Five Quick Facts About Travelling In Serbia

1.  Serbia is safe, cheap and easy to travel in however normal safety precautions should be taken.
2. Serbia is visa free for over 90 countries, entering Serbia for any nationals of visa free countries simply means a stamp in your passport.
3. English is widely spoken in Belgrade and the larger towns especially by the youth. If travelling to smaller more remote areas it is recommended to learn a few basic words.
4. Kosovo is a disputed state and the topic is a sensitive one so it is best not to bring it up
5. Can I Visit Kosovo from Serbia? If you want to visit Serbia and then go to Kosovo there is no problem. However if you want to go to Kosovo and then enter Serbia, you must enter Kosovo via Serbia. If you enter Kosovo from Macedonia or Montenegro, and then try to cross into Serbia, the Serbians will consider you to have entered their country illegally since they do not recognise Kosovo’s independence.

Serbian Weather

The Serbian climate varies greatly from hot summers to bitterly cold winters.

Northern Siberia: Very cold winters with snow and hot humid summers with frequent rain.

Central Siberia: A moderate climate with cold winters and warm to hot summers.

Southern Siberia: Hot dry summers and cold winters with heavy snow.

Serbia currency is the Serbian dinar (RSD). You can exchange money at major airports and ATMs are widely available in towns and cities.

Serbian Visa Policy

Citizens from 96 countries can enter Serbia visa free and stay for the time listed below. All countries highlighted in grey on the map below need to obtain a visa before arriving in Serbia.

source wikipedia

Getting Around Serbia

Bus: The quickest easiest way to get around Serbia is by bus. Bus’ travel all over the country, just ask directions to your closest bus station and off you go.

Train: Serbia does have a limited rail service and is the cheapest way to get around, however it is much slower than other European rail systems and in our experience often delayed. Buying a train ticket is very simple you just need to go to a station and get your ticket.

The main train routes are;

• Belgrade – Novi Sad – Subotica
• Belgrade – Niš
• Belgrade – Valjevo – Užice
• Belgrade – Vršac
• Belgrade – Sremska Mitrovica – Šid
• Kragujevac – Kraljevo – Raška

Construction is underway for a new high speed railway which will run between Belgrade – Novi Sad – Subotica and then onto Budapest. This rail link is part of the Chinese funded silk route railway plan and will link the Chinese run Greek port of Pireus with Budapest.

Packing List

Clothing

1 pair jeans – I know they are heavy and take ages to dry but I wear them constantly and find them comfortable
1 pair black travel type pants – Black pants are little smarter than jeans so good if going somewhere a little dressier. Mine is the lightweight fabric in the style of jean,
2 x pair of shorts. 1 denim and one lightweight travel fabric
2 x singlets – good for layering and sleeping in
4 x short sleeve cotton shirts, lightweight and breathable
1 x long sleeve sloppy joe.
1 x zip-up shell jacket
1 x lightweight raincoat – packable version that packs down into a small bag.
5 x socks
5 x underpants
2 x bras

Shoes

1 x pair walking or hiking shoes.
1 x pair slip on flats
1 x pair flip flops (great for hostel showers)

Toiletries
Shampoo & Conditioner
Bar of Soap
Deodorant
Razor
Tweezers
Brush / Comb
Hair Ties

Electronics

1 x Earbud headphones.Light and small,
1 x IPad
1 x 6S iPhone
Charging leads for above
2 x USB
1 x power bank
1 x Cable organiser which keeps everything tidy
1 x 14” laptop – we run a business so this is essential for us.

Photography

1 x GoPro Hero 5
2 x Spare GoPro Batteries
1 x Canon DSLR with 1 x 8-16mm wide angle lense & 1 x 17 – 50mm lense.
Spare micro SD Cards

Other Stuff

1 x padlock
1 x headlight or torch
1 x Swiss knife
1 x medical kit
Ziplock bags

The Balkan Express

The Balkan Express is a train that runs from Sofia in Bulgaria to Belgrade in Serbia.

This train was the dirtiest, slowest most uncomfortable train I have ever been on. It took over 12 hours to complete the 392 KM journey arriving 3 hours later than scheduled.

If travelling from Sofia to Belgrade either fly of get a bus.