Why Serbia
Belgrade sits at the junction of the Sava and the Danube, overlooked by the Kalemegdan fortress, and it is a city whose nightlife reputation is deserved: the floating clubs, the bars of Savamala and Dorćol, at prices that no longer exist elsewhere in Europe.
The country is also worth it for Novi Sad and its fortress, the medieval Orthodox monasteries listed as World Heritage, the Danube gorges at the Iron Gates, and a generous, cheap cuisine.
Getting around
Coaches are the main means of transport: frequent, cheap, and they serve everywhere from Belgrade's bus station. The train is slower, apart from the fast line to Novi Sad.
A car is useful for the monasteries, which are often isolated. Mind the borders: the country not being in Schengen, the queues can be long in summer, and a green insurance card is required for a foreign vehicle.
Money
The currency is the dinar. Euros are sometimes accepted in tourism, at an unfavourable rate: changing or withdrawing in dinars is always better value.
Cards work in the cities, but the markets, the taxis and small businesses run on cash. Decline the conversion offered by ATMs. Tipping is customary at around ten per cent.
Before you go
Registering your stay with the police — the "biély karton" — is formally compulsory within twenty-four hours. Hotels do it automatically; in a private rental it is up to the visitor to make sure of it, and its absence can be noted on leaving the country.
Kosovo is a sensitive subject and its sovereignty is not recognised by Belgrade. Entering Kosovo from a third country and then wanting to cross from Kosovo into Serbia can cause problems at the border: find out about the order of crossings before building a regional itinerary.
Belgrade taxis are taken by app or by telephone booking rather than in the street, where overcharging is common.