If you are not staying at a hotel (i.e. a private residence), you must register with the local police within 24 hours of arrival. Failure to register may result in a fine or possible removal.
By plane
Sarajevo Airport (IATA: SJJ) is located 6.1km southwest of the railway station, in the suburb of Butmir.
The following airlines operate service to/from Sarajevo Airport:
- National Carrier B&H Airlines has the largest network (Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Gothenburg-Landvetter, Istanbul-Atatürk, Zürich),
- Adria Airways (Ljubljana),
- Austrian Airlines (Vienna),
- Croatia Airlines (Zagreb),
- Germanwings (Cologne/Bonn, Stuttgart),
- Air Serbia (Belgrade),
- Lufthansa (Munich),
- Norwegian (Oslo-Rygge, Stockholm-Arlanda seasonal),
- Pegasus (Istanbul-Sabiha Gocken, only certain days of the week),
- Turkish Airlines (Istanbul-Atatürk).
To travel between the airport and the city center:
- Bus #200E, costing 2.5KM, provides a direct link to the city center. The bus leaves the airport at 05.30, 11.30, 12.30,13.30, 14.30,15.30, 16.30, 21.30 and 22.30.
- Bus #36 is an option if Bus #200E does not suit your schedule. This bus runs between the airport and Nedžarići (1.6 KM), where connections can be made to trams to the city center. Bus #36 operates every 30 minutes 06:00-23:00 Mon-Fri, 06:00-08:00 and 14:00-18:00 Sat and 08:00-15:00 Sun.
- Trolley Bus #103 is another option if you fancy a walk to the neighborhood of Dobrinja. The last stop of the bus is at Trg Austrije, which is on the opposite side of the river. Cross the river on foot to reach the city centre.
- Taxi fares to/from the airport are surprisingly expensive for the short distance. The company Red Taxi<phone=”+387 33 760600″> is recommended as they charge what is listed on the meter, which you can call them on arrival and meet them in the parking lot. The dispatchers usually speak English.
By train
From Zagreb
The only international train to Bosnia operates from Croatia. The journey is quite picturesque, and the journey time is comparable to the bus.
There is one daily train between Sarajevo and Zagreb, in each direction. Tickets cost 22 KM one way, 26 KM return. Trains are not air-conditioned, and the toilets aren’t great, but otherwise the train is comfortable. Journey times are about 9 hours, but subject to lengthy delays for passport control on both sides of the border with Croatia. A train leaves Zagreb daily at 08:53, arriving in Sarajevo at 18:05. This train continues onto Ploče, arriving there at 22:25.
The return train to Zagreb, via Zenica, Doboj and Banja Luka, departs Sarajevo at 10:46. The train does NOT have a dining car on board, or any other food provision. Be advised to bring supplies beforehand.
From Ploče via Mostar
There is another train route from Ploče in Croatia to Sarajevo via Mostar. One of the most beautiful and scenic rail routes in Europe, traveling through lakes and mountains with many tunnels and switchbacks.
To Sarajevo:
- Depart Ploče at 06:00, Mostar at 07:58, arriving in Sarajevo at 10:15
- Depart Ploče at 17:00, Mostar at 18:38, arriving in Sarajevo at 20:59
From Sarajevo:
- Depart Sarajevo at 07:05, Mostar at 09:24, arriving in Ploče at 11:00
- Depart Sarajevo at 18:18, Mostar at 20:41, arriving in Ploče at 22:15
Single tickets from Sarajevo to Mostar cost 9.90 KM and returns tickets cost 14.10 KM. Additional trains operate each day to the town of Konjic (about half way between the two cities). Holders of an ISIC student card can get a 30% discount.
See Croatian Railways for more information.
By car
Roads in Bosnia are often only a single lane in either direction, and due to the mountainous topography tend to be very windy and speed limits are lower (mostly 80 kmh). Beware of trucks and people dangerously overtaking on any road. There are many tunnels, and you must always drive with your lights ON (day or night). However, in recent years significant modernization has taken place.
By private car or minibus
GEA Tours (Sarajevo and Kneza Milosa 65, Belgrade), ☎ +381 11 2686, +381 635 2686, +381 622 2643, +381 840, +381 268 5043 (gea@eunet.rs), [1]. Connections by mini-van or private cars between Sarajevo and Belgrade. It is essential to contact them by phone or email prior to departure. Don’t be surprised for them to arrive several hours late. Also, they do not speak English and the lady who answers the phone is deaf, so best to have a local with a loud voice call for you. A single journey between Sarajevo and Belgrade costs €30 and it takes about 5 hours and a half to 6 hours..
By bus
There are two bus stations in Sarajevo.
On all intercity buses you pay a fee for luggage. This fee of €1 per piece of luggage is paid to the driver upon boarding. Some drivers are rather picky about being paid in exact change in the correct currency (sometimes a local currency, at other instances requesting to be paid in Euros) and sometimes also refuse to be paid in too small coins. So keep some change ready.
Autobuska stanica (main bus station)
This station is located at GPS coordinate 43.858858, 18.396943, right next to the train station, at the end of number 1 tram line that takes you to the old town (1.60 KM).
This bus station serves both domestic and international destinations. It is advisable to buy international tickets in advance since these routes fill up quickly. International tickets can be bought online, at the station, or from the Eurolines office near the cathedral between the old bazaar. Information on bus routes can also be obtained from the tourist information offices.
- There are several buses a day to/from Mostar which also stop at Konjic and Jablanica along the way. These leave at 06:00, 07:00, 07:35, 08:00, 08:15, 09:00, 09:30, 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 14:30, 15:30 and up to 18:00, and journey time is approximately two and a half hours. Single tickets cost 13.50KM, return tickets are 19KM. There are also buses to Split (7-8 hours) and a daily bus to Dubrovnik which leaves at 07:00 and costs 40-160KN.
- There are several buses a day from the main bus station to Banja Luka. These leave at 05:00, 07:55, 09:15, 14:30, 15:30 and 16:30. Journey time is approximately 5 hours.
- There is a daily bus to Graz and Vienna, leaving from the main bus station at 08:00, reaching Graz at 19:45 and Vienna around 2 hours later. A one-way ticket costs €44. You will have to pay the driver 2 KM to transport luggage. There are frequent stops on the way, including for food and toilets. Do not rely on these “food stops” as they are basically just shops to buy coffee and you will need local currency to buy anything.
- Eurobusways operates direct service between Sarajevo and Budapest.
- Buses to Tuzla leave from the main bus station approximately every hour every day. The journey takes approximately 3 hours, and costs around 11 KM.
- There is one bus per day from the main station to Belgrade, at 06:00, costing 40KM.
Autobuska stanica Istočno Sarajevo (‘Lukavica’)
There is also another bus station in Eastern Sarajevo on the outskirts of the city. Its GPS location is (43.823681, 18.356529).
Note that the Lukavica ‘Eastern’ station is actually to the West of the ‘main’ bus station, and is basically to the west of most of Sarajevo’s suburbs.
- The bus ride from Lukavica bus station to Podgorica (35KM) in and Budva (40KM) Montenegro takes 7 hours (35KM) but is an absolutely amazing ride through some wonderful countryside on the route Lukavica-Trnovo-Rataj-Foca-Brod-Hum-Goransko-Niksic-Danilovgrad-Podgorica (sit on the right side of the bus for the best views). Buses leave at 08:15, 09:00, 14:00 and 22:30. Payment in Euro is accepted.
- Bus departure times for Lukavica – Belgrade are: 08:00, 09:45, 12:30, 15:00 and 22:00 daily. One way ticket cost 40KM.
