During this trip, I very often had no idea how to get from one place to another. Information on the internet was not always reliable and often even non-existent. Since I now have some knowledge, I thought it would be good to share my experiences. This post is mainly meant for those who stumble upon it using Google. Please let me know if you have found this post and find it useful! Updates are of course welcome as well, though I do not plan to turn this website into a travel guide.
Berlin – Bratislava, Bratislava – Bled and Bled – Bar were trips I did do using db.de, and so can you.
From Bar to Berat
At 8:50 I took the bus from Bar to Ulcinj. There was supposed to be a bus at 7:30 as well, but it never showed. To Ulcinj it was not long, maybe only half an hour to get there. A ticket was 2,50 euro.
Arriving in Ulcinj, I learned there was a bus heading for Skhoder ar 12.30. I decided it would be too late for me to take, as I wanted to make it all the way to Berat that same day. So I took a taxi, which costed 30 euro. The ride was a bit longer then an hour and the driver dropped me at the busstation where minibusses left for Tirana.
From Skhoder to Tirana frequent minibusses (or furgon, they call them in Albania) leave. It costed 5 euro and took a couple of hours. Problem in Tirana is to find the place where the furgons to Berat leave. You could do it on your own for example by taxi, but since I am a very kind looking girl and can look very helpless, my driver brought me to the place they left. The furgon to Berat again took a couple of hours and costed 5 euro if I remember correctly. Paying in euro’s was no problem at all. These furgon also left quite frequent. I was in Berat at around 16.30.
From Berat to Bitola
In Bitola very early busses leave for Korca, at 4.30 en 5.00 in the morning. It cost 600 LEK and will drop you of near the border. I was told that usually the driver brings you all the way to the border, but I had to walk for almost 3 kilometers uphill. There was also a taxi waiting though, he offered me to bring me there for 2 euro. At that time I did not know it was walking this far, so I refused. The walk was very nice though, half way you have a fabulous view over the Ohrid lake. If you want to leave later, it is also possible to first catch a furgon to Elbasan and from there a furgon to Korca. Especially the last bit is quite a scenic ride by the way. You know you are approaching the border when you start driving up a mountain again and make a lot of turns to go up the hill.
In Macedonia there were taxis waiting at the border. One took me to Ohrid for 10 euro and 500 LEK, which was, I learned later, a bit too much. Others paid less than 10 euro. In Ohrid at 10.00 a bus left to Bitola, arriving there at 11.30 and costing 200 denari.
From Bitola to Belogradchik
In Bitola a bus to Sofia leaves at 5.00 in the morning. In Skopje you have to change busses, but these wait for each other and you can buy a ticket for the whole bit in Bitola. I paid 800 denari.
I arrived in Sofia at around 14.00 local time (there’s a time difference of +1 hour with Macedonia!) The bus for Belogradchik was 15 Leva and left at 16.30. It arrived around 20.15.
From Belogradchik to Belgrade
First I took a bus to Vidin, which was 5 Leva. I took the one from 9.00, but there was also busses leaving at 7.30 and 8.00. The trip to Vidin was about an hour.
In Vidin I had the bus to Bregovo, 3 Leva leaving at 11.50. The driver brought me to the border, I don’t think this is the usual stop though. I had to walk across the border. Still in Bulgaria, a taxi to Negotin was offered for 10 euro, but I declined. On the other side, I had to hitchhike to Negotin. I rode with someone who had to wait for a bit before his papers were ready. We stand there for half an hour and including crossing the border, I could observe the crossing for about one hour. In this time not one car drove by in the direction of Serbia.
Because of the time difference, I won one hour again, which made me on time for the 13.30 bus to Belgrade. As far as I understand there is only one bus per day. I paid 830 Serbian dinari. The ride was quite scenic by the way, I enjoyed it especially until Nis.
That’s it! Again, if you have anything to contribute, or used the information, please leave a comment! I wonder if I am able to help someone with this info. Have a safe travel!
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