Serbia
FIP Information
In Serbia, trains of the state railway Srbija Voz can be used with FIP Tickets. It is virtually the only railway transport company in the country and therefore operates the majority of rail passenger traffic. With the exception of the reservation requirement on certain train categories or connections, the use of FIP is relatively straightforward.
Kosovo is claimed by Serbia as part of the country, but only trains operated by Trainkos run there, for which FIP has no validity. Kosovo therefore cannot be travelled with FIP discounts.
SV Website
All trains are listed on the SV website.
DB Website
You can search for trains using the journey planner. In the More Information section for each train, the operator is specified. For cross-border connections, multiple operators are often involved.
(The operator information is correct in almost all cases. Outside Germany, operator details may be incorrect if train numbers are used more than once.)
vagonWeb
On the vagonWeb website, you can search for individual train numbers. However, it is not possible to search for connections. If several trains with the same train number exist, you must select the correct route of the train. Afterwards, the Carrier is displayed. For cross-border connections, multiple operators are shown.
Interesting
Serbia has a comparatively extensive rail network of around 3,700 km.
City names and stations are written in Serbian in the timetables and at the stations. Since the Cyrillic alphabet is used, this can pose challenges for orientation. It is advisable to familiarise yourself with the Cyrillic names before travelling or to use a translation app.
The trains in Serbia are mostly older and less modern, away from the main routes. On the Belgrade–Subotica line, on the other hand, modern multiple units operate at regular intervals in Inter City traffic. There are also increasing efforts to modernise and improve the infrastructure. Several new lines are planned. The high-speed line between Belgrade and Budapest is quasi-complete, but not yet in through passenger service. Some new vehicles from Stadler Rail, CRRC and CAF have also been ordered. The punctuality of services varies and only a few trains run per day on many routes.
Arrival and Border Points
Hungary
Coming from Budapest, it is possible to reach Belgrade with two changes (Szeged and Subotica). The cross-border section from Szeged in Hungary to Subotica in Serbia is operated as regional traffic. The services are operated by Hungarian Railways MÁV and by SV in Serbia. For cross-border journeys, a through FIP discounted ticket or FIP Coupons of both railway companies is required. In the future, through trains, partly even coming from Vienna, are to run on the high-speed line between Budapest and Belgrade.
Romania
There are currently no passenger trains between Serbia and Romania.
Bulgaria
At present, only the private Optima Express crosses the border between Serbia and Bulgaria once a week. Boarding and alighting is not possible in either Bulgaria or Serbia.
North Macedonia
There are currently no passenger trains between Serbia and North Macedonia.
Kosovo
There are currently no passenger trains between Serbia and Kosovo.
Note: Kosovo is not recognised by Serbia as an independent state, but only trains operated by Trainkos (not an FIP member) run there and there are no cross-border trains. This is therefore of no relevance in the context of FIP.
Montenegro
From Montenegro, the cross-border connection via Bijelo Polje can be used. A night train runs here daily as well as seasonal daytime trains, which are operated by Montenegrin ŽPCG and Serbian SV.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Štrpci station is currently the only station in Bosnia and Herzegovina with a cross-border connection to Serbia. The station in the far east of the country is part of the internal Serbian line from Belgrade to Prijepolje Teretna (partly onwards to Montenegro) and only briefly crosses Bosnian territory. Border controls are usually waived here. An FIP Coupon or FIP discounted ticket from SV is sufficient here, as the operator does not change for the short cross-border section.
Croatia
There are currently no passenger trains between Serbia and Croatia.
