The “Montenegro Express” | Friends for 12 hours

Spending 12 hours on a train can seem endless. But if the journey has the reputation of being one of the most beautiful roads in Europe, the experience can become very pleasant. Add in memorable encounters and the journey suddenly seems less long. Welcome aboard the “Montenegro Express”, which connects Serbia to the Adriatic coast.

The train linking Serbia and Montenegro runs between Belgrade and Bar, a small town bordering the Adriatic Sea. A 476 km route which must be completed in 11 hours, but where delays are customary.

Two daily departures are scheduled for each direction during the summer season. The one in the morning – the Tara – offers comfortable second class seats that have a tablet and a power outlet, but WiFi is not available on board. As is often the case in Eastern Europe, assigned seats are rarely respected and passengers sit wherever they want. If you travel at night with the Lovcenit is possible to sleep on a berth or in a private cabin.

During the journey, the train crosses 254 tunnels and 435 bridges. The view is truly spectacular with mountains, gorges, canyons and rivers passing before our eyes. The Montenegrin portion is particularly popular with travelers because of the Dinaric Alps and the turquoise waters of Lake Skadar. Unfortunately, we will have to rely on our memory for our memories: the windows are blocked and so dirty that the photos do not do the panorama justice.

The train has a dining car, but options are limited. It’s better to bring your lunch and bring some extra provisions, especially since sharing allows you to establish contact between passengers. On our trip to Bar, we struck up a conversation with our neighbor Gerhard, after offering him a beer. Coming from Austria, he was going to join friends living on the Adriatic coast. During the discussion, he told us how he had made an alcohol of which he alone had the secret. Before offering your gift to your guests, you had to do some taste tests. The “Gerhard Special”, biscuits and chocolate were added to our snack.

Later, it was Radovan the Serb who joined our discussions. In turn, he enhanced our meal while explaining to us the purpose of his visit to Montenegro. We chatted for hours, while our neighbors read, watched a movie, or took a nap. At the stops, we took the opportunity to go and wash the windows (in vain), take a few photos and untie our legs. The conversations could have continued for a long time, but they were interrupted by our arrival at our destination. Long hugs then took place, with the promise of keeping in touch through social networks.

When we return home, we will remember the beautiful landscapes, but it is the anecdotes, the confessions and the laughter that we appreciated the most.

Know before you go

• Daily departures from Belgrade: 9:31 a.m. (mid-June to mid-September) and 8:30 p.m.
• Daily departures from Bar: 9 a.m. (mid-June to mid-September) and 7:35 p.m.
• Announced duration of the journey: almost 11 hours
• Cost: 31.80 euros in 1^D class and 21 euros in 2^e class
• Supplements: 3 euros for seat reservation, berth from 8 euros
• Tickets are not available online and must be purchased at the stations.