Niš pronounced: 'neesh' is an important crossroad between central Europe and the middle East, and assumes the central position in the Balkan peninsula. It is situated in southeast Serbia, with the coordinates - Latitude: 43° 19' 29 N, Longitude: 21° 54' 12 E. It is located in Niš Valley and surrounded by a number of mountains, two rivers, two beautiful gorges, and numerous sites of historical importance from various periods. Some approximate distances: Niš - Belgrade 240km, Niš - Sofia 150km, Niš - Skopje 200km, Niš - Thessaloniki - 400km. Niš is a must see historical city for any traveler passing through on his way to Greece or the Middle East.
The streets of this 1/4 million University city are buzzing with life.
By bus
Almost all buses traveling from the northwest into Bulgaria or further southeast to Turkey will stop in Niš. All buses traveling between Belgrade and Greece or Macedonia will stop in Niš. An average bus ride from Belgrade will take three hours, but make sure you opt for a 'direct' bus from Belgrade central bus station, as some buses will stop in a dozen towns on the way, sometimes getting out of the highway, and prolong the ride considerably.
The bus station is just a couple of blocks north of the river. The quickest route from the bus station to the main square Trg Kralja Milana is to go left down the side road past all the market stalls and the covered market. This takes you to the fortress entrance from where you can cross the river and head towards the obvious Ambassador hotel.
By plane
Niš has an international airport named after Constantine the Great international code: INI. Airport service is getting increasingly better. There are flights from and to European cities including Forli near Bologna, Italy, Podgorica Montenegro. Most reliable are daily flights to Podgorica Montenegro which can be used to connect to major European capitals. Seasonal flights to Turkish, Montenegrin and Greek resorts are offered during the summer. Additional service is expected soon as there are ongoing negotiations with several low cost companies.
The airport is 5km away from the city center much closer to the town than in most European cities, but still not suitable for walking to your hotel. Apart from taxis, there are buses taking passengers from the airport to the city on regular basis every 15 minutes from early morning till midnight on workdays.
By train
Railway links include international trains from Thessaloniki, Greece to Ljubljana, Slovenia, via Skopje, Niš, Belgrade and Zagreb, as well as Istanbul, Turkey - Vienna, Austria via Sofia, Niš, Belgrade and Budapest. Another important railway link is the one to Bar, Montenegro, which connects Niš with the Adriatic sea. The trains are slow, not very clean, and still in the seventies style, but tickets are cheap, the scenery is sometimes beautiful, and sleeping cars are usually an option.
The train station is 2Km east of the main square, a good half hour's walk.
By car
While you might not need a visa ...
Foreigners are required by law to register themselves with the police station in their district within 24 hours of receiving a Serbian entry stamp at a border crossing or airport. Registration is done automatically by hotel staff upon check-in, however if you are staying with friends in a private dwelling, the responsibility falls on you and your host to register yourself with the police in the district in which you are staying. Before visiting the police station you will need to buy a Foreigner Registration Form from a nearby newsagent or bookstore these usually cost 15 dinars/approx. 20Eur-cents. With completed form in hand, your host and you should submit your passport and your host's Serbian ID card along with the Registration Form. You will receive the bottom half of the Form to carry with you; when exiting the country, you will be required to present it to the Border Police. Sometimes they will not ask for it, and you can keep it as an administrative memento. Never forget, though, that failure to register and obtain the bottom half of the Registration Form can result in prosecution and a large fine.
The European motorway E75 routes through Niš. From the north, you may use any highway from the Hungarian border over Novi Sad and Belgrade to Niš. From the northwest, you can travel over Austria, via Slovenia and Croatia to Belgrade and then to Niš. These are all modern highways, including the section Belgrade-Niš. It is a fast road with six lanes and 120km/h speed limit, which locals seldom observe as the road is in a pretty good shape. Beware of the police, though. At this speed, travel time from Belgrade is usually two hours.
The highway continues for another 10km towards the Bulgarian border, and then turns into a narrower mountainous road to Sofia. Caution is advised here, especially along the 20 kilometers of the beautiful Gorge of Sicevo, starting just after the end of the highway on the outskirts of the city. The other extension of the highway branches to the south, towards Macedonia and Greece. The fine motorway continues for another 60km south of Niš and then narrows down into a normal road, entering the Gorge of Grdelica, where caution is also advised.
Tolls are paid for highways Niš - Belgrade and Niš - Leskovac south towards Macedonia and on to Greece, while using the road to Sofia is free of charge.