Unlike you, we like the cities though — we get lots of nature here at home (Canada)so we travel for the history, culture, and great food. Lake Bled, Slovenia. You might as well buy your own car for the price they’d charge for that. It rained on the 8th morning of our Balkan camping road trip but it didn’t stop us enjoying an easy boat ride out to the Elaphite Islands of Koločep, Lopud and Šipan. Les 10 pays d’Europe les moins chers pour faire un road trip. With Roman, Austro-Hungarian, and Ottoman influences, it's not hard to see why the Balkans are so stunning, and this is the only guide you'll need. Uvac Canyon, Serbia. 26 octobre 2017 C ‘est l’histoire d’un voyage improvisé et ressourçant. If you’re entering from Montenegro, you will have to visit the lake from Skadar Lake National Park. Sibiu is one of those destinations which will be liked by both history or nature lovers. A Balkan road trip is a perfect thing to do year-round. If you need a break from history or busy beaches, you can head to the Marjan Nature Park. Stop in the Easter-egg painted town of Ciocanasti in Maramures, Romania. If you like to hike, there are several amazing hiking trails in Durmitor National Park. ... Next part of the Balkan road trip guide is coming soon. We have done this trip on our camper van as well as a rented car. Lake Ohrid, Macedonia – Travel to the Balkans – CC0 via Pixabay. I go thro, I’m no longer there but my heart is still in Goa, Even though we send out very few emails, they are sure to make, best time to visit the Balkans as per the Balkan Campers, 6) Žabljak and Durmitor National Park, Montenegro, visiting and avoiding crowds in Plitvice Lakes, Zabljak, which is inside Durmitor National Park, wooden village in Mokra Gora and is called Drvengrad, https://www.discovercarhire.com/?a_aid=DrifterPlanet. While 1 week may be fine for smaller countries like Kosovo, Slovenia, and Macedonia, you’ll likely find it insufficient for larger countries like Croatia, Romania, and Bulgaria. If you have a little more time on your hands, you can park your car in Split and take a boat to the nearby Hvar Island. Easier said than done, as I’ve been renting cars in the Balkans for the last few years and I’m still a little fuzzy on it, but I’ll do my best to explain it as far as I understand it. She loves befriending dogs, drinking coffee, geeking out about wine, and cooking food from around the world. Simply put, the Balkans are colorful, affordable, offbeat, and the natural scenery is breathtaking. You simply cannot enter Kosovo and then Serbia. Et il y a ceux pour qui voyage doit absolument rimer avec aventure, coins de nature sauvage et heureux imprévus. If you make a purchase through these links, we will earn a little commission at no extra cost to you. It will take you 2 hours to drive here from Sofia. It is on the banks of the River Drina. A 3-Week Itinerary For A Circular Road Trip Through The Western Balkans. Planning the perfect road trip through the Balkans can be a challenging. We love nature, adventure and road trips. and tell me how long it has taken? This area has resort destinations like Mamaia or offbeat hippie villages like Vama Veche. If you want to rent a car in the Balkans for your road trip, you’re going to have to call your rental companies well ahead of time in order to organize cross-border travel. 2 weeks in Slovenia in 2006, 2.5 weeks in Montenegro and Croatia in 2019. After seeing the beauty of Mokra Gora and Tara National Park, Zlatibor is nothing but an extremely busy town. Share Share Tweet Email Comment. The Balkans are not a “one and done” destination (nowhere is, except maybe Andorra); unfortunately, many travelers seem to treat them this way. Apart from the historical buildings, you should spend some time in Sofia’s many parks and vibrant cafes. But don’t miss the hidden gems tucked away in the Balkans. The small price you pay extra per day may add up to quite a bit of fuel savings in the long run! Tailler la route sur quatre roues procure une véritable sensation de liberté, l’occasion unique de lâcher prise et retourner à l’essentiel. Un GPS : si votre van n’est pas déjà équipé de ce fidèle compagnon, le GPS vous sera d’une grande utilité si vous voulez vous repérer facilement et rapidement sur la route. So go head and modify this flexible road trip itinerary through the Balkans to suit your needs. Extra fee. While your typical Euro trip may burn a deep hole in your pocket, you can actually travel the Balkans on a tight budget. Secondly, the old government buildings are super impressive, such as the house of the parliament, the Roman Athenaeum, etc. Hello! Le road trip est un voyage effectué sur une longue distance généralement en van, camping-car, voiture ou en moto.Itinérance. When a bad accident happens in the Balkans, not only do people stop and rubberneck but many people quite literally get out of their cars, start socializing and chatting, and just generally walking around on a freeway. En optant pour la location de van aménagé, tu peux par exemple choisir un van avec cuisine pour un road trip précis, puis choisir un van sans cuisine la fois d’après si l’envie te prend ou suivant ta configuration de voyage. Riding the Nostalgia Express train in Mokra Gora, Serbia. Mis à jour le : 6 juillet 2018 . The river Valbona forms many waterfalls and natural pools, so the resulting landscape is gorgeous. The walled city of Dubrovnik is a UNESCO world Heritage site and cannot be compared to other beach or historical destinations because it is like none other. The best place to begin your Romania road trip is, of course, Bucharest. Be careful when passing trucks in the left lane, as if you don’t do it fast enough you will likely earn the ire of Balkan drivers in expensive cars who disdain your slow-accelerating car and want to show off their “manliness.”. You can start this trip in Zagreb in Croatia or Sarajevo in Bosnia or even Belgrade in Serbia. We really love Bosnia and are always happy to help people plan their trips! I was blown away by the beauty of the places I visited. Here’s a suggested map with trip route map which will give you an idea of the itinerary. Take a road trip and reconnect. Visit Mokra Gora and Tara National Park, nestled in an often-forgotten part of Serbia. We don’t have any personal experience with this, no, sorry! We paid 20 euros for the night for a room for two of us. Jan and I like to visit places that we haven’t explored yet. However after seeing the beauty of this place and how well maintained it is, we think this price totally makes sense. Always ensure your rental car company provides you your Green Card if taking your car abroad and confirm which countries you are able to visit with it. Hello, can you summarize the 3 loops you have done? Albania is certainly not one of the top countries to visit when you think of “campervan holidays in Europe”. :) For information about how we handle your data, please read our privacy policy / Impressum. This little train ride reminded us of Sri Lanka. It’s where you’ll fly into and it’s where most people will spend a few days before heading out to explore the rest of the city. L’équipe de Blacksheep vous a concocté un TOP des 25 trucs / choses qu’il faut obligatoirement mettre dans son sac pour partir en road trip. Old Town in Split, Croatia – travel the Balkans – CC0 via Pixabay. Constanta is a beach destination in Romania, which is by the Black Sea. For your first trip to the Balkans, there’s a good chance you’ll want to come when the weather’s warm. On voudrait savoir si c’est facile de faire du stop la bas? Lake Ohrid and the town Ohrid is a UNESCO world heritage site. Bridge over Danube river in Belgrade, Serbia – CCO via Pixabay. Varna is Bulgaria’s hipster beach destination that’s very easily accessible from Romania’s Constanta. Check out the Horseshoe Bend of Lake Skadar from the Montenegro side, then its beauty on the other side from Rozafa Castle in Shkodra. Just like Serbia’s Tara National Park, even the Valbona Valley National Park borders two other countries – Montenegro and Serbia. There are ways to bypass roads, of course; this is just the main toll roads. Food in the Balkans is generally rather affordable. However, I and all other travelers I’ve spoken to have had no problem having a complete set of Kosovo entry/exit stamps and then entering Serbia at a later date. Even though we have our own camper van, we did most of our road trips in the Balkans with a rental car. Tara River Canyon near Zabljak and Durmitor National Park, Montenegro. Extra fee. In this Balkan road trip blog I will tell you some tips, things to know, where to go, things to do and of course show you the best Balkan itinerary for 3 weeks crossing through all the 8 countries. Finally, make sure you always have a valid travel insurance policy. However, I’m here to deflate you and let you know that Balkan roads are actually shockingly good compared to previous years standards. I’ve rented with them several times because I love that they pick up and deliver (not so relevant for you seeing as you’re flying into the aiport so picking up there isn’t a problem) but I find their rates very reasonable and them to be very honest. We crossed no less than 6 countries and chose to discover 3 of them a bit more. Sofia in Bulgaria – Travel to the Balkans cc0 via Pixabay. Küstendorf). Most people start their Bosnia road trip from Croatia and it makes total sense to start at Una National Park, which is barely 30 kilometers from Croatia’s Plitvice Lakes.Both these countries share a long stretch of border with each other and it is a good idea to combine a Croatia road trip with Bosnia & Herzegovina. Things to see in Montenegro. Certes, comme dirait notre cher Bernado de la Villardière la « mafia albanaise » est une réalité, mais pour le touriste celle-ci n’a aucune incidence sur son séjour. Visegrad is a riverside town in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Another was the walking tours in both Zadar and Zagreb. It’s still one of my favorite trips ever. Get yourself a travel credit card, rent a car and start exploring the Balkans. I will write a detailed post about this but just for now, here are some quick tips that you must keep in mind when you travel the Balkans by driving: Our Rented Car in Montenegro – Travel to the Balkans – Balkans Road Trip itinerary. Elle voyage aussi bien en mode sac à dos qu’en camping-car et partage ses escapades pour aider les … This post brings together 18 tried-and-tested Balkan road trip itineraries to help you plan the perfect 3 -10 day adventure.. Short distances, safe roads and affordable car rentals – the Balkans is a great place for a road trip. As the name suggests, both were more than just rooms but were like little houses. Skopje: Interways – allows you to take cars into Kosovo, 30€ fee for papers. So helpful! Kravice Waterfalls, Bosnia & Herzegovina – Balkans Road Trip itinerary. The serpentine road to and from the Bay of Kotor is not for the faint of heart, but damn, is it beautiful! What’s on your Europe bucket list? Balkan drivers do tend to drive a little fast, but I wouldn’t say they’re particularly aggressive or dangerous. Check out this video for information about … Cheers. Often such places are underrated and you shown here so much insight Thank you for this interesting advice. It is one of the most popular countries in the Balkans peninsula. In additional to this, I have also traveled in the Balkans without San and without a car. While I’m definitely not trying to dissuade you entirely from visiting cities on a Balkans road trip, I’d encourage you to prioritize the off the beaten path places that are best visited by car – nature, smaller villages, interesting Communist-era monuments, and so on – rather than spending all your time driving from city to city, which can be done by bus for a fraction of the price and less headache, albeit less freedom. We’ve booked through various search engines over the years and have settled on Discover Cars as the best car rental search engine, since it searches over 500 trusted rental companies to find the cheapest price for your rental! For example, I visited the Balkan countries in this order: Albania -> Kosovo -> Montenegro -> Bosnia & Herzegovina -> Serbia. Have you ever traveled to the Balkans? Avec deux très jeunes enfants et l’esprit d’aventure plein les bagages, nous te partageons nos coups de cœur de ce beau voyage. That said, planning a Balkan road trip is not as easy as just booking a car and heading out wherever your heart desires. It is the deepest and biggest river canyon in Europe and some say it is the second biggest after the Grand Canyon. For example, Slovenia charges vignettes of approximately 15 euros per week for a normal sized car, which is effectively a tax to use their roads. In fact, they’re so good that often times, Google Maps hasn’t updated their expected route times and you’ll end up at your destination rather early due to improved roads. I think you should be able to purchase insurance at the Albanian border – I know this is the case with Kosovo. Your email address will not be published. You may also arrive hours late due to inexplicably awful traffic jams. 6) As much as we tried, we couldn’t find a single cellular operator with 3G that covered all the countries. Make sure your rented car has a USB charging spot for your phone. On your way from Plitvice to Bosnia, the route goes from Split and is a very obvious stop. Texte par. The entry fee to Kravice Waterfalls is €7.5 per person, which is quite cheap as compared to Croatia’s National Parks – Plitvice and Krka. We are from South Africa and travelled extensively. Y a t il des précautions a prendre? I’d love to explore some of the national parks mentioned. The craziest part is that the Albanian Alps are connected with the Himalayas through the Atlantic Ocean and they form the Alpine-Himalayan Orogenic belt. Les lusitaniens sont accueillants, possèdent un littoral de folie et une cuisine délicieuse. J’ai lu sur des forums que le train était déconseillé . Don’t miss the tiny Dervish monastery of Blagaj, a few miles away from the famous Mostar bridge. Un road trip en Toscane, c’est à peu près le truc le plus cool du monde avec un chèque de 1 million d’euros qu’on vous ferait comme ça, pour rien. We’d recommend you spend less time in them and more in the nature. I am fascinated with the Balkans since I visited a month ago. While I was in Bucharest, I stayed in three different places. One of our favourite places was Stari Bar in Montenegro. We shall make good use of it next year. We have driven most of Africa and also our little car from London to Cape Town. » Le "road trip" en Europe idéal de 26.000 kilomètres » Un algorithme établit le "road-trip" idéal au Canada » Le road trip de deux jeunes femmes aux États-Unis partagé sur Instagram While this isn’t outrageous, keep in mind that a) oil prices are at the lowest they’ve ever been, so they’ll likely increase and b) many cars you’ll rent in the Balkans will not be extremely fuel efficient, so you will eat through that gas like its candy. You’re welcome Gillian! Whats your pick? Good luck! Seven Rila Lakes in Bulgaria – Balkans Road Trip – CCO via Pixabay. At times It just makes things much easier! Vous envisagez de partir en road-trip en van ou en fourgon aménagé à travers la France ? Stephanie recommends Gummy Bears if available and all the soda in the world. Believe it or not, this castle has nothing to do with the book writer or Vlad the Impaler (Vlad Dracula) but is a lovely place to visit nonetheless. Dubrovnik – the Walled city in Croatia – Balkans Road Trip – CCO via Pixabay. Si vous voulez planifier un trip au Portugal, peut être que cet article peut faire l’affaire. 20 Destinations variées pour un road-trip en France. Get in touch with the team at Balkan Campers. and they have a free shuttle service to the park. Tips for planning a 2 week Balkans road trip Bring your car documents. Yes, I understand if you’re living in a place where you can enjoy nature then you will appreciate cities more and Europe definitely has some amazing ones. If you’re planning a road trip in the Balkans this is the guide for you. This is another great way to see the beautiful Balkan countries, especially if you are a lover of camping, the outdoors, and of course, vintage VW’s! So the choice to explore Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro was quickly made. Sofia: Naycar – allows you to take cars into Serbia and many other countries. A guide on a road trip around the Balkans. 1 week in Macedonia with a campervan. And definitely a great destination, not just for a road trip! We left our home in Belgium to drive all the way to Montenegro and back. Thanks in advance. Vama Veche is just a couple of kilometers away from Bulgaria border. It can be confusing to remember the Serbia/Kosovo border rules so here it is again, briefly, to avoid errors. Road trip Balkans en van - forum Croatie - Besoin d'infos sur Croatie ? Serbia does not view this as exiting their country, but you will get a Kosovo entry stamp. This is rare, but can happen. We're currently traveling around Europe with our baby in our camper van. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Your posts are so informative and helpful! Keep your cool, maintain a consistent speed, and let other people be assholes if they’re going to be assholes. The toilets and showers are very comfortable and clean. Now those are people who are well and truly nuts. Like you mentioned, it is difficult to see as much as desired in one trip. After a long drive and a short overnight stay in Nurnberg in Germany we finally arrived in Bohinj. Road trip en Croatie : conseils & remarques. EU Countries like Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, and Slovenia will likely not ask to see your Green Card when entering the country (but it’s good to have on hand anyway). If you find a single SIM then comment below and let us know! To invite us for a travel blogging trip, please see our Work With Us page. Based on our experience, the best way to travel the Balkans IS by road tripping, especially if you want to see natural landscapes. Explore our region in the best possible way. I have heard Kosovo is beautiful but we did not end up visiting. There are pick up spots in the following cities: Ljubljana, Maribor, Celje (Slovenia) Zagreb (Croatia), Trieste (Italy), and Graz (Austria). Head to the Lover’s Bridge where there’s usually an exhibition going on. . Valbona Lake in Albania – Travel the Balkans – by Robert Figgen. One: public transportation isn’t exactly extensive in this neck of the woods. We rented our car from the airport in Belgrade, but it is cheaper if you book it online — https://www.discovercarhire.com/?a_aid=DrifterPlanet. As already mentioned, however, Bucharest is not an ideal place to drive. They are renting 13 legendary old school VW buses and 6 newer ones. Hi Alejandro, wonderful to hear! VW Camper van rental in Slovenia, Croatia and the Balkans. While the Balkans are cheap in general, road tripping the Balkans is not the cheapest way to travel. We stayed in a place called Harmony apartments where we paid 20 euros for an unbelievably squeaky clean apartment that had a kitchen too! Split is Croatia’s famous beach destination where you can experience both history as well as modernity. Un énorme road-trip en Europe à la découverte des Balkans sur le blog dans cet article. It is so close that one of my friends actually walked to Bulgaria from Vama Veche. It won’t take more than one hour. But hey, for that you may have to skip one or two countries in this suggested route. 5) For the sake of traveling easy, we have included a few big cities in this itinerary. Even Google Maps gets it wrong on occasion, so be cautious and don’t just blindly follow their directions or you may get on the bad side of Serbian border control. We couldn’t find a good option for the Balkans but will check out Flexiroam the next time. DOCUMENTS . Of course — not everyone can afford to do this, in terms of either time or money. The biggest lake in the Balkans, Shkodër Lake (a.k.a. Its not that cheap, but its awesome. Thanks! And as a result, we have to say: Balkan road trips are our favorite. Bucharest is one of those few cities where I actually enjoyed myself a lot. The shallowest lake out of the Seven Rila Lakes is Ribnoto Ezero, which is also known as “the fish lake”. It was good to be out of the van and on the water, and we spent our time on the islands walking up hills, eating delicious BBQ fish cooked up by our Croatian skipper, and floating in the Adriatic Sea. The meal was so good that we even crossed the border one day from Mokra Gora in Serbia to just eat in Anika restaurant in Bosnia. Hardly anyone speaks English in the village and you will need your Google translate app to communicate. If you don’t like busy destinations, then you don’t have to stay in the main Kotor town. Il est temps de remonter dans le van et de poursuivre votre road trip ! These companies should permit you to take your car across the borders relatively painlessly, but always contact them as things are subject to change! I’ve also had friends rent a car in Macedonia to bring into Kosovo from a local renting car “company” — more like just a random Macedonian man with an extra car! It has been a little more than a year since I’m living in Europe and my best travel experience has been our Balkans road trip.