Check
www.fco.gov.uk
for advice on visiting Serbia or Macedonia.
Page last
updated:
17 January 2012. Train times valid from 11 December 2011
to 9 June 2012.
To the Balkans by train...
It's easy to travel by train all the way from the UK to Belgrade in
Serbia,
Skopje in Macedonia or Podgorica or Bar in Montenegro. Leave London mid-morning, travel via Paris &
Budapest, and you'll be in Belgrade the next day in early evening.
Or leave London in the afternoon, take the Paris-Munich
sleeper, and reach Belgrade late next evening. It's safe,
scenic & comfortable, too. It may cost a little more than flying, but it's a
memorable travel experience, not a soulless flight. This page
explains how to plan, book and make a train journey from the
UK to each of these countries.
There are two
good fast & comfortable options for travel by train from
the UK to Serbia. Option 1 involves a morning
Eurostar to Paris, a high-speed TGV to Munich, sleeper
train to Budapest and EuroCity train to Belgrade. You get a morning in Budapest into the
bargain! By all means stop off for longer on the way,
each train is ticketed separately so it costs no more to
spend an extra day in Paris or Budapest en route.
Option 2 is
simpler route, involving just 3 trains and so easier to
book, using an afternoon Eurostar to Paris, sleeper train
to Munich, and direct EuroCity train to Belgrade, arriving
late evening the day after leaving London. This can
work out more expensive than option 1, but there's a way
round this, explained below. Finally,
option
3 is to go via Budapest, using the Budapest-Belgrade
overnight sleeper which gives a more convenient morning arrival in
Belgrade.
Option 1:
London to Belgrade via Paris, Munich & Budapest
Day 1:
Travel from Paris to Munich by high-speed TGV train, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 15:25 and
arriving Munich Hauptbahnhof at 21:36. Cafe-bar
available.
Day 1:
Travel from Munich to Budapest overnight on the
EuroNight sleeper train 'Kalman Imre', leaving Munich
Hauptbahnhof at 23:40 and arriving Budapest Keleti
station at 08:49 next morning. The Kalman Imre
has a modern air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with
washbasin), a modern couchette car (4 & 6 berth compartments) and
seats (although the seats are not recommended). Spend a pleasant
morning in Budapest.
Day 2: Travel
from Budapest to Novi Sad & Belgrade ('Beograd' in Serbian)
on the air-conditioned 'Avala', leaving Budapest
Keleti at 13:00, crossing the border at Subotica and
arriving Novi Sad at 19:10 and Belgrade at 20:48.
The Avala is a modern air-conditioned
EuroCity train, see the photos below, with a
Serbian restaurant car serving drinks, snacks and full
meals, so treat yourself to lunch and dinner! Or feel
free to bring your own
provisions and maybe bottle of wine if you like.
Incidentally, there is an earlier train, the Ivo Andri,
leaving Budapest at 09:00 and arriving Belgrade 16:47,
although only two modern air-conditioned Hungarian cars
go through all the way to Belgrade, and there's no
restaurant car. If the sleeper arrives on time,
you may just make this connection, your ticket will be
valid on the earlier train.
Train times
Belgrade & Novi Sad ► London
Day 1: Travel
from Belgrade or Novi sad to Budapest on the air-conditioned 'Ivo
Andri' leaving Belgrade at 11:03 or Novi Sad at 12:44,
arriving Budapest Keleti station at 18:54.
There's no buffet or restaurant car, so bring your
own provisions and maybe bottle of wine.
Just two air-conditioned Hungarian coaches go all
the way from Belgrade to Budapest, so a seat
reservation is recommended. Alternatively, if you'd like an afternoon in
Budapest, the EuroCity train 'Avala' leaves
Belgrade at 06:48 or Novi Sad at 08:37 arriving Budapest Keleti
at 14:54, restaurant car available, treat yourself
to breakfast & lunch.
Day 1: Travel
from Budapest to Munich overnight on the EuroNight
sleeper train 'Kalman Imre', leaving Budapest Keleti at
21:05
and arriving in Munich at 06:15 next morning.
The Kalman Imre has a modern air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed
compartments with washbasin), a modern Hungarian couchette
car (4 & 6 berth
compartments) and seats (the seats are not recommended).
Day 2: Travel from
Munich to Stuttgart by high-speed
ICE, leaving
Munich Hauptbahnhof at 09:40 and arriving Stuttgart
at 12:01.
Day 2: Travel
from Paris to London by
Eurostar,
leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 18:13 (19:13 on Saturdays), arriving London St Pancras
at 19:36 (20:41 on Saturdays).
On board the
TGV from Paris to Munich...
The train speeds through undulating open green
countryside for much of the way, past pretty French
villages of the Champagne region. After a brief
stop at Strasbourg you cross the border into Germany. A cafe-bar is available serving
drinks & snacks, or feel free to bring your own.
Sit back with a glass of red and enjoy the ride....
New
designer interiors... The TGV trains from
Paris to Munich feature chic new interiors by designer
Christian Lacroix.
Above left: 1st class.
Above right: 2nd class.
See panorama photo of TGV 2nd class.
On board the Kalman Imre overnight train to
Budapest...
This train has modern air-conditioned Hungarian
coaches, including a sleeping-car (recommended), a
couchette car (4 & 6-berth compartments) and seats
cars. Pictured above: Cosy
& inviting, a hotel on rails, this is the modern
air-conditioned Hungarian sleeping-car of the 'Kalman
Imre' waiting to leave Munich Hauptbahnhof on its
overnight journey to Budapest, across Germany, Austria
& Hungary... The sleeping-car has 10
compartments with washbasin, each of which can be used
as a 1, 2 or 3 berth room, with toilets at the end of
the corridor. The lettering above the windows
reads 'hįlókocsi - schlafwagen - voiture-lits -
sleeping-car'. Under the windows, the logo 'Utasellato'
is the Hungarian railways sleeping-car & dining car
service. The train also has more economical
couchettes with 4 & 6 berth compartments, but if your
budget will stretch just a bit, the sleeping-car is
the best way to travel. Exterior photo
courtesy of Istvįn Halįsz, interior photo courtesy of
Mihai Ciobanu.
On board the
air-conditioned train from Budapest to Belgrade...
If you thought
the train into the Balkans would be old and decrepit,
think again... The photos below show the 'Avala'
from Budapest to Belgrade which uses modern Czech
coaches as the train in fact starts in Prague. The Avala
(but not the Ivo Andri) has a restaurant car serving inexpensive meals and a
bar serving snacks & drinks, but it's always a good
idea to take your own
supplies for the journey.
Above: The
'Avala' about to leave Budapest's Keleti station on
its journey to Belgrade...
Smart, modern 1st class
seating in an open saloon...
2nd class
seating in a 6-seat compartment...
How much
does it cost?
Each train is
ticketed separately, so add up the price for each leg of
the journey.
The best and cheapest way to buy tickets is online, because
there's no booking fee and all the special offers are there
for you to see.
It involves four stages on two websites, so it's best to
engage brain, jot down exactly what specific trains you want
to book on what specific dates, and do a dry run on both
sites to check prices and availability before booking
for real. Here's how to buy tickets online using Rail
Europe as the main system:
Bookings open 90 days before
departure (60 days for the Budapest-Belgrade train), you
can't buy tickets before reservations open.
Step 1,
go to
www.raileurope.co.uk
and using the train times on this page as a guide, book the
train from Paris to Munich & back. Add it to your
basket.
Step 2,
still on
www.raileurope.co.uk,
click 'continue shopping' and book the Eurostar from London
to Paris & back. By all means take an earlier Eurostar
outward or a later one returning if it has cheaper seats
available.
Add it to your basket.
Step 3,
still on
www.raileurope.co.uk,
click 'continue shopping' and book the train from Budapest
to Belgrade & back. If an error message appears when
trying to add this ticket to your basket, don't worry, just
book this part of the journey by phone with German Railways'
UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00
Mon-Fri, 09:00-13:00 sat & Sun). If they have any problem
booking the westbound Belgrade to Budapest train, either
just buy it at the station when you reach Belgrade or
try arranging it through the Wasteels office at Belgrade
by emailing
wasteels@eunet.yu as explained in the section below.
Step 4, go to
www.bahn.de and buy a
sleeper or couchette ticket from Munich to Budapest on the
direct overnight sleeper train, looking for the cheap
'Savings' fares. Your simply book online and print out
your own ticket in .PDF format using your PC printer.
Easy! Make sure you select the type of couchette or
sleeper that you want. I recommend registering when it
asks you before completing the purchase, so you can easily
retrieve any bookings.
How to buy tickets online at
www.bahn.de (residents of any country)...
Alternatively, although prices should be the same, at least
in theory, here's how to buy tickets online using the German
railways website
www.bahn.de as the main system. This method can be
used by anyone from any country.
Bookings open 90 days before
departure (just 60 days for the Budapest-Belgrade train), you
can't buy tickets before reservations open.
Step 1,
go to
www.bahn.de
and using the train times on this page as a guide, book the
TGV train from Paris to Munich & back. You may get a
self-print ticket, or they will send to any country.
Step 2, still on
www.bahn.de, now book a
sleeper or couchette from Munich to Budapest on the
direct overnight sleeper train with 0 changes, looking for the cheap
'Savings' fares. Your simply book online and print out
your own ticket in .PDF format using your PC printer.
Easy! Make sure you select the type of couchette or
sleeper that you want. I recommend registering when it
asks you before completing the purchase, so you can easily
retrieve any bookings.
Step 3,
now go to
www.raileurope.co.uk
(or the relevant Rail Europe in your own country if you're not in
the UK), and book the train from Budapest to Belgrade &
back. If an error message appears when trying to add
this ticket to your basket, don't worry, just book this part
of the journey by phone with German Railways' UK office on
08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00
Mon-Fri, 09:00-13:00 sat & Sun). If they have any problem
booking the westbound Belgrade to Budapest train, either
just buy it at the station when you reach Belgrade or
try arranging it through the Wasteels office at Belgrade
by emailing
wasteels@eunet.yu as explained in the section below.
Step 4, book the Eurostar from London
to Paris & back at
www.eurostar.com. By all means take an earlier
Eurostar outward or a later one returning if it has cheaper
seats available.
How to buy tickets by phone...
If you prefer to buy tickets by
phone, call
Deutsche
Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open
09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee,
2% credit card fee), or www.europeanrail.com
on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-17:30 Mon-Fri,
09:00-13:00 Saturday, £35
booking fee, but their staff can be more familiar with
booking journeys like this). Click
here for a list of
agencies and other useful information on how to buy
European train tickets.
If you have any difficulty making the return train
reservation out of Belgrade, you can enlist the help of
the Wasteels agency in Belgrade station, see the
'booking trains in Serbia' section below.
This gets you from the UK to Serbia on just three modern
air-conditioned trains, through some great scenery. On
paper it works out more expensive than option 1, but there's
a way round this, explained in the 'Fares' and 'How to buy
tickets' sections.
Travel from Paris to Munich
overnight by the City Night Line sleeper train
'Cassiopeia', leaving
Paris Gare de l'Est daily at 20:05 (20:20 at weekends) and arriving in Munich at
07:10 next morning.
It has sleeping-cars (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments,
standard with washbasin or deluxe with shower),
4 & 6-berth couchettes & ordinary seats, see the photos & information
below.
Click for
more pictures & information about this train.
Travel from Munich to Belgrade on modern,
air-conditioned EuroCity train 'Sava', leaving Munich at
08:27, travelling via Ljubljana & Zagreb and arriving in
Belgrade at 23:40. This is actually two separate
trains now, you need to make a simple cross-platform
change of train at Villach, the Austrian EuroCity train
arrives at 12:43 and the waiting
Serbian/Croatian/Slovenian EuroCity train departs when
everyone is on board at 12:52. An Austrian
restaurant car is attached between Munich to Villach
serving drinks, snacks and full meals (treat yourself to
an early lunch!), then a Serbian restaurant car is
usually (but not always) attached between Villach and
Belgrade, selling snacks & drinks but not much in the
way of food. Or bring your own supplies of food
and perhaps even a bottle of wine...
About the journey: It's a long journey, but
a day well spent. The scenery through southeast
Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia & Serbia is
stunning, with views of mountains, lush meadows &
winding rivers. After leaving the Munich
suburbs the train snakes through pretty Bavarian scenery
to Salzburg, past churches and picturesque villages.
Just before arriving at Salzburg, look to your right as
you cross the River Salzach for great views of Salzburg
citadel. Soon after Salzburg, the train enters the
Austrian Alps proper, climbing through vast mountains.
Look out for the magnificent fortress at Werfen
(although the train doesn't call here), perched on its
hilltop on the right hand side, guarding the approaches
to Salzburg along the Salzachtal valley. You now
need to make a very straightforward cross-platform
change of train at Villach on the Austrian/Slovenian
border, from the Austrian train to the waiting
Croatian/Serbian/Slovenian train. After entering
Slovenia, the scenery flattens out, and the train snakes
along the pretty river Sava all the way into Ljubljana.
Beyond Ljubljana, the train continues to follow the
river Sava, passing through a beautiful river gorge
between mountains, a real treat. Beyond Zidani
Most the valley widens into a plain, and you cross the
border into Croatia at Dobova and soon arrive in
Zagreb's impressive central station, a palace of a
building, right in the centre of the city. There's
more lush green scenery on the remainder of the journey
to Belgrade.
Belgrade ► London
Travel from
Belgrade to Munich by air-conditioned EuroCity train
'Sava', leaving Belgrade at 05:13 and arriving in Munich
at 21:33. This is actually two separate trains
now, you need to make a simple cross-platform change of
train at Villach, the Serbian/Croatian/Slovenian
EuroCity train arrives at 17:03 and the Austrian
EuroCity train departs at 17:16. Enjoy the
excellent scenery through Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia &
Austria. A Serbian restaurant car is usually (but
not always) available from Belgrade to Villach, reached
around 16:50, it sells drinks and snacks not not much in
the way of food. This train usually gets delayed a
bit at the various borders, so expect a 10-40 minute
late arrival in Munich.
Travel from Munich to Paris by
the City Night Line sleeper train 'Cassiopeia', leaving
Munich daily at 22:47 and arriving at Paris Gare de l'Est
09:24 next morning. The trains has ordinary seats, couchettes
(4 & 6-bunk) and
sleeping-cars (1, 2 or 3-bed rooms, deluxe with shower or standard
with washbasin).
Click for more pictures
& information about this train.
Walk from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare du Nord.
Travel
from Paris to London by
Eurostar, leaving Paris Nord at
11:13 and arriving London St Pancras at 12:30.
Introducing
the City Night Line sleeper from Paris to Munich...
The Paris-Munich overnight train is one of the German Railway's excellent
City Night Line sleeper trains. Called the
'Cassiopeia', it has modern 'Comfortline' sleeping-cars
(1, 2 & 3-berth deluxe rooms with private shower &
toilet, 1, 2 &
3-berth standard rooms with washbasin). There is a shower at
the end of the corridor for passengers in standard rooms,
and all rooms have powerpoints for laptop computers.
There are also
modern air-conditioned couchettes, choose between a berth in a 4 or 6-berth compartment,
and ordinary seats (not recommended).
Inclusive fares are charged covering travel plus
sleeping accommodation. The sleeping-car fare includes
a light breakfast.
Click for more pictures
& information about this train.
1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper:
The most comfortable & civilised option, standard with
washbasin or deluxe with shower & toilet.
4-berth couchettes:
Ideal for families, much more space per person than
6-berth couchettes.
6-berth couchettes:
A very economical option, far better than a seat for
just a few euros more...
Above: The
'Comfortline' sleeping-car of the Paris to Munich
sleeper train boarding at Paris Gare de l'Est...
On board the
EuroCity train from Munich to Belgrade...
This is a
smart modern EuroCity train, with air-conditioned
Slovenian & Serbian coaches. An Austrian restaurant
car is attached between Munich & Villach, and
(usually, but not always) a Serbian restaurant car is
attached between Villach &
Zagreb. The
scenery along this route is superb, taking you from
the Bavaria through the Austrian Alps, into Slovenia
and along the Sava river to Croatia. Sit back with a
glass of red, catch up on your reading and enjoy the views...
Above: This is
the EuroCity train "Sava" from Munich to Ljubljana
& Zagreb, arrived at Zagreb station. This is the
Slovenian air-conditioned coach, the one to aim for if
you can! The Serbian coaches are grey.
Through the Austrian
Alps... Clinging to the mountainside high in
the Austrian Alps, the train snakes along between
snow-capped mountains on its way to the Slovenian
frontier. The
journey across Austria is a real treat!
...and along the Sava
river in Slovenia. Now across the border in
Slovenia, the EuroCity train runs along the pretty River
Sava all the way to Ljubljana and Zagreb...
Comfortable seats: Half
the seats in the Slovenian coach are 1st class, half
2nd class (seen here), but the 2nd class seats are
also arranged 2+1 abreast, the same as 1st class!
Above: A beer
in the Serbian restaurant car.
Above: More scenery along the Sava between Ljubljana
&
Zagreb.
131
euro (£113)
one-way, 261 euro (£226) return 2nd class, but see the
tip below...
Top tip:
There are cheap special fares from Munich to Zagreb of
just 29 euro (£25)
one-way,
58 euro (£50) return.
Then buy a Zagreb-Belgrade ticket separately either in
Munich
or in the UK by
phone. This costs about £39 one-way, £79 return.
* Savings fares =
Special cheap fares, book in advance, limited availability,
no refunds, no changes to travel plans.
Normal fare =
fully flexible, refundable, buy any time.
How to
buy tickets online...
The cheapest way to book this journey is online, as there's
no booking fees and all the cheap deals are there for you to
see. There are two ways to book it, and I'd suggest
trying both as prices vary between the two:
It's best to book London-Munich in two stages. Step 1,
book the sleeper from Paris to Munich. Enter 'Paris'
to 'Munich' and your dates of travel.
Step 2, after booking the Paris-Munich train, stay on
www.raileurope.co.uk
and click 'continue shopping'. Now book a Eurostar ticket from London to
Paris and back to connect with the sleeper. Use the recommended
Eurostar times above as a guide, but by all means book an
earlier Eurostar outward or a later Eurostar on the way back
if these have cheaper seats available or if you'd like to
stop off in Paris.
Step 3, now go to the German
Railways website
www.bahn.de, use the journey planner to bring
up the connecting Munich-Belgrade train
shown in the train times above, and buy the ticket. Tickets can be sent to any address,
or in some cases printed out yourself.
Top tip:
There are no 'special fares' to Belgrade, only expensive
full fares. So instead, buy a cheap special
fare from Munich to Zagreb, as these start at just 29 euro
(£25) one-way, 58 euro (£50) return. Now all you need
is a Zagreb-Belgrade ticket, which costs around £39
one-way, £79 return. You can buy
this at the ticket office in Munich as you pass through, or
call DB's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 and buy by phone.
I recommend buying the return Belgrade-Zagreb ticket in
Belgrade, as it will be cheaper still.
If you have any problems with
www.raileurope.co.uk,
try this option instead. It involves 3 websites, so do
a 'dry run' first on all 3 sites to check prices &
availability before booking for real.
Step 1, go to
www.bahn.de, the German Railways website.
Book from Paris to
Munich and back on the overnight sleeper train.
Availability of cheap 'Savings' fares ('sparnight' in
German) and
fully-flexible normal fares will be shown, for each type of
seat, couchette & sleeper. You pay by credit card and print out
your own tickets in .pdf format. Easy! Note that
the prices shown on
www.bahn.de are in euro, and are the total cost for
all passengers selected, not per person. I
recommend registering when it asks you before completing the
purchase, so you can easily make the next booking, and
retrieve any bookings later.
Step 2, go to
www.eurostar.com to book your connecting Eurostar
tickets between London and Paris, using the Eurostar times
above as a guide. By all means book an earlier
Eurostar outwards, or a later Eurostar on the way back, if
this has cheaper seats available of if you'd like to stop
off in Paris for a while. Eurostar tickets can be
self-printed, sent to any UK
address, or picked up at the station if you're travelling at
short notice or booking from overseas.
Step 3, now go back to
www.bahn.de, and use the journey planner to bring
up the connecting Munich-Belgrade train
shown in the train times above, and buy the ticket. Tickets can be sent to any address,
or in some cases printed out yourself. Top tip:
There are no 'special fares' to Belgrade, only expensive
full fares. So instead, try buying a cheap special
fare from Munich to Zagreb, as these start at just 29 euro
(£25) one-way, 58 euro (£50) return. Now all you need
is a Zagreb-Belgrade ticket, expect this to be
about £39 each way. You can buy
this at the ticket office in Munich as you pass through, or
call DB's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 and buy by phone.
How to buy tickets by phone...
If
you prefer to book by phone, just call
Deutsche
Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday,
09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no
booking fee, 2% credit card charge but no charge for debit
cards), or a booking agency such
as
European Rail
on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00
Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday, £35 booking fee).
It takes 2 nights rather than 1, but if you'd prefer to
arrive Belgrade in the morning, here's how:
Train times
London ► Belgrade
Travel from London to Budapest via any of the options shown
on the London to Hungary page.
You can leave London at 16:01 (15:31 at weekends) by
Eurostar, take the City Night Line sleeper from Paris to
Munich, then a smart modern Railjet to Budapest,
arriving 16:49 the day after leaving London.
Travel from Budapest to Belgrade by overnight sleeper train,
leaving Budapest Keleti daily at 22:20 and arriving in
Belgrade at 06:06 next day. This train is the
'Beograd', with a sleeping-car (a safe & comfortable
sleeping-car with 1, 2 &
3 bed compartments with washbasin, recommended),
couchettes (4 & 6 berth compartments) and ordinary seats
(not recommended).
Train times
Belgrade ► London
Travel from Belgrade to Budapest by overnight sleeper train,
leaving Belgrade daily at 22:10 and arriving in Budapest
Keleti at 06:04 next day. This train is the
'Beograd', with a sleeping-car (a safe & comfortable
sleeping-car with 1, 2 &
3 bed compartments with washbasin, recommended),
couchettes (4 & 6 berth compartments) and ordinary seats
(not recommended).
Travel from Budapest to London via any of the options shown
on the London to Hungary page.
You can leave Budapest at 13:10 by Railjet to Munich,
take the City Night Line sleeper train overnight from
Munich to Paris, and be back in London at 12:30 the day
after leaving Budapest.
Fares & how to buy tickets...
See the
London to Austria page for fares & how to buy tickets
between London & Vienna. Vienna to Belgrade can be
booked online at
www.raileurope.co.uk,
and costs £89 each way per person travelling in a 3-berth
sleeper or £128 each way in a 2-bed sleeper. To book
by phone, call German Railways' UK office on 08718 80 80 66, lines open
09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday.
In
theory, Serbian railways' reservation system is now linked to the
western European railway computer
reservation systems, so seat, couchette or sleeper reservations can be
made on trains starting in Belgrade
from most reservation offices or train booking agencies across Europe,
including UK European rail booking agencies. In practice however, the
computer link goes down quite lot and your agency may tell you
they are unable to reserve trains starting in Belgrade. If so, no problem, just email or
call the highly-recommended Wasteels travel agency at Belgrade station who can make
reservations and/or sell you the travel ticket as well. You can
pick up and pay for the reservations/tickets when you get to Belgrade
(although you may now be asked for pre-payment).
Indeed, it is often cheaper buying tickets locally in Belgrade than
paying international tariff rates to UK-based agencies, and if you
needed (for example) Belgrade-Bar train tickets, I'd recommend
reserving tickets through Wasteels. Their contact details are:
Agency representative Mr Popovic speaks good English and comes highly
recommended by many seat61 correspondents. He will be glad to make train
reservations for you and book tickets, and even give you advice on
visiting Belgrade! Payment must be made in cash in Serbian Dinars, which
is
no problem as there is a bureau de change next to the Wasteels office. Both offices are situated
in Belgrade main station at the exit gate in line
with the buffer stops. Right: The Wasteels office
at Belgrade main station. Photo courtesy of Eckart Spindler.
Update: You can now book Serbian domestic trains (also
the ones to Montenegro) online, at
www.serbianrailways.com (click 'e-ticketing' at lower
right). You pay online by credit card and collect your ticket
at the station in Belgrade. Several travellers have now
reported success with this system.
You can travel from the UK to Montenegro either by train via
Belgrade, or by train to Italy then a ferry across the Adriatic.
Both options are described here.
London to Podgorica & Bar by train via Belgrade...
Travel from London to Belgrade as shown above,
then take a train to Podgorica or Bar. The
Belgrade-Podgorica-Bar railway is one of Europe's most scenic. There is
both a daytime train and an overnight sleeper, which uses
second-hand French sleepers with 1 2 & 3 bed room with washbasin.
You can find train times online at
http://bahn.hafas.de
(English button upper right). Use the Wasteels agency in
Belgrade recommended above to arrange your train tickets and
reservations from Belgrade to Podgorica or Bar train tickets and
reservations. Allow at least 2 or 3 hours in Belgrade for
connections, as incoming trains often arrive an hour or two late.
Book Serbian trains online: You can now book Serbian domestic trains (also
the ones to Montenegro) online, at
www.serbianrailways.com (click 'e-ticketing' at lower
right). You pay online by credit card and collect your ticket
at the station in Belgrade. Several travellers have now
reported success with this system.
London to Podgorica & Bar by ferry from Italy...
Travel from London to Ancona or Bari as shown
on the London to Italy page. Allow several hours in Bari for
getting to the port & checking in. Then take a ferry across
the Adriatic to Bar. Two ferry lines operate between Italy and
Bar. Montenegro Lines (www.montenegrolines.net)
sail Bari-Bar 3 times a week year round and daily in summer, usually
departing both Bari & Bar at 22:00, arriving at 08:00 next morning.
Cabins available. Ferry fares from 50 euros each way with
reclining seat, or 60 euros each way with a bed in shared cabin,
more luxurious cabins also available. You can also book
Montenegro Lines through UK agency
www.viamare.com.
An overnight train leaves
Belgrade at 21:15, calling at Ni at 01:32 and arriving in Skopje at 07:06 next
morning. A sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3-berth rooms with washbasin
should be available, but at present a shortage of serviceable
sleeping-cars means that there is no sleeper on this train. There's
also a chance that
you might miss the connection if you use the day train from Budapest
to Belgrade it runs late into Belgrade.
All things considered,
you may prefer to spend the night in Belgrade and
take the daytime train leaving Belgrade
at 07:50 arriving Ni at 12:00 & Skopje at 17:07. If
you're going to Nis and would like a morning to see Belgrade, there's also
a 15:05 train from Belgrade to Nis, arriving 19:16. You can check
train times at http://bahn.hafas.de.
There is one train a
day between Skopje & Pritina in Kosovo, departing Skopje at 15:35
and arriving Pritina 18:25. Expect this train to be one
ancient ex-Norwegian diesel and two elderly carriages!
Pritina, Skopje & Ni ► London
There is one train a day between Pritina
& Skopje, leaving Pritina at 05:50 and arriving Skopje at 08:36.
Expect this train to be one ancient ex-Norwegian diesel and two
elderly carriages!
Leave Skopje at 09:05 or Ni at 14:00, arriving Belgrade at
18:05. There's also a 15:43 from Ni arriving Belgrade at
19:47. You can check train times at
http://bahn.hafas.de.
Spend the night in a hotel in Belgrade. Or there's an
overnight train leaving Skopje at 20:45, calling at Nis at 01:55 and arriving Belgrade at
06:02 next
morning. The overnight train should have a sleeping-car with
1, 2 & 3 bed compartments, but due to a lack of serviceable
sleeping-cars there isn't currently any sleeper, and I'd recommend
sticking with the daytime trains.
Belgrade to Skopje
costs about £29 one way, £58 return 2nd class.
Skopje to Pritina
costs about 5 euros one-way.
Pritina to Skopje by train...
Traveller Jeroen van Marle reports:
"I took the train from Pritina in Kosovo to Skopje in May 2011.
Absolutely freezing cold as there was no heating, but the ride was
lovely, very scenic compared to the highway blight that the buses
pass."
The morning train waits to leave Pritina. Photo
courtesy of Jeroen van Marle
At the border, where locomotives are changed. Photo
courtesy of Jeroen van Marle
The train uses
old Norwegian coaches. Photo courtesy of Jeroen van
Marle
The train from
Pritina, arrived at Skopje station. Photo courtesy
of Jeroen van Marle
The Thomas Cook European Timetable
The
Thomas Cook European timetable
has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus currency
& climate
information. Published since 1873, it costs £13.99.
It's essential for any serious traveller
and an inspiration for armchair travellers. Still
not convinced you need one? More information
on what the Thomas Cook Timetable contains. You can
buy the latest monthly edition online at
www.thomascooktimetables.com with worldwide delivery or
buy it in person from any UK branch of Thomas Cook (ask at the
bureau de change), or from W H Smiths in Victoria or Kings
Cross stations in London.
Or
buy the twice-yearly independent traveller's edition with
laminated cover from Amazon.co.uk:
Winter/Spring 2011/12 edition (Dec 2011 to June 2012) or
(when available)
Summer/Autumn 2012 edition (June to Dec 2012)
The Thomas Cook Rail Map of
Europe is the best and most comprehensive
map of train routes right across Europe, from Portugal in the
west to Istanbul, Moscow & Ukraine in the east, from Finland
in the north to Sicily & Crete in the south. High speed
&
scenic routes are highlighted. Highly recommended!
Buy online
at
www.amazon.co.uk
(worldwide delivery).
See an extract from
the map.
Guidebooks
To
get the most from your visit, you should take a good guidebook.
For the independent traveller, I think this means one of two
guidebooks, either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide. Both
series are excellent. You can buy a guide covering all the countries in Eastern Europe. Lonely
Planet Eastern Europe.
www.hotelscombined.com
is probably the best hotel search system I've seen, a free search tool
which checks all the main hotel booking sites (Opodo, Expedia,
Booking.com, Hotels.com, AsiaRooms, Travelocity, LateRooms and
others) to find the cheapest hotel rates. Set up in
2005, it's probably the best place to start for booking any
hotel online in any country, worldwide.
Other hotel sites worth a look...
www.tripadvisor.com
is a huge resource, a good place to browse independent travellers' reviews of all the main hotels.
www.booking.com is my own preferred hotel booking system
(Hotels Combined being a booking site comparison system). It
has a simple interface, a good selection in most countries
worldwide, useful online customer reviews of each hotel, and
decent prices, usually shown inclusive of unavoidable extras
such as taxes (a pet hate of mine is systems that show one
price, then charge you another!).
Backpacker hostels...
If you're on a tight budget,
don't forget the hostels. For a dorm bed or an
ultra-cheap private room in backpacker hostels in most
European cities use
www.hostelbookers.com.
Travel insurance & health card...
Get travel insurance, it's essential...
Never travel without insurance from a
reliable travel insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover loss of
cash (up to a limit) and belongings, and cancellation. An annual
multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip
policies even for just 2 or 3 trips
a year (I have an annual policy myself).
Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed
connection, but European international rail conditions of
carriage (known as the 'CIV') contain consumer protection
provisions that entitle you to travel forward by the next
available train if you miss a connection because of a delay to
the first train, irrespective of who operates which train, and
even if your ticket is in theory train-specific and
non-changeable.
Feedback from using
insurance for rail & ferry travel is always welcome. Here are some suggested insurers.
Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these
links.
If you're a
UK citizen travelling in Europe, you should apply for a free
European Health Insurance Card, which entitles you to free or
reduced rate health care if you become ill or get injured in
many European countries, under a reciprocal arrangement with
the NHS. This replaced the old E111 forms
as from January 2006. The EHIC card is available from
www.ehic.org.uk. It doesn't remove the need for
travel insurance, though.
Get a spare credit card, one designed for foreign travel with no currency
exchange loading & low or no ATM fees...
It costs nothing to take out an extra credit card.
If you keep it in a different part of your luggage so you're
not left stranded if
your wallet gets stolen, this is a form of extra travel insurance in itself. In addition,
some credit cards are significantly better for
overseas travel than others. Martin Lewis's
www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money explains which
UK credit cards
have the lowest currency exchange commission loadings when you buy something
overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when
you use an ATM abroad. Taking this advice
can save you quite a lot on each trip compared to using your
normal high-street bank credit card! You can save money on ATM charges and exchange rates using a
Caxton FX euro currency Visa Card, or indeed the
multi-currency 'Global Traveller' Visa Card,
find out about these cards & sign up here.
Get an international SIM card
to save on mobile data and phone calls...
Mobile phones can cost a fortune to use abroad, and if you're
not careful you can return home to find some huge bills
waiting for you. I've known people run up over £1,000 in
data charges just by leaving their iPhone connected during a
simple trip to Europe. However, if you
buy a global SIM card for your mobile phone from a company
such as
www.Go-Sim.com you can slash the cost by up to 85% and
limit any damage to the amount you have pre-paid. Go-Sim
cuts call costs in 175 countries worldwide,
and you can receive incoming calls and texts for free in 75 countries. It's pay-as-you-go, so no nasty bills
when you get home. It also allows cheap data access for laptops
& PDAs. A Go-Sim account and any credit on it doesn't
expire if it's not used between trips, unlike some
others, so a Go-Sim phone number becomes your 'global phone
number' for life.
In
theory, Serbian railways' reservation system is now linked to the
western European railway computer
reservation systems, so seat, couchette or sleeper reservations can be
made on trains starting in Belgrade
from most reservation offices or train booking agencies across Europe,
including UK European rail booking agencies. In practice however, the
computer link goes down quite lot and your agency may tell you
they are unable to reserve trains starting in Belgrade. If so, no problem, just email or
call the highly-recommended Wasteels travel agency at Belgrade station who can make
reservations and/or sell you the travel ticket as well. You can
pick up and pay for the reservations/tickets when you get to Belgrade
(although you may now be asked for pre-payment).
Indeed, it is often cheaper buying tickets locally in Belgrade than
paying international tariff rates to UK-based agencies, and if you
needed (for example) Belgrade-Bar train tickets, I'd recommend
reserving tickets through Wasteels. Their contact details are:
.
Backpacker hostels...
In
the UK, try
If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the
EU, try
If you live in the USA or Canada, try
