The recent war in Sarajevo had damaged much of the transportation infrastructure. But efforts are being made to bring it to the service level of the time prior to the war. Some roads and lines have opened on a priority basis, but the speed and the frequency of trains has still got a little way to go.
Surprisingly, there is no direct public transportation to the airport in Sarajevo, and the only way to commute to and fro from the airport is by taxi services.
Getting to SarajevoBy PlaneTo fly into Sarajevo, you need to arrive at the Sarajevo International Airport (IATA: SJJ) which is located just a few kilometres outside the city in the suburb of Butmir. It is also quite close to the city centre. This airport was previously used by the United Nations for its flights and humanitarian relief work. After the Dayton Peace Accord, an agreement between leaders of the Bosniak (Bosnian Muslims), Serb, and Croat ethnic groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina to officially end the three-year civil war in the country, the airport was put into use to facilitate commercial flights.
Being the only mode of transportation to and from the airport, taxi charges can be high, even for relatively short distances. A cheaper way to commute would be to take a taxi from the airport to the tram terminus at Ilidza and take a tram to the city; this should cost around 1.6KM. Alternatively, you can go to the bus stop located just outside the airport parking lot and take a bus to Neđarići (Route 36). At Neđarići you can take a tram to the city centre, which should cost you around 1.8 km. The frequency of bus route 36 is once every 30 minutes.
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By Train
Train services across the country are gradually improving although speeds and frequencies are still lacking. This is largely due to the damage of the rail infrastructure during the recent conflict. Lines are now opening on a priority basis, though they have not yet reached the quality of service which used to exist.
- Connecting Hungary & Sarajevo
Hungary is connected to Sarajevo by a day train which leaves Budapest Keleti pályaudvar station daily in the mornin and arrives at Sarajevo in the evening. A one way ticket costs 52 Euro, but the return is cheaper. The train is equipped with a dining car. During the journey you will be asked to present your passport and ticket around four times, and at least once by EU customs personnel.
The return train to Keleti pályaudvar station departs every morning via Osijek, in Croatia, and the journey costs 96 KM. This train reaches Budapest at night.
- Connecting Croatia & Sarajevo
There are two trains every day which connect Sarajevo with Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. One leaves Zagreb in the morning, reaching Sarajevo in the evening, and continues further to Ploče, a seaport in Croatia. The return train leaves Ploče early the next morning. From Sarajevo it departs in the morning and reaches Zagreb in the evening via Zenica, Doboj and Banja Luka. The train fare should cost you around 24EUR/170KN. This train does not have any dining car, and though there are vendors with food trolleys who board the train at various stations, it is strongly recommended that you carry some food with you.
The second train is a recently introduced overnight service between Zagreb and Sarajevo and costs the same as the first train. Although this is an overnight service, it does not have a sleeper car. Moreover, the border crossing happens in the middle of the night, further disturbing your sleep.
- Connecting Sarajevo with Ploče & Mostar
Another train route starts from Ploče in Croatia, going to Sarajevo via Mostar, a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This rail route is one of the most picturesque and scenic rail routes in Europe. It takes you through many mountains, lakes, tunnels and switchbacks.
A single ticket from Sarajevo to Mostar will cost you 9.90KM, while a return ticket will cost you 14.10 KM. There are additional trains which operate everyday from Sarajevo to the town of Konjic, which is halfway between Sarajevo and Mostar. If you have an ISIC student card then you can avail of a 30% discount.
By Car
The mountainous topography of Bosnia allows only single lane roads from either direction. Due to the windy conditions in the mountains, the speed limit is restricted to 80 kilometres per hour. You need to take precautions against trucks and also other vehicles which tend to overtake dangerously on the roads. As there are many tunnels enroute, it is mandatory to drive with your car lights on at all times.
By Bus
There are two bus stations in Sarajevo. The ‘Autobusna stanica' is the main bus station which connects Sarajevo to Croatia and other international destinations. It also connects Sarajevo to other cities within the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The other bus station called 'Lukavica' or 'Istochno Sarajevo' is located in the outskirts of the city in the eastern Serb-dominated part of Sarajevo. This serves the Republika Srpska and other destinations in Serbia and Montenegro. To reach this bus station, it is best to hire a taxi. If you want to use public transport, you can take either a bus or a trolley bus (numbers 103 and 107) and exit at the last station. From there you can ask for directions and walk to the Lukavica bus station. Lukavica is also the name of the district so make sure that you specify that you are looking for the bus station. Road signs here are in the Cyrillic script so do take caution to note the spelling of your destination.
There are many buses from Autobusna stanica bus station which take you to Mostar. The journey which takes about two and a half hours also makes stops at Konjic and Jablanica. A single ticket will cost you 13.50 KM while a return ticket costs 19 KM. To reach Dubrovnik, you have to catch the 7 am bus, which costs 40 KM. There are buses from Sarajevo to the town of Split every 6 hours. Corridor 5C, which is part of the trans-European highway, runs across Sarajevo, connecting Budapest in the north and Ploče in the south.
Buses also link most towns and cities within Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Centotrans bus company is a major Bosnian bus company connecting most parts of Bosnia as well as Croatia and some European countries. On all these buses there is a fee you need to pay for the luggage you carry, which is about 0.5 to 1 Euro per piece. Do carry the exact change and pay the driver to avoid any hassles.
Getting Around Sarajevo
The central part of Sarajevo is served by a network of trams which make an anti-clockwise loop around the central district. This network opened way back in 1870 and was the first of its kind in the Austria-Hungarian Empire. The electric tramways have been in operation since 1885 and are the oldest form of public transportation in Sarajevo.
There are a number of trolley buses and bus lines which branch out into the suburbs. Tickets have to be purchased in advance in kiosks called ‘tisak'. These are found on the streets of Sarajevo. Make sure you get the right ticket. This also needs to be validated once you board the vehicle. One ticket is valid for only one journey. If you need to change buses or trams, this will mean you need another ticket. Ticket inspectors are very vigilant and hence you need to be very careful. A day card is also available, which allows unlimited travel on all public means of transport in zone A.
Street signs are few in Sarajevo and it makes good sense to carry a map of the city. The numbering of buildings and streets can also take you by surprise. For instance, 32 Bjestiva Street may be quite a few blocks from 37 Bjestiva Street. The people of Sarajevo are also not known to be good at giving directions. Quite often, people do not know the names of the street or building they have been living in for years! However, instead of getting a ‘no' for an answer, you may be given a direction which will be far from being accurate. Even taxi drivers may not be of much help. So it makes immense sense to get a map of Sarajevo even before you get there. Alternatively, book stores at Sarajevo also have maps for sale. The best way to get around in Sarajevo is to reach a popular landmark and explore on foot from there, or navigate using the river which runs East to West.
As Sarajevo is located between mountains, there is little scope for it to expand, and this makes it a very compact city. City streets are generally narrow and there is limited parking area, which restricts automobile traffic. However, the mobility of pedestrian and cyclists is not restricted. There are two main streets in the city, namely, Titova Street (Street of Marshal Tito) and the east-west Zmaj od Bosne (Dragon of Bosnia) highway.
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