I have to admit that as I live in the North of England, that the problem is exacerbated, certainly in terms of price. There are times that it will be a couple of hundred pounds cheaper to fly from London, but as anyone in the UK knows, rail fares are so high that the saving is soon wiped out. Especially when like me, you plan your trips something like a month in advance and struggle to take advantage of “cheap” advanced rail fares. Although the bus can be a lot cheaper, if the flight leaves before 9am, there is no chance of arriving on time!

Happy times once you're there!

The most important thing to realise right now is that there are NO direct flights to Bogotá from London or the UK. If you want to fly via Europe your main options are Iberia (via Madrid) or Air France/KLM (via Paris or Amsterdam). The good thing is that both of these airlines serve the UK hinterland very well, so it is not difficult to get a flight to those cities and then connect to a Bogota flight.

The other main option of course, is to go via the USA. The main airlines such as American Airlines, Delta and Continental all have connections to Bogotá. If you are lucky they might be a little bit cheaper and have more flexible terms, such as being able to change your return date. Although it is tempting to take this choice, I have a word of caution based on when I flew via Miami with American Airlines.

The problem is that the US is the only country where; if you are in transit, you have to collect your luggage from the carousel and then check it in again! It doesn’t seem like too much stress, but when you have only a couple of hours in transit it is really stressful!  Firstly, Miami is a large airport and it might take a while to firstly get to the immigration area and then to actually get though immigration. Because you see, even though you are only in transit (a concept that Americans still don’t “get”), they still insist taking your fingerprints and the rest. So if it’s a busy hour it can take an absolute age to get though and then to the baggage carousel!

After somehow getting through immigration, it then took an age waiting for my bag to turn up. Then I had to run (and by the way Miami is quite a warm and humid airport) to literally throw my backpack into a pile for the flight to Bogotá There wasn’t any official check-in (so much for security!). By this time the scheduled departure time had already passed so I ran like a maniac to the departure gate. Fortunately the flight had been delayed – perhaps deliberately, I don’t know – but I can tell you that if it hadn’t there would have been no chance of me catching it. I have never ever had this problem anywhere else when having a relatively short transit period.

So that’s my take on flights to Colombia from the UK. I’m looking forward to the day that Avianca or British Airways pull their fingers out and offer something direct, even if just from London.   And remember, this is just to get to Bogotá, if you want cheap flights to Cartagena, Medellin or Cali, Colombia; well, you can imagine!

The good news is that once there, you can forget how much hassle and cost it took to get there and just enjoy the country. Well, that is until you decide that you want to extend your stay and that the cheapest flight to Colombia that you found and then booked doesn’t allow you to change your return date! Yep, I’ve quickly changed my mind, when you start taking being in Colombia for granted, remember the frustration you endured just to get there in the first place!

The Mountains and Cerro de Montserrate

I love the mountains and nature. That’s possibly why sometimes I find Bogotá frustrating. However, the whole eastern side of the city is flanked by green mountains that give the place a much-needed breath of fresh air. In fact, without these hills I would find the place visually soul-destroying! So whenever I’m stuck in traffic or spluttering dirty air, it is to the hills that I look!

On top of one of these hills; Cerro de Montserrate is a white church that is the destination for many Catholic pilgrims in this traditionally religious country. The whole trip to the peak is great for several reasons. Firstly, it has the best view of Bogotá! Well, that depends on when you are there. During the morning the air tends to be clear and you have a clear panoramic vista. However, later on in the day the notorious Bogotá pollution comes into play and the view is at best hazy. It’s amazing though that on one side you are looking down on a vast, dirty metropolis whilst on the other is wilderness. It is a really nice escape from the oppressiveness of the city.

The best time to go up depends on your purpose. I went up on a Sunday which was great because they have an actual, genuine Catholic church service going on, which is packed. Even if you aren’t remotely religious, it’s still an experience. On the other hand, if you like quiet space, go up during the week!

There are various options for making the ascent. You can walk, but local advice suggests that you only do this on a Sunday or festive day when there are lots of other people doing the same thing. Doing it on a quieter day allegedly makes you more prone to being robbed by local youths who live en-route to the top in not so salubrious conditions! I heard one story of somebody who didn’t believe this, only to make the descent minus his expensive waterproof jacket!

The most popular route to the top is via the cable car (telesférico). On a weekend you may have to wait some time in a queue, but during the week it shouldn’t take too long. It is actually cheaper on a Sunday too (about 15,000 pesos for an adult). There is also the option to take the funicular railway, or even better, go up by one mode and descend using the other!

At the top there are lots and lots of stores selling foods and drinks. My personal recommendation is to try some canelazo – a hot spiced fruit drink with aguardiente or rum. If it’s a cold day it will provide you with a little glow in your stomach! Also try bocadillo – a sweet bar made of guava paste and sugar.

Anyway, it’s definitely one of the highlights of Bogotá. It’s not difficult to find because you can see it from just about anywhere in the city! Just take a taxi and get dropped off at the bottom.

Museums

Bogotá has a great selection of museums, especially in the old La Candelaria area. The best is probably the Museo de Oro (Gold Museum) which accommodates the largest collection of Pre-Columbian gold in the world. Personally, about 5 minutes after the initial awe of “Ooh, look at that piece of gold”, I was bored. I mean, gold is gold! Maybe it’s my background in natural sciences that sees it as just another chemical composition!

There are plenty of other museums dotted about if that’s your thing and it’s raining. Personally, I’m drawn more to natural history types, so I’ll reserve judgement for now on the rest that the city has to offer.

Free Events

One thing that impresses me here is the way that the city (well the whole country) likes to put on a show whenever possible. A great example was the way the 2011 under-20 football World Cup (sub-20 mundial) was taken to the hearts of the city with the flags of the competing nations being flown all over the city. One of my favourite events in 2009 though was the free Bogotá Jazz in the Park festival in Parque Bolivar. I love jazz so it was great to sit on the grass in the sun all day listening to some great live artists. The genre of music wasn’t important though as there were plenty of people there who if I passed them in the street I would never think of as jazz appreciators! If you prefer a different genre or art, I’m sure that Colombia’s capital will have some free or cheap festival to satisfy you somewhere!

The Transmilenio

Ok, this is a bit of a double-edged sword. At peak times, travelling by this modern tram system can be a stressful and sweaty chore! However, I try to think of how the city must have been pre-2001 when the system was inaugurated. Even now the main alternatives of buses are equally jam-packed during rush hour, not to mention forever stuck in traffic jams (trancónes), so beforehand….not worth thinking about.

The best thing about the Transmilenio is that you can get from one end of the city to the other super-quickly because it has priority lanes and so only has to stop at stations and traffic lights, however bad the traffic. It’s a pity that alleged corruption has delayed the completion of new routes to the airport for example, but this is South America and that is another story!

Bogota Weather

I’m sure that this one is a controversial positive to some; but you see, I just don’t like heat! Or more accurately I don’t like humidity. So whilst many a traveller takes off directly to Cartagena or Santa Marta on the Caribbean coast in search of sun, sea and sweat, I decline the option and stick to The Andes! The best thing about the weather in Bogotá is its relative predictability (ok, it’s predictable on the coast too – predictably uncomfortable!). Every day is roughly between 14-25C, no matter the time of the year. Locals will tell you that there are actually two seasons, but what they are primarily referring is to a wet season and a dry season and not something related to temperature. The funny thing here is that on some days you can walk on side of the street in the sun and wear a t-shirt and sun-screen, whilst at the same time in the shade on the other side you will need a warmish jacket! But it’s all part of the charm that attracts my northern-European instincts!

So those are 5 of my favourite things about Bogotá, Colombia. There are other ones too that I will get around to writing about when I think about them, as well as a whole list of frustrations that might be easier to write about!

Let me know what you love about Colombia (keep it clean!)

The airport Skopje welcomes airlines like Jat Airways, Austrian Airlines, Croatia Airlines, Czech Airlines, Wizz Air, Turkish Airlines, etc. It is named Alexander the Great and it is 20 km away from Skopje. You can easily reach it through the main highway connecting Skopje with Belgrade and Thessaloniki, but there is no public transportation to and from the airport, so this can be a bit inconvenient for the passengers since they need to take a taxi or arrange personal transport. Always make sure you negotiate the price with the taxi drivers and you do not accept a ride if it is more then 15 Euros, one way.

There are flights to Skopje from Heathrow Airport London at an affordable price which you can book in advance for additional discounts. You can choose a flight with one or two stopovers and there are also Skopje flights from other European capital cities such as Vienna, Brussels, Prague, Budapest, etc.

Click the link for detailed information about Skopje airport arrivals . The information on this site can help you find out if there are some delays because it is regularly updated with accurate flight numbers and airlines. If the timetable of the departures and arrivals are not suitable for you, you can check the other closest airports like the one in Ohrid or the Thessaloniki and Sofia ones where you can get different timetables.

Choosing the month with nicest weather in Belgrade is not too difficult to do. Belgrade has four seasons with a lot of different climate influences since it is a city where two big rivers meet, Danube and Sava. One can say that the climate is moderate continental with long autumns and short springs. Winters are generally very cold with approximately 20 days with temperature below zero and summers are hot where the temperature can often reach 40 degrees centigrade. May and June are the wettest months and the south-eastern wind Kosava often blows in the autumn and winter months.

You are going to visit a city which is dynamic throughout the year and here the fun never stops. No matter if weather Belgrade Serbia is sunny or snowy, one can find an excellent way to explore and enjoy this exciting city. If you are looking for open air night partying under the city lights you might find the summer months June, July or August perfect for visiting. If you are visiting this city for its many shopping possibilities, you wouldn’t really mind the weather, but check for the sale seasons. If you are visiting Belgrade for the many historical sights and the cultural life, then again the spring and summer months are the best period for sightseeing and cultural events.  For any type of activity you plan, you can just check for “weather forecast Belgrade”.

The Belgrade weather forecast is easy to find when you search the internet and the many sites will give you detailed information on the weather conditions for a particular month, week or day.  Knowing the Belgrade weather 10 day forecast will help you pack properly and accordingly.

Being fairly close to the Adriatic Sea, the climate of Ohrid is hence influenced by it so it is a mixture of  Mediterranean and Continental which comes from the north.  The average temperature is 11.4 degrees Centigrade, the summer months have an average maximum of 34.4 and the winter months have an average of 1.5.

The average rainfall throughout the year is about 759mm and the winds which are most frequently blowing are the ones coming from north which are most present during the autumn and winter, and the southern one which dominates during the spring and summer. With regard to weather Ohrid is characterized by the drastic changes between windy and calm periods – a natural ritual that is just amazing to witness when you are beside the lake. One moment the water from the lake rages and there are huge waves splashing the shore and the very next moment the water surface is flat like a plate and one feels like diving in the silence.

The best time to visit Ohrid is probably the period from May to mid-September, although the tourist season officially starts from June with the peak of the season being late July and the beginning of August. If you would like to feel this place the way it lives out of the season, without big crowds, May and October are the best months. Then you can spend long uninterrupted hours just walking by the lake on the nice cobbled stone lakeshore in the centre of the city which is 3 miles long, or just enjoy sitting on a bench gazing into the sun.  Search the link for the weather forecast for Ohrid Macedonia where you can get a 7 day forecast on the weather in Ohrid.

There are many websites for checking the weather forecast Ohrid currently has; where you can find detailed information on the history of the monthly average weather conditions. It shows the best months to be in Ohrid and the peak of the season, but don’t let the Ohrid weather forecast discourage you from visiting it during the winter months when the snow covers the whole city and you can experience a white fairy tale. There also is the religious event Vodici, the Baptism of Jesus Christ on January the 19^th when there is the tradition of throwing the wooden Cross into the waters of the lake. It is believed that the one which catches the cross is unified with Jesus Christ! Nice prize!

Throughout the year there are many events you can take part in or experience and it is basically a city which is alive and dynamic throughout the year as the city holds a third of the total population in Macedonia.  The best months to visit Skopje are probably May and September, but the other months also have many surprises for you to discover. Checking for “Weather Skopje Macedonia” or “Weather Forecast Skopje” is easy to do on many websites

Enjoy the annual festivals such as Skopje Summer Fest which offers a great program for the hot summer in the city. As many of the Skopje Summer Fest events happen in cafes and open air sites, you can enjoy a quiet night under the stars with a live jazz band or a classical music concert in a church hall in the Old Bazzar.

The weather in Skopje is perfect in May and September because of the mild weather conditions not associated with extreme heat or cold. The smell of the lime trees in many of the big streets in the city can give you a nice fresh start of the day and inspire you to take long bicycle rides and explore the nearby historical cites and parks. The city has large green areas with little ponds and lakes and there is the long Vardar River riverside which splits the city in half and is great for promenades.

If you are not sure what to pack when preparing for your trip, follow this link for the Skopje weather 10 day forecast and get an idea of what weather Skopje is likely to be experiencing during the time of your stay.