2025-09-19 –, Tesla
In 2025 it’s difficult to travel through the countries of former Yugoslavia by taking public transport. Borders, inadequate infrastructure and lack of access to (correct) information all present serious obstacles to moving around this region without a car. Traveling by bus is slow, but somewhat viable. The situation is even more difficult if you want to take some of the few train lines still active in this part of the world. In this talk we’ll cover some of the tactics and lessons learned if you want to travel through the Balkans by train despite these difficulties.
This talk will be structured in 3 parts:
Personal and historical context
Description of my recent Balkan train travels with a focus on cross-border travel and hacks
Summary and lesson learned with recommendations for would-be travelers
Personal and historical context
I’ll start with the story about the train line between Zagreb and Belgrade and its importance for me in the late 2000s, when it enabled me to meet friends in Serbia for the first time. I’ll then zoom out a bit and give an overview of transport infrastructure in the former Yugoslav region, how it developed until the 1990s and where it is now, with a focus on connections that used to exist but are no longer possible now. I’ll then dive into my project of attempting to ride trains in this region in 2025, figuring out ways to make connections over disconnected lines and across different borders. I’ll go over the 2 goals for this project:
- (re)discovering my home region by slowing down and taking the (rail)roads less travelled
- collecting correct information about the situation on the ground in 2025
Description of my recent Balkan train travels with a focus on cross-border travel and hacks
I’ll cover the basic obstacles to Balkan rail travel, starting with an overview of currently active rail lines and the few cross-border connections. We’ll then dive into examples, starting with the possible but inadequate lines between Croatia and Slovenia, through the difficulty of travel towards and within Bosnia and Herzegovina and finally I’ll talk about my attempt to travel to Bar in Montengro from Croatia via Belgrade. I’ll go over what it is like to figure out timetables and online ticketing (when possible), using bikes, buses and taxis to help with connection gaps, and the overall experience of trying to travel in this particular way despite all the odds.
Conclusion and lesson learned with recommendations for would-be travelers
I’ll cover some lessons learned and recommendations, but since this project is still ongoing the specific details may still change. Ultimately, I will connect this practical experience with the goals stated at the start of the talk and the importance of physical connections across borders. I will note a few useful resources and initiatives that those interested in European and Balkan cross border rail can access and support.
Vlado is a technologist with an interest in the history of computing and networks, with a focus on non-Western countries before the end of the Cold War. He posts about his research on his blog, Bluesky and Mastodon.
https://blog.vladovince.com
https://bsky.app/profile/mmjs86.bsky.social
https://mastodon.vladovince.com/@mejs