Trip from Italy to Bosnia

[Dannytramp]

Hi everybody,

this is Daniele from Rome. I am writing in order to get info about a trip I want to make to Bosnia, I was suggested to ask my questions here by a Serbian friend of mine...and I hope you can help me out a bit.

So, we are three guys who are coming to Bosnia at the end of May, last weekend. We are taking a ferryboat from Ancona and would like to rent a car in Croatia, but we are also considering coming with an own car. The difference is not really in price, but the two options have different pros and cons. Coming with our car would make things easier and more relaxed, no hurry for taking the car and giving it back. On the other hand, using a rented car would imply less stress on thinking where to park the car and continously check it.

So my question is: is Bosnia safe on that side? Can we leave a brand new car overnight in the streets without fearing to have it robbed or torn apart to sell the pieces? The car would look like that:

http://www.cubiccapacity.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/fiat-cinquecento-500.jpg

What would you suggest?

Then, secondly...we have focused so far on Sarajevo and Mostar: any other interesting places to see? I bet there are...but we just have 3 full days to spend in Bosnia.

Thanks for your support, ciao!

[meelosh]

I'm not an expert on Bosnia, but I know from personal experience that people there drive much more expensive cars than Fiat 500, which are not robbed and sold into pieces during the night. Also, lot of local people work and live in Austria, Germany and Italy, so you won't be even considered foreigners just because of that - people would likely assume that you're Bosnians on vacation. And finally, there's this thing called theft insurance In terms of street crime, Balkan cities are generally lot safer than Western European cities. Sounds a bit strange, but it's a fact. Violent crimes, when they occur, are usually between rival criminal clans etc, not against random citizens.

[globe trekker]

A question for you - can you leave that car at Napoli streets, during the night ??? Eh, it is always hard to answer that kind of question. Probably nothing bad will happen, but, there is no one who can guarantee 100%. Everything is the question of lucky. Maybe is the best that you ask to leave that car in the garage of some hotel, or at the guarded parking.

Uh, 3 days are enough just for Mostar and Sarajevo. But, when you come to Mostar, you shouldn`t miss two things. There is an old town of Počitelj and town Blagaj. Pocitelj is just 25 minutes south of Mostar, on the way to the seaside. Blagaj is the place of source of river Buna. Near the source is famous Tekija, an old Otoman Turkish house, now the museum. I can`t remember 100%, but Blagaj is also some half of hour far from Mostar. So, you can spend a half of the day at these two excursions.

Just one more thing. If you think to go to visit Dubrovnik, do not forget to go some 35 kilometres above. There is a gem - town Trebinje. You`ll not regret if you go there.

[Dannytramp]

A question for you - can you leave that car at Napoli streets, during the night ??? Eh, it is always hard to answer that kind of question. Probably nothing bad will happen, but, there is no one who can guarantee 100%. Everything is the question of lucky. Maybe is the best that you ask to leave that car in the garage of some hotel, or at the guarded parking.

I'm not an expert on Bosnia, but I know from personal experience that people there drive much more expensive cars than Fiat 500, which are not robbed and sold into pieces during the night. Also, lot of local people work and live in Austria, Germany and Italy, so you won't be even considered foreigners just because of that - people would likely assume that you're Bosnians on vacation. And finally, there's this thing called theft insurance In terms of street crime, Balkan cities are generally lot safer than Western European cities. Sounds a bit strange, but it's a fact. Violent crimes, when they occur, are usually between rival criminal clans etc, not against random citizens.

Ups, I realize i should have put a laughing face when asking the question about the car 

Maybe I sounded like a snobby tourist....it's not my case. Since the car is not mine, but of a friend of mine, i want to make sure that we can actually drive it reasonably in a safe way (I am proposing the trip and therefore I am a bit more responbile somehow). I know that we will never be 100% sure to have a smooth trip, but my intent was to know reality a bit better. Fiat 500 is not so expensive, but it's fancy and brand new and we don't want to get the wrong eyes on us...so I wonder if the probability to get the attention of petty thieves is high or not. From you words, I guess we will not look like aliens, and that's good enough 

I should have maybe put the question this way: would youn actually drive through Bosnia with a car you just bought?

(anyway, I would never leave it in the streets in Naples...not a chance).

Thanks for the hints on cities to watch, now another question: do you know any nice hostel or b&b in Sarajevo and Mostar?

Btw, my friend is Vanja and some of you may know her!

[globe trekker]

Don`t worry Danielle, I put a laughing face 

Driving car through Bosnia and Herzegovina is one unforgetable expirience, believe me. That country has fantastic landscapes and I`m sure you`ll enjoy. Roads are generally quite ok and traffic seems to be normal (it`s a bit more crazy at the streets and roads of Montenegro, because they are much more macho drivers  )

Personally, I don`t know any place for sleeping there. The reason is simply - i have some cousins and I am always sleeping at their place. But, try to find some infos via google (if nobody here knows nothing).

[vanjat]

hei, i recommended rafting, but now i think they wouldnt have time for that. 

and i dont know actually which organisation that organises rafting to propose to them... anybody knows?

[Valentino]

Ciao Daniele,

vedo solo ora il tuo post. Questa estate ho fatto un viaggio in Bosnia-Erzegovina e Serbia da solo con la mia moto (bmw r100rs).

Ho visitato interessanti città e paesi (Medjugorje, Mostar, Sarajevo e Belgrado e altri) ed ho potuto ammirare panorami bellissimi.

Le principali strade in Serbia ed in Bosnia sono in buone condizioni (ma in Bosnia non ci sono autostrade).

Non ho avuto nessun tipo di problema, né in Bosnia né in Serbia: la gente è molto gentile ed ospitale ( e le ragazze sono bellissime ).

Saluti

Luigi (Genova)

Translation for those who don't speak italian

Ciao Daniele,

i see only now your post. This summer i had a trip in Bosnia-Erzegovina and Serbia alone with my bike (bmw r100rs).

I've visited interesting towns and villages (Medjugorje, Mostar, Sarajevo and Beograd and others) and i saw very beautiful landscapes.

The main roads in Serbia and in Bosnia are in good conditions (but in Bosnia there aren't freeways).

I didn't have any problem nor in Bosnia-Erzegovina neither in Serbia: people are very kind and hospitable (and girls are very beautiful ).

Bye

Luigi (Genoa)