Serbia

Foreign nationals of the following countries/territories can enter Serbia visa-free (Government website): Citizens of the following countries can enter and stay up to 90 days in 6 months with their National ID card: Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom.

The currency in Serbia is the dinar (denoted by РСД or динар, pl. dinari/динари). The ISO currency code is RSD. Coins of Serbia are minted in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, and 20 dinars, and banknotes are printed in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1,000, 2,000, and 5,000 dinars. The banknotes tend to be more common than the coins, so be prepared to carry around a large number of banknotes in varying conditions.

Public transportation is generally not in very good shape outside of Belgrade. Trams and newer buses are exclusive to the capital, while intercity transport and transport within other smaller cities and towns uses older buses or more expensive minibuses. The coverage, however, is still pretty good in other towns as well. The quality of public transport within Belgrade itself is good and has vastly improved lately as most of the bus fleet was replaced by brand new gas powered buses.

The official language is Serbian, which is similar to Croatian and Bosnian, and mutually intelligible with them to a very high degree. Before the era of nationalist linguistic policies and the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, all of these dialects were known as Serbo-Croatian. Today, people in the former Yugoslavia no longer use this general term for what remains essentially a common language.

Serbia is generally a safe place to visit. The locals are incredibly polite and helpful in case you require any assistance. (If you need any help finding/reaching a place, it's best to ask a younger person for help, as they are more likely to speak English.) However, you should always be aware of pickpockets, mainly in crowded tourist places and on public transportation. Street robberies, assaults or murders are highly unusual, even in dark or remote parts of a city/town. One should always watch out for drivers, who can be very rude to pedestrians or cyclists. There is also widespread intolera…

Tap water is generally safe to drink, and mainly of a good quality, too, albeit heavily chlorinated in some areas. Urban areas (especially Belgrade) should be noted for their particularly hard water, which gives the water a cloudy look that dissipates after a couple of seconds. There are also many springs and fountains with excellent-quality drinking water - the most popular ones being the fountain on Knez Mihailova in Belgrade, and the many fountains in the city of Nis.

Serbia is quite well connected, and coverage is very good, even in rural areas. There are three GSM/UMTS/4G LTE mobile phone networks in Serbia: the state telecom provider mts, and the privately-owned Yettel and A1, all of them offering similar quality of service.

Serbs are a very friendly, polite and hospitable people, especially in the southern parts of the country. When you are invited into a Serbian home, make sure to bring them a gift if you are coming for the first time. Anything is fine from flowers to chocolate or something representative from your country. When you arrive at a rural house, take off your shoes unless the owner explicitly tells you to keep them on. When inside the house, don't ask for anything, for they will surely offer it. If you are thirsty it is polite to ask for a glass of water. The host probably forgot to offer you a drink…