Serbia

I've only traveled briefly in Serbia, but my impression is that safety is not an issue. What is an issue is that there is a less developed tourist infrastructure than in other parts of the former Yugoslavia, so that it is trickier to book hotels in advance, for example. Also, even in Belgrade, English is not widely spoken, so I would guess that in Novi Sad you will find it harder to communicate than in most touristed areas.

There are two good resources: Serbia in Your Hands: All You Need for Traveling in Serbia and the Bradt guide to Serbia. Also, I think Lonely Planet may do a guide to Belgrade, but I'm not certain.

Good luck and let us know how it goes. Serbia is very much a "back door" in a Europe that is increasingly "front door" these days.

Serbia is now technically much "safer" than it has been in years, but the country has a very limited tourist infrastructure, mostly geared towards business and diplomatic travel to Belgrade. Although I haven't been to Novi Sad, I can tell you that other parts of the country are quite raw. Don't expect to see Serbian culture nicely packaged for visitors, like you would expect in the West. You might want to consult Lonely Planet for more information, as they usually have at least some information on nearly every region of the world.

Ken, you'll not find safety an issue in Novi Sad any more than in any large city in Eastern Europe. Last time there (2002) they were trying (like most of the former Yugoslavia) to get back to 'normal' but there's a ways to go yet. That said, compared to, say, Sarajevo (where I was living), they had nowhere near as far to 'travel' in that regard. Language will be an issue, as will the Cyrillic signs, particularly outside the city. My suggestion, if you haven't already done so, is to check Trip Advisor, particularly the forums. Another, if you can make a contact before you go (thru TAdvisor posters or your hotel of choice) is to try and arrange a driver/translator to show you around while you're there. For economic reasons, such services are reasonably priced, and you'll find the folks there wonderfully friendly, hospitable people (generally great cooks too!).

Oh, and it's probably worth your time to learn the Cyrillic alphabet. You don't have to know the language, but knowing that "???? ???" and "???????" are Novi Sad and Belgrade, for example, may prove useful.

Damn... looks like this website doesn't recognize Cyrillic letters. Oh well, I tried!

Another good resource for travel in the Balkans is www.balkanology.com. You can also download the free guide from Inyourpocket guides http://www.inyourpocket.com/serbia/city/novi_sad.html