at my fingertips. Also, if your carry on’s height or weight looks suspect, make sure you can prove that it is in fact only fifteen inches wide so you don’t get stopped while rushing through security gates. While most airlines allow maximum of a fifteen-inch carry on, we recommend checking individual airline websites for details.

Extra questions to ask yourself:

Does your luggage have name tags? If so, are they filled out with the most updated information?

Is your luggage distinguishable so you don’t pick up the wrong piece at baggage claim? Check out what happened to me once…

Since you’re traveling alone, check to see if you can juggle dragging all items around: carry on, laptop, coat, purse, etc…