Travelling by Bus in Serbia: My Experience

Although it could be interesting sometimes, traveling by bus in Serbia could easily turn into a nightmare, especially during hot summer months. And the nightmare starts even before you step into a bus - at a bus station. So, if you have to or want to travel by bus in Serbia don’t do it on your own, go to a travel agency instead.

Traveling by bus across Serbia seems to go back in time instead to go forward. The bus station is the first, but a giant step one has to make toward commencing a trip by bus. Bus stations are usually dirty, overcrowded with people (and not by buses!), strange smells sometimes come from around dark corners, illogical gate constructions appear from nowhere, prices in snack-bars and restaurants around the stations are sky high (which is totally unjustified) and only local companies have desks for buying tickets (otherwise the tickets are to be bought in the buses, directly from a driver or from a conductor). Some exceptions of these might be seen at bus stations in Belgrade and Novi Sad, which are two biggest cities in Serbia and have appropriate services on their bus stations.

When buying a ticket one should be aware that different companies’ prices for the same destinations could vary up to 25 percent. And the more expensive ticket doesn’t necessary mean the better quality in traveling service.

After avoiding these obstacles and getting the ticket(s), you have to find your bus platform, get onto it through ancient gate and then put off your luggage in the luggage box. Then, you have to pay a luggage ticket, which can be paid only in cash.

Entering a bus and getting a seat could sometimes be very hard or impossible. That’s because having a ticket doesn’t always mean that you will have a seat, so be prepared to stand for a while. And that can be very unpleasant during summer months if the air-condition is off or malfunctioned.

During long distance journeys, bus drivers commonly make random stops at oil stations or, worse, nearby low category restaurants where service in general is very poor.

When you reach your destination do not look at your watch. You may not like what you see. If the bus is late it’s quite normal, wonder if you arrive on time. Instead of traveling by bus it is better to go to a travel agency or use a rented car.