While Belgrade is not as big as some well-known cities in Europe and the massive traffic jams are not an everyday thing (although it sure looks like it’s getting there), it can be quite tricky to learn the best ways to get around it. As one of the rare things that actually got cheaper in recent months, Belgrade public transport has become better in recent times and more used among its residents and visitors, especially considering the gas prices nowadays.
I have a lot of friends who came to live here from abroad, and because I was a sort of guide to most of them, I believe that I will also be a good source of reliable information for you. Today, I will do my best to introduce you to the Belgrade public transport system.
Is this your first time in Belgrade?
Here are some recommendations on what you should check out:
- Guide to visiting Kalemegdan
- Day hikes near Belgrade
- Communist-era brutalist buildings in Belgrade
- Best Serbian traditional food
Care to do some more exploring?
- One-day trips from Belgrade
- Belgrade during winter
- Traveling from Belgrade to Dubrovnik
- Belgrade to Budapest
Belgrade public transport operating hours
Buses, trolleys and trams run every day, including national holidays. The only difference can be noticed during the weekends when the public transport timetable can be slightly altered. Most regular lines run from 4 am and the last ones leave the stations right around midnight. That is when the night lines take over, and depending on the line, they run until 2 am.
Still, do not make the mistake that one of my friends did. Night lines differ in routes compared to their daytime options. So, despite the fact that buses 27 and 27N look similar and follow a similar route, they are not identical, so be sure to check out the details of their itinerary before jumping on board.
Tarif zones in Belgrade
One of the major changes to the public transport of the Serbian capital that happened in 2023 includes the division of the entire urban area into 2 sectors, Zone A and Zone B. The good news is that most major municipalities are included in Zone A, which means that the residents of these areas get better access to transport lines, and most importantly, receive an opportunity to pay tickets at cheaper prices. Still, we will speak more about the costs in the next section.
The cost of transport
To help you get a better understanding of the pricing, we will divide the costs between different zones. Tickets can also be purchased that are valid for 90 minutes, 24 hours, 7 days, one month or the entire year. When buying monthly tickets, be warned that the ticket will only be valid for that month. So, it doesn’t matter if you purchase the ticket on the 1st or 21st, the ticket will only be active for that calendar month.
Another thing worth noting is that Zones A and B are charged separately. In case you want to use public transport between both zones, that will be counted as Zone C, and the price will increase. Ultimately, night transportation is free, which is a welcomed sight for younger people, night owls, or those working night shifts.
With those things in mind, here are the costs:
The cheapest tickets that are valid for 90 minutes:
- Zone A: The cost is 50 dinars in local currency. Transferred to euros or dollars, that would be just under 0.50.
- Zone B: Price remains the same, which is 50 dinars.
- Zone C (Zone A + Zone B): As mentioned, here is the catch, if you plan to use both zones, the price will be 100 dinars, or just about 1 euro or dollar.
Daily tickets active for 24 hours:
- Zone A: 120 dinars, which depending on the day is just above 1 euro.
- Zone B: 120 dinars.
- Zone C (Zone A + Zone B): 150 dinars, which seems like a much better option for those traveling in both city areas compared to the previous price bracket.
7-day tickets:
- Zone A: In case you are visiting Belgrade and plan to roam around, the price of 800 dinars is more than acceptable.
- Zone B: The same price of 800 dinars is valid for this zone as well.
- Zone C (Zone A + Zone B): For those who plan to use both zones, the costs of transport are 1000 dinars.
Monthly tickets:
- Zone A: A monthly ticket now costs 2200 dinars, or around 20 euros or 22 dollars.
- Zone B: It has the same price of 2200 dinars.
- Zone C (Zone A + Zone B): Both zones will set you back 3300 dinars every month.
Yearly tickets:
- Zone A: Using public transport for one year will cost 24,000 dinars.
- Zone B: The same price of 24,000 dinars is valid for Zone B as well.
- Zone C (Zone A + Zone B): For those using Zone C, the cost is 36,000 dinars.
The tickets can be purchased by sending a text message to the set number. Every bus, trolley or tram has clear information about the ways in which you can buy a ticket. However, the simplest way for foreign visitors to buy a ticket would be through the app called BeogradPlus, which can be found in both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.
Upon signing up on the app, you will be able to add your credit card details as well, which will allow you to purchase a ticket straight from the app with minimal hassle. In case you are a visitor who does not want to share his credit card number on this app, you can perhaps buy a pre-paid Serbian SIM card and use a simple text message just like the locals.
* Carriers charge additional fees for every SMS message sent. Depending on the specific carrier, this usually includes a fee of 2.5 dinars for Serbian SIM cards.
Beovoz Train Lines
Besides trams, trolleys and buses, Belgrade public transport also includes trains, known as Beovoz or Bgvoz. The trains run every 30 minutes, and in some cases, they might be a better alternative to other forms of transport, as they use a combination of underground and aboveground tracks, thus avoiding most of the congestion that can happen on the road.
Although Beovoz is a good option, sadly the network is not widespread throughout the entire city. What is good is the fact that these trains use the same tracks that lead to major cities such as Novi Sad, Niš or Šabac, thus giving you the chance to see other parts of Serbia.
Among these options, the fast train to Novi Sad stands out the most, as it reaches speeds of up to 200 km/h, and it can get you from Belgrade to there in 30 minutes and it total comfort. While this is not much compared to bullet trains of Japan or China, for a small country like Serbia, this is a great option to move between the two cities.
Minibuses
If you are in a hurry but you don’t want to pay for taxi rides (which can be very expensive), minibuses are the next best thing. Although they use the same stations as trolleys or buses, because of their smaller size, they tend to move through the traffic much faster, thus helping you reach your destination faster.
A total of 5 different lines, including E1, E2, E6, E9 and A1 run every day except Sunday, and the cost of one ticket is 200 dinars. It runs every 30 minutes, starting from 6:30 am to 9 pm. These minibuses are also included in the app, where you can check their itinerary and the distance from your location.
Does Belgrade have a metro system?
This is the sad part when it comes to Belgrade’s public transport. The capital of Serbia remains one of the largest cities in Europe without a proper subway or metro system. In fact, many claim that it is the largest city without an underground transit system on the continent. For a city of 1.5 million people, many locals believe that this is unacceptable.
Don’t even get me started with people claiming that Beovoz serves as a partial subway, as 2km of underground transit does not equal a metro system suitable for the needs of this city. The plan to create a subway in Belgrade has existed for 50 years now, but due to a lack of funding, political turmoil and difficult terrain, it hasn’t gotten anywhere.
Now, there are once again stories that the work on a metro system will begin once again, especially with the EXPO arriving in Belgrade in a couple of years but as things stand right now, we are yet to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Does public transport have GPS tracking?
A positive trend can also be noted when it comes to GPS tracking, as it was re-introduced a couple of months ago. Not only that you can use it through the app, where you can monitor the distance of your ride from the station, but every major stop in the city now also has a screen, displaying the transit lines according to the GPS tracking.
For each line, you can check out the number of stations left to reach your location, as well as the estimated average time it would take for the transport to arrive. May I say that I was quite surprised to see that both of these information were always quite accurate, and something you can confidently rely on.
If you are wondering about my amazement, know that until just a couple of months ago, this feature of public transport was very unreliable and seemed to never work when you need it the most. Right now, everything seems right, so let’s hope that it will continue down that path and that I just didn’t jinx it.
How to get from the airport to the city?
A minibus A1 runs from the airport to Slavija Square, which is located in the center of the old part of the city. It runs every half an hour or so, and it’s active from 7 am to 8 pm. If your flight happens to arrive outside of this time frame, you will have to get a taxi ride.
Just be careful with who you are sitting with, or your ride can get in the 100+ euro range. Instead, book a taxi ahead of time and you’ll have a safe a comfortable ride to your destination that won’t cost an arm and a leg.
The state of public transport in Belgrade
This is a mixed bag, if I’m quite honest. Trolleys tend to be in decent condition and most are uniformed and colored in red. The orange-colored trolleys that were old and beat up and being slowly phased out of use and any breaks of trolley lines are usually resolved fairly quickly.
When it comes to buses, they are not as uniform but tend to be reliable and fairly comfortable. Depending on the line, they can get very crowded, especially during the busiest times of the day, from 3 pm to 5 pm. The buses usually run according to schedule, but on longer lines that cross the bridges, such as 85, 18, or 74 in case of heavy traffic, delays are to be expected. Generally speaking, buses are the most reliable form of public transport in Belgrade and tend to cover the most ground.
Finally, when it comes to trams and trains, these tend to be older, but still run reliably and transport thousands of people to their destinations every day. One exception would be the newer trams ordered from Spain a couple of years ago, which are new and clean. However, their older counterparts might be more reliable, and despite their age, they run fairly smoothly.
With that, I hope that I was able to help you get a better understanding of the public transport in Belgrade. I will keep you updated in the future as well if any changes happen in the meantime. We can only hope that the trend will continue and result in positive changes in the years ahead, as the recent developments allow us to hope that will happen sooner rather than later.
