Belgrade to Podgorica train

  • 5 December 2021
  • 10 replies
  • 494 views

A note for anyone taking the train from Belgrade to Podgorica. On the Interrail app and website when you search for Beograd and select Beograd Central, it automatically switches to Topcider. I learnt the hard way that the train does indeed go from Beograd Central and not Topcider. Do not go to Topcider. 


10 replies

Userlevel 7
Badge +9

Deutsche Bahn also show this train starting at Topcider. It looks like Serbian railways didn't find it necessary to tell others that their timetable has changed, so nobody outside Serbia knows :(

@Nanja, maybe you can persuade Serbian railways to send correct data?

Userlevel 7
Badge +5

Just yesterday I scanned/read the info re several ex-Yugoslavia countries on the inter/eurail site and also found the express statement its now Topcider and not the very old and not used anymore Beograd! have not really seen other cues about thus even though I regularly read most items re changes/info.

Also check seat61-its usually quite up to date about these things

Userlevel 7
Badge +6

Sorry to hear about your bad experience Jonny!

I read this information some weeks ago on Twitter. 

General advice: Always check the timetable of the local railway operator to be on the safe side. In this case would be srbvoz . rs

The old station in Belgrade had at least some charme and was in a central area. The “new” station “Beograd Centar” is everything but central, has very bad connections with public transport, there is no restaurant, shop etc. there. Only some machine from where you can get some water etc. It is ridiculous for a capital! Beside that from the street side it looks like a construction site.

In general transport planning in Serbia seems to be everything but public transport friendly - the new bus station will be also built in Novi Beograd somewhere in the middle of nowhere, while the old one was right next to the old railway station. What a shame! Sorry for the offtopic :D

Userlevel 7
Badge +8

Hi Jonny, sorry to hear about your experience. I appreciate you sharing it with the rest of the community. 

@rvdborgt we are aware of this. Unfortunately, Serbian railways data is not up to quality standard. We, Eurail and UIC have reached out to them multiple times but we are not getting any response. We also requested 2022 data, so we hope they will send the new data so the problem will be (at least for a while) solved. The current data is only valid until 11th of December. 

We advise everyone to check the timetable on the website of the local railway company when travelling around Balkans (and baltic states), because these countries provide little to no data at the moment. 

 

 

A note for anyone taking the train from Belgrade to Podgorica. On the Interrail app and website when you search for Beograd and select Beograd Central, it automatically switches to Topcider. I learnt the hard way that the train does indeed go from Beograd Central and not Topcider. Do not go to Topcider. 

Hey, thanks for this info I am looking to make the same route and this will surely save me. May I ask, am I right in saying this is the only international train route in and out of Belgrade at the moment; so how did you get to Belgrade and from what country,? Thanks

Userlevel 7
Badge +14

Currently just with buses that are not included 😕 or ofcourse by plane :/

Serbian Rail renew currently their Railnetwork and because of that quite many routes are closed. You can go by trains as far as Novi Sad (From Budapest) and catch from there  a bus to Belgrade.

Another option is to catch a minivan transport (they often bring you directly to your Hotel/Hostel 🙂 )  The bus from Novi Sad to Belgrade is arround 10€ :)

 

Thank you, very helpful advice.! I can’t seem to find any train route available to novi sad (or anywhere in Serbia) from Budapest, the only route I can find from Budapest is to Kelebia (border) by train, and then get some bus into Serbia Belgrade? 

Userlevel 7
Badge +14

@Cathal Compton 
From Budapest you have in Kelebia a onward train connection to Subotica from there you have to take a bus or minivan transport to Belgrad

Userlevel 7
Badge +5

And whithin old Yugoslavija, there seems to be still 1 connection/day (there used to be trains about ev 2 hrs betweenthese main cities) Zagreb-Beograd, via Vinkovci=change over point. AFAIK this is still possible all the way by train-though Serb railways is also notorious for unannounced diversions, cancellations or whatever.

It is also according to the boks possible to reach Sofia/BG via 2-3 changes en-route.

Note that local fares are very low there and its often not woirthwhile to even spend precious taveldays from your pass as this is more costly. F.e. when there were still through trains Bp-Bgr the single fare was just 15 eur, even for s eat in the overnight train

For those really determined to travel in the Balkans and by train-there is also still a socalled Balkan Flexi pass, works roughly the same as I/EU-rail, but limited to these parts of Europe and much cheaper! And nothing on the fone-just by paper ticket when there.

Userlevel 7
Badge +14

@mcadv 
Currently no International train between Serbia & Bulgaria even the offseason connection with changes in Nis & Dimitrovograd is currently not in Service according Serbian and Bulgarian Rail ;)

And there is even currenttly no train service between Croatia & Serbia :/

Reply