Changes

==== Bus lines around the city ==== To help you to navigate around the city and to take necessary buses to your hitchhiking spot, here is the map of the bus lines (September 2021)https://www.jgpnis.rs/linije/gradske-linije/ ==== Toll gates ====There is a [[are 3 toll station]] gates around the city: Niš South - https://goo.gl/maps/HutQubncm5K1MLJQA | Niš North - Nais, just before https://goo.gl/maps/kU4kYyKBpThLBtaQ6 | Niš, if you're coming down south East - https://goo.gl/maps/fADyXt17D34D3ZqCA | Additionally there is one more toll gate around 10 km from direction of Belgrade using the motorway. There you can get rides straight to [[Sofia]], or rides south towards [[Skopje]] and further on towards [[Greece]], without entering into the citycalled Niš Malča - https://goo.gl/maps/QoJByKXJLMCvxQFb7

Take '''Option 1 (highway):''' You need to get to the toll gate called "Niš istok" which is located here https://goo.gl/maps/4WTEMmG5PphHWGjc8 ==== Bus ====To get there, take a city '''bus number 2''' from the central square to Niška Banja (a one-way city center. Bus ticket should cost around 50 RSD, which is about costs 60 dinars or 0.50€, conductors 5 euros and a ride will charge it once you get on the bustake around 10-15 minutes (9-10 stops). Get Follow GPS on your phone and get off the bus on the second-to-last stop, just before roundabout intersection of "Knjaževačka street" and "Matejevački put". Walk 300 meters more until intersection and turn left to "Matejevački put" street ''(before btw. you can also come to the same intersection by taking a '''bus crosses over number 4''' from the railroad trackscity center)''. Keep walking in the same direction for 1.5 km. If you feel like not walking so much, you can try to hitchhike until the toll gate right after about you cross intersection of "Matejevački put" and "Somborska street" (when 6 lanes boulevard becomes 2 lane street). Most of the cars go to the villages along the road and some to the highway (same direction). You may get lucky and save your legs of 1 km walking. If not, just keep walking to the toll gate. At the toll gate make sure with the driver that he goes direction of Bulgaria or Pirot at least. Car should go over the bridge to join the highway. Don't make a 15 minutes journeymistake and take road to the right side before crossing the overpass. You will get lost in the highway intersections and it will be difficult to come back. If you don't find anyone going directly to the border, you can accept rides going to Pirot. There From there the border is a roundabout much closer and you will have better chances. You can thumb after also take a '''bus number 5''' from the city center. Get off at the last stop at "Somborska street". From the last stop walk 2 km to the hitchhiking spot explained above. Note this: "Somborska street" has changed name in January 2020, but on Google maps it still has the roundaboutold name. HereIf the new name ever gets updated on Google maps, don't get confused if you don't find "Somborska street" but instead you may catch 70% of all locals driving out of the city to your directionfind "Bulevar svetog Pantelejmona".

However, from this point you can walk 3==== Taxi ====Another option is to '''take a taxi'''. Taxi in Niš is really not expensive.5 km further According to reach an ideal hitchhiking position in Google maps it's 5.5 km from the village of Prosek (Просек), where this road joins city center to the highway hitchhiking spot. Start costs 110 dinars and all the other traffic going towards Bulgariaevery km is 40 dinars. That's around 330 dinars total which is less than 3 euros. After 3 km down the road, If you will notice a small junction where roads merge, and after some 400-500 m more, you will be standing in take taxi from different location which is closer to the right hitchhiking spot with it can be even cheaper. You can also take a couple of well-frequented Turkish restaurants around and some roadside parking area for long-distance trucks bus (most of them again being Turkishexplained in previous steps)and from there take a taxi to hitchhiking spot. Although For 2 km it is possible would cost no more than 200 dinars or 1.6 euros. We don't really have those taxis that rip of tourists because we don't have many tourists so they are not used to get a ride it. There are few scammers around main bus station, but not at the previous spot, this one outskirts of the city. Legal taxi in Prosek (Просек) should be your goal for international rides, Serbia always have TX as last two letters on car plates. To order a taxi you have excellent chances to find make a straight ride call. Waiting time is usually 3-4 minutes. If you don't have local sim card, ask someone to [[Bulgaria]] or even further towards [[Turkey]]call taxi for you and to explain where taxi should pick you up from. * [[UserMost popular taxi companies are:Antonopa|Antonopa]] (May 2016) This option works wellPrvi, City, Cool, Eko, Bros, the walk to Prosek is farTDI, possibly better to take the bus directly there. Once you are in Prosek it is not hard to find a lift to Bulgaria. I waited approximately 45 mins for a ride direct to Sofia.

Another '''Option 2 (local road):''' This option towards Bugaria used to be the best one before the highway was completed in November 2019. Now mostly local traffic goes there and international traffic uses the highway, trucks especially because they are not allowed to use local road anymore. This route is to go not advisable as there are few examples of hitchhikers coming back to the Nais toll gatecity after unsuccessful day of hitchhiking at this spot.

* Take a city '''bus number 1''[[User:TurtleGrass|TurtleGrass]] ' from the central square to Niška Banja. One-way ticket costs 80 RSD, which is about 0.70€. After about a 15 minutes journey, get off the bus on the second-to-last stop, just before roundabout (August 2015before bus crosses over the railroad tracks) Worked . There is a roundabout and you can thumb after the roundabout. Here, you may catch some traffic driving out excellentlyof the city to your direction. After the highway was completed, there are cars most of the people use highway and trucks stopping all this road is mostly used for local traffic to the timenearby villages and maybe even city of Pirot, although I was quite unlucky which is on the way to the border. The road is free and got in one that had just a dribble of petrol! Anywaygood condition, plenty so some people choose this road instead of traffic to Sofia, definitely recommend it!paying for the highway.

There are several possibilitiesYou need to get to the toll gate called "Niš north" which is located here https://goo.gl/maps/22qEprCexNWg9KHp8

==== Walking Bus ====From the main bus station walk straight along the "Bulevar 12. Februar" blvd after 3-4km you will get on the highway, but a good place to hitchhike is just before the highway, you will pass under an overpass few hundred meters after there will be a turn right for "Aleksinac" hitchhike after it, get a ride at lest to the Pay Toll name "Nais", using a sign with "NAIS" written on it is advisable. From the Pay toll you can hitchhike directly north to Belgrade or cross the highway and hitchhike south towards Skopje or Thessaloniki.

It Take a '''bus number 3''' from the city center. The bus ticket is possible to get from 60 dinars or 0.5 euros. Bus ride will take around 10 minutes or less. Get off at the last stop. You will see a small roundabout after the "Aleksinac" turn described above bus stop. Keep walking further for 900 meters until you reach toll gate. This info is just for your orientation - you have to pass under the Nais tolls highway overpass on foot (it may also be possible your way to get a short lift)the toll gate. Approximately 6 kilometres up the Aleksinac road, From there you can walk west through a village and then easily hitchhike to Belgrade. You may even catch some fields traffic going to reach the motorwayBulgaria or south to Macedonia. Once you reach the motorwayProbably not direct rides to those countries, you'll find but for sure some cars go to nearby cities. All traffic on this toll gate will be from the hotel Nais, a petrol station just beyond it with truck parking and then the toll area itselfcity.

==== Bus Taxi ====Taxi in Niš is not expensive. According to Google maps it's 4.5 km from the city center to the hitchhiking spot. Start costs 110 dinars and every km is 40 dinars. That's around 300 dinars in total which is around 2.5 euros. We don't really have those taxis that rip of tourists (because we don't have many tourists so they are not used to it). There are few scammers around main bus station. Legal taxi in Serbia always have TX as last two letters on car plates. It's very difficult to get a taxi by waving with a hand like in movies. Most of taxis are not moving unless they have a ride. To order a taxi you have to call them by phone. If you don't have local sim card, ask someone to call taxi for you and to explain where taxi should pick you up from. Waiting time is usually 3-4 minutes. Most popular taxi companies are: Prvi, City, Cool, Eko, Bros, TDI,...

Next ==== Few advices ====* If you are going straight to the main bus station Belgrade accept only direct rides, since many cars are going there.* It's not advisable, but if in some almost to impossible situation you don't find a suburban buses terminal and direct ride to Belgrade, you may accept a bus stop ride to "Pojate toll gate" or "Batocina toll gate". Those two are on 'Bulevar 12. Februar' street, the intersection with "Branković" bakery being right across the street road coming from the bus stop (adding this info for easier orientation). Get on western and central part of Serbia and you have higher chances to get a bus (bus ticket is 50 dinars(Feb.2013), although ride than if you play dumb you can pass without paying), go to Donji Komren (number 12 or 12s), and get off at any other city on the last stopway. Continue walking that way and after few hundred metersPeople want to help hitchhikers, passing by petrol station but please don't accept rides which will make you stuck on your right and under some small toll gate without any traffic.* You may only accept rides to "Požarevac toll gate" because from there it's super easy to find a motorway overpassride to Belgrade. Note that Požarevac city is another 17 km further from the toll gate. You don't want to go to the city, you should walk a few hundred only to the toll gate which is located 100 meters past from the overpasshighway. Traffic using this toll gate is not only from that city itself, there should be but also from some bigger portion of eastern part of Serbia.* Try not to accept a turn towards Aleksinac, hitchhike just after ride to Smederevo because it, preferably with 's a sign NAISdead end since most drivers will use the south toll gate "Kolari" to enter the city, it may take a while but, get a ride at least people going to the Nais Belgrade will never use it because they use southwest toll area (''naplatna rampa Niš'') where you can then stand with a sign for your destinationgate called "Vodanj". All cars have One hitchhiker stuck in "Kolari toll gate" once and had to stop hitchhike back to get a ticket, it usually takes from 5-10min "Požarevac toll gate" to get a ride to Belgradeform there. You If your driver is going to Smederevo, you can also hitchhike next kindly ask him if he is willing to take you to gas station and below highway overpass"Vodanj" toll gate. It will be 7 km more for him, as many cars comes but will save you from road on the left side and they usually stop as they have to enter bigger boulevard 12. februarbeing stuck in a wrong toll gate.

If you are going straight to Belgrade accept only direct rides=== South/Southwest towards [[Skopje]] ([[North Macedonia]]), since a lot of cars are going there and it's the biggest pay toll on the way.Hint: If you are patient and you have time to wait, it's also possible to get a ride straight to Austria or Germany as many people from Bulgaria or Turkey are going back home and they have to pass this way. Also if you have a driving licence is good, because those people drive for about 20 hours and they need some time to sleep, so they would be grateful if you can drive for awhile.[[Prishtina]] ([[Kosovo]]) {{E|75}} {{E|80}} ===

=== South/Southwest towards [[Prishtina]] ([[Kosovo]]), [[Skopje]] ([[= Macedonia]]) {{E|75}} {{E|80}} ====You need to get to the South toll gate called "Niš jug" which is located here https://goo.gl/maps/KEQJefmYByfgjnZC9

Take a bus no.number 10 ("9. maj") from the central square (the bus stop city center. Bus ticket costs 80 dinars which is next to McDonalds)around 0. Get off at the last stop, in a suburban area called Novo Selo (also referenced as "Naselje 970 euros. maj"). The bus ride should cost around 50 RSD. Walk straight There will be many roundabouts on in the same direction your way and cross a bridge over the motorway. You will come to a roundaboutafter 5th one I think, and the left path leads you need to get off after the motorway, heading southlast roundabout which is located here https://goo. You can hitch from heregl/maps/xaHZMjieMgQHLYuf8Walk back 10 meters. The E80 and E75 split shortly afterwards, so make sure Local road going South will take you're going in the right direction. For to [[SkopjeLeskovac]]. If you want to go further, Leskovac is on better take the way, so highway. Walk direction North for another 1.5 km (or you can accept a ride try to hitchhike even there instead of walking). There will be another roundabout on your way. Go left there and you will see the toll gate. Note that vicinity.(I did local road will probably not find a roundabouttake you far, but highway was easy could take you even to approach from the bridge and parking spot is like 50 metres farborder with Macedonia. - Solop, Dec 2016)

Another possibility is ==== Kosovo ====If you are going to take the train towards Doljevac from '''Kosovo''' get off at the main railway station. Get out at Doljevac station last bus stop (same bus number 10 -15 minutes ride, ticket price 64 RSD, as described above) and then hitch/walk about 30 RSD if 6 kilometers further as this road merges with the actual road leading to Kosovo and you manage can get more traffic coming from the highway. Road to bribe Kosovo is fairly easy to hitch on because it's a local road. You can use sign Prokuplje as it's the conductor), and take a 10 minutes walk first city on your way or Kuršumlija which is the last town before border with Kosovo. Don't go to Kuršumlija center. Get off the motorway toll station (accros vehicle before the road goes towards the fields)city. You will see it on GPS.

My friend After passing town of Prokuplje, number of vehicles is getting somewhat lower. You better get a lift from Nis told me that I can also catch bus 28 in the direction vehicles registered to Vrtosniki and ask driver to take me "blizu prugea foreign plates, blizu autopute"as not many Serbian registered vehicles cross into Kosovo at all. I did not try this optionA considerable number of trucks going into Kosovo also pass here. (SolopIf you use signs for hitchhiking, Dec 2016)after Kuršumlija write Merdare. that's the name of the border crossing with Kosovo.

For Kosovo:After passing What is important to notice here is the traffic structure on this particular road. Serbian vehicles are in most cases heading not further than town of ProkupljeKuršumlija and nearby villages. Those that pass Kuršumlija in most cases head to Prolom Banja (mineral springs health resort site) or Đavolja Varoš/Devil's Town, number of vehicles natural rock formations site that is getting somewhat lower. You're better taking a lift from vehicles registered to a foreign plates, as not many Serbian registered vehicles cross into Kosovo at alltourist hot-spot nowadays. A considerable number Both of trucks these are pretty much off the main road. These vehicles going into to the border with Kosovo also pass here(Merdare village) and further, are very low in numbers.

What is important to notice here is the traffic structure on this particular road. Serbian vehicles are Therefore, have in most cases heading not further than town of Kuršumlija and nearby villages. These mind that if you catch a ride that pass Kuršumlija in most cases head heads to Prolom Banja (mineral springs health resort site) or Đavolja Varoš/Devil's Town, natural rock formations site that is a tourist hot-spot nowdays. Both some of these are pretty much off previously mentioned sites, you may easily get stuck on the main road. These vehicles going to the border with for those last 10 or 15 kilometers before Merdare/Kosovo (Merdare village) and furthercheckpoint, are very low in numberswithout much traffic at all.

Therefore=== Northeast towards [[Zaječar]], have [[Vidin]], [[Romania]] ===Depending where your location is, you need to catch bus number 2 (also labeled as "Bubanj - Donja Vrežina"), towards Donja Vrežina neighborhood. The bus costs 60 RSD. Get off at the last bus stop. You will easily recognize it by suburban atmosphere. Once you are there, you can start hitchhiking, as visibility is very good at that point. Have in mind that if you catch a ride international and transit traffic, and good percent of locals use highway rather than this road. However, some general experiences are that heads to some about 50% of the locals going into your way are passing here. For the other half of these previously mentioned sitesa local traffic, you may easily would have to hitch on the motorway, and it's not too easy to get stuck on the road at these last 10 or 15 kilometers before Merdarecity/Kosovo checkpoint, without much traffic at allmotorway intersection for this route by public transport.

=== Northeast towards Zajechar, [[Vidin]], [[Romania]] ===Depending where your location isOnce you hitch a ride, don't worry if the driver doesn't go all the way. All you need is to get a ride for next 6 km to catch bus the intersection near the village of Malča where highway and local road merges together. Vehicles must pass there, and there's no.2 (also labeled as "Bubanj - Donja Vrežina")other intersection road, towards Donja Vrežina neighborhood. The bus ride should cost about 50 RSD. Hop off at so you can't miss the last stop. You will easily recognize it by suburban atmosphereplace. Once you're get there, you can start hitchhiking, as visibility thumb. There is very a good hitchhiking spot right at that pointthe crossroads. From the intersection you will see the "toll gate Malča" located here https://goo. Have in mind that international gl/maps/utSoEu6QkfcH92Bf9 and transit traffic, and good percent you can even hitchhike there if you prefer to ask drivers face to face instead of locals use motorway rather than this just waiting on the road. However, some general experiences On this spot you are that about 50catching almost 100% of the locals traffic going into your way are passing here. For the other half of a local traffic, you would have to hitch on the motorway, towards Zaječar and it's not too easy to get on the city/motorway intersection for this route by public transportfurther.

Once you hitch a ride, if the driver doesn't go all the way you need, it is recommendable Another option to get out of the car some 8 km away at the motorway intersection near the to Malča village or even further instead of Malchahitchhiking is to take a suburban bus number 16 or 17. Vehicles must pass there, Bus number 16 is going to village Vrelo and there's no other intersection road, so you can't miss ride that bus until the placelast stop and hitchhike from there. Once If you take a bus number 17, make sure to get there, thumb. There off the bus before it goes to the village which is a good hitchhiking spot right at off the crossroadsmain road. You Check on Google maps where those villages are catching almost 100% of traffic going toward Zajechar and further, located and visibility see what is goodthe best option for you.