Map showing how we travelled the Balkans
Point 7 (Sofia) was the beginning and end of our Balkan trip. We did the blue part first and then the purple part.
Travelling on a budget means we have to find countries that suite our budget. So the Balkans was a great option as most countries in the Balkans are a lot cheaper than in Western Europe.
Here was our itinery:
Bulgaria (Sofia, Plovdiv, Veliko Tarnovo, Bansko) 12 days
North Macedonia (Skopje, Ohrid) 7 days
Albania (Tirana, Shkoder) 4 days
Montenegro (Budva, Kotor) 9 days
Bosnia & Herzegovina (Mostar, Sarajevo) 7 days
Serbia (Belgrade, Nis) 5 days
In this blog I will share the following information:
1) Outline of our travels
2) Costs for each country
3) Transport tips
4) Accommodation tips
5) General Tips
6) Final thoughts
BULGARIA
Our journey began in Sofia. We arrived at the airport and caught a bus from the airport directly to the ski resort of Bansko
Sofia to Bansko by bus, 2 ½ hrs
Days in Bansko: 4 (stay near the gondola if you don’t have transport. The gondola is the only way up the mountain to all the other lifts )
Bansko to Plovdiv by bus, 3 ½ hrs
Days in Plovdiv: 2
Plovdiv to Veliko Tarnovo, by bus, 3 ½ hrs
Days in Veliko Tarnovo: 3
Veliko Tarnovo to Sofia, by train, 5 hrs
Days in Sofia: 3 ( to be honest 2 nights would probably be enough to see the main sites)
NORTH MACEDONIA
Sofia to Skopje by bus, 4 ½ hrs
Days in Skopje: 3 (but you could see all the main sights in one day)
We did a day trip from Skopje to Matka Canyon
Skopje to Lake Ohrid by bus, 3 hrs
Days in Ohrid: 4
ALBANIA
Ohrid to Tirana by bus, 3 ¾ hrs
Days in Tirana: 2
Tirana to Shkoder by bus, 2 ½ hrs
Days in Shkoder: 2
MONTENEGRO
Shkoder to Budva by bus, 3 ½ hrs
Days in Budva: 4
Budva to Kotor by bus, 45 mins
Days in Kotor: 5
BOSNIA HERZEGOVINA
Kotor to Mostar by bus, 5 hrs
Days in Mostar: 4
Mostar to Sarajevo by train, 2 hrs
Days in Sarajevo: 3
SERBIA
Sarajevo to Belgrade, by bus, 7 hrs
Days in Belgrade: 3
Belgrade to Nis by bus, 3 hrs
Days in Nis: 2
COSTS (in Euros)
The daily average costs reflect expenses for groceries, dining out, coffee shops, local transportation (also includes buses taken between cities and countries), beverages, and accommodation. For each country, we have also included the average cost per night for accommodation. Most of our accommodations featured a kitchen, allowing us to prepare our own meals. While not luxurious, the lodging was consistently comfortable. We typically purchased wine or beer to enjoy in our apartment and seldom went out for drinks. In Albania, North Macedonia, and Bosnia & Herzegovina, we dined out more frequently due to the affordability. In contrast, we did not dine out in Montenegro, where restaurant prices were considerably higher. We relied exclusively on local public transportation, such as buses and trams.
We also spent a total of 179 Euros on activities, but this will vary for you depending on what you want to see
Average per day ( In Euros)
Bulgaria 44
North Macedonia 44
Albania 36
Montenegro 52
Bosnia Herzegovina 46
Serbia 47
TRANSPORT TIPS
BUSES
We found buses to be the cheapest option and used the app, travelling.com (previously called ‘get by bus’) as there prices seemed to be the best too. The app is very easy to use and also seemed to have more options than Flixbus. We also booked at least a few days ahead of time as often the buses were full. I also liked the fact that I could cancel if plans changed and could get a voucher to use to rebook.
If you catching the bus from Plovdiv to Veliko Tarnovo we couldn’t find a way of booking the ticket online. We suggest you get to the station early as the minivan was full and some people couldn’t get on. You have to pay the bus driver directly with cash.
Generally the buses were on time. The condition of the buses varied, but many seemed to lack shocks. We never knew if it would be a minivan or a bus that would pick us up. I’m not sure if some of the bus drivers had something against aircons but often they wouldn’t use them so it got quite hot.
Going through the borders was a breeze as the bus driver would show us where to go.
In the cities we mostly used the public buses if we needed to go somewhere. Google maps was great in showing us where to catch the bus and which bus.
We also tried to make our accommodation bookings in the center of town. Look on google maps to see where the sights are and then see where the address of the accommodation you want to book is. By doing this we were able to walk to all the sights, grocery stores, coffee shops and often didn’t even use public transport. Most days we averaged 15 thousand steps sometimes up to 22000.
On one occasion in Tirana the bus station we arrived at was different to the bus station we left from. Luckily our ticket gave us a google map address. So always check your ticket for the location of the bus and don’t just assume it’s the main bus station or the same station you arrived at.
In Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia we were charged a bus station fee of about 2-3 euro per person and sometimes a luggage fee of 2 euro so have some small change handy.
As of January 2025 all public transport in Belgrade was free (for locals and tourists)
TRAINS
There are not a lot of train options and they are generally slower than catching buses. We caught a train from Veliko Tarnovo to Sofia as it was Easter weekend and all bus tickets were sold out. The train was packed and very hot as there didn’t seem to be an aircon.
The second train we caught was from Mostar to Sarajevo in BH. We were able to book this ticket online on the official BH website, www.zfbh.ba. However before you board the train you have to take the reference number to the ticket kiosk to get a printed ticket. We were quite surprised at how new the train was. The scenery was also very beautiful. Our tip here is to sit on the right side of the train if going from Mostar to Sarajevo and visa versa.
There is a train you can catch from Belgrade to Nis in Serbia but it takes 5 hours and its only 3 hours on the bus. Also the train leaves quite early in the morning. There are a lot more options for the bus.
TAXIS
We hardly used taxis only if we had no other option. We used a taxi to the train station in Veliko Tarnovo in Bulgaria as it was too far to walk and there was no public transport. We also hired a taxi for the day in Mostar to do some sightseeing on the outskirts of the city as there were no public bus options.
ACCOMMODATION TIPS
We used booking.com mostly but we used Airbnb twice when we couldn’t find anything on booking.com. We tried to book an apartment always near the center or the old town. By doing this we were able to walk to the sights majority of the time. We also checked if there was a bus stop near our accommodation when we booked in case we had to catch a bus from the station to our accommodation.
We were very surprised at how often even a month or two ahead of time some places were really booked up, like Ohrid, Budva and Kotor. Try and book ahead as early as you can for more choices and cheaper options.
We always chose to book an apartment with a kitchen and a washing machine so we could do some of our own cooking and laundry. Apartments also seem to be cheaper than hotels.
GENERAL TIPS
VISAS
A valid Schengen visa will allow you in these countries but just confirm the number of days you are allowed to stay. For example most were 30 days but North Macedonia was only 15 days. Your Schengen visa also has to be valid for a certain number of days before or after you enter the country.
My husband had a British passport and he could enter without any visas.
ATM’S
Download the app ATM Saver. This app tells you which atm’s charge the least fees. However I did find for the first time in the Balkans this app wasn’t always exactly correct for example Halk bank in Serbia had no fees but the atm saver app wasn’t correct here as it said other banks were free but they weren’t only Halk bank.
ESIMS
We used an esim for the first time and it made our trip so much easier than trying to buy a sim card in each country. We used Airalo which covered all the countries we visited in the Balkans. The great thing with Airalo is that you can hotspot so we saved money only getting one eSim. We also made sure that our accommodation always had wifi.
CASH
Always carry some cash especially small change for example to pay for the bus. Unlike Western Europe you can’t always use your credit card on the bus. Its mainly cash.
You will also need cash to pay for bus station fees and luggage fees.
A lot of restaurants do accept credit card especially in the more touristy places but more local restaurants and bakeries often want cash. Grocery stores all accepted credit cards.
OTHER TIPS
Be aware that in some countries like North Macedonia, Bosnia and Montenegro a lot of bus kiosks and shops may be closed on a Sunday. We wanted to buy a bus ticket in Skopje to Matka canyon but it was Saturday afternoon and the bus kiosk was closed. With the help of a local we downloaded the skopjebus app and could buy tickets on the app. You just scan the code they give you on the app. However be aware the app is not easy to use .
Many places also charge you to use the toilets especially at the bus stations and in more touristy places. In Montenegro you pay up to 1 euro to use the public toilet. Good to always have small change on you. We would choose to rather have a coffee and use the toilet at the coffee shop.
A lot of English was spoken and it wasn’t too difficult to be understood. We also tried to learn hello and thank you and they seemed to appreciate that except in Montenegro where we found the people the least friendliest. I think Albania we found the most friendliest. We always had google translate on hand if needed.
Albania was the cheapest except for wine which was the most expensive here so we drank beer.
Lots of accommodation had no microwave and/or toaster and also didn’t use duvets like Western Europe but thin covers.
Only in Albania could we not drink the tap water everywhere else we drank tap water and were absolutely fine.
Most places accepted euros but terrible exchange rate, better to use local currency.
Food very similar but slight variations of salads, pies etc in each country.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Traveling through the Balkans presents more challenges than Western Europe, particularly due to less developed transportation networks, but we were consisitently met with exceptional warmth and hospitality in most destinations. Montenegro, however stood out as an exception, where locals were noticeably less welcoming. Despite this, Montenegro captivated us with its breathtaking scenery and natural beauty. Mostar in Bosnia Herzegovina also stood out for it's incredible beauty. Tirana, Albania, was a delightful surprise, enchanting us with its vibrant people, genuine friendliness and a fast developing city with many modern buildings. We saw the most statues we have ever seen in a country in Skopje (North Macedonia). It was like a fantasy land. Most towns we visited had an old town with so much history to explore. However a few days in each town is more than enough to see everything.
