DinkostaOnline - Travel Tips

Topic : Travel
Before you leave home Make sure your passport is current. Many countries require that a passport has at least 6 months before expiration before allowing to enter their country (even for short stays). Check individual country visa requirements. Some countries have changing visa requirements depending on security issues. Make a photocopy of your passport and visas before you leave (this could also apply for tickets, traveler's cheques,etc). Keep them with you, but separate them from your actual passport. You should also leave a copy with a family member or the travel agent. Be familiar with the local laws of the country you are visiting - when you are in a foreign country, you are subject to the laws of that country. Security No matter how travel savvy you are, you should never over look travel safety. Here are some tips, but caution and common sense are always your best guides. Blend in as much as possible and avoid looking like a tourist. Especially be careful at airports, bus and train stations, since there theft appears quite frequently. Pickpockets operate in places with dense crowds. Avoid walking close to the street traffic on sidewalks, as passing motorbike thieves often snatch handbags.

The alphabet: In Serbia are almost in equal use both the Latin and Cyrillic alphabet.
Capital: Belgrade, with almost 2 million inhabitants.
Currency: The Yugoslav Dinar is the official currency in Serbia. Coins: 50 para, 1, 2 and 5 Dinars. Banknotes: 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 1000 and 5000 Dinars. 1 Euro is about 60 Dinars.
Electric current: 220 Volt
Language: Serbian.
Telephone: The country code is 381. Area codes of some major Serbian cities: Belgrade - 011, Niš - 018, Novi Sad - 021, Kragujevac - 034, Pirot - 010 .
Time zone: GMT+1 (CET)
Opening hours: Post offices work usually 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday to Friday, Saturdays till 1 p.m., Sundays only those on duty . Banks usually work from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. .
Visas: Yugoslavia applies the reciprocal visa shedule. Citizen whose countries introduced visas for citizens from Yugoslavia are obliged to possess visas to enter Yugoslavia. For citizens coming from countries that FR Yugoslavia doesn't have diplomatic-consular relations with, the issuing of visas is done at the border crossing. For all information related to consular matters (e.g. visas, citizenship, estates, etc.) contact in person, by telephone or e-mail the nearest Diplomatic/Consular Mission of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Foreign nationals visiting Yugoslavia are required to obtain visas at the diplomatic or consular mission of Yugoslavia unless it has been regulated otherwise at the bilateral level.
Requirements:
• Valid Passport.
• Letter of invitation (verified by the competent FRY authority) or an invitation by a company for a business visit or a receipt of a Yugoslav or authorised tourist company certifying that the travel arrangement has been paid for (letter of credit or other payment receipt).
• Return ticket.
• Proof of sufficient funds in hard currency and Certificate that a health fund shall cover the medical costs in the FRY.
Note: Transit visa applicants are required to obtain the visa for the country they will enter after the transit through Yugoslavia.
No visa is required for the citizens of Algeria, Argentina, Bolivia, Botswana, Bulgaria, Chile, Cuba, Cyprus, Federation of B&H, Hungary, Iraq, Japan, Macedonia, Romania, Seychelles, Tunisia, Zambia.
Tourist passes
Foreign citizens coming to Serbia in package tours organized by Yugoslav travel agencies and tourist organizations can get a tourist pass at the border crossing.
During the tourist season (1.4.2003 - 30.9.2003), nationals from some countries who otherwise need yugoslav visas to enter the FRY, will be able to enter the country without visas. They will be issued tourist passes at the Yugoslav border crossings. The tourist passes will be issued to holders of foreign passports from the following countries: EU member-countries, Switzerland, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The tourist passes are valid for a period of 30 days. Taxes and insurance costs amount to 320 dinars - approximately 5 € or 5 US $.

Capital: Nicosia (also called Lefcosia)
Area: 9251 km�
Population: 753 000
The alphabet: The Greek alphabet. Signs in towns and cities usually appear in Greek and English, but in the villages familiarity can be useful.
Currency: The Cyprus Pound (CY£), devided into 100 cents, is the official currency in Cyprus. Coins: 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 cents. Banknotes: 1, 5 and 10 CY£.
Electric current: 220/240 Volt
Language: Greek. The written Greek in Cyprus conforms with to that of Greece, but the spoken language is archaic.
Telephone: The country code is 357. Area codes of main Cypriot cities: Nicosia - 02, Limassol - 05, Larnaca - 04, Paphos - 06, Ayia Napa - 03.
Time zone: (GMT+2)
Opening hours: Post offices work usually 8 a.m.-1.30 p.m. Monday to Friday. Banks, in general, work from 8.15 a.m.-12.30 p.m. . Nearly all shops open 8a.m.-1p.m. and 4-7p.m. .

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