Toward Hungary, four crossings run around the clock: Horgos 1, Horgos 2, Kelebija and Backi Vinogradi. All four operate 24 hours a day, so a trip can be rerouted if the line at one of them grows.
Why Is Today So Busy?
Because two waves are overlapping. August 15 is the traditional day for the tourist changeover, when some people head home from the coast while others are just setting out. Tomorrow is the Assumption of Mary (Velika Gospojina), one of the most important holidays in Greece, where it is also known as the small Easter, and hundreds of thousands of people leave Athens, Thessaloniki and other big cities for the islands, holiday homes and hometowns. Traffic jams are expected across Greece’s roads, worst of all in Halkidiki.
If your route heads south, expect traffic to build up even after you cross the border. A half-hour crossing does not mean the rest of the road is clear.
Before You Set Out
AMSS advises drivers to check road conditions before setting out and to allow extra travel time, since the picture at the border shifts through the day. Traffic volume rises toward evening and over the weekend, so a morning reading says little about what a crossing will look like at six in the evening.