Social ConventionsThere are some restrictions on photography.
International Travel:Getting There by AirThe national airline is
Jat Airways (JU) (website:
www.jat.com).
Departure TaxCSD1,200, payable at the airport. Exempt are transit passengers continuing within 24 hours, and children under two years of age.
Main AirportsBelgrade (BEG) (Surcin) (website:
www.airport-belgrade.co.yu) is 19km (12 miles)
west of the city.
To/from the airport: Buses and taxis are available into Belgrade. There are a number of car hire agencies at the airport.
Facilities: Banks, bars, car hire and post offices.
Getting There by RailRail services to Belgrade run from Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, Romania and Turkey. Trains from western Europe travel via Budapest. For up-to-date information, contact
Rail Europe (tel: 0870 584 8848; website:
www.raileurope.co.uk). International trains have couchette coaches as well as bar and dining cars. On some lines, transport for cars is provided.
Rail PassesInterRail: offers unlimited first- or second-class travel in up to 30 European countries for European residents of over six months with two pass options. The
Global Pass allows travel for 22 days, one month, five days in 10 days or 10 days in 22 days across all countries. The
One-Country Pass offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month in any of the countries except Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro. Travel is not allowed in the passenger’s country of residence. Travelers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children’s tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on
Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from
Rail Europe (website:
www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).
NoteTrain travel should be undertaken with care as assaults and robberies have been reported.
Getting There by RoadThe following frontier posts are open for road traffic:
From
Croatia: Batrovci–Bajakovo.
From
Hungary: Hercegszanto–Backi Breg (Bezdan); Tompa–Kelebija; Szeged Roszke–Horgos; Bacsalmas–Bajmok; and Tiszasziget–Djala (both crossings for nationals of Yugoslavia and Hungary only).
From
Romania: Jimbolia–Srpska Crnja; Stamora Moravita–Vatin; Naidas–Kaludaerova (Bela Crkva); and Portile de Fier–(Turnu Severin)–Daerdap (Kladovo).
From
Bulgaria: Bregovo–Mokranje (Negotin); Kula–Vrska Cuka (Zajecar); Kalotina–Gradina; Otomanci–Ribarci; Kjustendil–Deve Bair (Kriva Palanka); Blagoevgrad–Delcevo; and Petric–Novo Selo.
From
Albania: Podgradec–Cafa Prusit; and Kukes–Vrbnica.
From
Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic of): Presevo–Tabanovce; Globocica; Pohor Pcinjski; and Djeneral–Jankovic. Nearly all the passes mentioned above are open 24 hours a day. Delays between Kosovo and Macedonia are commonplace.
From
Montenegro: The main border crossings are at Gostun (near Bijelo Polje) as well as near Rozaje and near Pljevlja.
Bus: Connections are available to Belgrade from destinations including Budapest, Lyon, Munich, Paris, Thessaloniki and Zurich.
OverviewThe following items may be imported into Serbia without incurring customs duty:
200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco;
1l of wine and 750ml of spirits;
250ml of eau de toilette and a reasonable quantity of perfume;
jewelry and clothing;
two photo cameras,
one movie camera (up to and including 16mm) or one video camera;
one pair of binoculars;
one pocket electronic calculator;
camping equipment;
one bicycle;
one engine;
sporting requisites (enquire for further details);
if portable, one musical instrument, one record player, one radio receiver with or without a cassette recorder,
one tape recorder and one typewriter.
Weapons are prohibited, unless they are for hunting purposes and the hunt is organized by the Hunters Association of Serbia. Animals may be imported as long as there is proof of the health condition of the animal. Cats and dogs must have a vet certificate.
Internal Travel:Getting Around by RailInternal rail services are generally poor. Services are often overbooked, unreliable, unsafe and slow - especially in winter. Destinations accessible by rail include Belgrade, Nis, Novi Sad, Pristina and Subotica. For further information, contact
Serbian Railways (website:
www.yurail.co.yu/eng).
Rail PassesInterRail’s
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. Travelers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children’s tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on
Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from
Rail Europe (website:
www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).
Getting Around by RoadDrivers should not rely on local petrol stations for fuel, owing to shortages of oil, although hard currency might otherwise be rationed and scarce petrol available. Spare parts are very difficult to obtain. Driving at night is not advisable, owing to the poor condition of the roads. There are several tollbooths along the motorways. Foreign-registered vehicles are charged at a higher toll then local vehicles. The toll also depends on the size of vehicle. Drivers should have at least CSD15,000 to pay in cash at the booths.
Coach: Efficient and cheap coaches used to connect all towns. The fuel shortages have restricted the services severely. Ibarska Magistrala is a notoriously bad road and should be avoided when possible.
Taxi: Main cities have metered taxis. It is possible to negotiate a fare when the meters are not in use. In Kosovo, Pristina is able to provide taxis. Only use officially marked taxis.
Car hire: Available from airports and main towns.
Regulations: Traffic drives on the right. Speed limits are 120kph (75mph) on motorways and 100kph (62mph) on other roads. Road signs may be poorly marked and new signs are likely to be in Cyrillic script in some areas of the country. Seatbelts must be worn at all times.
Documentation: International Driving License is required. No customs documents are required but car log books, a Green Card (not valid in Kosovo) and vehicle registration/ownership documents and locally valid insurance policy are necessary. Third-party insurance can be taken out at the border when traveling to Kosovo.
Getting Around Towns and CitiesThere are good bus services in the main towns, with tramways and trolleybuses in Belgrade. Multi-journey tickets are available and are sold in advance through tobacconists. The passenger punches the ticket in a machine on board. Fares paid to the driver are at double the pre-purchase prices.
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