Where to stay in North Macedonia

Ohrid

• Lake Ohrid is the destination and July and August are its season, when prices rise and the lakefront fills with domestic and Albanian holidaymakers.
• June and September are better.
• Rooms in the old town are cheap by any European standard.

Skopje

• Business pricing midweek, and a large supply of apartments.
• The centre is compact and the old bazaar is the interesting part.

Practicalities

• You will be asked for your passport at check-in.
• Cash is still useful outside the two main towns.

Prices

• North Macedonia is among the cheapest countries in Europe for accommodation, and the gap against Greece next door is large.
• A good room in Skopje or Ohrid costs a fraction of the western European equivalent, and rural guesthouses less again.

Practicalities

• Air conditioning matters. Skopje sits in a basin and regularly passes 40 C in July and August; confirm the listing has it.
• Winter heating in older buildings is variable and Skopje's winter air quality is poor - a room away from the valley floor is worth paying for.
• Ohrid's old town is steep and cobbled and many guesthouses are up stairs with no lift.
• Book directly where you can. Small family guesthouses often quote less by phone or email than through a platform.