Belgrade to Bar by Night Train: An Honest Review

I hadn't written anything in a while, but the topics have been piling up. Today: the trip from Belgrade to the coastal town of Bar in Montenegro on the night train. It's one of the most scenic railways in Europe and, at the same time, a budget way to reach the sea.

Buying tickets

Tickets are sold at Belgrade's central station, across the Gazela bridge, in the old part of the city. Back then you couldn't buy online, so you had to go to the station in advance anyway — which is actually a plus: you get to see how best to get there and how not to get lost inside the station later on.

In 2023 the station was still being finished; tickets were sold one floor down (−1), and the trains leave from there too. The price was around 3,000 dinars per person one way for a seat (also as of 2023). We didn't buy a return ticket — we didn't know the exact date back — and bought it later in Montenegro. They take cash and cards (not Russian ones). The clerks manage some English and buying is easy. No passport needed, and the tickets aren't personalized.

The train and departure

From the outside the train is a bit of a horror: an old electric train, maybe fifty years old, covered in graffiti. But inside, honestly, it's better than it looks. It arrives and leaves right on time; we left around 8 p.m.

The carriages are all different, none like the next — as if assembled from whatever was on hand. Heading toward Bar we got a carriage with small compartments: six seats and a door you can close off from the corridor. Inside it was clean, the seats were wide, and for a seated option it was quite comfortable. There are power sockets, and the seat folds out almost to the middle of the aisle — take two seats facing each other and, in theory, you can lie down full length.

The night on board

At first everything was calm: a couple with a child and one other person were riding with us. Then it got more interesting. It's a night train with few stops, but in the neighbouring compartments there were young people blasting music, shouting and generally behaving... not great. Summer, a trip to the sea — the mood is understandable. There's no control in the carriages, nobody keeping order. The party went on until 2–3 a.m.

Smokers went out into the shared corridor and smoked there the whole way, so we had to keep the compartment door closed (I don't smoke and don't like the smell of tobacco). The most unpleasant part: one compartment had some seriously drunk men who, in the middle of the night, went off looking for someone. When a door opens while you're half asleep and a drunk man asks you something, it gets very uncomfortable.

I'll be straight: we were lucky that neither the screaming kids nor the drunk crowds ended up in our compartment — otherwise it could have ruined the start of the holiday. So weigh it up yourself: you might get no such neighbours at all, or you might get the opposite. Just be ready that you may not get much sleep that night.

At the intermediate stations people kept getting on, and at some point the seats ran out. Those with tickets but no reservation crowded the corridor, sat on their bags and suitcases and rode like that, half-sitting, for another nine hours through the night. It's not really clear why they sell tickets without a reservation at all.

The borders

We reached the Serbian border on schedule and stood for about 40 minutes — the Serbian border police were supposed to come in, check documents and stamp passports. But nobody showed up, and the train moved on. Already on Montenegrin territory the border guards came in, asked whether there were any foreigners, stamped those who were, and moved on — quick, no fuss.

The views

The one, but huge, upside: as you enter Montenegro, stunning views open up — sunrise, sun, mountains, pure fairy tale. Lake Skadar is especially beautiful.

Arrival

The first major stop by the sea is Sutomore. About 30% get off already in Podgorica, another half or so in Sutomore, and very few ride all the way to Bar (which makes sense: Sutomore is closer to the popular resorts). In the end the train arrived about two and a half hours late. In Bar there's a bus station right by the railway station: buses to different parts of Montenegro (mostly Budva) and city buses to the centre. There are taxis too, but they charge a fair bit — a bus to your town is much cheaper.

The way back

We bought the return tickets at the station in Montenegro a few days ahead — also seated, with a reservation. It came out a bit more expensive, around €33 per person (as of 2023). Same train, different carriage.

The carriage is like a long intercity bus: two seats on each side. The windows are grimy, you can't make out the scenery on the way back, and they don't open — there seems to be air conditioning, but it barely works, and it was hot. So bring at least 3 litres of water for the road.

And the same rakes again: music from phones, smokers every five minutes by the doors at the end of the carriage. And since the windows are shut, you ride in tobacco smoke for all 12 hours. People drink, make noise, have fun. Again, no control whatsoever. They only settle down at the border check — after that you can sleep. The way back felt worse: you're in one space with the whole circus. Though it seemed to go by faster.

Fun fact: at the back of the train there are carriages where people transport their cars by rail. On the way back the border guards came in both in Montenegro and in Serbia — on the Montenegrin side even with dogs, checking some people's belongings and cigarettes. And the Serbian guard looked at the documents, and when asked to stamp them said "one minute," stepped out of the carriage — and the train immediately pulled away. Why it's done that way I don't know, but it seems deliberate.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Cheap
• Gorgeous views
• No motion sickness
• If you like a party, you'll definitely find company

Cons:

• You might get noisy neighbours
• The air conditioning barely works
• No service and no internet
• Hard for non-smokers
• Takes a couple of hours longer
• Not the best option for a visa run

Other options

There are buses from Belgrade — also a long ride, can make you carsick, the toilet situation is unclear; the price is roughly the same. The most comfortable is the plane, but in season it's noticeably more expensive.

And one more good option — the daytime train to Bar: in summer they run a separate service through the same beautiful places, only by day. Spending the time at the window with the views is far nicer, and you don't have to sleep. Better to buy tickets in advance — they can sell out.

As for the verdict — that's for you to make.