How to Spend Less Money, but More Time in Belgrade

There are a lot of articles about things you should visit in capital of Serbia. But, just like every big city in a world, Belgrade also has some secrets, some thing that you should avoid in order to travel cheaper and longer.

Accommodation and Food

Find a good place to stay. If hotels are to expensive for your budget, and hostels are not your cup of tea, staying in apartment is a good solution. You can find a lot of cozy, well equipped apartments, with air condition, internet and cable TV. It doesn't have to bi in very center of the city, you can walk downtown or use a public transport. The price vary depending on apartment size, but also location is very important and can make a big difference. It's always better choice to spend seven, then five days, in city like Belgrade. The only thing you should do is to plan ahead and make a smart choices.

Don't eat at expensive restaurants. The food in downtown restaurants sometimes is going to be double the price of food that you can find elsewhere. It is great experience to have a meal at Kalemegdan, or Skadarlija. But, you can find a lot of small, not so famous restaurants, with tastier food and smaller prices. These are the places where local people eating, and they have to offer high quality, or they will lose customers otherwise.

It's smart idea to use websites like Foursquare to check what are Belgradians rating highly, or try some adventure and walk into random restaurant, a few blocks from downtown.

Water is free. You don't have to buy water in Serbia, you can drink it from faucet, or from drinking fountains in public places. Also, you can take a plastic water bottle with you, and fill it on these spots. You can find at least four or five drinking fountains in center of Belgrade, in Knez Mihajlova street. When you're in a restaurant or coffee shop, you can ask for a glass of water, it's free of charge.

Act Like a Belgradian

If you have to exchange money, don't go to the bank. Maybe it looks like the safest place, but exchange rates are the worst, for sure. You should use exchange offices instead, there are a lot of them in Belgrade. They will offer a better rates, especially if you have a bigger amount of money to exchange. You can't pay in foreign currencies, only dinar is accepted in Belgrade, and the rest of Serbia as well.

The other way is to use your card to make payments, but if you want to buy some souvenir from a street vendors, you are supposed to have cash.

Don't use a taxi, unless it is the only option. Public transport in Belgrade is not so great, but it's good enough if you are a small budget traveler. It can take you more time, but you will always get the place you want to visit. When you are going to spend more than few days in Belgrade, or travel in a bigger company, you should consider rent a car as a reasonable option. When you share costs, it is cheaper than a taxi, and more convenient than public transport.

Visit a local tourist office. Maybe it should be the first stop on trip to Belgrade. People that work there are supposed to know the answers on every question that you might have. They get paid for that, so do not hesitate to ask. Here you can get a information:

• about city events
• advice about accommodation and restaurants.
• get a discount cards
• information about places that you can visit for free

Anyway, it is a good place to start your visit.

Private apartments or hotels/hostels - advantages and disadvantages

Apartments for longer and shorter stay became very popular form of accommodation in recent years. Although they are strong competition to classical facilities like hotels and hostels, still do not lose their role in the world of tourism. What should we expect from this kind of accommodation and what is different from hotels and hostels?

ADVANTAGES

Privacy and Anonymity

Private apartments guarantee peace, privacy and anonymity for their guests. Hotels and hostels are busy places with constant murmurs, talks and noise. Sometimes it is very hard to have peace and rest if you stay in hostels full with young people, students, or excursions looking for a good time and party. No one will restricted or legitimize guests in private apartments, as long as they respect house rules.

Services

Services that are offered in the hotel (gym, car wash, beauty treatments and restaurants) can be find cheaper and even on some cases with higher quality in the city of stay. Especially this is the case with local restaurants and bars. Owners of the apartments usually give valuable advises to their guest where to find good restaurant in the neighborhood. If the guests want to cook their own food, and that is very hard to do in hotels. Apartments usually are equipped with all kitchen appliances and visitors can prepare food tastier and cheaper. In hotels meals are served during fixed hours, but in the apartments for short stay guest have flexibility to eat when they wanted, even in 3 o’clock in the morning.

DISADVANTAGES

Reservations

The efficient reservation is one thing in the hotel we take for granted. Situation with smaller private apartments can be very tricky sometimes. Often is not possible to make early reservation weeks or months in advance. Owners avoid accepting reservations in advance for shorter stay, because they can lose some longer reservation.

Capacity

Bigger groups of visitors cannot find enough large apartments for more people. It is impossible for them to organize some business meetings or congresses in one single apartment and have to find 2, 3 or more apartments for entire group. Hotels have advantage because they have large number of identical rooms can accommodate big groups of visitors, fitness centers, swimming pools, saunas, restaurants, laundry, big congress rooms equipped with printers, scanners, copying machines and other office materials,  etc. Most of the apartments have telephone and internet connection, but rarely office space.

Services

In hotels, maids clean rooms and make beds every day, but apartments usually are cleaned once a week. Receptionists, waiters or house cleaners do not exist in the apartments. Some guests expects from their hosts to be all of this Private apartments offered Iron, hair dryer, clean sheets and towels, but shampoo, soaps, napkins are not included in offer. Also, level of hygiene is not uniform in all flats. In some is remarkable, but sometimes in others, it isn’t on high level.

Parking

Every respectable hotel has garage or parking places in their yards, often physically secured. Most of the apartments have limited capacities or do not have parking space at all. If parking space is available, the visitors have to pay extra fee. In Belgrade, it is strictly prohibited to park on public spaces, and police are very efficient in hauling out improper-parked vehicles.

On the end, everyone chooses what suits him most.

Hotels are good solution if visitors do not want to think about cooking, laundry or other everyday trifles. If they seek for quiet family atmosphere and want to experience the environment in a way that they do residents of Belgrade, private apartments can be significantly better option. And maybe most important fact is: apartments are lot cheaper.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about renting apartments for short stay in Belgrade

Apartmentsfor a short stay experienced tremendous growth in popularity in Belgrade. Its existence complete the offer of accommodation capacities, in addition to traditional capacities like hotels, hostels, camps. We listed some of most common questions that visitors asked.

Which is the period of renting apartments for short stay?

Apartments can be rented:

• on a daily basis,
• per day,
• for a few days,
• month and
• a few months

Is it possible to prepare food in the apartment?

This is one of the main advantages of private apartments. They usually have fully equipped kitchen equipped with all necessary household appliances. Just to avoid misunderstandings, refrigerators are empty, but it is possible to arrange with owners to put some food before guest arrival

What about clean towels and bed sheets, how often they are changed?

Clean towels, bed sheets and blankets are understood. Usually, bed sheets are changed once a week, and towels can be changed as needed, but those can be renegotiated with the owners.

What about cleaning the apartments?

Guests can count on clean apartments before arrival. Additional cleaning while guest are staying can be arranged, but must be paid by guests.

Is it possible to invite friends in the apartment?

Of course, that is the main advantages of apartments before hotels and hostels.

Is there phone and internet connection in the apartments?

In most cases there is a phone and the fast internet connections, such as ADSL, wireless or cable internet.

Who will pay for any damages?

The guests are required to maintain the apartment, fixtures and installations and have to compensate damages they caused.

What happens if the guests lost the apartment key?

Cost of replacing locks and making new keys is on their behalf.

Pats?

In most of the cases, pats are not allowed, but of course, owners are very flexible and arrangements can be make.

At what time guest can come and leave the apartments?

In any time! Flexibility is huge advantage, it is possible to arrange with the owners arrival in early mornings, of late night hours, often they wait guests and personally give them keys of the apartment. You can’t find that option with hotels. At the end of the stay, keys can be handed to the apartment owner or at the previously agreed place.

At the end, few words about payment

Payment is in most cases in advance, when guests takes the keys. It is possible to pay partially, but always in advance for the days ahead. Payments can be made in cash and credit cards.

What includes in the price of the apartment?

·         stay in the apartment

·         cleaning

·         overheads (electricity, heating, water, etc),

·         telephone in local net,

·         internet and cable TV

The Best of Belgrade

Belgrade is a tourist destination, visited by increasing number of tourists every year. If you have decided to visit our capital and enjoy your stay, here's what you need to do to make your days spent in Belgrade remained in a good memory:

• find a place to stay

• get informed about transportation

• make a plan about things and destinations to visit

When it comes to accommodation, in Belgrade you can find a great number of apartments, hotels and hostels.

You can use public transportation, taxi, or rent a car. Car rental is probably the most optimal solution. Just make sure that your hotel room or apartment includes a parking lot.

What not to miss in Belgrade

It is not easy to give a concise answer to this question. What makes Belgrade widely known, certainly are: Kalemegdan Fortress, Knez Mihailova street and Skadarlija. But there is much more places, locations and attractions to see, to get a full impression of Belgrade and the people who live there.

Kalemegdan

Skadarlija

We would like to introduce you with some less known way to pass through Belgrade.

Belgrade walking tours. These are walking tours through Belgrade, a journey through space and time. Whether you choose to meet Sweet Belgrade, or decide to start Tesla's footsteps, you will hear and learn about Belgrade from a bit different perspective. The programs last about two or three hours.

Panoramic sightseeing of Belgrade. Another very popular way to get familiar with the city - an open tourist bus tour through Belgrade. During the tour, you can use an audio-guide in Serbian, English, Russian, French and German. This way you will learn a lot of relevant and interesting information about the places that you visited.

Belgrade underground. Did you know that Belgrade under Belgrade's hiding more than a hundred caves, tunnels, passages, which are related to various periods of its history? From the Romans, the Turks over to the Austro-Hungarians - all of them have left some trace. The tour is organized in Serbian and English language.

Belgrade from the rivers. A wonderful way to explore the city from this perspective. Look at Kalemegdan that will stay in my memory, as well as sailing under Belgrade bridges. You will see the place where the Sava joins the Danube. They say that at this point you should make a wish. Also, you can book cruises and tours that offer dinner on boat, and even to spend a night in luxurious cabins.

Jevremovac Botanical Garden. Another place to rest and relax in the center of the city. It spreads on over 5 hectares, and here you can find over 250 species of trees and over 750 species of plants, not just from this region. Ten years ago in, a Japanese garden was settled in a part of this complex. It is furnished and equipped in accordance with the Japanese culture and principles of design. For many tourists, it is the most beautiful and most romantic part of the complex.

Japanese garden

Planetarium. Astronomical Society "Rudjer Bošković" organizes screenings in the planetarium at Kalemegdan. The perfect way to get acquainted with the stars and constellations, the movement of the celestial sphere and other objects. You can see how the sky above the southern hemisphere looks like, and also the stars that we can never see. Screenings are held on Saturdays and they last about an hour.

Instead of conclusion

These are just some of the interesting places that you can visit in Belgrade. If you would like to feel the true spirit of this city, you need to visit its parks, markets, the surrounding holiday resorts... To go to the cinema or theater, visit the Book Fair, Beer Fest or Bemus. Whether you enjoy active holiday, or you need a few days of peace and relaxation, you can find a suitable place for yourself.

Belgrade city market

It is a city rich in culture and history, and has much more to offer. One thing is we know for sure - only one visit won't be enough.

Belgrade Apartments

Current situation on the market

Accommodation in apartments in Belgrade

We have already written about how Belgrade, as a tourist destination is important in the region and about its growing popularity in Europe. Old and new hotels aren’t fulfilling the need of guest accommodation in our capital. Looking up to the other European cities, hotel business in Serbia has evolved into something a bit different, such as renting apartments in resident buildings.

Those apartments can be single room, double room, three or four rooms.

The number of tourist is growing every year, which is the only and the best indicator of the growth in tourism in our capital city.

Advantage of the accommodation in apartments in Belgrade

The advantage of renting an apartment in Belgrade are superior the ones of hotels in Belgrade. The guests in apartments get the ability to feel the pulse of Belgrade more intensely. They are able to pick a location where they want to stay: at business-oriented, workaholic parts of Belgrade, or at the apartments that are located close to the popular clubs and bars. Numerous restaurants and food services offer a huge gastronomical diversity. It certainly is an advantage the possibility that depending on the accommodation capacity of the apartment guests to be placed in a:

• one single room – two persons, 
• two bedroom apartments – up to four people and all up to twelve people. 

It is possible to rent an apartment for a day, a week, a month, or whatever suits the guest.

Apartment locations in Belgrade

Most apartments for renting are situated in the old core of the city. The apartments that are usually rent are single room apartments for two persons, double room apartments that are usually rented are single room apartments for two, double room apartments for up to four people, and then multi room apartments for up to twelve people. Lately, New Belgrade is imposed as a stronger business, trade and leisure center in the region, therefore renting apartments in this part of the city has become much more popular and attractive. In many newly built, modern buildings it is also possible to rent a single, double or multi room apartments.

 Apartments in Belgrade – equipment

Every apartment in Belgrade, be it single room, double room or three rooms, has to pass through categorization, which means that it has to fill some standards and terms in order to make the guests feel safe and comfortable during their stay.

Standard equipment includes:

• cable TV, 
• air conditioning devices, 
• free WIFI, 
• a kitchen equipped with basic elements and devices, 
• bed sheets and towels changed in proper terms. 

Some apartments include a parking lot.

Belgrade apartments for short term rent

Belgrade, one of the biggest cities on Balkans, represents, due to its geographical position, unavoidable destination. Number of foreign tourist, businessmen and other visitors coming to Belgrade is increased in past years. Reasons for visits are various, tourism, business, family visits, medical treatments etc. In order to make the best from their stay, it is crucial to obtain adequate accommodation in Belgrade.

For the accommodation of tourists in Belgrade there are numerous:

• hotels,
• hostels,
• apartments.

Nowadays, however, there is more popular alternative-apartments for short term rent called Daily Rentapartments. Service considers renting a fully equipped apartment for one day.

Most frequent costumers of the Daily Rent services

• The most frequent consumers of the Daily Rent services are guests coming to Belgrade for business. Regardless if they are coming from within the country or from abroad, they all need confortable accommodation. After hard working day, accommodation in Daily Rent is something that will provide full pleasure. Some companies are more in favour of providing for their staff level of comfort that is beyond the one provided by hotel accommodation. If people are visiting Belgrade for congress, fair, concert, sport manifestations, Daily Rent is a perfect solution.
• Daily Rent is service also used by those who are in transit through Serbia. If you arrived to Belgrade in late evening hours and your next flight is next day, you can find accommodation at New Belgrade. In situations like that one, location of the apartment is crucial in order to enable you to have time to rest well and continue your traveling totally refreshed.
• Young people from different places within Serbia are coming to Belgrade for passing the entrance exams for Universities or secondary schools. For those who cannot complete their tasks during the day, Daily Rent is best solution for spending the night in fabulous Belgrade. Comfort and peace, provided by the apartments, is also beneficial for students coming to Belgrade for passing the exams throughout the year.  It is also important to take in consideration the fact that price of renting the apartments is lower that price of rooms in hotels. Very often students are coming to Belgrade accompanied by parents, brothers, sisters, and in those situations this kind of accommodation is much better choice, not only price wise but also due to the comfort that it offers. 

If you are in need for short-time accommodation because of some medical examination that you can complete only in Belgrade, Daily Rent is the most convenient solution for you.

Having in mind that those situations are very stressful for both, patient and the whole family, in Daily Rent apartments you will find your peace and opportunity to relax.
You will be able to prepare your favorite meals, coffee, to have a good rest and it is much easier to find suitable location of the apartment than any other type of accommodation.

Belgrade is center of many events. People are visiting capital for a day or overnight for different occasions:

• Concerts of many world stars
• Cinema and Theatre premiers
• Book fairs, car shows, furniture fairs, etc.

How to attract guest to rent Daily rent apartments

If you are renting apartment using Daily Rent approach, try to offer something different than others.
The most important is that interior is clean, confortable, peaceful and providing warm atmosphere. Perhaps we can tolerate in our private apartment some dust but in Daily Rent apartments that is not acceptable. Hygiene is top priority for this type of apartments.
Fruit basket (or candy/chocolate box) as a sign of welcome will be always appreciated by the guests.
For the guests who are not arriving by their own transport, be ready to provide transport or at least recommendation for RENT-A-CAR or taxi services.
Consider providing some kind of gift for the guests, that they will take away and keep it as a memory for the stay in your accommodation.
Frequent guests could be offered discount in booking of the accommodation.

What you need to know before booking

If you are renting Daily Rent accommodation, you should have in mind that rent for one night only, is higher, so you should check the price before booking. Check the offer on the web sites of the agencies that are having in their offer Daily Rent services, read the comments of the guests, and that should provide you with useful guidelines on quality of the accommodation as well as make easier search for the most suitable one.

Conclusion

Daily Rent apartments in Belgradeare the most favourable type of accommodation. Renting apartments known as Daily Rent type service is recognised as:
high quality level of service,
professional attitude towards guests and
focusing that comfort, while you are staying in Belgrade, remain at the level of which you have at your place of residence.

Belgrade

Capital city

Belgrade is capital, and also the largest city of Republic of Serbia. 1 650 000 citizens live within borders of Belgrade. This old and full of history city is situated on the confluence of two big European rivers, Sava and Danube, it also lies on the spot where Pannonian plain touches the mountainous part of Serbia, northern Balkans.

Position

Because of its position, Belgrade is beneficial for international traffic, especially from western parts of Europe to Black sea, eastern Mediterranean and Asia.

History

History of Belgrade is long and culturally diverse. Throughout the history Belgrade had been occupied by Illyrians, Thracians, Dacians, Celts, Romans, Hungarians, Austrians and Ottomans. Before the Slavs occupied Belgrade in 7th century, the name of this city was Singidunum( Singi is a Dacian tribe, and Dunum means city or a fort ). Belgrade or Beograd ( as the Serbian name suggests ) actually means “white city”, it is believed that the city got its name from the white stones of Tašmajdan.

Belgrade story

In  year 1284., Belgrade became part of Serbia for the first time. Despot Stefan Lazarević made Belgrade a capital of Serbia by the beginning of 15th century. 

Belgrade was burnt to the ground 40 times, but it has always managed to remain an important European metropolis because of its size, wealth and people who have always fought for it. 

History could be experienced in the city itself, because it contains many important historical and religious objects, monuments and museums.

Importance

Capital of Serbia holds a big importance for south Slavic Christian orthodox culture. Around Belgrade you can find many interesting sacral objects and locations, such as temple of Sveti Sava in Vračar, which is still in construction because it is enormous and very decorated. Church Ružica in Kalemegdan is quite old and church Sveti Marko, famous for its exterior. On the other hand, Belgrade also has a muslim community, where you could find a mosque built in Ottoman times, called Bajrakli. Some of the most visited museums in Belgrade are Vojnimuzej( Army museum ), Museum of Belgrade, Cvijićev muzej ( Jovan Cvijić is a well-known scientist ) , Etnografskimuzej ( shows how life of Serbs used to be ) and Museum of Nikola Tesla.

Tourism

Most visited tourist attractions in Belgrade include Kalemegdan – a fort located on the confluence of Sava and Danube rivers, Knez Mihajlova street ( a long pedestrian street with stores and cafes, Skadarlija street , also a pedestrian area, but famous for its bohemian vibe and numerous “kafana”, bars and restaurants, Zemun which is a part of Belgrade with beautiful architecture from the time of the Habsburgs. Of course, in Belgrade there are many hotels and apartments to welcome tourists.