From the airport to the city centre Serbia

From Nikola Tesla airport, to avoid all scams, go to a Taxi info kiosk. At the airport, you should go to the official kiosk, because the special kiosks are scams. Cab info has divided the city of Belgrade into five zones with different rates. Therefore, you give the address where you want to go, you are given a note with the price of the trip fixed in advance and in addition you are accompanied to your cab. A good way to avoid bad surprises. On the website of Belgrade Accueil, you will also find a lot of information in French about cabs in Belgrade: www.belgradeaccueil.org

To go to the city center, take the buses 72 and 607 for a 30 minutes trip, take the tickets directly in the bus.

Arrival by boat Serbia

Many international cruise lines sail along the Danube, and a mandatory stop is Belgrade. There are no regular transport lines on the Danube or the Sava from other cities abroad, but you can of course come with your own boat

Public transport Serbia

The bus is the preferred means of transportation in the country. From Belgrade, several lines connect you with the main French and European regions. There are two main bus companies, the service is of very good quality and very cheap. You can buy tickets directly at the station. In the big stations, you will be given a token when you buy your ticket, which will give you access to the bus parking. Some companies make you pay an extra charge (very low) for your luggage at the time of boarding, keep some change. On the way, there are stops every two hours, with longer bathroom breaks.

Traveling by train in Serbia is, for those who know how to take their time, a real pleasure. Whether in the mountains of the west, on the steep coast or in the plains, the landscape will always be better appreciated by train. Then, these trains with their old-fashioned interior, so typical of an era, will delight the lovers of exoticism and authenticity: seated on wide benches, you will be able to talk easily with the other travelers, especially since, due to the totally obsolete infrastructure, the trains are very slow. See the official website for more information: www.srbvoz.rs/en/

Cheap and bucolic trips. Even if the train has a reputation of extreme slowness, it is true that the trips are often lengthened by mechanical problems or because the train stops at a road crossing! Finally, the prices are really ridiculous. Although time can sometimes stretch for no reason during a trip, this trip in the always very typical wagons is worth doing at least once. Some trips are even enhanced by guided visits to cultural (Sremski Karlovci) or natural (Mokra Gora) sites and are done in old steam locomotives, brought back to life for the occasion.

With a driver Serbia

There is a plethora of cabs and companies, more than thirty are officially registered. Cabs are still affordable, especially if there are at least two of you, and convenient if you have trouble with the Cyrillic alphabet.

In Belgrade, reliable companies include Gold Taksi (✆ 19806 - +381 65 3291818), Pink Taksi (✆ 19803 - 0800119803).

In Novi Sad, Novus Taxi (✆ +381 21 500 700 - +381 65 220 2202, www.novustaxi.com); Beli Taxi (✆ +381 21 3441096); Delta Taxi (✆ +381 21 553 33)

On the main roads, hitchhiking is not practiced. For safety reasons first, but also because the bus is very affordable and serves all villages and towns. Cabs connect cities at interesting prices if negotiated in advance. On the other hand, on the small roads, it is a different story. Where sometimes even the bus does not pass or rarely, the natives have become accustomed to rely on the kindness of their compatriots. But beware, if ostensibly giving a thumbs up is understandable, it can take time. The easiest way is to stand at the bus stop or in front of the hostel or the main gas station of the town and, when a car turns slowly, to signal the driver to stop: people are used to helping each other, so your company will be all the more pleasant for the driver. You'll soon be in the swing of things and, by making connections, you'll find a place to stay at the next stop

By car Serbia

There are two important freeway connections: Belgrade-Niš and Croatia-Belgrade, and national roads connect all the main points of the country. National roads are the equivalent of good county roads and the country is renewing its roads. It must be said that it was really necessary! The other advantage of the road network is the blossoming of gas stations along the roads, which means that, except for the small mountain roads, you are not likely to run out of gas. These stations are often open 24 hours a day, with the possibility of paying by card

In a country where the hotel offer, as we have seen, is scattered and the tourist sites are often located on the outskirts, the car is the indispensable complement to the bus

Driving. Tractors and carts blocking progress, or buses speeding by, you will not fail to encounter obstacles on your way; on the other hand, motorists drive quite slowly for half of them, and very fast for the other half. They ignore the white lines and overtake wherever they want. Let's be clear! Be careful. A constant 70 km/h is more than enough, even on a straight road without obstacles. Lighting is often poor at night on the outskirts of towns

Signage. In terms of bad news, the number one problem is signage. It is very often in bad condition and the secondary roads between two villages, where Cyrillic is predominant, will not help you. But even more serious is the lack of signs!

On theother hand , concerning the tourist sites, great efforts have been made. Most of them, even those of lesser importance, are very well indicated, and the signs have adopted the European standards, they are brown. Even if you can't find them, we will be happy to help you: we can even be accompanied, which is a testimony of the friendliness of the Serbs. The other problem is the driving, quite dangerous

Car rental. Car rental companies exist only in the big cities, both the global agencies like Avis or Hertz and the local agencies. It is best to use the latter, which are cheaper and more flexible than the big companies and now offer the same guarantees as the others

Potential hazards. Careful driving is advised due to the narrowness of the roads and the heavy truck traffic. Also, because of the large number of carts and tractors, we recommend that you be very careful on winding roads and when traveling at night. Finally, the frequent heavy snowfalls in the mountain border areas make traffic very difficult. If the network was, until recently, in very bad condition, things are changing quickly thanks to massive investments. But beware of holes in the roads, as they are often poorly maintained.

Car garages. You can confidently have your car repaired or serviced in small neighborhood garages. They are very inexpensive and know how to do everything right. The only limitation will of course be the spare parts. Nevertheless, European parts are all available quickly in Belgrade. It is necessary to ask for a white card from the police in order to be able to take out a subscription to park your car in a parking lot

Gas stations. There are quite a few pumps in the city center, but they are often not very visible. On the main roads, about 2 km from the center: Bulevar Kralja Aleksandra and Vojvode Mišića. Also two stations in Autokomanda, after crossing the highway (going up from Slavija). Otherwise, once you pass the Brankov Bridge, you will find many stations on the main streets of Novi Beograd, and near the shopping centers. The gas stations located on the boulevards are all open 24 hours a day and offer multiple services: food, mechanics and sometimes ATMs.

Accessibility Serbia

Serbia is increasingly concerned about people with reduced mobility. For example, in Belgrade or Novi Sad, traffic lights are audible and the sidewalks of almost all major streets in the center of Belgrade are equipped with pavement lines that greatly facilitate the movement of blind people. Wheelchair elevators are installed in the Terazije underpasses to make crossing easier. Since 2014, new hotels and buses are equipped and allow wheelchair access. The vast majority of stations are equipped with wheelchair ramps. In recent years, associations have been making their voices heard and are increasingly listened to, although much remains to be done. If you have a physical or mental disability, or if you are going on vacation with a person in this situation, various organizations and associations can help you to see things more clearly (consult the websites www.noois.rs, www.minrzs. gov.rs, or www.savezslepih.org.rs).

Tourist traps Serbia

Cabs will do anything to extract extra money from you, especially outside Belgrade. Agree on an amount in advance and book a cab through your hotels. If you want a bill, ask for it in advance, as many cabs do not issue them. Transit between cities is common, but often the site of many scams: we advise you to go through a tourist office, a hotel or an agency.