Serbia

Getting around

Bus & tram

Bus

The bus service is extensive and reliable and covers all of Serbia with a separate system in Kosovo. Buses are rarely full and there's usually a row available for everyone; luggage carried below is charged at 70din/€0.50 (in Serbia/Kosovo) per piece.

Reservations

Reservations are only worth considering for international buses, holiday times and long-distance journeys with infrequent services.

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Car & motorcycle

Independent travel is an ideal way to gad about and discover the country. Beware of traffic police with speed radar guns; they also do spot checks of documents and the car.

Hire

Many hire companies such as VIP (011-369 1890), Hertz (011-334 6179) and Budget (011-311 3050) have offices at the airport and in Belgrade. Master Rent a Car (011-245 0842; www.mastercar.co.yu) rents out a basic Yugo car from €25 a day.

Make sure the tyres are in good condition, and all lights and indicators work. Cars are required to carry a first-aid kit, an emergency-stop warning triangle, spare tyre and spare bulbs; the police can fine you for not having these.

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Train

JugoslovenskeŽeleznice (JŽ; www.yurail.co.yu, in Serbian) provides trains from Belgrade to Novi Sad, Subotica and the highly scenic line down to Bar in Montenegro; the website gives timetable details. Trains are generally slower than buses due to lack of infrastructure investment.

Different types of train require different tickets, so when buying make sure you state the service you'll use.

The only train service in Kosovo is to Skopje.

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Bicycle

Cyclists are rare, even in the cities, and there are no special provisions.

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