Here’s a video about experiencing Sarajevo nightlife, enjoying the storied Sarajevo city center and checking out the sights of the city!
But because I can’t just make a video for y’all, continue reading on for some more information about traveling to Sarajevo that I think you should know… everything from the best Sarajevo rent a car service, where to stay and even what you should know about the weather.
The Best Ways to Get to Sarajevo
As I live in Belgrade in Serbia, I took a 23 euro bus to Sarajevo from Belgrade (there’s also a train, which is usually cheaper… I just prefer busses). It should take no more than 5-6 hours, but the bus I was traveling in got held up at the border for a while—I had no idea why. So the commute ended up being about 8 hours.
From the Croatian coast, it should take about 5-7 hours and be around 20 euros. From Montenegro, it should be somewhere between 6-8 hours. And a Sarajevo to Mostar bus and vice versa should take about 2 and a half hours and be about 7 euros.
Of course, if you have rented a car, everything will be much faster, because busses in the Balkans always make a million stops to pick-up and drop-off locals at their little towns and villages along the way. Okay, well, maybe not a million. But you get the point. Things will go MUCH faster if you hire a private taxi service or just rent a car.
The other bonus of renting a car in any Balkan country is that, the Balkans is a bit behind compared to Western Europe in terms of seamless public transportation that can take you ANYWHERE. So to get to less touristy places outside of Sarajevo and Mostar, you either have to hitchhike, know someone who can take you (which is how I get around honestly), or rent-a-car.
Sarajevo rent a car… Where?
Sixt
I always suggest Sixt Rental service as it has so many locations to pick-up and drop off the a rental car in the Balkans, so you can start and end your trip anywhere in the region.
Click here for the current rates and availability for Sixt in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Click here for the current rates and availability for Sixt in Serbia
Click here for the current rates and availability for Sixt in Croatia
Click here for the current rates and availability for Sixt in Montenegro
Some awesome hotels in Sarajevo city centre.
And by awesome, I’m talking: in the center of the city, 5 minute or less walk to the old town (or it’s actually in the old town), and a 5 euro taxi ride or less to-and-from the main bus station at most (or two to three stops by tram for 1 euro!).
Hotel Logavina 8
Where those men are sitting is where the old town starts. I took this photo standing in front of my hotel. That’s how close it is to the old town. 🙂
I loved this little boutique hotel. It’s a 2-minute walk from the old-town, which was perfect because the old town is soooo crowded. Staying somewhere that was literally a block away without the crowd was ideal for me. Plus, the rooms were so modern, which I love.
Click here for the current rates and availability
Hotel Old Town
Gosh this hotel is beautiful as well as being in the heart of the old town (old town and Sarajevo city centre mean the same thing)! The rooms are impeccably modern with a colorful touch in the details. Plus, they offer transportation for day trips to places like Mostar and the Kravice waterfalls.
Click here for current rates and availability
Hotel Noble
This is another small and modern hotel with the cutest rooms and apartments. It’s very affordable.
Click here for current rates and availability
In general… what is the vibe of Sarajevo?
I live in the Balkans, specifically in Serbia. So I have been to every country in the region and I have seen A LOT. The first thing I noticed that made Sarajevo different to other capital cities, like Belgrade in Serbia and Zagreb in Croatia, was that it was set within the mountains. Belgrade has no mountains, and Zagreb’s mountains are more in the distance and not as big. But the mountains surrounding Sarajevo were tall and glorious.
This made Sarajevo quite breezy at night. I would bring some pants and a sweater, even in the summer. Most people have pants to wear, I know, but I only wear skirts and dresses, so I was cold!
Also in terms of clothing, people in Sarajevo are quite modestly dressed. In Croatia and Serbia, you will see people wearing little dresses and the highest heels when they go out, but in Sarajevo, not so much. Again, only packing dresses was a mistake—or at least not packing a dress that didn’t show décolletage was a mistake. Oops.
I enjoyed Sarajevo. I don’t think it was as exciting and energetic as Belgrade, and I don’t think it was as enchanting as Zagreb. But truly, I enjoyed my time there and loved the living history of the city.
Are you traveling to Sarajevo soon? Got any questions? Or even just thoughts you just need to let out? Let me know in the comments, or feel free to message me on Facebook or Instagram.
