(TGA) - Hi, I've just read the foreign office advice on serbia and it says you can have trouble entering serbia if you have kosovan stamps in your passport. Is this true? Has anyone experienced this?
I've read about the problems on the border there so I was thinking of going to kosovo from skopje and then entering serbia from sarajevo. Would this be ok?
Thanks
Andy
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Yes,will encounter truble entering Serbia from Kosovo & Metohija.
As Serbia still consider Kosovo & Metohija as part of Republic of Serbia.
Best is to visit Serbia first and than make your way to Kosovo & Metohija, eather from Montenegro or Macedonia.
Or alternatlivly take bus from Prishtina to Skopje (for time tables chek www.sas.com.mk) there are atleast 4 a day.
Running from early morning to late.
Than take bus or train to Serbia.
Again for timetables on buses chek above website or chek www.skopjeonline.com.mk for train timetables.
There is express train via Nish to Belgrade for example.
Serbians can be extrimly tuchy if they see Kosovo & Metohija stamp in your pasport.
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Hi, thanks for your reply.
As I'm travelling north would you suggest going round all the other countries (macedonia - bosnia) and then travelling back down to kosovo from belgrade?
What is the border like travelling from serbia to kosovo and back? How easy is it to travel from belgrade to prishtina?
Thanks for your help
Andy
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Where are you now, or should I say what is your travel plan??
If you are comming from Greece than enter Kosovo & Metohija via Macedonia (Crossing Blace) do your sight seeing, than exit in Montenegro, from There you can get train Montenegro express, from Bar to Belgrade for example.
The journey is one of the most breathtaking ones. Make sure you get seat by the window, and get ready your camera!!
That is one option, other option is to come back the same way you entered via Blace & take bus/train from Skopje to Serbia.
Another option if you want to continue to Bosna i Hercegovina, then cross into Montenegro continue to Podgorica.
Than from Podgorica bus to Focha (Srbinje) in Bosna i Hercegovina and from there onwards to Sarajevo or whatever it's taking your fancy.
If you need more info, just ask.
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BTW there are some buses from Belgrade going to Kosovska Mitrovica, the Serbian part, but it will be hard crossing the bridge dividing the Serbian encave & Albanian part of town.
Lots UNMIK solders and tesnions are high there.
www.bas.rs lists some buses going to Prishtina from Belgrade but I will be reluctant to trust that.
Just in case, you have problems & you are stuck in the middle of your trip.
I will avoid going from Belgrade to Prishtina direct eather way. Use one of the neighbouring countries as buffer between those two.
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Good advice here for Andy.
Tensions are high and you only need to meet a guard in the wrong mood or try entering following an incident etc.. It's not worth the risk of being refused and/or potential unpleasentness unless essential crossing point.
Stoofer
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I have had friends with US passports in 2003 first got o Prishtina then to Belgrade. From Prishtina they took a bus to Skopje, and from Skopje a bus to Belgrade.
The Serbian passport control did not care they went to Prishtina because they had US passports. As long as you enter Kosovo from country other than Serbia (and vice versa) you should be fine.
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May I ask why go to Kosovo in the first place? There is not much to see there, even before the war there wasn't anything much less now. Apart for some mountains and some not so sophisticating skiing there isn't much there.
If you want to see a bit of warn torn stuff then I'd suggest Bosnia which is way more interesting and beautiful than Kosovo.
Think of Kosovo as NJ of former Yugoslavia.
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I have to disagree with you.
Kosovo IS brthplace of Serbia as Nation.
No disrespect to anyone, but when Serb Nobility was fighting the Ottomans on Kosovo Polje in 1389, half of Europe was on Crusade to "liberate" the Holy Land from the "infidels"
The most presious churches of midevel Europe, & Serbia ARE in Kosovo & Metohija.
And they are all World Heritage site & protected by UNESCO.
Prizren is beautifuly preserved town,town of Pech, seat of the Serbian Ortodox Church,villages, the countryside is beautiful, people are loverly....
Dispate the war...
Bosnia is also beautiful, in different way, and deservs visit too.
But please do not post answers like that, specialy id you never been to Kosovo & Metohija.
Yes, you might have some logisitc jugling to do. But is worth time & effort.
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Yes, Kosovo is the birthplace of the Serbian nation, but unfortunately the Kosovo Albanians have blown up most of the churches by now - UNESCO or not.
Pristina is a dump, more so then Skopje and I think either Sarajevo or Belgrade will be more interesting in one way or another.
I am from Serbia so I have been to Kosovo. And as a Serb, I do not think its worthwhile to visit for Westerners.
I personally would not waste time with Kosovo as there are more interesting places in the region. Most people now travel there for business, not tourism. Again, just my humble opinion.
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Thanks for all the advice guys. Things do seem pretty conflicting though, some people saying go its beautiful and others saying its not worth it just avoid it.
My reason for going is just that I've been reading up a bit and the town of prizren sounded quite nice, so I thought I might take a bus or something across from skopje for a couple of days. But if this could jeopardise me getting into serbia then I guess I'll just not bother and maybe spend a few more days in macedonia.
Thanks again,
Andy
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