After the break-up of Yugoslavia, many of the trains in the Balkans ceased running. However, one of the most spectacular train rides in the world is still doable and takes you across two countries. Here are the details and some tips for riding the Montenegro to Serbia Train (aka Bar to Belgrade Train).
My Baby Takes the Morning Train
Although it’s possible to do this trip on the night train, I highly recommend the west to east ride during the day time for the best views. The train leaves Bar, Montenegro at 8:20 am, passes thru the Montenegrin capital of Podricaka a bit later and then heads towards Serbia, going all the way to Belgrade via various Serbian cities. We rode the train as far as Ucize, Serbia and arrived late afternoon, about 30 minutes after the scheduled arrival time.
Montenegro to Serbia Train Cost
We purchased our tickets the day before but the train on a mid-week day in October was quite empty so it would have been OK to purchase the morning of. The cost from Bar to Uzice, Serbia was just under 15 Euro and included a seat reservation in a private car with 6 seats. There was one newer car with many non-reservable seats, but it seemed most of the locals were in the reservable cars. Also, if you like to take pictures, the windows in the reservable cars did open while the windows in the open seating did not.
The Views, Those Amazing Views
The first part of the trip out of Bar goes by the Adriatic sea coastline and then inland to cross the northern end of Lake Skadar(one of the largest lakes in Europe). Beyond the coast, nearly the entire country of Montenegro is comprised of rugged limestone mountains and the Montenegro to Serbia Train will give you grandiose views of mountains, valleys, dammed lakes, and green rivers. Once you get closer to Serbia, the hills become rolling and greener.
Tunnels
The Montenegro to Serbia Train goes through 100’s of tunnels. A fun game is to count them. If I had one complaint about the ride is that it would be nice to have fewer tunnels and more views.
Immigration
The train stopped for 20-30 minutes on both the Montenegro and Serbia sides of the border. Not on the border itself, but in the closest cities to the border. If you are a foreigner, your passport will be taken and stamped and you will get the passport back after the train has departed.
A Bosnian Passage
Surprise! The train snakes thru Bosnia for awhile. Watch for the “Welcome to Bosnia” sign with spray paint crossing out the text offensive to one of the sides (You’ll notice in several Balkan countries where multiple spellings often have one crossed out – for example the Cyrillic text was often crossed out in Bosnia).
More Insider Tips for the Bar to Belgrade Train
- There is no dining car!!! And the stops are quite short and not ample time to purchase food. There were no drinks available for purchase in Montenegro but someone selling drinks on the Serbian side. So, I suggest you bring water, drinks, and food for your ride.
- The best of the views (both the coastline and mountains) are on the left side of the train (the side that will face west & north for the duration of the ride).
- If you like time lapse videos, attach your Go Pro to the window on the left side of the train.
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Where to Stay in Bar, Montenegro
We had the cutest little apartment that was across the street from the Train station and only a couple blocks from the bus station. Nice kitchen, bathroom, and a little seating area out front. It’s a 20-30 minute walk from the town or an inexpensive taxi ride. The name is Apartment Ines (Check Rates and Availability)
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