Budapest Hungary, Sarajevo Bosnia & Herzegovina, Belgrade Serbia

A friend of mine and I decided to do 3 countries in 5 days. I'll tell you right now, this trip is not for everyone! However, we had a blast and these countries definitely merit being visited.

Our journey began in Budapest Hungary. One word: Awesome! It's not like your typical large Western European capitals. It's a smaller city but has a lot of life. The cheapest and best way to get around is by walking. In classic European form, there is always a major body of water close by, and for Budapest it's the Danube River. Walking along the riverbank at night with the lights of the city offers you some spectacular views. Budapest is relatively inexpensive. A delicious typical Hungarian meal can easily be found for less than 10 euros. Castle, cathedral, bridges, unexpected fun nightlife, friendly locals, and the desire to spend more time here, Budapest has it all.

The cheapest and easiest way to get from Budapest to other areas in Eastern Europe is by taking a shuttle van. They offer door to door service and are cheap. The downside is that, they are not always on time. Once we had to wait over an hour for them to finally show up... However, the ride was smooth and comfortable. We met other locals and tourists that were using the same service and gave good advice on what to see and do. There are a few companies that offer this shuttle service; Google or contact your hotel to find the one that best suits you but be sure to read their reviews.

From Budapest it took about 4 hours to reach Belgrade. We spent the night there and then another 6 hours driving through the mountains to arrive in Sarajevo. One word: Wow! Sarajevo's city center was smaller but was packed with so much life and history. Over 20 plus years ago this city was ravaged by war. It's wonderful to see how Sarajevo has rebounded and is now bustling with life.

A true mix of Muslim, Christian, and Orthodox adds a lot of spice to this city. Once being a part of the Ottoman Empire, there is still a strong Turkish influence in Sarajevo. It's very easy to walk around and visit the main attractions, including walking up a small mountain for a breathtaking view of the city. I'm not a huge fan of visiting museums, however I wanted to educate myself about Sarajevo's rich history. The Gallery 11/07/95 told a very informative story about the country.

Sarajevo was the cheapest city along our trip. Local food, tea, and anything else that you could imagine was surprisingly inexpensive. Telling people that we were going to Sarajevo usually evoked "Is it safe there?" Yet, hands down, this was my favorite stop on our trip.

Back on the shuttle and 7 hours later (lots of traffic through the mountains and delays at the border), we arrived in Belgrade. This is another city with a rich history and an interesting story to tell. Unfortunately while we were there it rained most of the time thus dampening our desire to spend much time outside.

Our night was spent exploring Skadarlija, a cool bohemian street that tourists and locals flock to. The street is packed with restaurants serving local Serbian cuisine at reasonable prices. Our average meal was between 10-15 euros but we left completely stuffed and well satisfied. Belgrade offers a few Free Walking Tours, which is the cheapest but most informative way to see the city. Ours was a 2 hour walk through the city center which included all of the major sites.

Budapest, Sarajevo, and Belgrade: three amazing cities bubbling over with a rich history and culture and that won't break the bank, they definitely need to be added to your “Must Visit” list. 

                                                    BUDAPEST 

                                                        SARAJEVO  

                                                     BELGRADE