Serbia – Places we visited, tips for travelers (Updated)
This post was originally published on 1st December, 2021, but updated in March, 2022. Due to the evolving nature of the Covid-19 epidemic, governments around the world are constantly updating their entry requirements. We strongly recommend checking (no – triple checking) the most recent entry requirements up to the day of your flight/journey. In Central and South America, for example, many countries are requiring inbound (and sometimes also outbound, in the case of Colombia) passengers to submit a Health Declaration or some sort of entry form – usually available online – prior to travel. To be sure, we use the website IATA Travel Centre, which has thus far been super updated and accurate about any and all requirements before entering a country.
The Republic of Serbia is a land-locked country in Eastern Europe. It shares borders with Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro.
Belgrade is situated between two rivers – the Danube and the Sava. Its location has made it a perfect target for many conquerors throughout history. As a result, it has unfortunately been burned down over forty times in different wars.
Novi Sad is the second largest city in Serbia, and is the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. Founded in 1694, it became an important trading, manufacturing, and cultural hub. Today, it is an important industrial and financial center, along with Belgrade.
We spent a month and a half in Serbia, mostly in Belgrade, and a little over a week in Novi Sad.
- Entry requirements
- Getting to Serbia
- Useful information
- Places to visit – Belgrade
- How to get to Novi Sad from Belgrade by bus
- Places to visit – Novi Sad
- Overall Impressions
Entry requirements
Covid Requirements – Official entry requirements to the Republic of Serbia can be found here in more detail. This was updated on 28th February, 2022.
Visa-exempt Philippine passport holders – Philippine passport holders need a visa to enter Serbia. There are, however, a few exceptions to this rule. Philippine passport holders with valid visas from the following countries need not apply for a visa to enter Serbia as a tourist, and can stay up to 90 days: USA, Schengen Area member countries, the United Kingdom; or, if they are permanent residents of these countries. Valid visa holders may enter, transit and stay in Serbia up to 90 days during a six-month period, within the validity of said visas or residence permits. (Source here)
Applying for a Serbian visa – For most Philippine passport holders, you need to apply for a tourist visa to enter Serbia. As there is no Serbian embassy or consulate in the Philippines, you need to send in your application to the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Jakarta, Indonesia. For a more detailed checklist of requirements, please check out this official link to their embassy in Jakarta.
Getting to Serbia
We took a train from Bar in Montenegro to Belgrade, Serbia’s capital city. It is a 12-hour journey that has been described as one of Europe’s most spectacular train rides.
To get to Bar we took a bus from Herceg Novi where we’d stayed for a month, a journey between 2.5 to 3 hours depending on the bus you take (meaning bus departure time and/or bus company). If you are on a tight schedule, it is best to assume it will take at least three hours to get to Bar from the Herceg Novi bus terminal.
This particular train service only has two options: the Day Train or the Night Train. Since we decided to take the Day Train, which leaves daily at exactly 9am (we noticed that buses and trains in the Balkans almost always depart on time – take note), we rented an apartment and spent the night in Bar, right across the train station – in fact, from our front door, you could literally see the station.
Train tickets cost EU24 one-way. Compared to Day Trains, Night trains could cost you more, if you decide to upgrade to a couchette (EU6 additional), a bed in a three-sleeper cabin (EU15 additional), or a bed in a two-sleeper cabin (EU20 additional). Otherwise, if you opt for regular seats (which are quite comfortable and less crowded at night), you’ll spend the same amount as the Day Train ticket.
Note: It is currently impossible to purchase tickets online, so you can either buy directly from the station, or have someone purchase at the station for you ahead of time. Reservations on the Day Train will cost you an additional EU3, which will be added to your total. There are other ways to purchase tickets – you can find the details here, but for simplicity’s sake, we found our way much easier.
The journey is long, so we recommend bringing something to keep you entertained. And though the views are amazing, it can old after a while.
We arrived at the Topcider Station in Belgrade that evening, a 10-15 minute drive to the city center. We were picked up by our Airbnb host, Alexa, at the train station, and from there he drove us directly to our apartment.
Useful Information
Tourist registration – As a tourist, you must be registered with the local police within 24 hours upon arrival. In addition, any further changes to your address must be registered within 24 hours. So if you’re planning to explore the country and hence move from one address to another, make sure that you are registered with the local authorities each time you move to a new apartment no less than 24 hours after you move in.
If you’re staying in a paid accommodation, your landlord or the hotel needs to do this on your behalf. It is their obligation to do so. If you are staying with a friend (that is, unpaid accommodation), you need to go with your friend who must be the registered owner of the apartment to register with the police.
Although this is not strictly followed in Serbia, it is nevertheless a requirement based on existing laws. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Republic of Serbia, “Legal entities and individuals providing accommodation for foreign nationals with financial compensation, as well as persons being visited by foreign nationals, are required to register with the competent authority the visit of the foreign national within 24 hours from the provision of accommodation to a foreign national, or from the time of arrival of a foreign national for visiting purposes.” (Link)
In our experience, we always made sure to let our landlord know that we wanted to be registered, as not all landlords think this is necessary and might even try to fool you into thinking that you’ve been registered when you are not. In fact, one of the landlords we tried to book an apartment with suddenly decided to cancel our booking request when we inquired about the registration! He said that our question sounded “suspicious”, although how in the world that happened, we don’t know! If you want to make sure that you are truly registered, the only way to know for sure, is to accompany your landlord to the police station, fill in the form, have it stamped and signed, and keep a copy for yourself (normally there will be two copies, one for you, the other for your landlord).
If you search online about this procedure, you will find people saying that after registration, you’re supposed to receive a “white card”. In our case we did not receive a card – rather, it was the piece of paper we’d filled up with our details, along with the landlord’s, that were stamped and signed by a representative from the Department of Foreigners at the police station. On our second trip to Serbia, we were told it could now be done online which was what our host in Novi Sad did for us.
There are no fees to getting registered, although we’ve heard that some landlords will charge a fee to do this for you. Fortunately, we did not encounter this, and most of our landlords have been willing to register us without asking for additional payment.
Currency – The Serbian Dinar is the official currency, and you can easily change your US, EU or UK currencies in any of the numerous money exchanges scattered all over the city. Money changers in Serbia typically have very good rates, and you can quite confidently change your money almost anywhere without fear of being cheated.
But don’t change too much as many businesses accept credit and debit cards. If you really need some cash, many banks don’t charge any fees to withdraw from their ATMs using foreign debit cards. Some of these banks are: Eurobank and Telenor. Based on what we found online, most banks don’t charge transaction fees, so you should have plenty of options.
Places to visit – Belgrade
Skadarlija, Free – One of Belgrade’s most visited tourist attractions, Skadarlija began in 1830 as a gypsy settlement, then eventually became a bohemian quarter frequented by artists, and into what it is today – the second most visited tourist attraction in Belgrade. Recent attempts by the city government at a facelift has been rife with delays. To this day, it is still under renovation.
Skadarlija is lined with restaurants, hotels, art galleries, and souvenir shops. What we love most about Skadarlija is just how picturesque the whole area is. It is hard to take a bad picture, and it is a perfect place to sit down alfresco and watch people go by as you sip local beer with your cevapi.
Knez Michailova, Free – The Times Square of Belgrade, and protected by law, it is one of the oldest and most valuable landmarks of the city. Shopping malls sit alongside hotels, cafes, bars, restaurants, and bookstores. If you like your shopping and food, this is a great place to start.
Belgrade Fortress, Free – Made up of the old citadel and Kalemegdan Park, it can be found in Belgrade’s municipality of Stari Grad. It was declared a Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance in 1979 and is another protected area of Serbia. It is the number one most visited place in Belgrade, approximately two million visitors every year.
Torture Museum, 300 Serbian Dinars – Located within the Belgrade Fortress, the Museum of Medieval Torture, although small, is worth a visit. Housing over sixty torture instruments, along with very graphic descriptions of how these were implemented in the 16th to 17th century, you are sure to cringe and wonder how human beings can be so cruel to each other. Although the exhibits are merely replicas of the real thing, they are well done and in most eyes would pass for the originals.
Military Bunker, 100 Serbian Dinars – Also found within the Belgrade Fortress, this bunker was built in the 50s and is one of the many bunkers in the area.
The Residence of Princess Ljubica, 400 Serbian Dinars – A palace that is located in one of the oldest parts of Belgrade, it was built between 1829 and 1831 and was the home of prince Milos Obrenovic and eventually his family, Princess Ljubica and her children Milan and Mihailo. In the 70s it was turned into a museum.
Saint Sava Temple, Free – Dedicated to the founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church, it is built on the supposed location of Saint Sava’s grave. It is the largest Orthodox Church in Serbia and ranks among the largest churches in the world.
Nikola Tesla Museum, 800 Dinars – Located in central Belgrade, it honours the life and works of Nikola Tesla. It is a very small museum in which some of Tesla’s inventions are on display. The price includes a tour which includes a short documentary, then an interactive demonstration by the guide, showcasing some of Tesla’s inventions. After the demo, you are free to wander around the museum.
National Museum, 300 Serbian Dinars – Conveniently located just across Republic Square, it is the largest and oldest museum in Belgrade. This museum includes the works of Croatian Ivan Mestrovic, a famous and celebrated sculptor of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, archeological artefacts from the Roman-era Serbia, and 18th and 19th century Serbian art.
Betonski Brod Restaurant – We thought we’d include this restaurant as we both had an amazing time and ordered their signature pork knuckle dish – and it was one of the best and most memorable meals we had in Belgrade. The waiter who served us was just as fantastic – friendly, enthusiastic, and kind. The bar and eating area is on the “second floor” of the boat, and there is a museum about its history below, which we did not notice at first, and unfortunately was closed by the time we finished our dinner, so we could not check it out.
? (Question Mark) Restaurant – Serving traditional Balkan cuisine, this restaurant is one of the city’s best known landmarks and is almost 200 years old. So – why is it called “Question Mark” restaurant, you may wonder. It might amuse you (as it did us) to find out that in 1892, new owner Ivan Pavlovic wanted to change the name from its current Kod pastira to Kod Saborne (meaning “By the Saborna Church”) – as it happens to sit just opposite the Saborna Church. However, church authorities did not like the idea and protested, so the owner put a question mark as a temporary solution on the door, which eventually became its official name. The food was solid, prices were fair even with the history behind it, and we ate there three times.
Novi Sad
In our research about other places aside from Belgrade to visit in Serbia, having spent so much time there already, Novi Sad came up many times as the place to visit. It is the second largest city in Serbia, and in our opinion, the prettier of the two. Only an hour and a half from Belgrade by bus, it costs EU6 one way, to get to this beautiful city. There are many buses that ply this route to Novi Sad from Belgrade, so it is not necessary to book your tickets in advance. In addition, bus departures start early in the morning to late afternoon, so there is a lot of flexibility. We simply arrived at the station, checked out what was available, bought tickets, and waited for the bus.
How to get to Novi Sad by from Belgrade by bus
- Find your way to the Central Bus Station (as the name suggests, its location is very central and for most tourists visiting Belgrade, a mere walking distance from your accommodation or a short taxi ride),
- Scan and/or approach one of the ticket counters and say “Novi Sad” (most of the tellers speak little to no English, so be patient and polite),
- The teller will give you departure time options. Choose one and purchase your ticket – cash only (make sure to ask what platform your bus is leaving from, so you can find your bus easily),
- Once the bus arrives, show your ticket to the driver to be sure you’re in the right spot,
- Stow your luggage (will need to pay equivalent of EU1 per piece) underneath the bus,
- Get on the bus and enjoy the journey!
- Additional information:
- Bring small change – if you need to use the restrooms, you will need to pay 100 dinars; if you have luggage that needs to be stowed underneath the bus, you will need to pay the equivalent of EU1 per piece,
- There is a money changer in the bus station,
- There are quite a few restaurants/cafes in the station,
- One-way tickets to Novi Sad from Belgrade (and vice versa) is 671.5 Dinars per person,
- Journey is one and a half hours.
Places to Visit – Novi Sad
Liberty Square, Free – The main square in the city, Liberty Square is typically the first place tourists flock to when visiting Novi Sad for the first time. You can easily find money changers, restaurants, cafes and some important landmarks in and around the square. We spent many hours here taking a lot of pictures while strolling around the always busy lanes, and in cafes and restaurants to replenish our energies, before continuing our exploration.
The Name of Mary Church, Free – Located in Liberty Square, it is a Roman Catholic Church that is more commonly known as the “cathedral” by most locals. It is also the largest church in Novi Sad. Interestingly, the original church was destroyed in 1742 and a new church was built on the original location. During the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, it was heavily bombed and its bell tower destroyed. In 1891, the city council decided to demolish the church and build yet another new one, again on the same location. Construction was completed in October 1894.
Dunaski or Danube Park, Free – Dunavski Park is centrally located in downtown Novi Sad, in the neighborhood of Stari Grad, It is a protected natural monument of the city. Formed in 1895, it is a close walk to other buildings of note, which may be on many tourists’ list of things to do – like the Museum of Vojvodina, the Youth Theatre, and Vojvodina’s Museum of Contemporary Art, among others.
Monument to the Victims of the Raid, Free – The Raid was an operation carried out by the armed forces of Hungary during the Second World War, after their occupation of former Yugoslav territories, resulting in the massacre of three to four thousand civilians in the southern Backa region. In Novi Sad, those killed were forced to walk across the frozen Danube only to drown when the ice was shattered by shelling from the shore, while some were shoved into holes in the ice, and others shot in the street. Although the Hungarian government condemned the raid and conducted a mass trial of the suspects, this event has continued to strain relations between the two countries. In June 2013, the president of Hungary, Janos Ader, formally apologized for the crimes that were committed by the Hungarian military against Serb civilians during the war.
Novi Sad Synagogue, Free or donation – The synagogue is located on Jewish Street in the center of the city and has been recognized as an historic landmark. Construction for the new synagogue, which was the fifth built on the exact location, began in 1905. It was completed in 1909. Only 1000 Jews survived the Holocaust out of the nearly 4000 who lived in Novi Sad before the war, with many moving to Israel after World War Two. Today, only 400 Jews live in Novi Sad. The synagogue is no longer used for religious ceremonies, but for cultural events.
Overall Impressions
Serbia has a rich history that becomes evident as you visit many attractions and begin learning about their significance to the country’s turbulent past. Its central location in the Balkans make it a great starting point to exploring other countries in the region, since it has direct, efficient, and affordable access by bus or plane to neighboring countries which surrounds it.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Serbia. Aside from its interesting history and delicious local cuisine (hearty and belly-filling in many cases), the people we met, whether it was our accommodation host or random people on the street, made our stay very pleasant and we felt safe at all times. The taxi drivers, waiters, shopkeepers we came in contact with were mostly kind and patient with us. Most speak English, but those who didn’t, smiled and were generally amused with our attempts at communication through gestures and Google Translate.
Want to be an Airbnb Host?
As long-term travelers, we book most of our accommodations on Airbnb. It is convenient, simple and quick, and you will never have to find yourself arriving at your destination in the middle of the night, with nowhere to go. Airbnb gives us the freedom and flexibility to adjust our travel plans in an instant. Having met many hosts all over the world, we know that being a host will not only provide you with additional income, but you will also be able to meet (and perhaps even make friends) with interesting people from all over the world. If you think you’d make a great Airbnb host, here’s my invitation link to learn more.