Serbia: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Serbia feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 84 written places.
Fiercely hospitable; expect rakija, long kafana evenings and hosts who will not let you leave hungry.
✓ Considered polite
- Accept at least a symbolic sip when rakija is offered - it is the welcome itself
- Take off your shoes when entering a home unless told otherwise
- Bring a small gift when invited over - and flowers in odd numbers only
- Look people in the eye when toasting Ziveli
✗ Better avoided
- Refuse offered food flatly - a token portion beats a hard no, and hosts will insist
- Rush your coffee - domaca kafa is a long sit-down ritual, not a takeaway
- Expect dinner to be quick - kafana evenings with live music run for hours
- Decline a second helping without praising the first - cooks measure success in emptied plates
Worth knowing
- The dinar is the currency and cash is still king in markets and small kafanas, though cards work fine in cities
- Tipping is rounding up or about 10% for good service
- Smoking indoors is still common in bars and kafanas
- Lunch is the main meal of the day, often eaten mid-afternoon
Plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026.
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Keep planning
Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.