Serbia

Understand

Serbs are a warm people and welcoming towards foreigners. Most younger Serbs will speak some English and will be eager to practise it (seniors, however, are more likely to speak German and/or French), so you will be able to find your way around by asking directions. Most tourists come to Serbia in the summer and you can often hear German, Italian, French and English in the streets of Belgrade, while Slovenian tourists pour in for the New Year holidays.

Climate In the north: continental climate (cold winters and hot, humid summers with well distributed rainfall); central portion: moderate continental climate; and to the south: hot, dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall.

Geography Extremely varied: to the north, rich fertile plains; to the east, limestone ranges and basins; to the southeast, ancient mountains and hills. Although the region around the town of Mionica has been known for some earthquakes, these were by no means destructive. The highest point is Đeravica at 2656 m.

History

There were seventeen Roman emperors born in the territory of today's Serbia, more than in Gaul (France and Belgium), Iberia (Spain and Portugal) or indeed any other modern country's territory but Italy, and they all left monuments and built palaces in or close to their birthplaces. It may well be that the oldest ever found human settlements in Europe, if not in the world, can be found in the country of Serbia. The longest stretch of the river Danube, longer than in any other European country is in Serbia. The giant hydroelectric dam of Đerdap has created a lake stretching for many miles out of the Đerdap Canyon with its famous Roman road to the East built by the Emperor Trajan. The first Serbian state under that name was formed in the late 8th cen

Getting there

Entry requirements

Foreign nationals of the following countries/territories can enter Serbia visa-free (Government website):

For up to 90 days in 6 months: Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holy See, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, San Marino, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay For up to 30 days, extendable up to 90 days within any 180 day period: Belarus, China, Kazakhstan, Russia For up to 30 days within any 60 day period: Ukraine For up to 30 days within one year: Bahamas, Barbados, Colombia, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, Paraguay, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname For up to 14 days: Hong Kong Citizens of the following countries can enter and stay up to 90 days in 6 months with their National ID card: Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom. Valid visa holders and residents of the European Union and Schengen Area member states and the United States can enter Serbia

Getting around

Public transportation is generally not in very good shape outside of Belgrade. Trams and newer buses are exclusive to the capital, while intercity transport and transport within other smaller cities and towns uses older buses or more expensive minibuses. The coverage, however, is still pretty good in other towns as well. The quality of public transport within Belgrade itself is good and has vastly improved lately as most of the bus fleet was replaced by brand new gas powered buses. The capital itself has around 120 public transport lines which can get you anywhere within the city you might want to go. A majority of these lines are bus lines, but some are trolleybus, tram and minibus lines. Minibuses are way more expensive (~€2 per ride) than regular public transport as they are owned by private companies. For more info check Belgrade#By_public_transport.

By bus The most common and convenient way of getting around Serbia is by bus. See also Bus travel in the former Yugoslavia. Flixbus is the main operator on long distance routes. Polazak is a portal for planning bus travel within Serbia: bus lines include Ozlem, Jugoprevoz Kruševac, Litas, Niš Ekspres, Dunav Prevoz, Severtrans, Lasta, Best Komerc, Božur and Kavim Jedinstvo.

By train

Trains in Serbia are considerably slower than most of Western/Central Europe, but they can be a quite scenic way of seeing the country. On most of the routes trains are also slower than buses, exceptions being the lines running from Belgra