Rudozem – Xanthi — no border checks
There are no border checks at the “Rudozem – Xanthi” crossing. Bulgaria and Greece are both in the Schengen area and neither has reintroduced checks here, so you cross without stopping — which is why we give no waiting time.
Sources: traveller reports · nakordoni.eu · How we calculate waiting time
There are no border checks at this crossing
We deliberately show no number here. There is no queue to measure, so a calculated waiting time would be invented. Checks at internal Schengen borders are sometimes reintroduced temporarily — when that happens, waiting times will return to this page. Last verified: 2026-08-18.
Key facts: Rudozem – Xanthi
| Name on the Bulgaria side | Rudozem |
|---|---|
| Name on the Greece side | Xanthi |
| Crossing type | Road, international |
| Open for | Cars |
| Opening hours | 24/7 |
| Coordinates | 41.4243° N, 24.8578° E |
About Rudozem – Xanthi
Rudozem is a mining town in Smolyan province, in the heart of the Rhodopes, and the border crossing opens a road south from here over the mountain ridges to the Greek town of Xanthi in Thrace. For people in the central Rhodopes, including the Smolyan area and the Pamporovo resort, it is the shortest link with northern Greece and the Aegean coast. The crossing is open to cars in both directions and is used mainly by locals, families with ties on both sides and tourists driving from the Bulgarian mountains to the Greek seaside.
After Bulgaria joined Schengen at its land borders on 1 January 2025, the border with Greece became an internal one without systematic passport control. The possibility of temporarily reintroducing checks remains, so look at the announcements before travelling and carry an identity document. On the Bulgarian side you need an electronic vignette; in Greece, tolls apply to motorways.
The route is winding and mountainous, so take the season and weather into account: winter can bring snow and difficult conditions, and summer weekends bring more traffic heading for the sea. Queues at the crossing itself are rarer than on the main routes. If you are driving from Plovdiv or Sofia to Thessaloniki, Kulata is usually faster; nearby, Zlatograd–Thermes to the east is an alternative. The live board shows current data.
Border webcams: Rudozem – Xanthi
Fuel near Rudozem – Xanthi
Petrol stations within 50 km of the crossing — 136 in our database.
Which side is cheaper?
| Bulgaria | 1,890 € 8,32 zł | European Commission — Weekly Oil Bulletin |
|---|---|---|
| Greece | 2,127 € 9,37 zł | European Commission — Weekly Oil Bulletin |
converted at the ECB rate
Cheaper in Bulgaria — on a 60-litre tank you save about 62,40 zł.
Closest stations
- 1Петрол7,8 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps
- 2Рих ООД8,3 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps
- 3M-Oil11,0 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps
- 4Корона11,0 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps
- 5Рих11,3 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps
Cheapest diesel
- 1ΕΛΙΝΟΙΛ4ο ΧΛΜ ΞΑΝΘΗΣ - ΚΟΜΟΤΗΝΗΣ35,0 km2,065 €price at the pumpGoogle MapsApple Maps
- 2AVINΓ. ΚΟΝΔΥΛΗ 48 & ΤΥΡΟΛΟΗΣ - ΞΑΝΘΗ33,1 km2,079 €price at the pumpGoogle MapsApple Maps
- 3SHELL1 ΧΛΜ ΜΙΣΧΟΥ ΚΟΜΟΤΗΝΗΣ49,4 km2,080 €price at the pumpGoogle MapsApple Maps
- 4EKO1ο ΧΛΜ ΞΑΝΘΗΣ-ΚΑΒΑΛΑΣ33,5 km2,086 €price at the pumpGoogle MapsApple Maps
- 5AVIN2ο ΧΛΜ ΧΡΥΣΟΥΠΟΛΗΣ ΚΑΒΑΛΑΣ ΜΕ ΔΙΑΣΤΑΥΡΩΣΗ ΕΟ ΚΑΒΑΛΑΣ ΞΑΝΘΗΣ49,7 km2,095 €price at the pumpGoogle MapsApple Maps
Best value: price including the detour
The ranking adds the fuel burned driving there and back (about 8 l/100 km) to a 50-litre fill.
- 1ΕΛΙΝΟΙΛ4ο ΧΛΜ ΞΑΝΘΗΣ - ΚΟΜΟΤΗΝΗΣ35,0 km2,065 €price at the pumpGoogle MapsApple Maps
- 2AVINΓ. ΚΟΝΔΥΛΗ 48 & ΤΥΡΟΛΟΗΣ - ΞΑΝΘΗ33,1 km2,079 €price at the pumpGoogle MapsApple Maps
- 3EKO1ο ΧΛΜ ΞΑΝΘΗΣ-ΚΑΒΑΛΑΣ33,5 km2,086 €price at the pumpGoogle MapsApple Maps
- 4ΑΙΓΑΙΟ (AEGEAN)2ο ΧΙΛΙΟΜΕΤΡΟ ΞΑΝΘΗΣ -ΚΑΒΑΛΑΣ (ΔΕΞΙΑ)33,9 km2,098 €price at the pumpGoogle MapsApple Maps
- 5BP2ο χλμ Επ.Ο. ΞΑΝΘΗΣ - ΠΕΤΕΙΝΟΥ33,5 km2,159 €price at the pumpGoogle MapsApple Maps
Sources: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Parking and rest areas near Rudozem – Xanthi
Places to stop within 50 km of the crossing — 34 in our database.
Closest places to stop
- 1Rest area7,7 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps
- 2Паркинг под кръстаCar park · free · 7 spaces13,7 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps
- 3Rest area15,7 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps
- 4Момчилова крепостCar park · free17,8 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps
- 5VerosMotorway services19,6 kmGoogle MapsApple Maps
Sources: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
What it costs to drive to Rudozem – Xanthi
Fuel, time and charges for the drive to Rudozem – Xanthi from the 6 nearest cities. Distance and time follow the real road, not a straight line.
| City | Distance | Driving time | Fuel | Charges | Total | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plovdiv | 135 km | 2h 48min | 68 PLN | 18 PLN | 86 PLN | hard |
| Thessaloniki | 261 km | 3h 24min | 172 PLN | 50 PLN incl. barrier tolls | 221 PLN | hard |
| Sofia capital | 282 km | 4h 3min | 142 PLN | 18 PLN | 160 PLN | moderate |
| Burgas | 348 km | 4h 42min | 175 PLN | 18 PLN | 193 PLN | easy |
| Varna | 491 km | 6h 18min | 246 PLN | 18 PLN | 264 PLN | easy |
| Athens capital | 761 km | 8h 1min | 503 PLN | 206 PLN incl. barrier tolls | 709 PLN | easy |
Calculated for a car at 7,0 L/100 km, petrol 95 at the country average on the day of calculation. Substitute your own consumption — the whole formula is here.
Vignettes required: 🇧🇬 Bulgaria — 1-Day E-Vignette 4,09 EUR
A road charge is counted only where the route actually uses a toll road. A vignette is always counted, because in many countries it is required on ordinary roads too.
Where a drive uses a toll motorway, the barrier toll for that section is included in the figure, at the price the road operator publishes for it. A vignette is a flat national price.
Routes calculated 01.11.2026
Alternatives close by
Nearby crossings
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about border queues
Are there border checks at Rudozem – Xanthi?
There are no border checks at the “Rudozem – Xanthi” crossing. Bulgaria and Greece are both in the Schengen area and neither has reintroduced checks here, so you cross without stopping — which is why we give no waiting time.