Travel Information

Arriving by Air

There are two international airports in Serbia. One is in Belgrade, the other in Niš. Belgrade airport “Nikola Tesla” (or just “Aerodrom Beograd”) is usually referred to as Surčin as is called the nearby village. It is 18 km (12 miles) from the city centre. Almost all foreign travel agencies have regular flights to Belgrade, so it is well connected to all parts of Europe, Asia and Northern Africa. The national airline “Jat Airways” has scheduled daily flights from London, Paris, Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna, Zurich and Rome. The airport has a number of small shops, cafés, exchange offices, rent-a-car companies and Duty Free Shops. There are a number of ways to reach the city centre. A taxi should cost, depending on the location, around 800-1000 dinar (10-12 Euros). Be sure to fix the price before getting into taxi, as overcharging can occur. “How much to the centre/hotel …” - Koliko do centra/hotela … Alternatively, there are a number of shuttle buses. “Jat Airways” buses can be used from the first to the last flight, at a cost of 160 dinars, at time of writing. They stop at the main railway and bus stations and terminate at Slavija Square in the centre of the city. “Lasta” buses take the same route, cost 80 dinars, but run only from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. The cheapest option is the public bus No. 72. It goes on every half hour, the first one at 5.15 a.m, the last one at midnight. The bus will take one from the airport to Zeleni venac in 40 minutes and the fare is only 40 dinars (buy the ticket from the bus driver).

Niš airport “Konstantin Veliki” operates mostly domestic flights but is also used by tour operators during the winter season as it is the closest to Kopaonik ski-centre. There are, though only infrequently, flights by “Jat Airlines” and “Montenegro Airlines” from London and Zurich.

Arriving by Train

One can reach Belgrade directly from Vienna, Zagreb, Budapest, Bucharest, Sofia, Istanbul, Thessalonica or Skopje. The main routes are from Zagreb, Budapest (via Subotica and Novi Sad) and from Sofia (via Niš) and operate at least once a day. All of these trains have sleeping carriages and couchettes, which are highly recommended as the other carriages may be overcrowded, dirty or with no heating.

Belgrade’s main train station (Glavna železnička stanica) is centrally located and just next to the main bus station.

Travelling by Train

Internal rail services are run by the Serbian state (Železnice Srbije). Both local and intercity (brzi voz) trains are mostly dirty, crowded and can be desperately late. Most of these points come from the fact that this is the cheapest means of transportation and is sometimes the only one people can afford. On overnight trains, sleeping berths are available.

The main lines are:

• towards Subotica, via Sremski Karlovci and Novi Sad
• towards Šid, via Ruma and Sremska Mitrovica
• towards Vršac
• towards Pirot, via Jagodina and Niš
• towards Vranje, via Jagodina, Niš and Leskovac
• towards Bar (Montenegro) via Valjevo, Užice, Zlatibor and Prijepolje

Tickets can be obtained at the station ticket offices or alternatively in the train, but with an additional fee of 100 din. Timetables are posted on boards at railway stations and cannot be obtained in leaflet form.

The holders of ETC or Euro 26 card are allowed 50% discount, those of ISIC or ITC card 30%. For groups from 3 to 8 people a discount of 20% can be asked for.

Arriving by Bus

Serbia is well connected to all of Western and Northern Europe by direct bus lines. The widest choice of starting points is offered by Eurolines, which is operated in Serbia by the Lasta company (www.lasta.co.yu, head office - Belgrade, Železnička 2, tel. +381 (0)11 2641-251). Another company with regular departures from around Europe is Fudeks (www.fudeks.co.yu, head office Balkanska 47, tel. +381 (0)11 3620-255).

Travelling by Bus

Bus is by far the most preferred choice of transportation in Serbia mainly because of its good network and reasonably reliable services. Almost all of the longer lines are operated by comfortable and modern buses. However, local services are mostly provided by old and quite run-down buses, though there are exceptions.

Bus tickets are purchased at the stations. The price includes the station service fee and the seat reservation (not at the Belgrade main bus station). At some of the stations one will receive a chip that enables access to the platform. Larger luggage that is stored in the trunk of the bus has an additional charge before departure (prices vary but should not exceed 60 dinars). Keep the tickets issued for the stored luggage. For tickets returned until 5 minutes before the departure one can be reimbursed up to 90% of the price, excluding the station service fee and the reservation.

Arriving by Boat

International crossings on the rivers are the following:

• on the Tisa – Kanjiža
• on the Danube (from Hungary) – Bezdan
• on the Danube (from Romania/Bulgaria) – Prahovo

International customs points are located only on the Danube at Apatin, Novi Sad and Belgrade.

Travelling by Car

A valid international driver’s license is required to drive legally in Serbia. If taking a car, the vehicle registration/ownership documents and a locally valid insurance policy must be available at all times. The European green card vehicle insurance is now valid in Serbia, but not in Kosovo. Concerning other insurance policies, one will be required to purchase a month-long valid insurance policy at the price of 80 EUR.

The law requires the wearing of a seatbelt. It permits a maximum of 0,05 % alcohol in the blood – the equivalent of two glasses of wine or two bottles of beer.

The general standard of the roads is fair to poor with conditions worsening in rural areas, especially in and after bad weather. The Ibarska Magistrala road (from Belgrade via Čačak to Montenegro) is particularly notorious for its bad conditions and overcrowding which can make it dangerous.

Toll charges on the motorways depend on the size of the vehicle. One is advised to have at least 20 EUR/ 1,500 Dinars (preferred) in cash in order to pay the toll charges. The tolls can be paid in Euros. It was announced that, starting from 2006, drivers with foreign registration plates will pay the same amount as domestic drivers, which is not the case at the time of writing. For some idea of the prices, at the beginning of 2006 the toll from Belgrade to Novi Sad was 170 dinars (2 EUR), from Belgrade to Niš 500 din (6,5 EUR).

One should also be aware that some parts of the motorway between Novi Sad and Belgrade are still not fully finished and are actually a two-lane road with a hard shoulder on only one side. Some drivers use the ‘middle’ lane to overtake, thus forcing the ongoing traffic onto the hard shoulder. Here one needs to be even more cautious.

In case the need for towing or transport arises call the AMSS (Automobile & Motorists Association of Serbia) emergency number 987. The traffic police number is the same as the police 92.