Getting around Belgrade & Serbia
Updated: 21 July 2026 · busevi.rs editorial team
Moving around Serbia is cheaper and easier than most visitors expect — inside Belgrade it is literally free. This guide covers the city, intercity travel and the trips where four wheels of your own are the honest answer.
Inside Belgrade: everything is free
Since 1 January 2025, all Belgrade city transport — buses, trams, trolleybuses and the BG Voz city railway — is free for everyone, tourists included. No tickets, no cards, no validators: you just board.
Your two everyday tools are on this site: the journey planner (door-to-door routes with transfers) and each line’s full timetable with every stop. Between midnight and 4 a.m., night lines marked „N" take over — also free.
Intercity: buses rule, trains are scenic
Intercity buses are the backbone of Serbian travel — frequent, cheap and reaching every town. Belgrade’s main bus station sells tickets on site; arrive 30 minutes early on Fridays and holidays.
The modern Soko high-speed train to Novi Sad is the exception that beats the bus: ~36 minutes, comfortable, cheap. For most other rail routes buses remain faster.
When a rental car makes sense
For the countryside — Uvac canyon, western Serbia (Tara, Drvengrad), wineries of Fruška Gora, monasteries — transit gets thin and a car for a day or two transforms the trip.
What locals would tell you: roads are decent, tolls on motorways are paid at booths (card or cash), parking in Belgrade centre is zoned via SMS/app, and a small car is an advantage in old-town streets.
Taxis and ride-hailing in Belgrade
With transit free, taxis are for late nights, luggage days and door-to-door laziness. Ride-hailing apps operate in Belgrade alongside traditional radio-taxi associations; both are affordable by Western European standards.
Two local rules keep rides honest: order through an app or by phone rather than hailing at tourist hotspots, and at the airport use only the official voucher desk. A cross-town ride typically costs less than a cocktail in a riverside bar.
Late nights and early mornings
Day lines wind down around midnight; night lines marked „N" then run roughly hourly until 4 a.m. — free, like everything else. Our night transport guide lists every night line with exact departures.
Trains and intercity buses start early: the first Soko to Novi Sad leaves before most bakeries open, which makes carless day trips genuinely practical.
Rent a car
Frequently asked questions
Is public transport free in the whole of Serbia?
Belgrade and Niš city transport is free for everyone. Novi Sad and Kragujevac charge fares (NSMART and eKG systems). Intercity buses and trains are paid everywhere.
How do I get from Belgrade to Novi Sad?
The Soko high-speed train does it in ~36 minutes and beats the bus. Buses run frequently as well.
Do I need a car in Belgrade itself?
No — transit is free and frequent, the centre is walkable, and parking is zoned. Rent a car only for countryside day trips.
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