How to Get to Bosnia and Herzegovina

In winter, and especially on New Year’s holidays, charters are set up in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The rest of the year, you can get to Sarajevo with a transfer: on the wings of Lufthansa through Munich, Turkish Airlines through Istanbul, Austrian Airlines through Vienna.

Another option is to fly from Russian cities to neighboring countries – Montenegro, Croatia or Serbia, and then get to Bosnia and Herzegovina by train or bus: regular connections are established with Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik, Belgrade and Podgorica.

Visa

According to Wholevehicles, citizens of Russia do not need a visa to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina for up to 30 days, but they may ask for a valid medical policy for the entire duration of the trip at the border.

Customs

The import and export of foreign currency into the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina is not limited, the export of the national currency is possible within 200 BAM. When importing items made of gold and precious metals (excluding a reasonable amount of personal jewelry), it is necessary to fill out a customs declaration, which will need to be presented when exporting these items from the country. It is forbidden to import narcotic and psychotropic substances, weapons and ammunition. The export of art and antiques is also prohibited.

Duty-free you can import 200 cigarettes or 20 cigars, or 200 g of tobacco, 1 liter of wine or spirits, 1 container of perfumes or perfumes.

The best time to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina for outdoor recreation and excursions is from May to September. It makes sense for skiers in search of the perfect snow cover to come in December-February.

Transport

There is no domestic air service in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but given the small size of the country, this does not constitute an inconvenience for tourists.

You can move around Bosnia and Herzegovina by trains and buses. Buses follow the schedule, however, flights between distant cities may be irregular. An important point: in view of the actual division of the country into Serbian and Muslim regions, bus service has been established either between Serbian or between Muslim cities. A bus from Banja Luka, for example, goes to Serbian Sarajevo, and in order to get directly to the center of the capital, you will have to make a transfer.

The railways of Bosnia and Herzegovina are not in the best condition, many lines have not yet been restored after the military conflict. Even on popular destinations, there are often not enough trains, and in the high season the available ones are overcrowded. Nevertheless, nature lovers will appreciate the train journey without special requirements for comfort: the tracks are laid on the slopes of the mountains, and the view from the windows is amazing, especially on the Sarajevo-Mostar direction.

Taxis are available in major cities and can be found at taxi ranks near popular tourist spots or hailed from the street. Far from all cars are equipped with meters, so it is highly recommended to negotiate the cost of the trip in advance, before boarding a taxi.

Public transport in Sarajevo is represented by trams, trolleybuses and buses. The fare costs about 2 BAM, you can buy a day pass for 5 BAM.

Rent a Car

There are car rental agencies in Sarajevo, Mostar and Banja Luka; in other cities, car rental is not so simple. To rent, you will need an international driving license issued at least 1 year ago and an age of 21 years. Particular attention should be paid to the condition of the car – often old cars are issued, and technical problems are not uncommon. Rental price starts from 20 EUR per day or from 250 EURin Week. Traffic rules are identical to European ones, signs of settlements are often written in Cyrillic. There is no clear speed limit, the generally accepted is 50 km/h in populated areas and 80 km/h outside the city. The use of seat belts is mandatory, talking on a mobile phone while driving is prohibited and will result in a hefty fine. It must be remembered that most roads are laid on the slopes of mountains, which requires increased concentration from the driver, and also greatly slows down the speed.

An important point: it is better not to leave the main road for free meadows somewhere in the outback – the territory of the country is not cleared of mines everywhere.

It will not be difficult to drive a rented car to Croatia or Serbia, as well as vice versa – to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina by renting a car in neighboring countries.

Tourist safety

In general, the inhabitants of Bosnia and Herzegovina are very friendly and especially warm towards tourists from Russia – the brotherhood of the Slavic peoples is not an empty phrase here. The crime rate in the country is very low, the only trouble awaiting tourists is pickpockets in the old city of Sarajevo. Of course, you should also exercise elementary vigilance: do not take large sums of money and jewelry with you on walks, and also always keep personal items in sight. Among other things, it is better not to touch on religious issues in a conversation – remember that both Orthodox and Muslims live in the country.

The village of Medugorje, 17 km from Mostar, is famous for the fact that it was here in 1981 that the Virgin Mary appeared to six children.

How to Get to Bosnia and Herzegovina