Bosnia is a beautiful country and if you want to enjoy nature's bounty, hit the road by car. Witness the spectacular change in scenery as you drive along. A word of caution though - don't expect great road conditions and great speeds while driving.
Getting to Bosnia-Herzegovina
By Plane
Sarajevo Airport is in the suburb of Butmir and is relatively close to the city centre. You have the options of taking a taxi or tram. Taxi fares to and from the airport are alarmingly expensive considering the short distance to the city. The best bet is to cab it up till the tram terminus at Ilidza and then board a tram for the last leg of your journey. If you're still looking for flights to Bosnia why not use the knowledge of our local connections in each destination.
For transport from the airport to the city (or from the city to the airport), we recommend Green Path Transfers, who offer eco-friendly airport transfers in hundreds of destinations around the world, including Medjugorje.
Flights to Bosnia
By Train
Being a country that was subjected to many battles and wars, the public transport system, especially the train service, is just limping back to normalcy. It certainly has miles to chug before getting to the pre-war days.
Train service in Bosnia-Herzegovina is slow and the frequency is low. Much of the infrastructure was damaged in the conflict and the lines are restored based on priority. The train services are managed and operated by two separate entities and their contract is dependent on the political situation in the country.
Ensure you buy your ticket before boarding the train; else you will end up buying multiple tickets, one for each leg of your journey. This is because the conductor on board may sell the ticket for his part of the journey. The ticket for the subsequent journey will be issued by the conductor who takes over from him. Such staff and locomotive changes are normal on cross country train routes. That notwithstanding don't rule out the possibility of train changes instead of carriage changes even for short distance travel.
By Train
Daily service from Sarajevo to Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, and onwards to the rest of Europe. An overnight service for the same route also operates during summer.
From Sarajevo to Ploce in Croatia via Mostar and the Adriatic Sea. The train is relatively empty and provides the most stunning view of Bosnia on its journey!
Daily service from Budapest (Keleti pu. station) to Sarajevo via Osijek in Croatia.
Daily service from Banja Luka into Eastern Croatia. This also connects to the trains operating to and from Belgrade (Beograd).
By Car
As mentioned above, getting around Bosnia-Herzegovina by car can be an off-the-beaten track way to explore this beautiful part of the world. But beware that petrol stations can be hard to find and often the best place to tank up is at the outskirts of towns and cities rather than in them. Mechanics who speak English are hard to find so it is a good idea to do a thorough scan of your car before you start and take a quick lesson in tackling flat tyres and emergencies.
Border crossings usually pose few problems. Police regularly set up road blocks on the road, so ensure you have your papers and licence ready.
By Bus
The international bus station (Austobusna stanica) is located near the railway station. Most international buses arrive here except the ones from Belgrade, Serbian parts of Bosnia and Montenegro. These start and terminate at Lukavica bus station in Istočno, or Eastern Sarajevo. This is an ethnic Serbian suburb of Sarajevo.
There are frequent international coach services from Sarajevo, Mostar, Banja Luka and Tuzla to various international destinations. Herzegovina also has many bus services from the Dalmatian coastal cities in Croatia.
International bus services include modern and luxurious 5-star coaches. The local buses that operate slightly beyond the border or for a maximum journey time of 3 hours do not have offer luxury.
By Boat
There are ferries from Neum to other cities on the Adriatic and the ones that go into Croatia and other countries. To get around locally, you can also hop onto one of the privately run boats that ply mainly along the inland rivers and lakes.
Getting Around Bosnia-Herzegovina
If you do not have a car to drive around Bosnia-Herzegovina, then the bus and train services are the best option. Public transport system is extensive and connects most places. Prices and schedules of the two don't differ much, though the bus might be a tad cheaper. The bus service is more frequent compared to the train service because of the war damaged railway lines.
If you are thinking on the lines of hitching, discard it as it is not a good idea considering the fragile political fabric. It is still dangerous, even in the areas that have been de-mined. So just hop onto a bus or train to explore beautiful Bosnia.
