Belgrade

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Belgrade
<map lat="44.80" lng="20.46" zoom="11" view="0" />
Information
Country:
Flag of Serbia
Serbia
State: Belgrade-City
Population: 2,000,000
Licence plate: BG
Major roads: E 70 E 75 (Autoput)
More info: Hitchbase
Meet fellow hitchhikers on Trustroots

Belgrade (Serbian: Beograd) is the capital of Serbia, home to about 2 million people. The main motorway (E75/Autoput) runs close to the centre of the city from the northwest to the southeast. Most cars also use this as a normal road so hitching out of Belgrade is quite difficult.

Hitching out

Southeast towards Niš, Sofia, Skopje E 75

There are several possibilities.

Bus 31

Take bus 31 from the city centre (from the squares Trg Studentski or Trg Slavia or in front of the large McDonalds), until you get to the intersection of the streets Ustanička and Vojislava Ilića (ask someone in the bus for the stop Shumice, but in case you miss is it two stops before the last - on the right you will see a pekara and its a bigger intersection after going uphill for a while). Turn around and go left, walk to the bridge, cross it, go downstairs, and walk around 150m to the right from the bridge. There you will find a on-ramp to the motorway, and it is the spot from where you can hitchhike towards the toll station. (Alternatively you can walk down the motorway for a couple of hundred meters further and talk to people on a gas station. This might work better, because many people using the on-ramp are not leaving Belgrade). You should have sign which says "RAMPA" (toll station) or "BUBANJ POTOK" (town right before the toll station) in order to get a lift, otherwise you risk staying there for a long time. It is possible that someone who is not going to the toll station, but to Bubanj Potok or Leštane will give you lift, but it is no problem, since after he turns, you have only 10 minutes on foot to the toll station. Once you reach the toll station, it is easy to get direct rides all the way to Greece, Bulgaria, Macedonia or even Turkey if the driver allows you to sleep the night in his truck.

  • Nero12 (July 2011) Yup, it works great.
  • Rozwal (October 2011) had a sign RAMPA and got a ride with a man going out of the highway just before Rampa so the sign proved very very useful.

Trolleybus 29

Alternative (worked very well, a number of times, requires very little walking/riding on busses): If you are in the downtown area, past Slavia, near the big market and Mackenzie street (serbian: Makenzijeva ulica), you can take trolleybus 29 out until it comes to a long bridge with blue railings. This bridge crosses the motorway (among many other things). If you get out before the bridge and cross to the side where traffic is coming in the opposite direction (don't go all the way across the length of the bridge), there are stairs going down that lead to the motorway, from which, you can walk just a few meters and find a shoulder with enough space for cars to pull over, perfect for hitchhiking!

Note: Jeremie used this spot and would like it made clear that it is dangereous, even if it works well.

2nd note: Wouter and Michiel used this spot an stood along the motorway for 3 hours holding a big Niš sign without being picked up. They eventually decided to take the bus to Sofia.

Tram 7

This option involves less walking along the motorway. From the city centre, take tram 7 in the direction south-east until the last stop (takes about 15 minutes, depending on the traffic). From there take bus 308, direction Veliki Mokri Lug (sometimes written as V.M.L.). After about ten minutes you will cross a bridge going over the motorway; get out at the next stop 100 meters later. From the bridge you will already see the petrol station where you want to go, which is about 200 meters walking. This petrol station is also located uphill. (This info is not entirely correct, I spent 4 hours while trying to get out of Belgrade. There is no way to reach the stop of 308 with Tram 7. You have to get off at Vukadin memorial or shortly Vuk and from there on, walk to a nearby kiosk and catch bus 6A, then go to the last stop Ustanicka and walk down the street. There you can catch 308 to VML. The gas station is a pretty good place to hitchhike, just don't be in it, cause there's just a few cars stopping and you'll be waiting quite a lot) (well, info is good - but from time to time officials do some tram-track repair, so tram 7 doesn't go further then Vukov spomenik (also, not Vukadin, his name was Vuk). In that case bus 6a runs. Otherwise, going to last stop Ustanička and going down stairs through this big mall and crossing the street will bring you to bus 308 stop).

A sign saying "10 K.M." might be helpful in catching a local car which can take you to the first toll stop (a hitchhiking stop regularly used by locals) and out of the intense exhaust fumes.

If you're heading for Niš (or beyond) try using a sign (saying Niš). If going beyond Niš remember to leave the car *on the motorway* - not in Niš, unless you're a big fan of walking. About two hundred meters before the motorway split Niš and Sofia (Bulgaria) is an working toll station where you can easily find a long distance ride.

To hitchhike towards Niš, you should first reach the toll station, which can be a bit tricky, since you have to hitchhike while you are still in the city.

Find the map on http://www.serbiatravelers.org/en/index.php/hitchhiking/145-beograd

Southwest towards Sarajevo

Kristian hitchhiking towards Čačak in Belgrade (2013)

There are 2 ways to Sarajevo, one through Čačak-Uzice, a bit south, the other one more direct but not written on online maps... The one through Čačak worked well for us. Take bus 53 from the green open market called "Zelena pijaca" in the center, to the last station. Then just follow the street for one minute, turn right, here is the exit to the motorway, climb up the bridge and try to hitchhike there, there is some place for cars to pull over, but in Serbia when they want to stop the car the dont really need a proper place ;). It seems that buses 531, 532, 533 go further, but it's not really needed, and they might be regional buses. Use signs ČA and/or UE (ČaČak-Uzice). This way through Čačak-Uzice is not the fastest but in t0ma5´s opinion very interesting, it will take you 6-7 hours to reach Sarajevo and before leaving Serbia you will pass near by GuČa, where a crazy Balkan music festival takes place every summer and just before the Bosnian border is Mokra Gora, the ethno village that the filmmaker Kusturica made for his movie, Life is a Miracle, you can visit it in few hours if you have the times but there is entrance fee. After Uzice there is not much traffic going to Bosnia since after the border and before Sarajevo there is not any big city, so if you get a ride the driver will probably take u all the way to Sarajevo :)

North towards Budapest

It's best to take bus number 706 from Zeleni Venac station (big bus station in the city center)or 73 from New Belgrade. If you wish to hitchhike on the motorway, you should exit at overpass at Batajnica. If you wish to take the old road, which is probably the better option if you travel only to Novi Sad, then you should go further with that bus to the end of Batajnica suburb, until the bus turns from that road, at the church. Just go back to the same road you were previously at, and hitchhike from there. Batajnica is around 15 kilometers far from Zeleni Venac station, and bus takes around 40 minutes, depending on traffic jams.

Ask the driver to let you off at Batajnica where the highway crosses the bus road. As seen on August 2014, the reconstructions being made on the highway led to a one line traffic with a 60km/h limited speed. On the place where the brigde is. There is no enterance but there is the perfect place to HH. After the one line reduction the highway goes to a normal 2line+emergency traffic. So there is plenty space for the cars to stop (around 6m) and the cars go 60km/h. (Not sure how long is it going to be like that) Be careful of pickpockets on the bus..an old man may look harmless but has quick hands, oh! When you get out, have a sign for Novi Sad and get out at the péage, the toll booth which is quite a way before Novi but the best place to stand to get a long distance ride..here you can whip out a sign for Budapest

There is a map on http://www.serbiatravelers.org/en/index.php/hitchhiking/145-beograd

  • User:Luelle Another option if you don't want to ride a bus for so long: Take the 95 Bus from the city center to New Belgrade and exit at the station called Sava Center. It stops directly passed a bridge that is over the highway. Exit the bus and walk towards the bridge, you will see a petrol station on the highway to the right which is the direction Novi Sad/ Budapest. This a petrol station which you can use to get a short ride out of the city. Finding a long ride is pretty unlikely from this point since its mostly local traffic. Beware: Bring some cardboard with you. There isn't anything around.

North towards Novi Sad E 75

It's best to take bus number 706 from Zeleni Venac station (big bus station in the city center)or bus 73 from New Belgrade. If you wish to hitchhike on the motorway, you should exit at overpass at Batajnica . If you wish to take the old road, which is probably the better option if you travel only to Novi Sad, then you should go further with that bus to the end of Batajnica suburb, until the bus turns from that road, at the church. Just go back to the same road you were previously at, and hitchhike from there . Batajnica is around 15 kilometers far from Zeleni Venac station, and bus takes around 40 minutes, depending on traffic jams.

Update. The 706 doesn't turn at the church, but a little further up. Actually you could pretty much hitch anywhere along the road the bus is on, but wait until it turns right just after Batajnica, then get off there. Back on the main road, a couple of hundred metres further down, there is a bus stop lay-by. There's a petrol station a little back towards town too if you prefer. Both are perfect for vehicles to pull in and great spots. --Looking for Stu (talk) 14:42, 18 January 2014 (CET)

Northeast towards Timișoara (Romania) E 70

Take a bus from the center (25/25-P will work) to the base of the Pančevački most (the bridge over Dunav/Danube -- not any of the ones over the Sava). Take another bus (e.g. 101, 102, 103...) over the bridge, and get off at the first stop after the bridge. Turn around and walk to the elevated motorway back in the direction the bus came (< 100 m). This is the E-70. Coming from the bus stop, the direction East is on the far side of the motorway, so you need to walk under it and then climb up to the level of the highway. Walk right along it (there is a guardrail, so it's not too scary) until you come to a traffic light with a place for buses/cars to pull over immediately afterwards. This is the perfect hitch spot. Continue on the E70 towards Pančevo and Vršač and eventually the Stamora Moravița-Vatin border crossing into Romania. Be aware that Romanian drivers may expect money, so if a car with a Romanian number plate stops, explain that you will not pay.

West towards Zagreb E 70

Take bus no. 16 from the upper part of Zeleni Venac station towards Novi Beograd, and exit after you pass traffic circle. Cross the street, and take bus no. 611. That bus will take you to the motorway, some 20 kilometers from Belgrade. Get off as soon as the bus turns from the motorway, and then return to the motorway. Start hitchhiking there. The toll station is around 7-8 kilometers far, but there's no need to go there on foot. Once you get to the toll station, we recommend using a sign for the direction you want to go, it is a good opportunity to get a direct ride, even all the way to Zagreb.

From Belgrade to Zagreb advice is good you take bus 611 to end of town. Better not try to hitchhike on first petrol station Zmaj after Novi Belgrade, you can really stuck there for few hours. Hundreds of cars coming on that place but almost all of them were going back to Belgrade or to Novi Sad and just few of them to Croatia. Take 611 and go out just near road to air port than you just walk few minute on high way and come to petrol station. That is last petrol station in direction to Croatia and there also people can turn to Novi Sad and not in direction to Croatia. You just need to catch ride to pay tolls. When you at pay tolls, there is much easier to catch ride to Zagreb or any part of Croatia.(June 2013)

Just to write some more info, (June 2014). This time it was much easier to catch ride even on petrols station Zmaj outside of Novi Belgrade and without going more further with bus 616 to last petrol station near airport and pay tolls. It was same as last year a lot of cars where there on Zmaj petrol station and a lot of them were going back to Belgrade(It was mistake last year to ask drivers if they go to Croatia, just ask everyone to get you to pay tolls in Šimanovci) . Speak with people that work on petrol station an they will help you to catch ride, ask every driver just to drive you to Šimanovci-name of place where pay tolls are and from there is much easier to move forward Croatia. On Zmaj petrol station is forbidden to stop for trucks(specially for foreign trucks, trucks can not drive through Belgrade), only trucks with special license can stop there and they will be local Serbian trucks but they can go to pay tolls, try to ask them. On second petrol station after airport is allowed for all trucks. There are also helpful people that work on petrols station or girls that cleans cars to catch some money for summer , they could help you if you ask them. Serbian registration that could go to pay tolls are ŠI, RU, SM ask them or any other foreign driver, they will all go to pay tolls or Croatia.

Blackriding

Controllors are going into the vehicles with a mini computer for checking your e-cards (cards are called BusPlus). Normal BusPlus cards are blue coloured and they have red ones. When you spot them, just ignore them and leave on the next stop.

WiFi

  • Main train station: network Peron code internet (they have changed it already, but in the smaller hall /not the one they sell train tickets in, but with the money exchange office/, you can catch some wifis without passwords, something like AUDInumbers)
  • Studentski Park has free wifi, just look for an open network that has the word 'free' in it.

Sleeping

We slept near the river, under the bridge we came in at 5am and slept until 1300 no one disturbed us.

nomad:Belgrade