Train From Bar to Belgrade
The mountains of Montenegro seen from the train taking us from Bar to Belgrade
Train Journey From Bar to Belgrade
11 Hours on the Train From Montenegro to Serbia
Once again our daughter Emma and Simon’s experiences from travels in the Balkans provided inspiration and ideas for us. In the summer of 2019, they traveled on a portion of the train journey we were about to embark upon.
The 11-hour journey from the Adriatic Coast to the Serbian Capitol is said to be one of the most scenically spectacular in Europe. Let’s see if it lived up to our expectations.
All Aboard
We had purchased our tickets the day before and it was probably a good idea. The computer systems were down and the ticket attendant had to fill out a ticket for us the old-fashioned way, with pen, and paper.
The ticket price was €21.00 per person, $28.50.
The train left on time, at 9 am, and not many people were on board. We moved to two seats facing each other and made sure to sit on the left side of the train.
We had read, this is where you get the best views. If you travel south from Belgrade to Bar you should pick a seat on the right-hand side of the train if possible.
Bar to Belgrade train selfie
Slow Pace
We tried our best to time our train journey for the best possible weather as we wanted to enjoy the scenery along the way.
This is no easy task when traveling in late November and despite our best efforts, we mostly had rain or broken cloud for the entire journey. Still, the fall scenery in the valleys and mountains was spectacular.
Bar to Belgrade map
The train moves slowly through the mountain passes. A train journey which used to take 7 hours in 1976 now takes 11 hours.
The slower speeds are a safety precaution and the railway would need significant updates in order to make it a less time-consuming journey again.
We reserved a train car for ourselves :)
Bring Your Own Food and Snacks
The train makes plenty of stops along the way. Passengers get off and on but for long stretches, we had the entire train car to ourselves. The season probably has something to do with the low passenger numbers.
Make sure you bring food, drinks, and snacks for this journey. There is a train car with beverages but it seems limited to soft drinks and coffee, and the service was not great. We even chose to skip afternoon coffee which is highly unusual for us.
Even though the views were spectacular, we also found time to snooze, read our books, and just relax. The wonderful thing about a train journey is the fact you can totally disconnect and just enjoy time and place.
You have to be on the train for X number of hours. I find this very liberating somehow as there is no way out or excuse to just relax.
We crossed the border into Serbia and as it got dark around 4:30 pm we dug out our laptops and did some work through the rolling hills of Serbia.
The rolling hills of Serbia
Facts About the Bar to Belgrade Train
Ticket price: €21.00 per person, $28.50.
Distance: 476 km
254 tunnels and 435 bridges
Built between 1950 and 1976
The highest point of the journey: 1032 m
A short section, 9 km, goes through Bosnia and Herzegovina
Arriving in Belgrade
The train arrived at the Topcider Station in Belgrade and we quickly found a cab as our hotel was booked in the central part of Belgrade.
We did not have local currency but our friendly cab driver stopped en route by an ATM and we paid the agreed-upon price of 3000 Serbian Dinars, $ 27.00.
Mountain scenery on the Bar to Belgrade Train
The Bar to Belgrade train ride was relaxing for us. The scenery was amazing but the journey as a whole did not quite live up to our expectations. Perhaps it was the poor weather or the season or the slow pace of the train.
Expectations are an interesting beast. I always try to have realistic expectations, to ward off disappointment.
In the case of the Bar to Belgrade train journey, I believe our expectations were slightly elevated but the experience was still well worth the cost as you travel from one country to another.
Perhaps try to go on a sunny day :)
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The photos in this post are made using a Fujifilm X-Pro2. Lenses: XF 14mm f/2.8 R - XF 23mm f/1.4 R - XF 35mm f/1.4 R - XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR (links to my camera and lens reviews). Editing was done in Capture One Express. I have used Fujifilm film simulations in this article in some of the photos.
