Difference between revisions of "Horgos-Röszke border crossing"

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The '''Horgos-Röszke border crossing''' links [[Hungary]], near the city of [[Szeged]], with [[Serbia]] near the town of Horgos.
 
The '''Horgos-Röszke border crossing''' links [[Hungary]], near the city of [[Szeged]], with [[Serbia]] near the town of Horgos.
  
<map lat='46.176036' lng='19.979103' zoom='11' view='0' float='right' height='270' width='350' />
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The crossing is situated on the E75, which is a motorway to [[Budapest]] and an express carriageway to [[Novi Sad]]. According to a local, the direction of traffic is dependent on the season. Walking across this border is not permitted on the motorway, but it seems tolerated as long as you can stand being berated.
  
It is situated on the E75, which is a motorway to [[Budapest]] and an express carriageway to [[Novi Sad]]. There is heavy traffic, both trucks and cars. Hungary is part of the [[Schengen Agreement]] but Serbia isn't, so border controls can take some time. Leave the truck and cross the border on foot. On the Serbian side it happened to [[User:Pite|pite]] twice that he was sent away by the police to the petrol station further down the road.
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It is advisable to cross on foot if the queue is too long, but waiting in the car can be worth it if your driver allows it since it is quite a walk between the posts.
  
A lot of Serbian people living next to the border cross here frequently for some, well, unknown reasons. They may not be the most cooperative people in terms of taking hitchhikers. Also the police likes to control people for cigarettes and other stuff, that's why it can be tricky to get a ride crossing the border. As it is possible to cross the border by walking, just convince the drivers to leave you nearby the border crossing and walk. Anyway it will be much faster than the whole procedure with a car. On Hungarian side walk for 300 meters and you will find a petrol station where you can ask drivers. Be aware that most of the cars are Serbian drivers going somewhere nearby, so it is not that easy to get away, but you will not starve there either.
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== Hitching out ==
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=== Into Hungary ===
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On Hungarian side walk for 300 meters and you will find a petrol station where you can ask drivers. Be aware that most of the cars are Serbian drivers going somewhere nearby, so it is not that easy to get away, but you will not starve there either.
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=== Into Serbia ===
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Whether you can hitch from the border depends on the mood of the police that day. Sometimes there's no problem with standing a few meters down from passport control, and you might even see other hitchhikers. At other times, the police may ask you to move to the petrol station 1.5 km down the road. However, if they ask you to move, it often suffices to walk another 200 m down to the green road sign and hitch from there.
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There's, however, a big parking lot with insurance and customs agents' booths right after you walk out of the control booths - a lot of people stop here to get some fresh air, get their paperwork in order or to take a leak. This is a perfect chance to talk to people and score direct rides into Bulgaria and even deep into Turkey! Look for out-of-place plates such as UK, Austria, Germany or Netherlands - these are almost exclusively Bulgarian and Turkish expatriates. A lot of opportunities here! The cops also can't kick you out of a parking lot - you're obviously getting insurance! This is especially true between May and August.
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Many of the drivers are ethnic Hungarians who are going no further than [[Subotica]]. If you want to get to [[Novi Sad]] or [[Beograd]], write it on a sign.
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If you want to get a lift to southern Serbia, [[Macedonia]] or [[Bulgaria]], it is best to write a sign "Bulgaria", because very many Bulgarians are driving back from Western Europe through this border crossing. Even if you are not going so far, you can rely on them to leave you at, for example, the big toll station after [[Beograd]].
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== Personal Experiences ==
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''I walked across this border after a driver took me there (he was too cautious to take me across) and made some border guards angry by doing so, but it was fine afterwards. There was almost no traffic going into Serbia that day and people seemed wary to pick someone up that close to the guards. I walked down the highway a little bit and managed to stop a car while walking. I had a strange encounter between the borders with (presumably) a stuck and injured refugee. He asked me for water in Turkish and I gave my bottle to him, being watched closely by what seemed to be Serbian military police. Serbian and Turkish officers were waiting with a doctor at the other side of the border, joking and laughing together.'' - [[User:Rebew|Rebew]] ([[User talk:Rebew|talk]]) (Aug. 2022)
  
 
[[File:Röszke.jpg|300px]]
 
[[File:Röszke.jpg|300px]]

Latest revision as of 18:26, 18 August 2022

The Horgos-Röszke border crossing links Hungary, near the city of Szeged, with Serbia near the town of Horgos.

The crossing is situated on the E75, which is a motorway to Budapest and an express carriageway to Novi Sad. According to a local, the direction of traffic is dependent on the season. Walking across this border is not permitted on the motorway, but it seems tolerated as long as you can stand being berated.

It is advisable to cross on foot if the queue is too long, but waiting in the car can be worth it if your driver allows it since it is quite a walk between the posts.

Hitching out

Into Hungary

On Hungarian side walk for 300 meters and you will find a petrol station where you can ask drivers. Be aware that most of the cars are Serbian drivers going somewhere nearby, so it is not that easy to get away, but you will not starve there either.

Into Serbia

Whether you can hitch from the border depends on the mood of the police that day. Sometimes there's no problem with standing a few meters down from passport control, and you might even see other hitchhikers. At other times, the police may ask you to move to the petrol station 1.5 km down the road. However, if they ask you to move, it often suffices to walk another 200 m down to the green road sign and hitch from there.

There's, however, a big parking lot with insurance and customs agents' booths right after you walk out of the control booths - a lot of people stop here to get some fresh air, get their paperwork in order or to take a leak. This is a perfect chance to talk to people and score direct rides into Bulgaria and even deep into Turkey! Look for out-of-place plates such as UK, Austria, Germany or Netherlands - these are almost exclusively Bulgarian and Turkish expatriates. A lot of opportunities here! The cops also can't kick you out of a parking lot - you're obviously getting insurance! This is especially true between May and August.

Many of the drivers are ethnic Hungarians who are going no further than Subotica. If you want to get to Novi Sad or Beograd, write it on a sign.

If you want to get a lift to southern Serbia, Macedonia or Bulgaria, it is best to write a sign "Bulgaria", because very many Bulgarians are driving back from Western Europe through this border crossing. Even if you are not going so far, you can rely on them to leave you at, for example, the big toll station after Beograd.

Personal Experiences

I walked across this border after a driver took me there (he was too cautious to take me across) and made some border guards angry by doing so, but it was fine afterwards. There was almost no traffic going into Serbia that day and people seemed wary to pick someone up that close to the guards. I walked down the highway a little bit and managed to stop a car while walking. I had a strange encounter between the borders with (presumably) a stuck and injured refugee. He asked me for water in Turkish and I gave my bottle to him, being watched closely by what seemed to be Serbian military police. Serbian and Turkish officers were waiting with a doctor at the other side of the border, joking and laughing together. - Rebew (talk) (Aug. 2022)

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