Potential trip across former Yugoslavia/Balkans - advice greatly appreciated

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I'm really rather interested in doing a brief week long trip through the six countries in the Balkan region that I haven't yet been to - Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro and Kosovo - and I mainly mean the capitals, with the exception of Montenegro, where I've heard that Podgorica is pretty rubbish, and there I'm looking at Kotor and Budva instead.

Now, although some people have been fast to warn me off of Albania and Kosovo, I've looked into it and it seems that they're perfectly safe to go to for a day, just to be guarded as there could be terrorist attacks, but really, that could happen in any major city. And I've also learned to do Serbia before Kosovo, as there is a small chance that Serbian border force could refuse entry to someone with a Kosovo stamp on their passport.

I was thinking of going around Easter time, with a nice early flight from London to Tirana arriving around 10am that Ryanair have for £20, which gives me a full day to explore before taking a 9pm overnight coach to Skopje for £17. I can do a full morning and afternoon there before taking a coach to Belgrade at 5pm for £21. That'll get me there around midnight, but there's a single room in a hotel for £16 I can get some sleep in, then have a full day in Belgrade before leaving on the 10pm night bus to Sarajevo (£24.) Full day there and overnight (hotel single room only £8!) before a coach to Kotor leaves at 7am, costing £22, arriving 3pm. Here, I can actually get an apartment with a private beach for the night at only £23, and an early morning bus to the beautiful beach town of Budva for £6, where I can swim and explore for a few hours, and then take a £17 4pm coach to Pristina. There's a £12 double room there, and then a full day to be had in Kosovo's capital until the very reasonably priced £26 Wizz flight back to London at 10pm.

I just have a few questions.
Does that sound reasonably safe for a young solo traveller, and more importantly, can I rely on the long distance buses to actually show up, be easy to find, and be safe to travel on? I'm a very independent and savvy traveller despite my age, and many of the 38 countries I've visited have been done solo or leading the pair/group, but obviously your advice is welcomed.

I've been to Croatia, Slovenia and Bulgaria, and I don't plan to incorporate those into this trip, so while it would have been lovely for you to suggest it, I might as well save you the typing, as I don't want to visit those three on this occasion, much as I like all three.

Thanks!

 

[sh24]

Perfectly safe with usual basic precautions. The buses should be easy but you might need a bit of local help. However overnight bus to Skopje, a full day and then another to Belgrade in the evenings sound rather brutal to me!

One thought - I'd pick Kotor over Budva. It's a much nicer town IME and there is a beach where you can swim in the fjord.

 

[30907]

Shame you can't fit in the Belgrade-Bar train - not that I've done it, but it's is reputed to be fantastic.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I'll just repeat what a local resident told me in Zagreb, when he saw me photographing the trams: "all Balkan people are bandits" (ie beware of theft).
I was first/last in Budva in 1966, when it was certainly beautiful, but there's been a major earthquake since.
Budva-Pristina must use the Adriatic Highway for the first part to Tirana, but the roads beyond are vertiginous to say the least (eg Morača canyon).
March/April could still be cold/snowy in the mountains, and I think high passes can still be closed.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Budva-Pristina must use the Adriatic Highway for the first part to Tirana, but the roads beyond are vertiginous to say the least (eg Morača canyon).

That will scare me a bit. I’ll get nervous about it falling off!

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Shame you can't fit in the Belgrade-Bar train - not that I've done it, but it's is reputed to be fantastic.

Ahh perhaps I could swap Sarajevo and Montenegro’s order, but it might be complicated

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Perfectly safe with usual basic precautions. The buses should be easy but you might need a bit of local help. However overnight bus to Skopje, a full day and then another to Belgrade in the evenings sound rather brutal to me!

One thought - I'd pick Kotor over Budva. It's a much nicer town IME and there is a beach where you can swim in the fjord.

thanks very much, and yes - Kotor is scheduled for an overnight

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Shame you can't fit in the Belgrade-Bar train - not that I've done it, but it's is reputed to be fantastic.

Echo this it is one of the most scenic lines (along with the Split line in Croatia) in the former Yugoslavia and also the engineering feat on how it was built in the 1970s.

 

[The exile]

Shame you can't fit in the Belgrade-Bar train - not that I've done it, but it's is reputed to be fantastic.

It is indeed (scenery-wise anyway)

 

[rg177]

I'm going to Skopje next weekend - I'm looking forward to seeing what it's like.

I can heartily recommend Sarajevo - Klopa is my recommendation for a meal. The menu is all ingredients brought in fresh on the same day - you can expect to pay around £20 for two courses and a couple of alcoholic drinks. English is fluently spoken by all the waiting staff.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

That will scare me a bit. I’ll get nervous about it falling off!

Actually I read that the new Chinese-built A1 motorway in Montenegro bypasses the Morača canyon section, but there's still the Čakor pass to navigate on the way to Peč/Peja in Kosovo.
The views are said to be "very fine" though.

 

[StephenHunter]

Perfectly safe with usual basic precautions. The buses should be easy but you might need a bit of local help. However overnight bus to Skopje, a full day and then another to Belgrade in the evenings sound rather brutal to me!

One thought - I'd pick Kotor over Budva. It's a much nicer town IME and there is a beach where you can swim in the fjord.

Kotor also has a load of cats:

Why Is Kotor Famous For Cats? - Montenegro Travel Guide

Kotor is famous for its cats! Discover the history and legends behind Kotor's feline residents, and meet some of the friendly locals.

www.montenegrotravelguide.com

 

[Mag_seven]

Shame you can't fit in the Belgrade-Bar train - not that I've done it, but it's is reputed to be fantastic.

I've done it - it is good. Bar has a good selection of reasonably priced restaurants.

Belgrade

Good old historical city - good tram network.

with the exception of Montenegro, where I've heard that Podgorica is pretty rubbish

I've been there - it is a bit ordinary but it is what it is. I did the only branch line in Montenegro from there to Niksic which is very scenic.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I'm going to Skopje next weekend - I'm looking forward to seeing what it's like.

I can heartily recommend Sarajevo - Klopa is my recommendation for a meal. The menu is all ingredients brought in fresh on the same day - you can expect to pay around £20 for two courses and a couple of alcoholic drinks. English is fluently spoken by all the waiting staff.

Please do feedback how you find it.

Thanks all for responses!

 

[Jamesrob637]

Kotor also has a load of cats:

Why Is Kotor Famous For Cats? - Montenegro Travel Guide

Kotor is famous for its cats! Discover the history and legends behind Kotor's feline residents, and meet some of the friendly locals.

www.montenegrotravelguide.com

Sounds like my kind of place.

 

[43094]

Was in Albania (Tirana / Durres / Elbasan) at the weekend. Managed fine with research beforehand, including internal buses within Albania (necessary as not everywhere has info obvious, times at the locations themselves etc), and travelled by railway Plazh - Elbasan.

Usual caveats apply though, be aware of what’s around you and anything that doesn’t feel as you’d expect.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Was in Albania (Tirana / Durres / Elbasan) at the weekend. Managed fine with research beforehand, including internal buses within Albania (necessary as not everywhere has info obvious, times at the locations themselves etc), and travelled by railway Plazh - Elbasan.

Usual caveats apply though, be aware of what’s around you and anything that doesn’t feel as you’d expect.

Nobody lives in Albania now anyway as they're all in Malta and Italy Malta was having issues with some Albanians when I was there two years ago, though I'm sure the majority are very nice.

 

[route101]

I have been to the Balkans a few times. They are perfectly fine and safe. With the nightbuses it will be a tiring week. I had a Kosovo stamp in my passport and entered Serbia with no problems a few months later. Seems to be easier to get to the region with low cost flights now.

 

[rg177]

Stamps certainly aren't adhered to in this part of the world much anyway. I have a Skopje Airport entry stamp, a Hani i Elezit entry stamp from Kosovo and nothing else - so no exit from MK into Kosovo, no exit from Kosovo, no entry back into MK.

Anyways, Skopje definitely has enough to fill a day. There are various museums around the river and I'd recommend a wander up to the fortress. The old bazaar is nice to explore too. However, any more than a day, you'd be getting rather bored. It is however very safe - I've had no problems and even walking at night haven't felt in danger.

Pristina is an odd place - I had a guide with me and he showed me everything in the centre and explained it all in two hours. There are a couple of museums - some looked open, some looked derelict. Prizren is far, far nicer and a better introduction to Kosovo. Certainly, you may as well visit Pristina once - but once will be enough! It was safe enough but there were some incredibly sketchy bits around the edges as we were driving - definitely don't go wandering off alone at night.

Also keep an eye out for the absurd number of petrol stations on the roads in Kosovo. Shall we say there is definitely a lot of dodgy money at play!

Have Macedonian Denar with you in Skopje - card machines tend to exist everywhere but there is often a claim that they don't work!

 

[route101]

Stamps certainly aren't adhered to in this part of the world much anyway. I have a Skopje Airport entry stamp, a Hani i Elezit entry stamp from Kosovo and nothing else - so no exit from MK into Kosovo, no exit from Kosovo, no entry back into MK.

Anyways, Skopje definitely has enough to fill a day. There are various museums around the river and I'd recommend a wander up to the fortress. The old bazaar is nice to explore too. However, any more than a day, you'd be getting rather bored. It is however very safe - I've had no problems and even walking at night haven't felt in danger.

Pristina is an odd place - I had a guide with me and he showed me everything in the centre and explained it all in two hours. There are a couple of museums - some looked open, some looked derelict. Prizren is far, far nicer and a better introduction to Kosovo. Certainly, you may as well visit Pristina once - but once will be enough! It was safe enough but there were some incredibly sketchy bits around the edges as we were driving - definitely don't go wandering off alone at night.

Also keep an eye out for the absurd number of petrol stations on the roads in Kosovo. Shall we say there is definitely a lot of dodgy money at play!

Have Macedonian Denar with you in Skopje - card machines tend to exist everywhere but there is often a claim that they don't work!

Yes, i remember stamps are hit and miss in the Balkans. I never got a stamp entering Albania but did when leaving Albania. I only recall Serbia was the country that would always stamp you in and out.

Skopje is certainly interesting, always hot on my two visits.

 

[Class15]

I'm really rather interested in doing a brief week long trip through the six countries in the Balkan region that I haven't yet been to - Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro and Kosovo - and I mainly mean the capitals, with the exception of Montenegro, where I've heard that Podgorica is pretty rubbish, and there I'm looking at Kotor and Budva instead.

Now, although some people have been fast to warn me off of Albania and Kosovo, I've looked into it and it seems that they're perfectly safe to go to for a day, just to be guarded as there could be terrorist attacks, but really, that could happen in any major city. And I've also learned to do Serbia before Kosovo, as there is a small chance that Serbian border force could refuse entry to someone with a Kosovo stamp on their passport.

I was thinking of going around Easter time, with a nice early flight from London to Tirana arriving around 10am that Ryanair have for £20, which gives me a full day to explore before taking a 9pm overnight coach to Skopje for £17. I can do a full morning and afternoon there before taking a coach to Belgrade at 5pm for £21. That'll get me there around midnight, but there's a single room in a hotel for £16 I can get some sleep in, then have a full day in Belgrade before leaving on the 10pm night bus to Sarajevo (£24.) Full day there and overnight (hotel single room only £8!) before a coach to Kotor leaves at 7am, costing £22, arriving 3pm. Here, I can actually get an apartment with a private beach for the night at only £23, and an early morning bus to the beautiful beach town of Budva for £6, where I can swim and explore for a few hours, and then take a £17 4pm coach to Pristina. There's a £12 double room there, and then a full day to be had in Kosovo's capital until the very reasonably priced £26 Wizz flight back to London at 10pm.

I just have a few questions.
Does that sound reasonably safe for a young solo traveller, and more importantly, can I rely on the long distance buses to actually show up, be easy to find, and be safe to travel on? I'm a very independent and savvy traveller despite my age, and many of the 38 countries I've visited have been done solo or leading the pair/group, but obviously your advice is welcomed.

I've been to Croatia, Slovenia and Bulgaria, and I don't plan to incorporate those into this trip, so while it would have been lovely for you to suggest it, I might as well save you the typing, as I don't want to visit those three on this occasion, much as I like all three.

Thanks!

In Montenegro, I recommend Ulcinj. Albania and Kosovo are perfectly safe, I have been to both many times without issue.

Podgorica isn’t that bad, but it’s not on the seaside. I also recommend the Belgrade-Bar train - incredible experience. Good luck!

 

[rg177]

Yes - I feel like i should add that my entry stamp in Skopje was optional.

I saw the stamper and asked the bloke "do I need a stamp?" and he said sure, if I wanted.

Kosovo border control was exceptionally friendly going in - they seemed very happy to have a Brit visiting.