Getting around Belgrade: public transport, passes and taxis

Belgrade is a city of about 1.4 million people spread across two rivers, and the practical choice is simple: walk the old centre, ride the city network for anything further, and take a taxi or app when you are tired, loaded with bags or out after midnight.

The table below compares the main ways to move around, with 2026 estimates. Fares and rules change; confirm locally before you rely on them.

Belgrade's city network is run by city operators and covers the centre, Novi Beograd, Zemun and the outer neighbourhoods. Buses, trams and trolleybuses together cover the city, though which lines serve which area is worth checking on a live map before you set out.

Since January 2025, rides on the city network have been free — no ticket, no validation, no pass. This is the fact that changes everything about getting around Belgrade, so check it still applies when you travel; policies can be reversed. If fares return, you would buy at kiosks or by phone rather than from the driver — check.

The catch is reliability, not cost. Roadworks and bridge maintenance regularly reroute lines, and timetables are loose at peak hours. Use a live map — Google Maps or the local Moj BG app — and treat the posted schedule as a guide, not a promise.

Taxis are cheap by Western European standards and useful for late nights, when the river clubs empty out, and for trips with luggage. At the airport, use the official taxi desk or an app rather than accepting an offer from someone approaching you inside the terminal.

Ride-hailing apps work in Belgrade and are the easiest option if you do not speak Serbian: you see the price, the plate and the route — check coverage where you are staying. Coverage is generally good across the centre and New Belgrade, thinner in outer suburbs late at night — check.

If you take a street taxi, check that the meter is running and that the car has plates and a visible licence — check. Round up rather than tipping a percentage.

The historic core is compact and best seen on foot. Knez Mihailova, the pedestrian spine, runs from Republic Square to Kalemegdan in about 15 minutes — check; Skadarlija, Dorćol and the riverside Savamala district are each within another 10–20 minutes — check. The terrain is mostly flat near the rivers, with a steep climb up to Kalemegdan and some hills in the older neighbourhoods.

In warm months, the Sava and Danube banks have long riverside paths used by cyclists, runners and e-scooters — check. App-based bikes and scooters are available in the centre; pricing is per minute and changes often, so check in the app. Cycling in traffic is for confident riders only — bike lanes are patchy outside the riverside — check.

The headline is that city transport has been free since January 2025, which makes Belgrade one of the cheapest capitals in Europe to move around — if the policy holds. Everything else is modest by regional standards.

Plan around the bridges. The old town and New Belgrade sit on opposite banks, and crossing at peak hours can double a short journey — check. If your hotel is in the centre, most sights are walkable and you will rarely need the network.

Keep small change for toilets and kiosks, and download an offline map in case your data is slow. If you are relying on your phone for maps and apps, sort out data before you land — see our eSIM guide.

For anything beyond the city — Novi Sad, Niš, the western mountains — the intercity picture is different and covered on the Serbia getting-around page.