Trying to figure out if buses and metros in North Macedonia take cards or if Ill need small cash. Any recent experiences?
The inconsistency annoyed me. One morning, I tried to use my Revolut card on the bus from Debar Maalo but the device failed. The conductor demanded cash and didn’t help me find change. Outside the city centre, SKOPJANKA kiosks were hard to find in suburbs like Aerodrom. For tourists, mixing cash and contactless always felt stressful. Not terrible - but inconsistent.
Skopje’s public buses are quite modern. I used contactless payment at Dizdarica bus station without hassle, and the driver didn’t bat an eye. Topped up the city transport card at the bookstore kiosk near Bit Pazar with euro, and it worked fine after conversion. The bus route to Millennium Cross felt seamless. Taxis and minibuses still want cash, but city buses in Skopje are moving toward cashless - a great trend!
I stayed next to the Stone Bridge and used the bus daily toward Vodno. One day I tapped my Mastercard and the machine glitched, so I paid with a 20-denar coin. The conductor gave me a funny look but accepted it. Another case was trying to top up the SKOPJANKA card with a foreign debit-it took the cash but not the card. Strange quirks, but mostly it’s convenient. Cards work, but coins are your backup.
Skopje has no metro but runs a modern bus system (Capital City Transport, “ГТС”). You can board using either cash or the card-based “SKOPJANKA” smart card, which you top up at kiosks and vending machines. Many buses also accept contactless bank cards. In my stay near Macedonia Square, I tapped my Visa directly, and it worked. If you’re staying longer or hopping around, the SKOPJANKA card is handy, but cash-coins or small notes-still works on older routes in Čair or Kisela Voda.