Map of Serbia

Check out the following link for more information on the ancient city (and host town of our Wedding), Nis.

Check Out these links for great information about Nis and things to do/eat/drink/see there:

VisitNis.com

WikiTravel Nis

There are several different ways to get to Nis, so we will be available to help you plan your trip if you need the assistance or just some suggestions. If you are not already in Europe, then the first step will be to get to Europe. The easiest way to begin to get to Nis is to fly to Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. For more information on flights, click on the Travel and Accommodation Details tab.

If you fly in to another city or country, you can likely get a cheap flight to Belgrade, or can take a bus, train, or rent a car and go directly to Nis. Depending on where you are coming from, most routesto Nis will go through Belgrade, so these directions could be helpful whether you go directly to Belgrade or not.

If you fly to Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, you have three options to get to Nis.

1) RENT A CAR

First, you can rent a car and drive yourself to Nis. Again, the Travel and Accommodation details page has some more information on what car rental agencies are available at and around the airport. Most car rental agencies will give you the option of renting a GPS that could be very helpful in getting to Nis. However, you will just want to get on to the A-1 highway, and from there follow the signs towards Nis. As the date gets closer, we will post more specific details and directions. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions. Driving time in a car will be about 2:45-3 hours.

2) BUS

Taking a bus to Nis, is definitely a good option. It is less expensive than renting a car, but faster than taking the train. The Nisexpres bus from Belgrade to Nis takes between 3 and 3.5 hours. When you leave the Belgrade airport, head to the Lasta bus. This will take you to the proper bus station to catch a Nisekspres bus from Belgrade to Nis. The airport bus costs about 300 dinars ($3). The bus from Belgrade to Nis will cost about 1200 dinars ($12). You can also take a taxi to the bus station, but the Lasta bus will be cheaper. When you get to the bus station, you will have to buy a ticket to Nis. Chances are the ticket salesperson will not speak a ton of English, so the Serbian phrases we have provided above may come in handy at this point. You can buy a ticket from Belgrade to Nis at the bus station and get on the next available bus. They will give you a small token with your ticket - do not lose the token. This gets you through the turnstile to the bus port area. Go to the correct port number for the bus (It will also likely say Nis on the windshield). This bus will drop you off at the bus station in Nis. At that point, you can take a taxi to your hotel, hostel, apartment, or wherever you may be staying. For more information on Nisekpres buses, including the website, click on the Travel and Accommodation tab.

3) TRAIN

The third option you have is to take a train. While the train might be your cheapest option, it is also the slowest. It takes about 6 hours to get to Nis from the Belgrade Train Station. However, some of you might wish to experience the scenery of the area by riding a train. While some trains are relatively new, the majority are a bit older. The buses are all much newer. The train will probably be the least comfortable and definitely the slowest of the three options - but that being said - it will get you to Nis for very little money. You can take a bus from Belgrade Airport to the train station or can taxi, and can buy your ticket at the station. There is a luggage guard area, so if your train does not leave for a while, you can pay to store your luggage and wander around the city for a bit before the train leaves. Once you get to the Nis train station, you can take a taxi to your hotel, hostel, or apartment.

4) SHUTTLE

There are some shuttle companies in the area that will take you from the airport in Belgrade to wherever you are staying in Nis. There are some companies that require you to pay in Serbia ahead of time, so those will not be useful to those of you coming from outside Serbia. There are two companies that we found after doing a quick search. We are not familiar with either company, but if you are coming with a group and want to have the convenience of going from the Belgrade airport directly to your hotel or guest house in Nis for just a bit more money than a bus or train, it might be worth it to look into these options or do a search on your own:

Premium AT Coaches

or

Belgrade Airport Transfer

We have never used these services and do not know anything about them, but feel free to contact them yourselves or look in to them if this is something you think your group would want to do.

Some people in Serbia, particularly young people, speak very good English. However, while traveling in Serbia, you are likely to encounter many people who speak only Serbian. Serbia uses both the Cyrillic alphabet and the Roman alphabet that is used in English (with a few variances). These few phrases might be helpful for getting around town. If you are interested in learning a bit more, feel free to get in touch with us and we can point you towards some good resources.

Hello - Zdravo <<ZdRAHvoh>> / Cao <<Chow>>

Goodbye - Dovidjenja / Cao <<doh vee JEN ya>>

Please/You're Welcome - Molim <<MO leem>>

Thank you - Hvala

Yes - Da

No - Ne

Where is....? - Gde je....? <<g'Day yeh>>

Bus Station - Autobuska stanica - <<AUTO booska STAH neetsa>>

Train - Voz <<Vohz>>

Train Station - zeleznicka stanica - ZHEL ez neechka STAH neetsa>>

Car - Automobil / Auto / Kola

Airport - Aerodrom

Restaurant - Restoran

Chicken - Pile <<Pee leh>>

Meat - Meso <<MEH soh>>

Fish - Riba <<REE bah>>

Pork - Svinja <<SVEEnyah>>

Water - Voda <<VOH da>>

Beer - Pivo <<PEE voh>>

Red Wine - Crno Vino <<TSEHRnoh VEEnoh>>

White Wine - Belo Vino <<BELLo VEEnoh>>

Fruit Brandy - Rakija << Rah KEE yah>>

Money Exchange Office - Menjacnica <<Men YAHCH neetsa>>

ATM - Bankomat

Hotel - Hotel

Do you miss the days when you were not connected to the internet 24/7? Well get ready to party like it's about 2006, because traveling out of your home country can mean connectivity issues. You may want to check with your service provider about various options you have for using your phone regularly in Europe. It is possible to buy a very cheap phone to use while you are abroad that you can load with pre-paid minutes. It is also often possible to unlock your own cell phone and get a European SIM card to use while abroad. But if you are only going to be in Europe for the wedding and a short time before and/or after, these options might be more trouble than they are worth. We strongly recommend downloading the WhatsApp and/or Viber app on your phone. This will allow you to text and call other people with the apps for free anywhere you have wifi connection. All of the hotels in the area should have wifi, and many restaurants and shops also offer wifi if you ask for the password. Our numbers are +1 412 726 6270 (Drew) and +1 724 987 8454 (Hristina). If we are not answering, please call/text Hristina's dad, Miki, through Whatsapp and/or Viber at +381 63 406 981. We are also going to have a couple of people helping us out in terms of making sure everyone makes it to Nis ok. We'll send out a group email with their contact info closer to the wedding! Check out the following links for more tips on staying connected overseas:

5 Ways to Avoid International Roaming Charges When Traveling

Rick Steves Travel Tips: Phones and Technology

Here are some helpful websites that will allow you to do some research on getting good accommodations, saving money while traveling, packing tips, and anything else you might need to have a more enjoyable trip to and from our wedding!

Extra Pack of Peanuts is a great website with all kinds of tips on saving money while traveling in general.

WikiTravel is an open-source website that has suggestions for things to do all over the world - including in Nis and other parts of Serbia and the Balkans.

The Man in Seat 61 is the perfect site for those of you interested in train travel. Perhaps the most romantic way of traveling, this site gives all kinds of suggestions and tons of information regarding the best routes to take throughout the world, and how to save money doing so.

Go With Oh and VRBO are both great websites for booking apartment stays in Europe. AirBnB is definitely the largest site, but Go With Oh and VRBO have additional options.

Rocket Miles is the perfect site for anyone looking to maximize the amount of hotel points or flyer miles you can get when staying in hotels throughout the world.

Price of Travel is a website that lets you compare the average travel costs in different locations to put everything into perspective and to make sure you are not getting ripped off.

There are so many more utilities out there, and if you are in need of more suggestions, please give us a call or shoot us an email!