To see it differently. Under the glare of former headlines, Serbia is shouting about its stunningly beautiful country flanked by mountainous plains mixed with historically preserved towns and cities.
None of these things disappeared during the war. They were shrouded, ready to be unveiled when the time came for a new beginning – in a Serbia that, even if somewhat still politically fragmented, is both safe and open for exploration.
As an area of the continent now thriving and paving a solid path for tourism, more and more people are travelling here to understand it better and soon find there’s more to it than its troubled past.
Best Time to Visit Serbia
The shoulder seasons of March to May and September to October are the best time to visit Serbia. This time of the year sees more comfortable temperatures outside of the hot summer months of June to August – optimal when covering a lot of ground.
Getting to Serbia
By Air
Air Serbia has direct flights connecting a host of European, US and UK cities to Serbia’s capital, Belgrade. The main airport in Serbia is Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport (BEG).
From the airport, you can take a 30-minute minibus A1 to Slavija Square (around 2 Euro) or bus 72 to Zeleni Venac Square (less than 1 Euro). A Taxi takes half the time but is more expensive, and will cost approximately 15 Euro. Make sure to use the official ‘Taxi Info’ service counters and get a paper receipt to give to the driver.
It is easy to move around Serbia from Belgrade city and map out a round trip that brings you back to the capital.
Overland
Long-distance buses and trains connect Belgrade to mainland European capitals, including Budapest, Vienna, Sofia, Bar, and Zagreb.
Visa for Serbia
Serbia is not yet a part of the EU, but there’s visa-free entry for visits of up to 90 days to the Republic of Serbia for those residing in or holding passports or valid visas from countries of the Schengen area and EU member states. Along with a host of other countries, Canada and the US can also enter Serbia without a visa.
You can check here if you need a visa for Serbia, based on what passport you hold.
Getting Around Serbia
Since car hire is easy to arrange from the airport and within Belgrade, and with highways connecting neighbouring countries, many travel around Serbia by car.
However, for those who don’t drive, there are excellent public transport options.
Serbia by bus
There are various local bus companies that service connections between the cities, smaller towns, and nature areas. Lasta Beograd and Stup Vršac are two prominent bus companies in Serbia that get you to popular destinations and lesser-known sights and places of interest.
Belgrade is your base for Serbia travel and the well-established starting point for spending days and weeks travelling across a country with good transport and tourism infrastructure. Serbia is no post-conflict wild west, although you will find yourself getting lost within its untouched and little-known nature-filled hinterlands.
Give yourself a least an hour before departure to arrive and purchase tickets at Belgrade’s bus station in Savski Venac – it’s a large area with two terminals, and you’ll need some time to navigate and find your bus.
Serbia by Train
The train lines are more limited but connect Belgrade to Novi Sad and Subotica and Belgrade to Nis. The service is much better utilised by those holding Eurail passes.
CarGo in Belgrade
Uber doesn’t operate in Belgrade, but CarGo is the leading car ride app in Serbia that serves the same purpose and works the same way.
Serbia Tours
There’s not much in the way of dedicated Serbia tours, should you wish you have as much organised for you as possible and a guarantee of traveller camaraderie. G Adventures offers an overland tour that passes through Serbia – including Novi Sad and Belgrade – before continuing to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.
Source: BordersOf Adventure