Main entrance to Belgrade station, east side.
 

Belgrade's historic station closed in June 2018.

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      Belgrade station guide

      Recommended hotel in Belgrade

     Information current for 2024.

bullet pointBefore you buy your tickets

Take a moment to read these tips for buying European train tickets.  It answers all the usual questions, "Do I need to book in advance or can I just buy at the station?", "Can I stop off?", "Are there Senior fares?" and that old favourite, "Should I buy an $800 railpass or buy a €35 point-to-point ticket online?".  Click here to understand how far ahead you can buy train tickets.

bullet pointEuropean train travel FAQ

An introduction to European train travel

 

Senior fares (over 60)

 

Guide to Eurail passes (overseas visitors)

Important tips for buying European train tickets

Youth fares (under 26)

 

Guide to Interrail passes (for Europeans)

How to check European train times

Child fares & child age limits

 

Couchettes & sleepers on night trains

Do I need to book in advance?

Luggage on European trains

 

Train seat numbering plans

How far ahead can I book?

Luggage storage at stations

 

Wheelchairs & special needs

Can I stop off on the way?

Taking a bike by train

 

Real-time service updates

Should I travel 1st or 2nd class?

Taking a car by train

 

Hotels & accommodation

How long to allow for connections?

Taking dogs & pets by train

 

Changing stations in Paris by metro or taxi

How early to arrive at the station?

Maps of the European rail network

 

What to do when things go wrong...


Belgrade to Zagreb & Ljubljana for €29

Option 1, by day train, every day all year round

2nd class seats in a Serbian air-conditioned train   The train from Belgrade to Zagreb & Zurich, about to leave Belgrade

The Belgrade to Zagreb train about to leave Belgrade.  Above left, 2nd class seats.

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Belgrade to Sarajevo & Bosnia

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Belgrade to Sofia

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Belgrade to Istanbul for €50

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Belgrade to Skopje for €24
The Macedonian couchette car on the Belgrade to Thessaloniki train   A 6-berth couchette compartment on the Belgrade to Thessaloniki train

The Belgrade-Skopje-Thessaloniki overnight train has a North Macedonian couchette car, though no sleeper.  But it's comfortable enough and seldom full, see the photos below, courtesy of traveller Tom Whitehead.  Clean sheets, pillow and blanket are provided.  You'll probably find fellow travellers from Germany, the Netherlands, Australia or Britain on board.  See larger couchette photo.

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Belgrade to Thessaloniki & Athens
The Macedonian couchette car on the Belgrade to Thessaloniki train   A 6-berth couchette compartment on the Belgrade to Thessaloniki train

The Belgrade-Thessaloniki night train has a North Macedonian couchette car, though no sleeper.  But it's comfortable enough, and seldom full, see the photos below, courtesy of traveller Tom Whitehead.  Clean sheets, pillow and blanket are provided.  You'll probably find fellow travellers from Germany, the Netherlands, Australia or Britain on board.

A 6-berth couchette compartment on the Belgrade to Thessaloniki train   The Macedonian couchette car on the Belgrade to Thessaloniki train
Parnassus mountains seen from the Thessaloniki-Athens train

View of the Parnassus mountains from the Thessaloniki-Athens InterCity train.  Courtesy of Laurent Faurite.

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Belgrade to Podgorica, Bar & Montenegro for €22
High in the mountains of Montenegro

Spectacular scenery on the wonderful Belgrade to Montenegro railway.

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Belgrade to Dubrovnik
High in the mountains of Montenegro

Spectacular scenery on the wonderful Belgrade to Montenegro railway.

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Belgrade to London

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Belgrade to Paris, Brussels & Amsterdam

Option 1, using the sleeper train Lisinski from Zagreb to Stuttgart

Option 2, by train to Zagreb, comfortable sleeper train to Zurich, then onward trains.

The 'Lisinski' sleeper train from Zagreb to Munich, at Zagreb main station   Sleeper compartment in the Croatian sleeping-car from Munich to Zagreb

Croatian sleeping car.  This is sleeping-car on the Lisinski at Zagreb, the one on the Zagreb-Zurich train is the same.  The modern air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car of the Lisinski from Zagreb to Munich & Stuttgart 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, see the Croatian sleeper video.

4-berth couchettes on Munich to Zagreb train   Couchette car on Munich to Zagreb train, at Munich

The couchette car on the Lisinski has modern air-conditioned 6-berth and 4-berth compartments.  Above right, the westbound train is seen boarding at Zagreb. See panorama photo.

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Belgrade to Zurich & Switzerland

Option 1, via the excellent Zagreb-Zurich sleeper

The 'Lisinski' sleeper train from Zagreb to Munich, at Zagreb main station   Sleeper compartment in the Croatian sleeping-car from Munich to Zagreb

The Zagreb-Zurich sleeping-car:  The modern air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car from Zagreb to Zurich 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.  It's identical to the Zagreb-Stuttgart sleeper, see the Croatian sleeper video.

Scenery in Switzerland from the Zagreb to Zurich sleeper train

Wake up in Switzerland to scenery like this.  Taken from the Zagreb-Zurich sleeper, courtesy of John Richards.

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Belgrade to Trieste, Venice, Rome & Italy

Option 1, by train via Ljubljana, Trieste & Venice - the cheapest & easiest option for Venice & most of Italy

Option 2, using the Zagreb-Zurich sleeper - a comfortable option, every day, all year round

Option 3, by train to Montenegro then ferry to Bari - summer-only, on dates when the ferry operates

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Belgrade to Barcelona & Spain

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Belgrade to Salzburg, Munich, Berlin & Germany from €54

Option 1, Belgrade to Salzburg & Germany via Budapest

Option 2, Belgrade to Salzburg, Munich & Germany using the Zagreb-Munich-Stuttgart sleeper train

Option 3, Belgrade to Salzburg, Munich & Germany with overnight stop in Zagreb

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Belgrade to Vienna from €34

Option 1, Belgrade to Vienna on the direct route via Budapest

Option 2, Belgrade to Vienna with overnight stop in Zagreb

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Belgrade to Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Stockholm

While the Belgrade-Budapest line is being upgraded, divert via Zagreb & Vienna as follows:

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Belgrade to Prague

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Belgrade to Bratislava

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Belgrade to Budapest

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Belgrade to Bucharest & Romania

IMPORTANT UPDATE: The incompetent Romanian & Serbian Railway managers have had a disagreement, and since 2017 the Vrsac-Timisoara trains have been starting from one station north of Vrsac, meaning there are currently no trains at all across the Serbian/Romanian border, completely destroying this international route.

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Belgrade to Warsaw & Krakow

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Belgrade to Moscow & Russia
One of Russian Railways new international sleeping-cars   A 2-berth or 4-berth compartment in daytime mode

The train from Warsaw to Moscow uses new Austrian-built sleeping-cars owned by Russian Railways.  Each compartment converts from comfortable sofas to equally comfortable beds and can be used as either 1st class 2-berth with two lower berths or as 2nd class 4-berth with all four berths in use.  There are a shower and toilets at the end of the corridor.  Compartments have electronic key-card locks, and the cars are very smooth-riding.  The sleeper attendant can serve lovely Russian tea for around €0.50 a glass.  Highly recommended!

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Belgrade to Lviv, Kyiv & Ukraine

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Hotels in Belgrade

Recommended hotel: Hotel Moskva

Look no further for a hotel in Belgrade than the historic Hotel Moskva.  Opened in 1906, anyone who is anyone who has visited Belgrade has stayed here, from British author Graham Green to Ethiopian emperor Haile Salassie.  It served as Gestapo Headquarters in 1941-44, although fortunately no trace of these former occupants remains.  It's right in the centre of Belgrade at the end of the pedestrianised main street that leads to Belgrade fortress.  It was only 10 minutes walk (admittedly uphill) from Belgrade's old station, but now a taxi ride from Belgrade Centar station.  The hotel has immaculate rooms, friendly staff and a good cooked breakfast.  Book the Hotel Moskva.

The Hotel Moskva, Belgrade   A double room at the Hotel Moskva, Belgrade

Find hotels at Booking.comMy favourite hotel search: www.booking.com

Booking.com is my favourite hotel booking site and I generally use it to book all my hotels in one place.  I've come to trust booking.com's review scores, you won't be disappointed with any hotel that scores 8.0 or more.  Crucially, booking.com usually lets you book with free cancellation, which means you can confirm accommodation risk-free before train booking opens and/or you can hold accommodation while you finalise your itinerary and alter your plans as they evolve - a feature I use all the time when planning a trip.  I never book hotels non-refundably!

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Travel insurance & VPN

 

Staysure travel insurance

 

Columbus Direct logo

Always take out travel insurance

Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover.  It should also cover cancellation and loss of cash and belongings, up to a sensible limit.  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 with Staysure.co.uk myself.  Here are some suggested insurers.  Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.

UK flag  www.staysure.co.uk offers enhanced Covid-19 protection & gets 4.7 out of 5 on Trustpilot.

UK flag  www.columbusdirect.com is also a well-know brand.

US flag  If you live in the USA try Travel Guard USA.

 

Maya.net logo

Get an eSIM with mobile data package

Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a mobile data package for the country you're visiting and stay connected.  Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM card so you don't need to buy a physical SIM, including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility listMaya.net is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and a range of packages including unlimited data.

 

Curve card

Curve card

Get a Curve card for foreign travel

Most banks give you a poor exchange rate, then add a foreign transaction fee on top.  A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month at time of writing.  The money you spend on your Curve card goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.

How it works:  1. Download the Curve app for iPhone or Android.  2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to the UK and most European addresses.  3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app, you can link up to two cards with the free version of Curve, I link my normal debit card and my normal credit card.  4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, exactly like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance in your own currency onto whichever debit or credit card is currently selected in the Curve app.  You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.

I have a Curve Blue card myself, it means I can buy a coffee on a foreign station on a card without being stung by fees and lousy exchange rates, just by tapping the Curve card on their card reader.  The money goes through Curve to my normal debit card and is taken directly from my account (in fact I have the Curve card set up as payment card on Apple Pay on my iPhone, so can double-click my phone, let it do Face ID then tap the reader with the phone - even easier than digging a card out).  I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I recommend it here because I think it's great.  See details, download the app and get a Curve card, they'll give you £5 cashback through that link.

 

Express VPN

Get a VPN for safe browsing.  Why you need a VPN

When you're travelling you often use free WiFi in public places which may not be secure.  A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always secure, even on unsecured WiFi.  It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply.  See VPNs & why you need one explainedExpressVPN is a best buy with a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using the links on this page, you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription.  I get a small commission to help support this site.

 

Anker Powerrbank

Carry an Anker powerbank

Tickets, reservations, vaccination records and Interrail or Eurail passes are often held digitally on your mobile phone, so it's vital to keep it charged.  I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over if I can't get to a power outlet.  Buy from Amazon.co.uk or from Buy from Amazon.com.

 


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