Surviving Serbia With No Mobile Data (Internet)
So, last week I made the decision – I would NOT get my flight to Budapest as Initially planned, I would lose the money (£30) and I would instead take my maiden voyage to the home of the one of the greatest scientists of the 20th century (Nikolas Tesla) and come to Belgrade Serbia.
My logic was that rather than have to catch the train to Stansted airport for £25 to get my flight to Budapest I would instead pay just £4 on the bus to fly to Belgrade from Luton. I mean It was a convenience thing really. If I can help it the best way to fly for me is from my local airport with enough time to get the bus there but Serbia was somewhere I have thought about going to.
In fact, what I was thinking was that if I come here to Serbia I could get a coach to Bosnia to see the pyramids again (read my post about the Bosnian Pyramids here). I gave up on that Idea when I realized there was no coaches from Belgrade but anyway.
So, really I am glad I came here to Serbia – I am NOT put off the place despite everything that happened but what else can I say – this trip really pushed me to my limits! I think this is a good way of putting it. Pretty traumatic for the most part lol and I think you will see why.
I got to Luton airport OK, I had maybe an hour and a half to spare. No stress really, I got through quick enough and didn’t have too far to walk to my gate. Although, there was a couple of (for f sake / oh s**t) moments before I left I will say.
The first one was 2 eBay orders I forgot to post. They are both still in my bag and probably will be till I get back to the UK and the 2nd – VERY STUPID I left my travel case at burger king. It was a good job I noticed when I did and to be fair I still got my plane with plenty of time to spare but that could have been bad.
A good laugh for my Facebook friends even before I got here but then after I did. Well, let me tell you this story about…
Surviving Serbia With No Mobile Data (Internet)
I guess you could say that it wasn’t too much trouble for me to get to Belgrade City Centre. It took longer than it should have really though I will say. After being turned away from the 1st bus In typical me fashion I went for a wander up the road.
This was maybe half hour wasted. I’m not sure if I missed a bus because of this but anyway I came back and asked the next bus driver who told me the right bus to get.
SO, I can’t really blame this on having no mobile data, as I had WIFI at the airport and it told me what bus to get. It’s the A1 if anyone comes to Belgrade for the first time. The bus stop is literally right there when you walk out the door of the airport.
But yes, typical me. I really should know better by now thinking I can walk from the airport to the city centre lol Think I ended up walking down a motorway the last time I did this. Think that was Lanzarote I did that. AND may I add, after only 1 month and a half after my last visit when I got the bus from the airport. But ANYWAY…
So after I got off the A1 mini bus I see a McDonalds and went in there. I knew I needed to work out where to go so In here I was downloading Google maps for offline mode. I should mention that I got a text on the plane saying my safety buffer had been used up on my mobile data and I had no Internet ONLY WIFI
It was enough really – I saved screenshots and I worked out that I needed to get the tram (for 5 stops) from Trg Slavija to Pijaca Skadarlija.
But this was my first big headache, I stayed on the tram line for15 stops (10 too many). I should have got off after 5. I’m sure many people actually would have but this is what I’m like. It was because I was trying to use Google maps to track my progress along the tram line and I went too far.
It could have got me to my hostel a couple hours earlier if I got off at the right stop but AGAIN typical me.
So, What Happened Next
From this point I knew I would need to get back on the tram although I didn’t know what one. If I had used my common sense I could have got the tram going the other way but I did not Instead I was only thinking about getting back online to tell me what to do.
I was wandering about for quite a while until I found my first WIFI free zone outside a bakery.
In Belgrade you get 30 minutes free WIFI in certain areas of the city and my god if they didn’t I hate to think what kind of trouble I’d be in.
The Free WIFI zones I had to use several times, over the course of my trip. It was no consolation for mobile data but it was certainly what got me to my hostel later that night.
It didn’t take me too long (really) to find my hostel after getting on the right tram this but still prior to this was the same trouble – I needed to find a WIFI spot and then get as far as I could before the WIFI signal went.
At one point I thought my hostel (The El Diablo Hostel) was up the top of the cobbled street round the corner. It was just like Coronation St. (I thought) but what a nuisance it was wheeling my case and walking on these cobbles. The shoes I brought were not exactly the most comfortable either (don’t get me started on those lol) so I was relieved when I realized it wasn’t up this way.
Then Just When I Thought I Was Home and Dry…
Yes, just when I thought my luck was about to change – I was so relieved when I got an answer on the intercom from my hostel. “Come up Mr Chivers we have been expecting you” but this was not the end of it. It was about half 12 at night when I got here and after walking up (I think it was 4 flights of stairs) with my uncomfortable shoes and travel case it was pretty annoying for me when the receptionist said I needed to pay him in CASH in LOCAL CURRENCY (which I did not have).
Now, I think really this should NOT have been a problem. Where he told me to go to get cash out was about a minute up the road. Just across the road and up the street but YET AGAIN typical me got lost – I went around the corner, down the road and around another corner.
And then I found an ATM and didn’t have enough cash in my balance TYPICAL. So then I had to find WIFI AGAIN to transfer some money over. It took me another 20 minutes to find this machine again THEN it was out of service. I think I could have cried.
I went back to the receptionist and explained. I was hoping he would let me sort out in the morning but no he told me again where to go and thankfully this time I went to the right place.
I was so glad for this to be all over and that was an understatement BUT then the next day >>
Day 2 In Belgrade: Same S**t Different Day
My first morning at the El Diablo Hostel was a bit of a funny one. I needed to charge my phone but the travel adapter I bought wasn’t going in most the plugs. Getting my phone charged up was my main priority because I knew I would need it.
There was 2 plug sockets it was going in but they didn’t hold the actual plug in there and I had to use a chair to hold it in which didn’t work very well at all.
It was pretty much pointless really I soon came to realise, and It was very frustrating because I was trying all these plugs they was working then they wasn’t. I was going back into my dorm trying the plugs in there and then there was Sparkles the Cat.
I called the Cat Sparkles because it made a kind of noise like it was electrically charged. Very strange and it was quite funny really because Sparkles kept on running into my dorm as the door was closing and everyone in there was asleep. He/she would not leave me alone.
It was quite annoying really but I kind of figured out not to leave the door to open when I went in and out the room. I had to laugh but anyway – I managed to charge my phone in the end (Thankfully) and I left the hostel at around 9:30 to go to Serbia Zoo. No problems getting there.
I Had A Good Time At Serbia Zoo
It was a good morning really. The main thing I wanted to do was to go to the Zoo and this I did. It was a bit of a walk but it was straight up the road. It only cost me 600 SRD to get in as well (about 6 Euros in Serbian Dinar).
So, I love the Zoos in Europe and this did not disappoint. Even before I got in there I could see a Red Kangaroo over the wall and inside when you get in they have a lot of Birds of Prey here. Plus other birds such as Buzzards, Falcons, Different Pheasants, a Raven and Parrots.
They was pretty cool to see. Although highlights for me were seeing a Tiger out the window whilst drinking my coffee. A Red Squirrel running round the Zoo (quite rare in England) and there was a White Lion. I was not expecting to see this –
There is a pub near where I live in Baldock Hertfordshire called the White Lion. I been going in here pretty much my whole life so was pretty fascinated by that. I’d definitely recommend a visit here (the Zoo not the pub lol (not that its bad)) but what a nuisance it was after I left Belgrade Zoo. I mean SERIOUSLY this was worse than the day before!
Here We Go Again! More Mistakes! More Hassle!
I left the Zoo at around half 12. My initial thought was I have loads of time to get my coach to Zagreb Croatia at 16:15. According to what it said on Google to get to Belgrade Bus Station it was about 45 minutes away. ONLY 25 minutes on the tram.
So this was my BIG mistake – I got to where I was I thought I needed to go. Even though I went the wrong way at first I realized this quickly and got off at next stop walked across the road and got the tram in the other direction. I was here I thought GOOD JOB but NO!
After getting off the tram and NOT being able to find the Flix Bus coach station. I found a 30 minute WIFI spot and clicked on the address on my coach ticket. For God Sake, according to this address I was at the wrong place. I needed to get another Tram for 6 more stops!
But I wasn’t too stressed – I still had time all I needed to do was catch the No. 11 Tram (in the right direction), get off at the right stop and I would be there. BUT YET AGAIN TYPICAL ME –
I kind of knew it as well (I was at the wrong tram stop) because I asked a couple of locals if I needed to get this No. 11 tram or the one going the other way.
They said across the the other way but I wasn’t confident enough to trust them – so my next plan was to get on this no. 11 (going in the wrong direction) and maybe it would be going the right way but if not I could get off at the next stop and get the No. 11 going the right way.
I thought I was being clever (like in Skiathos) I thought if I stay on the tram it would go round in a circle and I would reach my destination the other way. It seemed pretty logical to me but before I could find out the tram reached the end of the line and I was told to get off.
It was right back outside the Zoo and I was now running out of time. Between needing the toilet, and having to find another WIFI spot – I finally had to admit that it was time to cough up for a taxi. I was offered one for 20 euros earlier on and maybe I should have got this – the guy see I was lost but at this point I STILL thought I was 5 minutes away from the coach stop.
If only I wasn’t so TIGHT I thought – me and trying to save money!
I Thought I Would Not Make My Coach
At this point I was half desperate and half ready to admit defeat. I just kept walking frantically hoping I’d see a taxi but I kind of knew I wouldn’t find one. I was thinking I would have to lose my £30 for the coach trip and stay in Belgrade another night.
But It did thankfully all work out – so before I knew it I ended up back at the cobbles that looked like Coranation St. I was right near the El Diablo Hostel and I knew I could easily find it. No need for WIFI or Internet and they really saved my day here.
I called up on the Intercom and asked them to call me a taxi. It was a nervous couple of minutes because I wasn’t sure they wanted to help me but I buzzed up again and sure enough they had called me a Taxi and within a few minutes I was en route to the coach station.
It wasn’t too much money either about £12 – I thought it would be a lot more and I had about 35 minutes to spare (I think) maybe less after getting here. It was pretty frustrating though because I really needed the toilet and couldn’t pay the 100 SRD (1 Euro). I don’t know how these people sleep at night lol
So, I had to find another toilet I went to go up the wall but they come out and told me off lol but I got in another toilet using my card BUT just my luck then they wouldn’t let me in the coach bay without a ticket. More running back to get one but I got here just in time THANK GOD!
I was very fortunate – this could have gone so wrong for me but son lucky it did not. I got to Zagreb – it was 2 hours late but STILL I got here as Intended.
Observations About Belgrade
I think Belgrade Zoo has to be on the to do list if you come here. Its really cheap to get in and you can get round it quick enough I think. I mean maybe I missed seeing some of the animals – I don’t know but I see enough in 2 hours. Was happy with the experience.
I’d probably visit here every day if I was In Belgrade longer. For its low price and beautiful scenery its a no brainer for me. Around here is a nice park too, it looks like it would be good to come here if you had Children too as they have fair rides across the road and there is also Belgrade fortress right behind the Zoo. It is pretty amazing to look at but of course you can go here too.
The Bohemian quarter I think could be something else I’d like to visit in Belgrade. I’d be Interested as when I hear Bohemia I think of Prague, AND I think of Tartaria and all the cool architecture. It is something else about Belgrade as well. There is a lot of amazing things to see here just like what you expect travelling around Eastern Europe.
Where To Stay In Belgrade Serbia
I didn’t mind the El Diablo hostel. It was pretty small but very clean. Maybe Sparkles the Cat might get under your feet a bit here but for £11 a night It is well worth it. I can’t really say much about the other hostels but on HostelWorld.com expect to find shared dorms from around £10 a night. Not sure about Hotels but maybe £30-50 a night I would guess.
Other Things To Note
I would say make sure you have got data for on the go (of course) but use WiFi where you can if it is only limited AND whenever you need to get somewhere with Google Maps download the maps to use offline.
I think I have done this a couple time which has helped – I think if you have data it does save it.
Also, when on the trams hold on tight they are pretty rocky.
Almost went flying a couple times when trying to use my phone standing up on here lol
About Travelling From Serbia
Initially I was going to travel to Bosnia from here to go back to the Visoko Pyramids but I think if you are actually doing this it is better to go from Zagreb. Zagreb I think is the cheapest coach (capital to capital) destination from Belgrade.
£30 I have paid but for a bit more you can travel on to Ljubania (Slovenia) and in the other direction you can head towards Romania and Bulgaria although I am not sure how much this costs. I am guessing though lots of cool destinations you can go from Belgrade and many I haven’t even considered. (Share your tips for travel destinations in the comments!!)
Final Note
So I hope my experience has not put you off coming to Belgrade. I think it is great City to see maybe to pass through on a city tour of Eastern Europe. Plenty of options where to go from here, and I’m sure you wont be disappointed!.
Hostels are cheap and it’s pretty easy to get to city from airport. Although, if you are trying to save money get the A1 bus rather than taxi (4 Euros). Unless that is that you have the cash to spare of course – these guys I’m sure all have mouths to feed so nice to bear in mind. Call it a good deed (30 euros though I think) not good if you are on a budget.
I shall finish this post up here but expect a follow up post soon as I am still travelling on to Zagreb, Budapest and I think a few more places after too.
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Keen traveller and digital nomad looking to share my stories from my international trips with my faithful companion Mr Bean 2.0 (Alex Chivers).