-
Serbia – Kosovo border and passport stamp
As you may know, even though Kosovo looks like any other country and is recognized by France, it is not officially recognized by the UN or the European Union. And definitely not by neighboring Serbia, which considers Kosovo to be a region that belongs to it! In any case, between Serbia and Kosovo, there is a border crossing, just like any border between two countries (outside the Schengen area, of course, but we find the absence of borders normal, which is an anomaly everywhere else in the world). For context, we had planned to travel from Serbia to Kosovo and then return to Serbia to catch a flight from Belgrade.…
-
Travelling from Belgrade (Serbia) to Pristina (Kosovo) by Bus
From Belgrade in Serbia, we decide to take the bus to Pristina (Kosovo). I don’t think there’s an official website to buy tickets. So I bought our tickets on the GetByBus platform. The bus company is called Adio. I usually avoid going through middlemen, but we had already used them for a trip between Montenegro and Albania without any problems. The tickets cost us 15 euros per person. If you’re near the bus station, you can buy tickets at the counter directly, which will probably cost you a few euros less. We traveled on a weekday (a Thursday) and we would have gotten seats without any problems buying at the…
-
Prepaid SIM / eSIM in Kosovo: how to buy a 4G internet chip?
Roaming fees Be careful not to get caught out using your French SIM card in Kosovo, it can cost you a fortune. With Free Mobile, for example, it will cost you €9.7 / MB! Plus, it can be quite confusing. Serbia is a country where internet is included with Free Mobile. And since Serbia doesn’t recognize Kosovo as an independent country, but as a region of Serbia… Buying a 4G SIM at the airport We didn’t arrive by plane to Pristina, but by bus from Serbia, so I have no info on buying SIM cards at the airport. If you have any, please share them in the comments! Buying a…
-
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% Zinc 1% Review: Before/After 6 Months
It’s so rare! Not only did I finish this The Ordinary serum in record time, but I also scoured the internet to find my second bottle, in the middle of nowhere in Nicaragua. For someone who regularly switches up their skincare products, I can hardly believe it myself. That’s when I knew I had to tell you about it. This post is not NOT sponsored I fell for the products The Ordinary after my trip to the United States. It’s just easier to have the products right in front of you, and especially to have a brand advisor right there. They have a store in New York, and it’s as…
-
[Review] Therapist Secrets, a book by Tobie Nathan
I discovered this book while watching INREES videos. I have virtually no knowledge of psychiatry, but this man’s interview intrigued me and I wanted to read his book to learn more. Here’s the book description: For fifty years, Tobie Nathan has practiced ethnopsychiatry: he welcomes and cares for patients by taking into account their history, culture, language, and beliefs. A recognized university professor and often award-winning author, he now reflects on the major milestones of his life as so many benchmarks in the development of his discipline. He sheds light on what seems essential to him and shares what he had never revealed. “The multitude of languages and cultures is…
-
Serbia: How to Withdraw Money (ATMs, Exchange Offices, Airport)
In Serbia, the currency is the Serbian Dinar (RSD); here is some useful information for withdrawing money at minimal cost. Exchange Offices At Belgrade Airport, in March 2023, here are the exchange rates observed at the exchange office. If you’re not used to reading this type of table, look at the first row for the Euro zone and the first column labeled “Buy.” In other words, this exchange office gives you 114.8 RSD for 1 EUR. That day, the “real” exchange rate was 117.36 RSD for 1 EUR. That’s a spread of 2.63%, which is fairly honest. Every time you exchange 100 EUR, 2.6 EUR goes to fees. ATMs On…
-
Prepaid SIM / eSIM Serbia: How to Buy a 4G Data SIM Card?
Roaming fees Although Serbia is a European country, it is not part of the European Union. Therefore, free roaming rules do not apply. Unless you have a Free Mobile plan, you will face a hefty bill at the end of your stay if you use your French SIM card. Consider the rates for using 1 MB of mobile data. Mobile operator Roaming Free Mobile Included in the €20 plan SFR €13.20 / MB Orange €13.31/MB Bouygues Telecom €10.24 / MB Here’s the SMS you’ll receive if you’re with La Poste Mobile. Don’t use your SIM card; you’ll be broke! And this is the one I got with my Free Mobile…
-
Taking a taxi from Belgrade Airport (Serbia)
Upon arriving at Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla Airport in Serbia, you can take a bus to the city center. Since we had gotten up at 5 a.m., we were a bit worn out, so we opted for a taxi. So far, we’ve been pleasantly surprised by the kindness of the Serbs, but as almost everywhere in the world, you have to watch out for fake taxis at the airport. I had read online that you can get a “prepaid taxi” at an airport counter. That’s always what I prefer when it exists: it avoids unpleasant surprises. In the baggage claim area, signs confirm this service exists (I forgot to take a…
-
Back to Rome (Italy): March 2023
I’ve fallen so far behind on the blog that some travel diaries are going to be written in summary form, like this one. In March 2023, we spent 10 days in Rome. It wasn’t planned at all, but since we were in Malta, and then in Sicily, then to Pompeii, and Naples, we just had to push a little further to get to Rome. All roads lead to Rome, right? I also have two good excuses to go to this city that has become overpriced again after Covid: (1) I need to see my Italian dentist (2) I need to see my friend Simona. Simona, whom I’ve talked about at…
-
Attending an AS Roma football match (Italy)
In 2018, I took advantage of our stop in Turin to watch a match featuring Juventus, and another one with Torino (great memory!). During our long stay in Rome in 2020, matches were played behind closed doors due to covid. So it wasn’t until March 2023 that I got the chance to attend an AS Roma match with a great lineup: AS Roma vs Juventus! Buying the tickets Having only planned our trip to Rome two weeks in advance, the match was already sold out by the time I looked into it. I therefore decided to buy a ticket on the resale platform Viagogo. It’s something I generally wouldn’t recommend.…
