Seeking some travel advice

Thessalonika airport(Northern Greece) could be an option if they are flights from Dublin/Belfast,certainly would be from one of the London airports but it would be handy if it is direct,not sure there.

Thank you for the reply lapsy. The only two options I could find were flying to luton from belfast and then a direct flight to Skopje from there. Or Belfast to Vienna and then to Skopje. The problem with both those ways is the choice between cutting it fine between flights and risking a delay or settling for a long stay over at either airport to guarantee making the connecting flight. A direct flight to anywhere near Skopje from Ireland would work out better if the airport was close enough to arrange transport by road. I think it would be fairly cheap to arrange a coach and there is a group going together so the cost would be split.

Ireland to rome and then direct to skopje was an option but a more expensive option than the others.

I personally would not mind a stop over anywhere. But others in the group would not be so keen. Its a wedding I am thinking about going to but it would be more of a holiday for everyone in the group. Plans wold be to stay for an extra week on a place called lake orchid in Macedonia, near the border with Greece.

I have no idea about getting across the border but there is direct flights from the UK into Thessaloniki or Thessalonica as some would call it. I nearly moved to northern Greece before but i ended up in southern Greece and from speaking to the Greeks about Nothern Greece it sounded a bit of a wilderness but that could be incorrect. If i was you mate i would go as direct as  possible to Skopje but i would go via a big city that flies direct into it. Go to Skyscanner, i see you can go via Rome, Istanbul or Belgrade, i certainly would not be on for travelling through Kosova, Albania, Macedonia on my own, would rather go to one of those cities mentioned and then go direct.

Thank you Rocket for your post. I will look into that option. Yeah, agree travelling through some of those countries you mentioned might not be a good idea. Just thought looking at a map than sofia might be an option as its very close to Macedonia and Bulgaria might be more traveller friendly than those other countries.

Just for your information paddletoe the Greeks would think very highly of the city of Thessaloniki/Thessalonica or at least then did back then but outside of that i got the idea you were in the sticks. Anyway, good luck on your travel.

Thank you Rocket. Appreciate greatly your help. I had looked at travelling via Greece as an option but only thought of Athens which is at the bottom end of the country. I do know the place called lake orhid in Macedonia where I would be intending to spend a week after the wedding is only 50 miles or so from the Greek border.

having driven from Athens to Budapest via Macedonia, my advice is don't consider driving, its 3 hours from Athens on desperate roads. outside of Albania and some of the ex soviet blocks, I rate the fyrm as the biggest kip in that part of Europe...you have an odds on chance of your group being victims of hotel theft. be careful.

kernel of advice, organise your trip so that you fly into skopje....and spend the minimum time possible in fyrm.

Ohrid has an international airport: St Paul the Apostle (IATA: OHD).

Looks like Dublin/Brussels with Aer Lingus then Jetairfly onto Ohrid may be the way to go ?

Check with these for further info
https://www.jetairfly.com/en/destinations/macedonia/lake-ohrid