In 2026, Serbia’s transportation system underwent a major overhaul: new train stations opened, the Soko high-speed trains began operating, and the rules for paying for public transportation in cities changed. In this article, I’ve tried to compile everything independent travelers and tourists need to know about transportation in Serbia so they don’t overpay taxi drivers and can travel around the country in comfort.
- Serbia’s International Airports in Belgrade and Niš
- Trains in Serbia—Soko high-speed trains and regular trains
- Buses—a versatile mode of transportation throughout Serbia
- Public Transportation in Serbian Cities
- Traveling Around Serbia by Car
- Blablacar – Ride-sharing in Serbia
- Popular routes for trips around Serbia from Belgrade: how to get there
- How to travel from Serbia to neighbouring countries? (Montenegro, Bosnia, Hungary)
- Where can tourists leave their luggage?
Serbia’s International Airports in Belgrade and Niš
Serbia has two international airports. They’re located at opposite ends of the country—in Belgrade and Niš. I cover them in more detail in my article “How to Get to Serbia,” so I won’t go into too much detail here.
- Belgrade Nikola Tesla (BEG) is the main air hub for Serbia and the Balkans. Low-cost carriers (such as WizzAir) and major airlines from all over Europe and the world fly to Belgrade Airport, which serves as the hub for AirSerbia. In 2025, the renovation of Serbia’s main airport was completed, and it now features a new terminal and runways, enabling it to handle even greater passenger traffic. Useful guides:
- How to get from Nikola Tesla Airport to the city—I’ll explain how to avoid overpaying for an official taxi, how to take the express route, or how to ride the free city bus.
- Nikola Tesla Airport—a guide to Serbia’s main airport: information on terminals, parking, duty-free shops, stores, and more.
- Niš Constantine the Great (INI)—a low-cost airport near the city of Niš in southern Serbia. Low-cost carriers from Turkey and the European low-cost airline Ryanair fly here. This airport is an excellent starting point if you plan to explore southern Serbia or travel on to Sofia (Bulgaria) or Skopje (North Macedonia). You can get from the airport to the city by local bus or an inexpensive taxi.
- Constantine the Great Airport—a guide to the main low-cost hub in southern Serbia.
- How to get from Niš Airport to the city, Belgrade, Novi Sad, and other destinations in Serbia
Trains in Serbia—Soko high-speed trains and regular trains
Serbia’s railway system is currently undergoing a large-scale modernization. Infrastructure is being upgraded, and modern high-speed electric trains are being introduced, making it convenient to travel between cities in Serbia. Currently, Srbija voz (Serbian Railways) offers passengers four types of trains:
- Soko (sometimes designated IC—Intercity)—fast, modern electric trains that primarily run between Belgrade, Novi Sad, and Subotica.
- Regio (Re)—conventional diesel trains, which are the slowest and stop at all small stations.
- Inter Regio (IR)—interregional trains that connect different regions and major administrative centers in Serbia. Unlike regular Regio trains, IR trains skip smaller stations and stop only in major cities or at important hub stations. Most often, these routes are served by comfortable, modern single-deck trains (such as the Swiss Stadler FLIRT), as they are designed for long-distance travel (2 to 5 hours).
- Inter Regio Express (ReX) is a regional express that operates within one or two regions but stops only at relatively large towns and cities.
A new train station, Beograd Centar (Prokop or Belgrade Center, 📍location), has been built in Belgrade. It’s now convenient to take bus No. 600 directly from Nikola Tesla Airport to the “Prokop” station. Trains depart from this station to destinations throughout the country and to neighboring countries (Montenegro, Hungary). You can also board regional trains at the Vukov Spomenik station (📍location).
What you need to know about trains in Serbia:
- Where to buy train tickets: use the “Srbija Voz” mobile app or website. The system is modern, supports English, and lets you avoid lines at the new Prokop Station (Belgrade’s main train station).
- You must buy your train ticket in advance. There is a 500 RSD fine for buying a ticket from the conductor on the train itself (4.26)
- The cities of Belgrade and Novi Sad are connected by a new high-speed railway line served by the modern Soko electric train (the journey takes just 36 minutes). However, due to the tragic collapse of part of the Novi Sad train station in 2025, the station building remains closed to this day. Trains bound for Novi Sad stop at Petrovaradin (a suburb of Novi Sad). Therefore, if you’re buying a ticket online, select “Petrovaradin” as your destination station. From there, it’s easy to reach the city by taxi or bus. If you select “Novi Sad” as your destination station, the ticket search will return 0 results.
- In 2026, the Soko high-speed trains began operating from Belgrade to Budapest (Hungary).
- The southern part of the country has no high-speed trains. It’s best to plan trips to southern cities (Niš, Prijepolje, Kurshumlija, Leskovac, etc.) by car or bus. These cities are connected to Belgrade by a modern expressway.
- The Belgrade–Bar (Montenegro) railway is one of the most scenic rail routes in Europe, but also one of the most agonizingly slow and long. The train takes a long time (12+ hours), is often delayed, and makes frequent stops along the way. For fans of “slow travel.”
For travelers with pets: Pets (cats and dogs) are allowed on all trains in Serbia.
Traveling with a Bicycle on Serbian Trains—Rules and Fares
In Serbia, you can travel with a bicycle on virtually all types of trains: the “Soko” high-speed trains, modern electric trains (Stadler), and diesel trains on regional lines.
General rules:
- Look for the markings: board only through doors with a sticker showing a bicycle.
- Buy a ticket. To transport a bicycle, you must purchase an additional ticket (Bicikl karta). The one-way fare for transporting a bicycle on domestic routes is 150 Serbian dinars (1.28). You can purchase a ticket at the ticket office at the train station or through the “Srbija Voz” mobile app (when selecting the ticket type).
- Folding Bicycles. If your bicycle folds up and fits on the luggage rack, you can bring it on any train for free as personal luggage.
However, despite these rules, the final decision on whether to allow a bicycle on board is always made by the conductor. If the train is overcrowded or the bicycle area is already occupied by strollers or wheelchairs, you may be denied permission to bring your bicycle.
The rules for transporting a bicycle depend on the type of train. Below is a list of rules for traveling with a bicycle on specific types of trains, taken from the official Srbija Voz website.
On “Soko” high-speed trains
“Soko” high-speed trains run between Belgrade, Novi Sad, and Subotica. This is the most comfortable option, but there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Where to place your bike: There are designated areas in every car on the lower level (where the luggage racks are located).
- How to reserve a spot: To free up a spot, lower the lower luggage rack.
- Limit: A maximum of 8 bicycles per train.
- Important: You must stay next to your bicycle during the trip to hold it steady and prevent it from falling.
On electric trains (Stadler / Regional services)
These trains most often run to the cities of Vrsac, Novi Sad, and Uzice.
- Where to place your bike: near the entrance and restrooms, in the area with fold-down seats.
- How to secure it: Place the bicycle parallel to the wall. Important: These trains do not have special mounting hooks, so the bicycle is not secured in any way.
- Limit: Usually, up to 3 bicycles are allowed per multifunctional area.
- Important: Do not block the aisle to the restroom or the spaces reserved for wheelchairs—this is the most common complaint from staff.
On diesel trains (DMV)
DMV trains usually operate on short routes in rural areas.
- Where to park: In the area with fold-down seats.
- Limit: Only 2 spaces with special racks. Leaving bicycles in the aisles or near the doors is prohibited.
If you’re planning a weekend trip with your bike, try to choose daytime trains. Morning and evening trains are often packed with tourists and locals, and the conductor has every right to refuse to let you board with your bike if the “multi-purpose area” is already filled with suitcases or strollers.
Buses—a versatile mode of transportation throughout Serbia
If you’re traveling from Belgrade to a destination other than Novi Sad or Subotica, you’ll most likely need to take a bus.
- BAS (Beogradska Autobuska Stanica): In 2025, it moved to New Belgrade (Block 42, 📍location).
- Buying tickets: You can buy tickets at the bus station ticket counters, but many carriers (such as Lasta or Niš-Ekspres) offer online booking. Note: Online booking closes one day in advance. You can also buy a ticket on the Omio or 12go.com. The latter usually offers more options for Serbia.
- Important: Even if you have an online ticket, you’ll need to go to the ticket counter to pay the “platform fee” (peronska karta). Without this barcode ticket, you won’t be able to pass through the turnstiles to board the buses.
- Tickets within Serbia cost 5–20 euros.
- Lasta, Niš-Ekspres, and AutoKodeks are the main carriers on routes throughout Serbia.
- International buses—such as FlixBus and others—run to Montenegro and throughout Europe; these are often overnight services.
- Schedules: Polazak.rs or 12go.com are best aggregators for checking bus departure times throughout the country.
Public Transportation in Serbian Cities
- Belgrade is the only city in Serbia and the only capital in Europe with free public transportation.
- Belgrade has night buses (routes marked with the letter N) that run once an hour.
- Taxis. There is no Bolt or Uber but the CarGo app is the Serbian equivalent of Uber/Bolt. It’s safer and more transparent in terms of pricing. The Yandex Taxi app also works in Belgrade (though it doesn’t accept Russian credit cards). In 2026, all of Belgrade’s taxi companies came under Yandex’s umbrella, except for Naxis. I personally use Naxis. They have better cars than Yandex Taxi, and they don’t raise their fares on a whim like Yandex Taxi does. Important! Not all taxis accept card payments.
- Car sharing is available only in Belgrade. It’s called AnyGo. It offers standard hourly rates and daily car rental rates. But if you need a car for several days, it’s more cost-effective to rent through Localrent or DiscoverCars.
Traveling Around Serbia by Car
A car is the ideal option for trips to national parks (Tara, Đerdap, Stara Planina, etc.) and to remote corners of Serbia (the Uvač River Canyon, Mount Povlen, Mount Rtan, etc.). Local rental companies often offer more favorable “no-deposit” terms than the major international chains at the airport. You can find offers from private rental companies on the LocalRent website →
📌 I’ve written a separate, comprehensive guide on renting a car in Serbia, where I’ve compiled all my experience. The guide is free and can be read at this link →
As for the roads in Serbia, the country has modern and fast toll highways. They have good pavement and are cleared of snow and ice. Secondary toll-free roads aren’t always in such good condition.
Blablacar – Ride-sharing in Serbia
Ridesharing is an affordable alternative for traveling between cities. The Blablacar service is popular in Serbia; Serbians use it not only for trips between cities in Serbia but also for trips to neighboring countries (Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia, Montenegro, etc.).
Popular routes for trips around Serbia from Belgrade: how to get there
In the guides to Serbia’s attractions on this site, I usually explain the best ways to get to each location. But for your convenience, I’ve compiled a table of popular destinations for trips from Belgrade.
| Route | Recommended Transportation | Travel time | Why this option? |
| Belgrade – Novi Sad | Soko Train | 36 min. | The fastest and most comfortable option. Trains run every half hour to an hour. I’ll go into more detail in this article. |
| Belgrade – Subotica | Soko Train | ~75 min. | A direct, high-speed route through the entire Vojvodina region. |
| Belgrade – Zlatibor | Bus / Car | 3.5–4 hrs. | Traveling by train is inconvenient (the station is far from the resort center). Buses run frequently. |
| Belgrade – Uvač | Rent a car | 4–4.5 hours | There are few direct buses; it’s easier to reach the canyon’s viewing platforms by car. |
| Belgrade – Kopaonik | Shuttle / Ski Bus | 4–5 hours | In winter, there are direct services (ski buses), minibus transfers, and even a helicopter transfer (40-minute ride). You can book a private minibus transfer on Kivitaxi. |
| Belgrade – Niš | Bus / Car | 2.5–3 hours | The railway line is under construction; the train ride takes too long (over 6 hours). |
How to travel from Serbia to neighbouring countries? (Montenegro, Bosnia, Hungary)
What you should know about international transportation in Serbia:
- High-speed trains currently only run to Budapest. Avoid trains in the southern part of the country: the railway on this section has not yet been renovated and is in poor condition. Here’s a recent review (early 2026): a tourist was traveling from Belgrade to Sofia by train, but it took 6½ hours just to reach Niš, where everyone was transferred to a bus.
- There are many low-cost flights from Belgrade and Niš. For example, I flew to Milan for 25 euros round-trip. Serbs often buy these tickets to fly to neighboring countries for the weekend.
- It’s best to buy tickets for intercity buses in advance. You can check schedules, travel times, and prices on the Omio website →
- If there are no tickets available for your desired dates, check the Blablacar app for options. Maybe someone is heading in the direction you need on the dates you want.
Here is a table showing the most popular destinations from Belgrade to neighboring countries:
| Destination | Recommended Transportation | Travel time | Helpful Tip |
| Belgrade – Budapest | Soko Train | ~3–4 hours | The fastest and most modern way to cross the border in 2026. |
| Belgrade – Sarajevo | Bus / BlaBlaCar | 6–7 hours | There is no train service. BlaBlaCar is often faster than the bus on this route. |
| Belgrade – Montenegro | Train / Bus / Plane | 12+ hours / 45 min. | Take the train for the scenery or to save money; take the plane to save time, but during peak season or holidays, airfare can be high. The bus ride to the coast takes a long time, but it’s a good compromise. FlixBus, BlueLine, and local companies all operate routes from Serbia to Montenegro. |
| Belgrade – Banja Luka | Bus | 5–6 hours | Regular departures several times a day. It’s best to buy tickets at the BAS bus station. |
| Niš – Sofia (Bulgaria) | Bus | 3.5–4 hours | This is the easiest way to get from Niš to Sofia. Trains on this route are extremely slow. An alternative is a direct flight from Belgrade to Sofia. |
| Belgrade – Vienna | FlixBus / Plane | 9–10 hrs. / 1.5 hrs. | FlixBus overnight buses are a good budget option with Wi-Fi and power outlets. There are also many direct, regular flights from Belgrade to Vienna. |
Where can tourists leave their luggage?
Serbia has a problem with luggage storage facilities at airports and bus/train stations.
- There is a luggage storage facility at the new bus station in Belgrade (BAS, Block 42). The cost per locker is 300–500 RSD per day.
- At the new Prokop train station, the luggage storage lockers are still operating in test mode.
- You can find other places to store your luggage in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Niš, or Kragujevac via the RadicalStorage website or app. Belgrade currently has the most locations listed.
I hope you found this article helpful. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments.