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Home » Trip Reports » Introduction: Road Trip Through The Balkans
Trip Reports

Introduction: Road Trip Through The Balkans

Matthew Klint Posted onMay 11, 2020November 14, 2023 12 Comments

a small island with buildings and trees on it

I’ve held off for two months on starting a new trip report, but it’s time for a new report. Sort of.


Read more of my classic trip report through the Balkans

Introduction: Road Trip Through The Balkans
Review: US Airways A330-300 Business Class Philadelphia To Munich
Balkans Day 1: Sick In Belgrade
Balkans Day 2: Belgrade – Sarajevo
Balkans Day 3: Sarajevo – Dubrovnik
Balkans Day 4: Beauitful Dubrovnik
Balkans Day 5: Accused Of Espionage In Montenegro
Balkans Day 6: The Diverse Architecture Of Tirana, Albania
Balkans Day 7: Refreshment In Kosovo
Balkans Day 8: Racism In Skopje + A Pirated Hollywood Premiere
Balkans Day 9: Timeless Thessaloniki
Review: Hyatt Regency Thessaloniki
Review: Aegean Business Lounge Thessaloniki (SKG)
Review: US Airways A330 Business Class Frankfurt To Philadelphia
The Evening Cocktail: My Favorite Memory Of Balkans Trip


My brother and I took a summer road trip together through the Balkans in 2012. That’s ancient history by now, but I never wrote about it beyond a few contemporaneous observations:

  • In the Heart of the Balkans
  • Relaxing in Thessaloniki

The trip included stops in:

  • Belgrade, Serbia
  • Sarajaveo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Dubrovnik, Croatia
  • Podgorica, Montenegro
  • Pristhina, Kosovo
  • Tirana, Albania
  • Skopje, Macedonia
  • Thessalonki, Greece

a map of land with red lines

Very little was planned. In fact, the only thing we planned in advance was staying at the Imperial Hilton in Dubrovnik and the Hyatt Regencies in Belgrade and Thessaloniki.

In short, we had a wonderful trip…it was one of the best trips I’ve ever taken.

Each day we found our way from city to city, country to country via bus. We ate local food, saw interesting sites, and took it easy…we enjoyed an actual vacation.

This trip report will be diary style, one day at a time plus the flights, which included business class on US Airways for the transatlantic portions.

Once the economy re-opens, I will resume current trip reports, of which two are in a holding pattern. In the meantime, stay tuned for this blast from the past. And if you don’t want to read an “old” report, even though it has never been published, you have been warned.

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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12 Comments

  1. Howard Reply
    May 11, 2020 at 7:12 pm

    Omg, this is great. Fiancé and I have flights booked in August to spend 5-6 weeks driving around the Balkans.
    She’ll love this, thanks for the tips.

    Can’t wait!

    • Starla Reply
      May 12, 2020 at 7:22 am

      I hope you will enjoy this trip with your fiancée!

      I’ve heard that Montenegro is a good place to visit too!

  2. Chiguy1979 Reply
    May 11, 2020 at 8:18 pm

    The Balkans are fantastic. This is a great collection of cities but too bad you couldn’t visit any Adriatic islands. Sailing and island hopping in the Adriatic is the best vacation imaginable – warm sapphire water, incredible food and wine, and gorgeous vistas in every direction. My own trip back to Croatia is pending for early fall – fingers crossed it can still happen.

  3. Jordan Reply
    May 11, 2020 at 10:03 pm

    Keen! Looking forward to the read!

  4. Jay Reply
    May 11, 2020 at 10:41 pm

    Wow, I intend on doing a very similar trip later in the year. Looking forward to this particular blast from the past.

  5. gregorio Reply
    May 12, 2020 at 1:45 am

    That photo sure looks like Sveti Stefan in Montenegro, outside the Bay of Kotor. But I don’t see Montenegro on your list. Please tell me you didn’t miss that beautiful coast.

    • Matthew Reply
      May 12, 2020 at 9:17 am

      That was an omission on my part. We were in Montenegro as well!

  6. Andy K Reply
    May 12, 2020 at 1:49 am

    Looks great, Matthew. The history of this area (modern) is fascinating and a trip through there via bus must have been amazing. Can’t wait to read more.

  7. Aaron Reply
    May 12, 2020 at 6:48 am

    Will Podgorica be included as well? It was on your map but not in the list of cities…

    • Matthew Reply
      May 12, 2020 at 9:16 am

      It will be. Thanks! I added it to the list.

  8. dfw88 Reply
    May 12, 2020 at 9:10 am

    My family and I did a road-trip loop through the Balkans last summer and had an amazing time. Looking forward to comparing experiences!

  9. Jerry Reply
    May 12, 2020 at 1:25 pm

    Aren’t we supposed to be calling it “North Macedonia” these days? 😉

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