Serbia and Montenegro Transport

Coming and Going

JAT (Yugoslav Airlines) have regional services throughout Europe. Montenegro Airlines fly from Podgorica to Budapest, Frankfurt and Zürich. Other airlines like Lufthansa and Aeroflot fly to Belgrade and Austrian Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, Adria Airlines, British Airways and Turkish Airlines fly into Prishtina.

International trains from Belgrade call at Novi Sad and Subotica for destinations in the north and west, and Ni¨ for those going east. No trains run in Kosovo at the time of writing and Montenegro has no international services. Reservations are recommended and a student card will get you a reduction on some trains. Eurail and Inter-Rail passes are accepted and sold at Belgrade train station.

Drivers from Britain, Spain, Germany and some other countries need an international driving licence, otherwise visitors can use their national licences. Vehicles need a third-party insurance recognised in Yugoslavia plus insurance bought at the border. Traffic police are everywhere so drive carefully and stick assiduously to speed limits.

A ferry service operates between Bar and Italy.

Train

Trains link Belgrade directly from Athens, Bucharest, Budapest, Istanbul, Ljubljana, Munich, Skopje, Sofia, Thessaloniki, Vienna, and Zagreb.

Ferry

Ferries run between Bari and Ancona in Italy and Bar in Montenegro.

Bus

Eurolines (Lasta) buses travel from Austria, Benelux, Bosnia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, FYR Macedonia, Republic of Srpska, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, and Switzerland. They usually go via Hungary, but there are also some buses that go via Croatia. Check eurolines for more information.

Getting About

JAT flies from Belgrade to Tivat and Podgorica (Montenegro) several times daily and plans three flights a week to Prishtina. JAT runs inexpensive buses between airports and city centres. Montenegro Airlines also flies daily between Podgorica and Belgrade.

Buses are necessary for travel in Kosovo and to RoÅaje (Montenegro) and Novi Pazar (Serbia), both gateways to Kosovo. You'll also need buses for the Montenegrin coast and getting to Æabljak.

Jugoslovenske Æeleznice (JÆ) provides adequate railway services from Belgrade serving Novi Sad, Subotica, Ni¨, and the highly scenic line down to Bar. There are four classes of train: ekspresni (express), poslovni (rapid), brzi (fast) and putnicki (slow), so make sure you have the right ticket.

VIP, Hertz, Europcar and Net Rent a Car all have offices at Belgrade airport and in the major cities.

Train

Buses and trains are the best ways to get around, as they go just about everywhere. Trains are cheaper than buses but slower, and sometimes the carriages are in pretty bad condition. The best services run between Subotica, Novi Sad, Belgrade, and Nis, and there's a very scenic trip between Belgrade and Bar. If you want to travel along the Montenegrin coast, or visit Kosovo or Durmitor, you'll have to catch a bus. Travelling overnight on the train or bus is one way to overcome a shortage of decent affordable accommodation.

Taxi

Taxis around the city (apart from bus and train stations) are honest, and cheap. City journeys will usually not cost more than 5 (360).

Plane

Flights go between Belgrade and Montenegro (Tivat and Podgorica) twice a day, and more than 10 daily flights during the summer. If flying during the summer high season, make sure to book the flight well in advance, as they sell out quickly.

Car

All the usual car rental chains are represented in Belgrade and Novi Sad. Driving is on the right side, and there are 24-hour petrol stations along the Bulgaria-Belgrade-Hungary highway.