Getting Around Serbia

Air

There are no internal flights within Serbia.

Road

Driving throughout Serbia is relatively safe, but you should check your travel insurance covers you throughout the country. Driving at night is not advisable on minor roads in the countryside, owing to the poor condition of some roads. There are tollbooths along the motorways, with foreign-registered vehicles charged at a higher toll than local vehicles. The toll also depends on the size of a vehicle. Foreigners may pay in Euros, but at a 20% premium.

Side of the road

Road Quality

Generally roads are kept in good condition within the cities, with quality deteriorating somewhat in rural areas. The Ibarska Magistrala, which links Belgrade to Montenegro, is a particularly dangerous road and should be avoided when possible.

Car Hire

Both major international and local firms offer car hire at airports and main towns.

Taxi

Main cities have metered taxis. In Belgrade, official taxis are identifiable by having a blue taxi sign on the roof of the car. It's possible to negotiate a fare when the meters are not in use, but in this case, agree a fare before setting off.

When arriving at Belgrade airport, only take taxis from the designated area upstairs in departures (not at arrivals). Watch out for taxi drivers who may attempt to scam tourists into paying higher fares by saying a destination is much further away than it should be, or running the meter fast.

Bike

Cycling is possible throughout Serbia and a proportion of the local population uses bikes to get around. The Danube Bike Trail allows cyclists to follow a signposted route along the Danube on designated bike paths throughout the entire country and into the rest of the Balkans.

In Belgrade there are dedicated cycling paths which run along the river and on pavements. Bike hire is possible from a few select rental shops; try iBikeBelgrade (tel: +381 66 900 8386; www.ibikebelgrade.com).

Coach

Travelling by coach is one of the most popular ways to get around Serbia. There is a good network of buses which criss-cross the country and small villages are usually accessible by bus. Lasta (http://lasta.rs) is one of the most biggest and most reliable coach companies.

Regulations

Speed limits are 120kph (75mph) on motorways, 100kph (62mph) on major roads, 80kph (50mph) on other roads, and 50kph (31mph) in built-up areas. Road signs may be poorly marked and new signs are likely to be in Cyrillic script in some areas of the country. Seat belts must be worn at all times. Children under 12 are not allowed to sit in the front passenger seat.

Breakdown services

For roadside assistance call 1987; for police 192. The number for ambulance services is 194.

Documentation

A national driving licence or International Driving Permit is required. No customs documents are required, but car log books, a Green Card and vehicle registration/ownership documents and locally valid insurance policy are necessary.

Urban travel

There are good bus services in the main towns, with tram and trolleybuses in Belgrade. You can use multi-day passes or buy a reloadable smartcard. Some trolleybuses have a conductor seated near the rear of the vehicle.

Rail

Internal rail services are generally poor. Services are often unreliable and slow. Destinations accessible by rail include Belgrade, Nis, Novi Sad, Subotica and Bar on the Montenegrin coast. For further information, contact Serbian Railways (www.serbianrailways.com).

Rail Passes

InterRail One-Country Pass: offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month within Serbia. Travel is not allowed in the passenger's country of residence. Travellers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children under 12 travel free when accompanied by an adult using an Adult Pass. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Available from Voyages-sncf.com (tel: +44 844 848 5848, in the UK; www.voyages-sncf.com).

Eurail Croatia-Slovenia-Montenegro-Serbia Pass: offers travel for four, five, six, eight or 10 days in two months within these countries. Available to non-EU nationals from Eurail (www.eurail.com).