Four years ago, I woke up on a snowless winter morning in Belgrade with one thing on my mind, catching a bus to Novi Sad in northern Serbia. The gentleman who drove me to the bus station owned the hotel in which I had stayed the previous night. He was a talkative, bombastic man who regaled me with stories about his family, respect for Tito, the state of the Serbian economy, and corruption in Serbia as compared to Romania. While discussing the latter, he also mentioned that when flying abroad for vacation he preferred to use Timisoara’s airport. I imagined what it must be like driving to another country for a flight. Border crossings tend to be slow and prone to unexpected delays. The way the man talked, this was not a problem for him and his wife. I assumed they had done it so many times that it was second nature. Familiarity can make a challenging situation easier to endure. That is especially when it comes to travel logistics.
Rolling stock – Train from Timisoara arriving at Jimbolia (Credit: Phil Richards)
Behind The Times – A Lack of Coordination
This was not the first time I had heard about travel between Belgrade and Timisoara. One of the first people I befriended while traveling in Bulgaria was an American who fell in love with the Balkans. He also happened to be a rail travel enthusiast. He looked for every opportunity to take trains. A year after we first met, he wrote to tell me about a recent journey back to the Balkans. After visiting Belgrade, his next destination was Timisoara. He wanted to see the city where the Romanian Revolution started in 1989. He assumed that it would be relatively easy to catch a train between the two cities since Belgrade is the Serbian capital and Timisoara a major transport hub only 150 kilometers to the northeast. It did not take him long to be disabused of that notion.
The fastest train between Timisoara and Belgrade takes four and a half hours. Delays at the border can make the journey even longer. Buses are not much faster. The Issue is exacerbated by Serbia not being in the European Union, while Romania is a member state. The possibility of smuggling prolongs wait times at the border. My friend decided to take a minibus that travels the route each day. I now wonder if the Serb I met in Belgrade does the same thing when he flies out of Timisoara. The minibus saves time and trouble.
The difficulty of traveling from Belgrade to Timisoara illustrates just how much borders delay travelers. They are a surmountable obstacle, but still a detriment to anyone unprepared for a prolonged journey. National borders make rail services less prolific because each country has their own national railways. Coordination is never easy. Some of the difficulties have been smoothed out since the Iron Curtain collapsed, but the issue is still there, and will be into the foreseeable future until Serbia becomes a member of the European Union. No one is holding their breath.
My friend’s trip from Belgrade to Timisoara comes to mind as I plan to travel in the opposite direction. My next port of call after Timisoara is the last lost city on my itinerary, Subotica, Serbia. My affinity for railway travel means I want to find a route that will get me there in a timely manner while enjoying a relaxing ride from the historical regions of the Banat and Vojvodina. I know from experience that this will not be easy. I had my own travel issues in Serbia four years ago when I wanted to make the journey from Belgrade to Novi Sad by train. Due to ongoing maintenance work on the line, I took a bus packed with university students. I would rather not repeat that experience because the only thing worse than a bus, is a crowded bus.
On the lighter side – Szeged Railway Station
Fringe Possibilities – On The Edge
Timisoara is on the western edge of Romania, Subotica is on the northern edge of Serbia. One similarity both cities share historically is that they were in the Hungarian administered half (Transleithania) of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. At the turn of the 20th century traveling from Timisoara to Subotica would not have involved a journey to Belgrade. That was because the latter was part of the Kingdom of Serbia, the arch enemy of Austria-Hungary. Travelers from Timisoara would have made the journey to Subotica via Szeged. Now all three cities are in different countries rather than a single empire. Taking the same journey today requires two border crossings. The only thing more irritating than one border crossing is having to make two on the same day. Nevertheless, I decided to research a trip from Timisoara via Szeged to Subotica.
The first leg of the trip takes a whopping six hours by train because there is no direct connection between Timisoara and Szeged. I would need to change trains in the small Hungarian city of Bekescsaba. Once in Szeged, the train to Subotica is direct and takes a much more merciful hour and a half. Another intriguing option is to take a three-hour bus journey between Timisoara and Szeged, then hop on another bus or switch to a train in Szeged. I did the bus journey between Subotica and Szeged four years ago in an hour. If all these logistical details seem confusing, welcome to the world that emerged from the collapse of Austria-Hungary. Efficient railway routes were one of the postwar World War I world’s greatest casualties in Eastern Europe.
Going back in time – Subotica’s Town Hall in 1912 (Credit: Fortepan)
Buried Treasures – Provincial Potential
I finally decided on a train from Timisoara to Subotica that does not go through Szeged. This requires a couple of transfers and hiring a taxi for the thirty-minute ride between Jimbolia and Kinkinda which are on opposite sides of the Romania-Serbia border. This will take me deep into the provincial heart of northern Serbia. As an added incentive, some believe the treasure of Attila the Hun is buried somewhere in this area. There are always new discoveries to be made off the beaten path. The best, and sometimes only way to make them, is by taking an inefficient route through backwaters in the northern Balkans.
Click here for: Beyond Experience – Trianon’s Living Legacy (The Lost Cities #11)
Europe Between East And West 
It’s sad that the train from Timisoara to Belgrade no longer runs.
In my time in Romania (2015), there was a regular connection, I think at least twice daily. You got one ticket, but then had to change trains at Vrsac, the first station in Serbia, and go through passport and baggage check.
But it all worked pretty good, with the connecting trains leaving one hour after arriving in Vrsac, so there was enough time for all the formalities, to grab a bite, and to talk to fellow travelers. Once, on the way back, I met two guys from America with whom I then spent the whole night in Timisoara.
Vrsac sounds fascinating!
Sadly, I never took the time to actually explore the town.
Because the connecting trains were so well timed, I ever only saw the train station.
Like Przemysl in Poland, which is a shame, I think. In both cases.
Przemysl is a place that deserves repeat visits. The battles fought there were epic. The history of the area is fascinating. Of all the places I have visited, Przemysl has done the best at preserving its history.
You convinced me!
Next time, I am going to stay in Przemysl for a few days, before continuing the journey to Lviv.
(I feel sorry for these border towns anyway, where everyone is only passing through.)