Bosnia & Herzegovina Road Trip
Why travel to Bosnia & Herzegovina
This country is incredibly underrated, and I still don’t understand why. It might be because of the limited infrastructure, general information and travel services but that shouldn’t stop anyone from visiting and exploring a country. We spent a whole week travelling across the country and it was just magical. I had never visited a country with so much history and natural beauty.
When is the best time to visit Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina offer two types of climates with the summer season being hot and dry and winters being cold and snowy. You can expect warm weather from June to September, making them great months to visit if you’re after some sunshine and dips in the lakes. We visited Bosnia and Herzegovina mid-June a few years ago and the weather was absolutely stunning.
How many days do you need in Bosnia
We spent seven days in Bosnia which felt like a good amount of time for what we wanted to see and do. There is no reason why you cannot spend more time in the country depending on your plans. If you want to make the most of what the country has to offer, I would recommend staying for at least five days.
How to travel around Bosnia
You can travel by car or van but I would recommend you rent a car and stop in hotels or Airbnbs along the way. Bosnia & Herzegovina is not yet a touristy destination and I wasn’t aware of campsites when I visited. Pitching a tent on your own can be done but is certainly risky if you’re not sure that you are in a mine free area. For background, there was a war in Bosnia & Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995.
Don’t risk camping if you’re not sure of the area or if you don’t have a guide. Airbnbs and hotels are pretty cheap and a good alternative option.
What to bring
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Valid passport
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Swimwear if visiting in the summer. – you will see beautiful lakes, rivers and waterfalls as well as the sea if you stop over at Neum
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Walking and hiking gear if you fancy a hike up in the mountains
Things to do before you go
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Sort out your car or van rental before you leave
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Make sure your passport is valid and check your visa requirements
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If you fly, be aware there are no direct flights to Bosnia from London. Copenhagen, Belgrade, Dusseldorf, Istanbul, Munich, Ljubljana, Vienna, Zagreb and Bonn are the only European cities currently offering regular direct flights to Sarajevo. You will need to stop over at a different destination if you leave from another city that is not listed above. Might be easier and cheaper to fly to a neighbouring country like Croatia (Dubrovnik) and rent a car from there. This is what we did and it was fine.
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Register with the local police within 72 hours of entering the country, it’s a legal requirement. Your host or hotel staff can do this for you when you check-in.
8 things to know when doing a road trip in Bosnia
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If you come from Croatia or Zagreb you need to pay a border insurance at the airport, around £70
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Quality of the road can be pretty poor so beware of potholes. Roads are not as safe as roads in Europe and North America
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Bosnians are crazy drivers but they seem to know what they’re doing. You will see cars overtake you on a solid white line especially when there is curve – common practice
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Get an entrance and exit stamp from Croatia to Bosnia
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Change currencies in the UK or nearby countries, not in Bosnia
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Use cash only
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Road signs are pretty non-existent and don’t make much sense
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The police might stop you and get you to pay a fine. Unless you were speeding, simply say no and be confident about it or just play dumb. They’re often just looking for easy cash or just want to give you a hard time because they can
Best Bosnia road trip itinerary – 7 days
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Dubrovnik
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Trebinje
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Blagaj
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Pocitelj
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Konjic
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Mostar
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Sarajevo
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Visoko
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Jajce
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Travnik
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Kravica
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Neum
France
A two-week trip going through France from the Loire region to Dordogne as well as the Pyrenees.
