Belgrade public transport: tickets, passes and apps

For a normal visit, the best ticket in Belgrade is no ticket. Since January 2025 rides on city buses, trams and trolleybuses have been free, so you board, ride and get off without paying or tapping anything. This applies to locals and visitors alike.

That changes the maths for almost every trip. A day of hopping between Knez Mihailova, the Kalemegdan fortress, Slavija and the museums costs nothing in transport, so you can use trams as sightseeing and walk less. A family of four moving around all day pays zero.

Two cautions. First, confirm the policy is still in force before you travel, because free transport is a political decision that can be reversed; treat it as check. Second, free does not mean unlimited: intercity buses and trains, taxis and app rides are all paid, and the airport is a separate question (see below).

Today there is nothing to pay on city vehicles, so no card, app or cash is needed to board. Whether drivers sell tickets or conductors work the route is not confirmed — check on board.

If fares return, payment has run through a reloadable card or app system, with single rides and passes loaded onto it, and some operators have accepted payment by SMS to a short code. Whether contactless bank cards and phones work at the door is not confirmed, so do not assume you can tap a Visa or Apple Pay on a Belgrade vehicle — check.

Keep small dinars for the cases that are always paid: taxis, the airport shuttle if it charges, and intercity buses, where you also pay a station fee and sometimes a bag fee.

Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport (BEG) is the main gateway, west of the centre. The cheapest way in is a city bus or shuttle toward the centre and the main bus and train stations. Which route numbers run, whether they count as free city rides or charge a separate fare, and how long they take are all worth checking on arrival, since airport services are sometimes excluded.

The simplest way in is a taxi from the official voucher desk in the arrivals hall, where you pay a fixed zone fare of roughly 2,000–3,000 RSD (about $20–28) — check — and get a voucher for a licensed driver. Skip anyone approaching you inside the terminal offering a ride; unofficial airport taxis are the classic Belgrade trap. App rides work too and often cost less, if you are willing to meet the car outside.

Allow roughly 30–45 minutes to the centre by road — check — and more in the morning and evening peaks. If you are staying near the airport for an early flight, see hotels near Belgrade airport.

Use a live map. Routes and stops shift with roadworks and bridge closures, and Belgrade has had long-running works on its main arteries, so a paper map goes stale. Google Maps and the local Moj BG app both show real-time positions — check the app is still current.

Ride the trams for free sightseeing. With no fare, a loop on a tram through the older streets is a cheap way to see the city and rest your feet. Trolleybuses cover some hills that buses do not.

Validate nothing, but keep proof of identity. While rides are free there is no ticket to validate, but inspectors can still board; carrying your passport or ID copy is sensible anywhere in Serbia.

Plan the paid legs separately. The fast Soko train to Novi Sad leaves from Beograd Centar and is the best way north; buy ahead on Friday and Sunday evenings. For trips outside the rail corridor, intercity buses are the default, and Belgrade's intercity bus station moved to New Belgrade in 2024 — check which station your bus uses.

If you would rather not deal with any of it, a car gives you the mountains and monasteries; see car rental Belgrade. For a short visit, one day in Belgrade and a weekend in Belgrade are both easy on foot plus free trams.