"Priručnik za preživljavanje" aka Survival guide - download it here

Index

1. Where on Earth am I going to?
1.1 Serbia
1.2 Vojvodina
1.3 Novi Sad

2. How can I reach this beautiful land?
2.1 By plane
2.2 By train
2.3 By bus
2.4 By car

3. Bring along things (important)

4. Prices

5. Useful phrases

6. Contacts

1. Where on Earth am I going to?

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1. Where on Earth am I going to?

1.1 SERBIA

Serbia (officially the Republic of Serbia) is a landlocked country in central and southeastern Europe, which covers the central part of the Balkan peninsula and the southern part of the Pannonian plain. The capital is Belgrade. It is placed at the crossroads between central, southern and eastern Europe.

Official name and structure:
The Republic of Serbia (Republika Srbija). It has two autonomous provinces: Vojvodina (in the north) and Kosovo and Metohija (in the south).

Area:
88,361 sq. km

Climate:
Temperate continental climate, with a gradual transition between the four seasons of the year (warm summers, with temperature up to 30°C and snowy winters, with temperature from - 5°C to 10°C).

Avg high temp [oC] 11.5 / 17.2 (March/ Apri)
Avg low temp. [oC] 1.2 / 5.8 (March/ Apri)

Population:
The latest 2002 census puts the population of Serbia (excluding Kosovo-Metohija) at 7,498,001.

Capital:
Belgrade (local name - Beograd), with a population of 1,6 millions, is the administrative, economic and cultural center of Serbia.

Language:
The official language in Serbia is Serbian, and the script in official use is Cyrillic, while Latin script is also used. In the areas inhabited by ethnic minorities, the languages and scripts of the minorities are in official use, as provided by law.

Religion:
The main religion in Serbia is Christian Orthodox. There are also other religious communities in Serbia: Islamic, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish and other.

Time zone:
GMT + 1=CET

Currency:
The monetary unit is the Serbian Dinar (RSD,local abbreviation din). Euro is not accepted so you have to change it in an official exchange office (recommended). Exchange course may vary and it is approximately:
1 eur ? 80 din
para = 1/100 din (as cent in euro).
Coins: 50 para, 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 Dinars
Banknotes: 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000 and 5000 Dinars

Credit card:
International credit cards Visa, Master Card, Diners are accepted in the most shops, airline companies, hotels and restaurants

Tip: The credit cards are not accepted on train/bus stations.

Banks & Post offices:
On week days they are opened from 08.00 a.m. to 07.00 p.m. On Saturdays they are opened from 08.00 a.m. to - 03.00 p.m.

Shops:
Alimentary shops are opened daily from 06.00 a.m. to 09.00 p.m. including Saturdays, while on Sundays they are opened from 08.00 a.m. to 02.00 p.m. Everywhere, there are stores open 24 hours a day. Markets are opened every day from 06.00 a.m. to 05.00 p.m.

Medical care:
There are organized duties in hospitals and clinics round the clock. Pharmacies are opened from 08.00 a.m. to 08.00 p.m. on working days and on Saturdays from 08.00 a.m. to 03.00 p.m.

Power supply:
220 V, 50 Hz.

Area codes:
Phone code for Serbia is +381, for Belgrade (0)11, for Novi Sad (0)21.
For the international calls from Serbia dial "99" + "code of the desired country" + "code for the city".

Important phone numbers:

Police: 92
Fire service: 93
Medical emergency: 94

1.2 Vojvodina

Vojvodina is a northern province of Republic of Serbia. In Vojvodina live more than 26 ethnic groups. This is the reason why we are so hospitable,friendly and used to cultural diversity.

The name "Vojvodina" in the Serbian language simply means "voivodship" (a type of duchy). Vojvodina has app. 2 million residents and Novi Sad is a capital.

1.3 Novi Sad

Novi Sad lies on the left bank of the river Danube and it is a second largest city in Serbia. It has app. 300.000 residents + students and people who live in nearby towns and travel here to work. Novi Sad is situated 80 kms north-west from the Belgrade, the capital.
Since it's foundation, in 1694, Novi Sad became centre of Serbian culture and earned a nickname Serbian Athens. Today, Novi Sad is a large industrial and financial centre of Serbian economy; and it is also one of the biggest construction sites in the region.
Novi Sad is a typical Central European town. There are only few buildings dating before 19th century. Around the center, old small houses used to dominate the cityscape, but they are being replaced by modern multi-story buildings.

There is one more thing that young people from Novi Sad are surely proud of!

EXIT (also known as State of EXIT), an annual summer music festival in Petrovaradin fortress of Novi Sad, Serbia. It started in 2000. and usually lasts four days (since 2003). It is one of the biggest and best music festivals in Europe.

2. How can I reach this beautiful land?

You can reach Serbia by road, rail, air and water. On foot or riding a bicycle, by car, bus, plane, train, ship... We are everywhere!

2.1 By plane

JAT (http://www.jat.com) airways is our national air company that flies directly to Belgrade. It is not so cheap so if you are not a millionaire, try with a cheap flights.
There is direct GermanWings (http://www.germanwings.com) cheap flight from Cologne to Belgrade.
You can also try with cheap companies that fly to our neighbouring countries.

Budapest, Hungary - SkyEurope (http://www.skyeurope.com ), WizzAir (http://www.wizzair.com), EasyJet (http://www.easyjet.com), GermanWings (http://www.germanwings.com).

Zagreb, Croatia - WizzAir (http://www.wizzair.com), EasyJet (http://www.easyjet.com), GermanWings

Notice that airport "Nikola Tesla" in Belgrade is outside of the city. The airport provides transport to the train station. It costs around 2 euro and lasts around 30 minutes.

Tip: Be aware of "not registered" taxi drivers that have enormously big prices. Taxi ride to the train station should cost less than 10 euros. In case you can't find a taxi with a normal price, we advise you to use a bus.

2.2 By train

You can find timetables at www.zeleznicesrbije.com and www.bahn.de or you can download the survival guide ind .pdf format with detailed timetables. For just in case, check all trains before you departure.
You should be aware of the possibility that train may be late.Yap! You are coming to Vojvodina.we like to do things slowly and relaxed.

Suggestion: Train may not be as punctual as the bus. Note that it may arrive later than expected, but it's still cheaper and more comfortable than the bus! In addition, try to buy a ticket at the station because it can be more expensive in the train!

Tip #1: With Euro26 card you get 50% and with ISIC card 30 % discount on the train ticket.

Tip #2: The train and bus station in Belgrade are next to each other so you can choose further way of transport.

* Notice that some timetables may vary due to the changes in international train schedule. Please check desired connections before you start a voyage.

2.3 By bus

Novi Sad Bus station is connected with all the bigger cities in Europe. There is only one bus station in Novi Sad and all the buses which travel to Novi Sad stop there.
If you arrive in Belgrade first, don't worry, bus from Belgrade to Novi Sad is very frequent (around every 15 minutes), and the ticket costs around 5 euros.
Once you reach the bus station in Novi Sad, somebody from BEST Novi Sad will come and pick you up.

Tip #1: Some buses are taking highway without stopping. Try to ask for those at the station 'cause your life will be easier. (you can find useful phrases at the end of this guide).

Tip #2: Bus ride from Belgrade to Novi Sad lasts between 60 and 100 minutes.

Tip #3: The train and bus station in Belgrade are next to each other so you can choose further way of transport.

2.4 By car

In case you wish to travel by car we can provide you with various information, just specify where you plan to enter Serbia. We can give you useful navigation tips. When you get to Belgrade you can choose either to travel fast by motorway and pay or travel the alternative time comsuming way but without paying. Petrol stations are usually on every 15 km and the liter of petrol costs app. 1 euro! Feel free to contact us if you need more info about petrol stations and prices.

3. Bring along things

Important things to bring along.

1. Passport;
2. Visa (if needed);
3. Health/Travel insurance;
4. Student card (Euro26 or ISIC);
5. Money (pocket money and fee);
6. Warm clothes;
7. Slippers for the bathroom;
8. Sleeping bag (recommended);
9. Flag (or something else), traditional food and drinks for the international evening;
10. Yourself! Rested and ready for action!.

4. Prices (Hell this is cheap!)

A Beer (in a bar) = 80-120 RSD
A Juice (in a bar) = 80 RSD
A Sandwich = 80 RSD
A Juice (in a store) = 60 RSD
A Sljivovica (a shot) = 80 RSD
A Cigarettes = (may vary depending on a brand) the cheapest are around 30 RSD
A Chocolate = Snickers, Mars = 35 RSD; Milka = 80 RSD
A Water (Voda Voda) = 0.5L = 35 RSD, 1.5L = 40 RSD
A Hot chocolate (in a bar) - 80 RSD

Find more detailed survival here