Using public transportation is one of the most practical ways of traveling through Belgrade, due to the significant area of the city. Belgrade has an extensive public transport system. You can ride a bus, a tram, a trolleybus or BG train, depending on where you want to go.
Also, there are minibus express lines which offer more expensive, but quite comfortable and faster transportation. Besides, taxi services are providing the most expensive, but also the most convenient mode of transport.
Sometimes you’ll need to change several types of public transportation to arrive at a particular destination in Belgrade. Although all this may sound a bit frightening, the situation is not that scary. However, do not forget to purchase a ticket for your ride, to avoid paying a fine.
What kind of ticket should you purchase?
When you enter a Belgrade’s city transport, it may seem like none of the passengers is paying for their ride. Don’t be fooled into thinking you can ride for free, since ticket inspectors come more often than you think, sometimes in plain clothes. If you do not have a ticket, you will have to pay the fine.
The ticket system is called BusPlus. There are personalized, non-personalized, daily tickets, and tickets for one ride.
Daily tickets for all types of transportation
Personalized tickets are the most cost-effective, especially if you are staying in Belgrade for several months. However, you have to file a couple of documents. If everything is OK, you have to purchase a monthly or annual subscription. You’ll get an unlimited number of rides on all lines in daily public transportation throughout Belgrade.
There is also a non-personalized ticket. You can buy it at any kiosk or a newsstand that has a BusPlus tag. The system acts on a ‘pay as you go’ basis. The card itself costs 250 RSD, and one 90-minute-ride costs 89 RSD. Purchase the ticket, tell the teller how much money you would like to put on, and that’s it. This card is valid for three years. During this period, you can purchase an unlimited number of rides.
Daily tickets can be purchased at kiosks too for 40 RSD. You can choose between tickets which are valid for 1, 3 or 5 days. Also, you have to pay 89 RSD for every 90-minute ride.
Personalized and non-personalized tickets are plastic. However, a daily card is made of cardboard. All these tickets must be validated upon entering into the vehicle. Otherwise, it will not be considered valid. Hold your BusPlus ticket against the reader to get your verification.
You can also buy a ticket with the driver. It is a paper card, serves for one ride and costs 150 dinars. You do not have to validate it.
There are four transport zones in the city. The first and the second include the wider city center. The third and fourth zone includes Obrenovac, Sopot, Vinča, Mladenovac, and Lazarevac. If you travel to those parts of Belgrade from the city center, keep in mind that rides are more expensive.
Public transportation in Belgrade at night
Belgrade has night buses which run from midnight to 4 am. They run hourly, departing from three locations in the city: the Republic Square, Slavija Square and the Municipal Council building of New Belgrade.
However, the BusPlus system does not apply when it comes to tickets for these busses. Tickets can be purchased from the conductor only. The routes are different from those during the day, so pay attention. Night busses combine routes from several daily lines.
More information about BusPlus can be found here.
Buses
There are more than a hundred bus lines in Belgrade. On the BusPlus website, you can see the map of the lines. The vehicles are mostly old, but they will take you where you want to go. If you are not a fan of the crowded busses, try to avoid them around 9 am and 5 pm, during the rush hour.
Trams
The Serbian capital has a dozen tram lines. Trams are usually less popular means of transport because they can be quite slow. Types of vehicles vary from more modern ones, with doors closing automatically to many older models.
Trolleybuses
Trolleybuses appeared in Belgrade in the mid-20th century, and it seems that little has changed since then. The trolleybus lines connect Student Square with Konjarnik, Zvezdara, Banjica, etc. Although they remind of a different era, trolleybuses can successfully take you to the desired location, even faster than trams.
BG train
BG train connects Ovca with Resnik and Batajnica. If you are traveling along these lines, be sure to try it out. It is an effective way to avoid crowds in traffic. It partly a subway and the trains are quite fast. The timetable is almost always respected. You can learn more on this site.
Minibus
Minibusses offer comfort and speed. BusPlus cards are not valid here, so you have to buy a ticket immediately upon entry. They are marked from E1 to E8. They do not stop at every bus stop, but only on those where passengers want to get in or out. You can stop them at any point in the same way as you would stop the taxi. Active lines and their destinations can be viewed here. Among others, there is a line A1 which transports passengers from Slavija to the airport Nikola Tesla.
Taxis in Belgrade
When it comes to taxi transportation, there are CarGo, Yandex.Taxi and taxies from various taxi associations in Belgrade. Taxi transportation is the most expensive way of public transportation in Belgrade, but it is also the most efficient. You do not have to worry about the timetable, and you can reach the precise location, without wandering around the city.
CarGo is, in fact, a type of Serbian Uber. You can order a ride via its mobile app. You’ll get an estimate of the expense, follow your ride to the pickup location and see your driver’s ratings. You can pay for the ride using credit cards, PayPal, or CarGo credit.
Yandex.Taxi works on a similar principle as CarGo service. Drives are ordered through an app that can be downloaded from Google and Apple stores. After entering your destination address, the app shows you a cost estimate. After the price is formed, it does not change, even if unforeseen delays occur during the journey. You can pay for your ride by cash or by card.
CarGo and Yandex.Taxi are considered to be cheaper than other taxi services.
There are about twenty taxis in Belgrade. Although you can hail a taxi on the street, it’s safer to order your ride via phone call. Some associations also practice ordering a ride via social networks like Twitter.
The transportation cost is based on mileage and driving time. Longer way to the destination leads to a higher bill. There is also a waiting fee. In addition, from 10 pm to 6 am, rides are more expensive than during the day. That is also the case on Sundays and national holidays.
Important!
There are many unregistered taxi drivers in Belgrade, and they are not a member of any taxi association. Their main goal is to rip you off. They are usually parked around the Main Bus and Train Station, as well as at the Nikola Tesla Airport. During the ride, they often turn the taximeter off and try to charge up to several times more than the real price.
Immediately after you leave the station or the airport building, they will be in your face, offering their services. Beware, and do not let them take advantage of you.
Make sure to:
- Always order your ride via an app, Twitter, or a phone call.
- Check if there is a ‘TX’ at the end of the license plates.
- Look for a ‘Taxi’ sign on the top of the car.
- Check if there is a three or four-digit number in the corner of the ‘Taxi’ sign.
In addition, if you forget something in an unregistered taxi, it’s virtually impossible to return. On the other hand, if you leave something behind in other taxi vehicles, report this to the taxi carrier from whom you ordered the ride, and you can get your stuff back.
