Bahçeköy (Kipi) customs crossing remains a source of delays for Turkish travelers

The Kipi (Kipoi) customs crossing on the Greece–Türkiye border has continued to draw complaints from Turkish travelers over long and unpredictable waiting times, particularly during periods of heavy traffic.

The issue has also raised concerns among tourism and other local businesses in Dedeağaç (Alexandroupoli), which relies heavily on visitors arriving from Türkiye.

DRIVERS REPORT HOURS-LONG DELAYS

Turkish drivers have shared complaints in recent months about waiting times at the İpsala–Kipi border crossing, with some travelers reporting particularly long delays during busy periods.

Recent reviews on Yandex Maps include claims that queues can reach around three hours on Fridays after 9 a.m. and on Sundays after 1 p.m., while some users say waiting times can exceed five hours during peak periods. Several travelers recommend avoiding weekends and crossing as early as possible.

Similar accounts have appeared on the Turkish online discussion platform Ekşi Sözlük. Individual users have described the crossing as an “ordeal,” while others have reported waiting seven hours on the Greek side. Some accounts mention queues stretching for two to three kilometers and total waiting times of six to eight hours, including late-night and early-morning periods.

However, the reports are not uniform. Some travelers say they have crossed in around an hour when arriving very early, while others have also reported delays on the Türkiye side of the border.

Independent border-monitoring data likewise points to significant variation rather than a consistently long delay. On September 29, one monitoring service reported an estimated 108-minute wait at Kipi for passenger cars early in the morning, while its historical data showed substantially shorter typical waits at other times.

Another dataset based on hundreds of traveler reports recorded typical waits of around 10 minutes during many time periods in September, while noting that busy-day waits could rise considerably.

The differing figures underline the extent to which waiting times can depend on the direction of travel, day, time and traffic volume.

UPGRADE PROJECT UNDERWAY

The delays are also being closely watched by tourism-sector representatives in the Dedeağaç (Alexandroupoli) area.

Hoteliers, travel agents, restaurant operators and other tourism professionals have repeatedly expressed hopes that the ongoing upgrade work at Kipi will help ease congestion on the Greek side.

According to the source report, the project, estimated at €13 million, includes additional lanes and other interventions. Local businesses are particularly concerned about whether the improvements will be sufficient during peak periods and whether the planned completion by the end of 2026 will be achieved without further delays.

The concerns come amid continued uncertainty over earlier plans for a new customs facility at Kipi.

TURKISH VISITORS CONTINUE TO ARRIVE

Despite the border delays, Turkish visitors continued to travel to Dedeağaç (Alexandroupoli) in large numbers throughout the summer and have continued to visit the city.

The source report says organized shopping trips have become increasingly visible alongside individual visitors, with groups arriving particularly from Edirne (Edirne) and surrounding areas.

Shopping preferences reportedly include electronics, clothing from major retail chains and supermarket goods. Visitors traveling primarily for leisure also frequently choose local restaurants, tavernas, bakeries and other food businesses.

For tourism-sector operators in Dedeağaç (Alexandroupoli), the continuing flow of Turkish visitors means that the performance of the Kipi crossing remains an important factor for the local economy.