I get many questions about Bosnia-Herzegovina: Is it safe? Do you need special vaccinations? Is the medical system good enough? Is it safe to drive? Do you need a visa? What about land mines? So I thought I'll write down all my travel tips in this article to help you plan your trip.
Bosnia-Herzegovina is a wonderful country with great nature, interesting cities, delicious food, and incredibly friendly people. If you can, rent a car and do a road trip around the country. This way you can see everything and get to know the country and its people best. Also, getting around by public transportation can be tricky as the touristic infrastructure is not that well developed yet.
Travel tips for Bosnia-Herzegovina
Getting there
The easiest way to get to Bosnia-Herzegovina is by plane. Low-cost airlines have discovered the country by now and you can get cheap flights with WizzAir or Eurowings from various European airports.
Another option is flying into Croatia and taking a car from there (keep in mind though, that Bosnia is not part of the European Union and ..
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Visa
Bosnia is part of the Schengen states which means you can travel the country with your European Schengen visa. You're allowed a stay of up to 15 days.
Keep in mind that you need to register with the police within 12 hours of entry. Normally, this is done by the hotel you stay at.
(This information is from September 2018, Always check the up-to-date information about entry regulations before you travel.)
The best time to travel
The best time to travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina depends on what you want to do. The early summer months are good for city trips.
Cultural events like the Sarajevo Film Festival or the Red Bull Cliff Diving in Mostar. Zu diesen Zeiten ist viel los – das mag man, oder eben nicht 🙂
In winter, smog in the cities can be bad but the skiing resorts are beautiful and cheaper than in Austria and Switzerland. Actually, Bosnia-Herzegovina is an interesting destination all your round.
Accomodation
You have the choice between Airbnb apartments , private rooms, or hotels. In the last years, more and more Bosnians recognized the potential of private rentals and rent out a room or apartment during the tourist season.
A night can be as little as ten euros. Keep in mind to ask if your host will register you with the police.
Hotel rooms are reasonably priced at 25 to 40 euros a night – except for your luxurious five-star-stay of course.
Transportation
I have to be honest with you here: The touristic infrastructure in Bosnia-Herzegovina is not very well developed yet.
The public bus network is not very reliable (and all information in Bosnian mostly) and trains run between the biggest and most important cities only. A train ride I can warmly recommend is the one from Sarajevo to Mostar though. It is a beautiful route along the Neretva river canyon. Tickets are as little as six euros.
If you stay for longer than just a couple of days, it pays out to rent a car for a little road trip through the country. Roads are not very good so it takes some time to get to places but driving is safe in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Health care
You don't need any special vaccinations for your holiday in Bosnia-Herzegovina. If you want to go on a hiking holiday, you should probably be vaccinated against rabies to be on the safe side.
Generally, health care is good; you get everything you need at the pharmacy and you can visit a private doctor for medical issues.
Just make sure you have international travel or health insurance that covers your costs.
Safety
I have never, ever felt unsafe in Bosnia. People are friendly and walking home at night is no concern.
The only thing you should watch out for are pickpockets. Especially in public transportation, you should be watchful of your belongings.
In the mountains and country, landmines from the war are still found regularly. So make sure to stay on the designated pathways and respect the signs.
Expenses
A holiday in Bosnia is a real bargain!
You get a full meal including drinks for three to seven euros and accommodation from ten euros per night. This leaves a lot of your travel budget for activities, museums, and events.
The currency in Bosnia is the Convertible Mark (KM or BAM for Bosnian Mark). Careem is linked to the euro, so the exchange rate never fluctuates and is always exactly 1,95583 KM.
Sim card and mobile data
Your cheapest option for mobile data is a som card from haloo. It costs the equivalent of 2,50 Euro for 2 GB Internet and is available at most kiosks.
Additionally, Free WiFi is available in most cafés and restaurants and even on the train.
book your trip to bosnia and herzegovina
Since May 2021, I have been living permanently in the heart-shaped Balkan country, exploring it from the north down to the Croatian border, from the west to the wild east, and I can say: I now know Bosnia-Herzegovina like the back of my hand. And not only that: I also want to make it accessible to anyone who is up for adventure, authenticity, nature and hospitality. That's why I founded .Cheyf Travel with my Bosnian husband - a boutique travel agency for #mindfultravel in Bosnia and Herzegovina! Check us out 😊