I was wondering what would be the best way to get from Athens (or Meteora) to Dubrovnik. My girlfriend and I are backpacking and planned on using trains, however that doesn't seem possible in this case. Also all the flights I've seen are very expensive. Any ideas on how to make this part of our trip happen? Thanks!
Posted by
Green Bay, WI
1 posts
If you have time you can take the train as posted earlier. We have a sleeper car booked from Thessaloniki to Beograd for $120 (reservations needed) and then $39 to Zagreb. While it takes almost a full day, it's cheaper than flying or taking a ferry.
Posted by
Centennial, CO, US
2186 posts
We did the reverse (Dubrovnik to Athens) last September very inexpensively and had a bit of adventure as well. We took a bus from Dubrovnik to Budva, Montenegro and stayed overnight. (The Montenegro coast is astonishingly beautiful.) Then we took a tour bus to Tirana, Albania and got off there while the rest of the bus toured Tirana and returned to Budva (we had made these arrangements in advance). We spent a couple of days in Tirana, then flew Aegean Airlines to Athens and on to the island of Lesvos, for just 70 euros each!
For you to do this in the opposite direction, flying from Athens to Tirana is easy and cheap; a bus from Budva to Dubrovnik is easy and cheap. The complicated part is getting from Tirana to Budva. If you can't find a tour bus like ours, you can take a train/bus from Tirana to Schkodra, Albania, and then minibuses to Ulcinj, Montenegro, and then a bus up to Budva.
Lonely Planet's Thorntree has lots of information on travel between Greece & Croatia ... a frequent topic! We got a lot of help there. Have fun!
Posted by
OP
Sioux City
8 posts
Thanks for the help all! I think what we might end up doing is using our eurail pass to get from Athens to Thessaloniki and up to Belgrade. From Belgrade we are hoping to catch the 9 hour bus to Dubrovnik. The problem is we really aren't familiar with Belgrade and the bus system...anyone familiar with this route? OR does anyone know how to book bus tickets online?
Thank you!!!
Posted by
Denver, CO, USA
1601 posts
The bus station in Belgrade is a short distance from the railway station (about a 5 min walk).
The following is the Serbian Eurolines website - it doesn't seem like they have a direct bus to Dubrovnik. If you end up using them, you may want to take a bus to Sarajevo and then another one to DBV.
http://www.lasta.rs/eng-time-table-lines
The link below is for the Belgrade bus station. It shows a direct bus to Dubrovnik but it seems to take 14-15 hours. Click on the English tab and then enter your destination.
http://www.bas.co.rs/
Either way you do it, it is going to be a very long journey. You can also check out Balkanology.com for useful information on these countries especially the following which has a great summary of your various options between Greece and Croatia:
http://www.balkanology.com/overview/article_croatia_to_greece.html
I'm not sure that you will be able to book tickets ahead of time though you may be able to using Eurolines. I normally just wait till I'm in Europe and buy them a day ahead of time - did this on the Sarajevo -Belgrade route last year. My guess is that if you use Eurolines, you may be able to buy a ticket at one of their sister offices when you are in Athens.
I also suggest you do a lot of research on the thorntree forum (Lonely planet website) to piece this part of your journey together.
In summary, you have chosen a difficult combination of places to visit. If you have the time and patience, you may have a memorable overland trip. If not, bear the expense and fly.