Accomodation

Types of lodging

You will find everywhere a lodging, but take care of very important differences of the price level. The great centres like Belgrade, Novi Sad, Zlatibor and the Montenegro coast have go a palette of large an variable hotel capacities. In other places in the country you would always find where to lodge. One should not forget that the hotel capacities in Yugoslavia 1989 had been in the third place in the Europe. The problem has been that these hotel are rather ancient and in some towns worn out indeed. Turn in that case to the more and more numerous hostels. As well as to the motels being in full boom. For that purpose one should take contact with the tourist offices which would charge themselves to reserve a room in a place near the place you are staying in.

N.B.: In Serbia  the lodging prices have always given PER PERSON and spending a night always comprises the breakfast generally well abundant The choice being between a slice bread with butter or jam, with the sausage, ham and cheese.

Spending a night at the inhabitant’s

There were an important number of rooms at the inhabitants’ and the tradition has been kept. They are to be found in the centres of the towns and at Montenegro the seaside. But the advantage has been that they have been now registered and checked up systematically by the tourist offices. they would give you a list of names and with the description where you would make your choice. One should reckon of 300 to 700 Dinars per night of three categories in Serbia, and in Montenegro 8 Euro semi-pension.The rural tourism and the hostels have been developed very quickly last years. If you were by car don’t hesitate to choose this type of lodging because it would take you into the direct contact with the population. The hostels have not yet indicated on the roads, but the tourist office would be charged to show you the shortcut way. Generally the reception has been warm, and you would have your meals with the family. More and more the family head would be transformed into a guide and for a minor amount you would discover little secrets of the region. there are also three categories going from 600 to 1200 Dinars semi-pension. But for 700 to 800 Dinars you would have a decent room with the complete breakfast and a tasteful peasant lunch.

Lodging in the natural milieu

Camping. This type of stay has been still more developed than few in the local culture. Nevertheless, you could find well enough organized camping with the necessary equipments – for example in Djerdap, Zlatibor, Ulcinj (reckon 150 Dinars per person in Serbia). You could also try your chance in the country at agreeable banks of a river surrounded by the mountains. In this case ask a permission from the peasant which you would get easily. Don’t try a wild camping because the authorities could look at you over the shoulder.

The mountain cabins. In the regional national parks you have got the possibility to sleep in a mountain cabin. Situated in the alpinist clubs, there is always a vivacious and cosmopolite ambience there. The rooms are generally common, but the framework enchanting enough on the massive of Tara, Zlatar, Kopaonik and Durmitor. Reckon 600 to 800 Dinars in Serbia.

Youth hostels. Outside Belgrade, Novi Sad and Budva they do not exist any more. In these three sites you would be given the coordinates in a book, and you could make a reservation from abroad because they have been included in the world network of the youth hostels. The rooms and especially the lodging are in any case more favourable than in Western Europe. This segment of the hotel industry has been in the course of development, and maybe you would find other towns or tourist sites also with this type of lodgings.

The classical lodging

Hotels. An abundant, but sometimes insufficient room offering on hotels. In fact you would very often find an impressive hotel in the centre of the town with many hundred rooms, but often the choice had been stopped here. Another problem has been in the lack of classification transparency. A little hotel with nice rooms and with the irreproachable service could have only two stars, while an ancient “grand” hotel with little kindness would benefit three or more stars. This is that the classification by the space and the number of services does not take into account the reception.

That is why you should always demand to visit the rooms and to cast a glance to the menus. Well, this does not mean you would not put your foot in the great hotel establishments in the centre of the town, but it is true that our culture and our tastes would always make us prefer a nice hotel.

The advantage of these hotels constructed in 1970s has been that there is always a complete restaurant and various services, the exchange office, the riser, sport halls. Another phenomenon to take account of has been the quick privatisation of these ancient establishments. In the last years the private investors have been interested in these great establishments. That is more and more making that one would find the rooms at two price levels. One of them corresponding to the ancient part of the hotel, and the other to the renewed part.

The prices have been beginning to reach the summit but the rooms at the prices rather beneath those in West could still be found. Belgrade and Kopaonik are too expensive indeed in relation to the obligations, with not less than 2500 Dinars a night in a three star. Anywhere, namely in Novi Sad and Zlatibor there still are very good hotels for 1500 Dinars a night. Otherwise reckon between 1000 and 1500 Dinars semi-pension in a correct hotel. In Montenegro, especially at the seaside, the prices have been higher. In an hotel of category B at the seacoast the semi-pension has in 2004 been about 35 Euro in the full season, 24 Euro in the low season.

Motels and pensions. The motels have been a great novelty and are to be found more and more beside the highways and the national roads. Always very decent, with the parking, and sometimes with the modern services like the Internet, your comfort wants a good room at the inhabitant’s in Germany. For 1200 Dinars they would save you if you are at the travel end. Generally they have few rooms, but as there are nearly always more of them in the same place, there always remains a place. Take care, there are some ancient motels without a bathroom, but you would avoid them by the view of the façade.

Another lodging spread out enough and characteristic here is the “pension”. They are little family hotels, often repaired or in the course of reparation where one could get not expensively settled. Situated in the centre of the town or on the way out, they could be recognized by the inscription placed on the roofs of the generally two story houses. According to the place and quality of the rooms the prices could vary from 700 Dinars to 1800 Dinars with the semi-pension.