The breakup of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s sparked many wars between ethnic groups and six republics that had merged into one country, Yugoslavia, after World War II. Those Balkan republics were Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia / Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Slovenia. Now all these Eastern European republics are once again independent. Serbia was in the news quite a bit during that time. The entire Balkan region is a confusing mosaic, made even more so by shifting political borders and controlling governments.
Getting familiar with the map makes traveling in the Balkans easier.
Location of Serbia
Serbia is a landlocked Balkan country that can be found at the bottom right of a map of Eastern Europe. If you can find the Danube river, you can follow its route to Serbia. If you can locate the Carpathian Mountains, you can also find Serbia on a map – the southern part of the Carpathians meets the country’s northeast border. Serbia borders eight countries:
- Eastern Serbia: Romania, Bulgaria
- South Serbia: Macedonia
- Western Serbia: Croatia, Bosnia / Herzegovina, Montenegro and Kosovo
- Northern Serbia: Hungary
Arriving in Serbia
Most of the people visiting Serbia from abroad fly to Belgrade, the capital.
Belgrade is well served by carriers from all major US departure points You can fly from the US to Belgrade with a variety of flights and routes from New York, Chicago, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. Airlines that fly to Belgrade include United, American, Delta, British Airways, Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, Aeroflot, Air Serbia, Air France, KLM, Air Canada, and Turkish.
Belgrade is also connected to the main European cities by train. You will need a Eurail pass to travel by train throughout Europe. If you want to fly to London first and spend a few days there, you can hop on a train and reach Belgrade via Brussels or Paris and then via Germany and Vienna and Budapest or Zagreb to Belgrade. This scenic and romantic journey, a destination unto itself, is a fairly quick ride. If you board the train in the middle of the morning at London’s St. Pancras station, you’ll be in Belgrade for dinner the next day.
Use Belgrade as base
Belgrade can be used as a starting point for other cities in Serbia and the Balkan region. Take the train to the famous Croatian coast, picturesque Slovenia or Montenegro or other Eastern European countries. Or stop on the way to Belgrade in any of the German cities the train travels through or Vienna, Budapest or Zagreb for a complete European train adventure.
You can buy a full pass that covers many train rides or point-to-point tickets, depending on your travel plans. Find a sleeping compartment if your trip will extend into the next day or for several days. You’ll get a good bed, towels, and a sink and have a bucket list view out the window, just like in the movies.
