My experience of the Belgrade to Bar train journey

When I mentioned to my Montenegrin property agent that we were planning to travel by train from Belgrade to Bar, she suggested we fly instead.  However, I was undeterred and I’m glad to say the  train journey didn’t disappoint one bit.  It was every bit the adventure that I had been craving after the confines of school and work schedules at home.  And yes, the scenery really was truly spectacular. 

We took the overnight train from the historic main Belgrade railway station.  (This fine station has since closed, so trains now go from Topcider station to the south of the city centre).   The train on first sight with its graffiti-covered sleeper car was slightly disconcerting I have to be honest, and it did cross my mind whether my property agent had in fact been right to advise me to fly.  But fortunately, I am married to an extremely level-headed and calm man, who reassured me all would be fine.  And I’m pleased he did, because it turned out to be one of my most memorable travel experiences.

Buying tickets for the Belgrade to Bar train journey

I bought our tickets in advance from the UK through the very helpful Mr Popovic at Belgrade Station.  I found this recommendation through The Man in Seat 61, which is an amazing resource for train travel across the world.  I have used this website to plan all our train journeys over the years.  The transaction was done online by email before I left the UK and I collected the tickets at Belgrade station on the day of travel.  All very efficient.

Tickets for the 3 of us (2 adults and a child) cost €48, plus €45 for a 3-berth compartment.  (You will get 2 separate tickets).  So, our compartment with 3 bunks and a little washbasin cost just €93 in total.  For an 11-hour journey. With a croissant and a bottle of water each as well! What a bargain.

By the way, if you are not travelling in a group of 3, you can just pay for an individual bunk or bed.  It’s €6 for a couchette, €15 for a bed in a 3-bed sleeper or €20 for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper (on top of the usual ticket price).  Or you can pay for all the beds in a sleeper compartment and have it all to yourself (as we did).  Toilets are shared at the end of the corridor (there are no sleeper compartments with private toilets).  So, not the Ritz exactly, but I’ve experienced worse.

There are 2 trains a day along the Belgrade to Bar train ride via the Montenegrin capital, Podgorica.  The daytime “Tara” train leaves at 9am and arrives in Bar at just before 8pm.  The overnight “Lovcen” train leaves just after 9pm and arrives at 8am the following day. The Montenegrin railways website gives up to date train times (with an English translation).

From Serbia into the Montenegro mountains

The first half of our journey was at night, when we wound our way down through Serbia towards the Montenegrin border.  From what I could make out in the moonlight, rural southern Serbia looked surprisingly green and lovely, something I wasn’t expecting at all.

When we took our trip, part of the line was under repair, so we actually had to connect by bus for a short stretch half way through the night, to board another onward bound train.  However, despite having to pack and vacate our sleeper at 2am (fortunately the guards woke everyone up!) it was actually quite an interesting experience in the end, crossing the Serbian – Montenegrin border and handing our passports over to grunting border police (who then disconcertingly disappeared with them for quite some time).

However, the real jewel in the crown on this route comes when you enter Montenegro.  I actually woke up in the early hours at daylight and looked out of the window to see the most stunning mountain scene outside.  The train was snaking its way up high up above the road below, surrounded by dramatic mountains.  Truly stunning.  I was so entranced by the scenery it was at least 5 minutes before it dawned on me how high up we actually were and my slight fear of heights made me shuffle back from the glass a little!  Totally worth it though.

Here’s what I saw when I woke up.

The final stretch of the Belgrade to Bar train journey

The train crossed the breath-taking Mala Riejka viaduct, which was the highest railway bridge until 2001, and made its way slowly down until gradually the landscape began to level out.  After a short stop in Podgorica the capital, it passed by the lovely Skadar lake and ended up with a short stretch along the coast to Bar.

Catching first glimpse of the beautiful blue Adriatic Sea was also something I had been looking forward to and it was as good as hoped for.  Bar was also a lovely place to stay for a few days with its friendly, almost nostalgic, seaside vibe, before we picked up a hire car and drove to Kotor for the remainder of our holiday.

I love long train journeys abroad.  You see a different side of life on trains – a snapshot of regular life.  You get a different perspective on the landscape, as it whizzes past outside the window.   But the Belgrade to Bar train journey goes one step further.  It offers the most amazing mountain scenery I’ve ever seen.

And to think I would have missed all this had I taken the plane.