EGG IN NOVI SAD

Getting to Novi Sad

Visas?

Novi Sad is located in the Republic of Serbia. Although it is not a member of the EU, Serbia is one of the countries listed in Annex II of the Schengen Agreement containing the list of countries whose citizens do not need a visa to enter the countries of the EU. By reciprocity, people from EU countries (including the UK), do not need visas to enter Serbia. Visa is also not required for the citizens of the US, Russia, and China, which suggests that there is a long list of countries whose citizens can travel to Serbia without any additional documents other than their passport. If you’re coming from a non-EU country other than the US, Russia and China, it is, nonetheless, a good idea to check whether you will need a visa to enter Serbia using this link. Needless to say, if you need an invitation letter or some other documents in order to obtain a visa, in case you need one, the local organizers will provide them for you. Contact: Peđa Kovačević (pedjakovacevic90@gmail.com) or Stefan Ivanović (s.ivanovic@outlook.com).   

By plane?

Novi Sad does not have an airport and the closest one is in Belgrade (the Serbian capital) about 80 kilometers away from Novi Sad. The airport is called Nikola Tesla and it is fairly well-connected with most major European cities as well as numerous larger cities in the world. There is one more commercial airport in Serbia and it is located in Niš. This airport is significantly farther away (some 320 kilometers), but it is worth considering as the flights are much cheaper. Of course, the Niš airport is not as well-connected as the one in Belgrade but it has regular flights to and from several major European cities. Other airports that are not very far from Novi Sad are in Timisoara (c. 170 kilometers), Budapest (c. 280 kilometers) and Zagreb (c. 380 kilometers).

We need to share a few tips regarding how to get to Novi Sad if you are flying in via the Belgrade Airport. Unfortunately, there is no direct public transportation link from the Belgrade Airport to Novi Sad. There are, however, commercial shuttle buses and cars you can book in advance. We can point you to two companies that provide these services, Autoturist and Kiki021. We must note that since these are commercial services, their prices are on the high end (60-70 euros).

If you are looking for a cheaper, public transportation option (bus or train), you will need to find a way to get from the Belgrade Airport, which is located outside the city itself, to the main bus or train station in Belgrade. Public transportation (Bus Line A1) will take you from the airport to the main bus station where there are regular inter-city buses connecting Belgrade with Novi Sad (the total price for this options should be less than 15 euros). 

There is also a high-speed train connecting Belgrade and Novi Sad, which is a short, comfortable and cheap journey of less than 1 hour for the price of approximately 10 euros. However, the train leaves from the main train station and the connection between the airport and the train station is not very smooth. Unless you are willing to put up with crowded public transportation and change several lines, which we do not recommend, the only option would be to take a commercial taxi. These are readily available at the airport but we would advise you to ask the driver for the price of the ride in advance as the prices can vary substantially (on average the price should be around 20 euros, making the total price of this option including the train ticket approximately 30 euros).

By train?

One can get to Novi Sad by train from many European cities. In fact, if you are coming to Novi Sad from Central and Eastern Europe, railway transportation will probably be the most convenient option. The website of the Public Railway Company of Serbia is not particularly user-friendly so we suggest you check whether a larger train station that is close to you has a line to Novi Sad. 

By bus?

The main bus station in Novi Sad is located right next to the main train station. It is connected to a large number of European cities so it will probably be a very convenient option for most participants. 

Getting by in Novi Sad

Getting to the dorms & the Faculty

The main bus station and the main train station in Novi Sad are right next to one another so regardless of whether you are arriving by bus, by train or by plane via Belgrade, you will find yourself in this location. The station is about 3.5 kilometers away from the dorms, which is, perhaps, a walkable distance, but with your luggage and all, you will probably want to take some form of transportation. There is city bus stop right in front of the main train station. (Buses no. 4 and 11B take you closest to the dorms from teh central bus/train station.)

The price of a bus ticket is around 0.5 euros and it can be bought from the driver. The local currency is Serbian Dinar (RSD). The exchange rate does not fluctuate very much and stays around 117 dinars for 1 euro. Most buses go on every 15 to 30 minutes from 5 AM till midnight with higher frequency during the working hours (6-17) and lower frequency in the evening.

Another option to consider is taking a taxi. Taxies are relatively cheap in Novi Sad, and chances are many of you will use them on some occasions. A ride from the main bus/train station to the dorms will cost you around 4 euros (480 RSD). If you are able to share this cost with one or two people, this will be almost as cheap as the bus ticket. You should pay attention not to enter a non-licensed vehicle because they might try to overcharge you. Red Taxi, Lux Taxi, City Plus Taxi, Delta Taxi and Novus Taxi are the names of several licensed taxi companies, and if you see one of those labels on a vehicle, you will know that you will be charged fairly. You can always ask about the price of the ride in advance, and if it is 4-5 euros, you will know that you won’t be overcharged

Dorms

The dorms will probably be your first stop after you’ve arrived in Novi Sad. All the students will be accommodated within the same dorm complex in the neighborhood called Liman 4 on the opposite side of the main boulevard (Bulvar Oslobođenja) from the main bus and train stations. The dorms are called “Professor Živojin Ćulum” and “Nikola Tesla”, but they are better known as “Novi B” and “Novi C”, respectively, so if your taxi driver or someone you might be asking for directions does not know about them under their official name, chances are they might do so under these alternative names. All the rooms have their separate bathrooms and small kitchens and many of them even have balconies. A stable internet connection is available in the dorms, WI-FI, and cable, but you should bring your own cable if you want to use the cable connection. 

The School starts on July 24 and it ends on August 4. Your tuition fee will cover 13 nights from July 23 to August 4. This means that you can arrive on July 23 and Leave on August 5. If your plans include arriving earlier than August 2 and/or leaving later than August 14, you can pay for those extra nights yourself. One extra night will cost you 12 euros. You should, however, notify us (Peđa Kovačević, Stefan Ivanović, Micole Vianello) about the extra night(s) you would like to include in your stay so we can arrange that for you. This should be done by July 10. 

At this point (late April 2023), the plan is to carry out the registration and room assignment on July 23 at the reception desk of the dorm “Professor Živojin Ćulum” (Novi B), and we will be there to help you settle in during the entire day. If any changes occur on this front, you will be notified in time. 

UPDATED: On July 23, the main reception and the registration desk will be located at the dorm called “Car Lazar” (also known colloquially as “Novi B”). Its address is Bulevar Despota Stefana, No. 7, Novi Sad. You can find the GoogleMaps location of the dorm here.  All the participants who are staying at the dorms will be registered at this location while some of the rooms might be outside this particular dorm in one of the neighboring buildings on the same pavilion (50-100 meters from the main dorm).

Another update with answers to questions about the dorm facilities in the WhatsApp chat:
There is no general kitchen and fridge in the dorms. However, rooms are equipped with a sink and a kitchen countertop. (There might be no pots, pans, plates, cutlery though.)
There is no laundry service at the dorms, but there is a commercial laundromat not too far, with the great name Veš Servis (google maps link).

Faculty Building

This year’s EGG School will take place at the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Novi Sad. The Faculty building is located on Zorana Đinđića Street 2, which is inside the campus. The walk from the dorm to the Faculty building should take 25 minutes. It is a really lovely walk by the Danube and away from the city traffic. The entrance to the Faculty is facing the Danube and outside the campus. There is a big park across the street from the Faculty with the river on the other end. WIFI (eduroam) is available inside the Faculty building.

The School

The School itself takes place over the course of two weeks (Monday through Friday). The classes are divided into two blocks, one in the morning and the other one in the afternoon. There is a lunch break in the middle. The classes are divided according to the discipline (Syntax, Semantics, Phonology) and level (Introductory, Advanced). You cannot attend all the courses even if you wanted to because many of them run in parallel. You should pick those courses that you are truly interested in and try not to overwhelm yourself. Find a pace that suits you best. All the courses are taught in English. The evenings and the weekend are devoted to social activities and entertainment.

City Center

The center of Novi Sad is some 2.3 kilometers away from the dorm and less than a kilometer from  the Faculty building. The latter is definitely a walkable distance, and the walk from the Faculty to the city center is quite pleasant. You can also take a bus. The bus leaves from a bus stop on the corner of Stražilovska Street and Cara Lazara Boulevard across the street and to the right from the Students’ Restaurant. You should look for bus number 8 and get off the bus on the third stop in front of the Serbian National Theatre.   

Money and SIM cards

The currency in Serbia is Serbian Dinar, you can’t pay in other currencies. You can exchange money, the locals recommend to do this at Gaga (google maps link); avoid using the exchange offices at the airport or the station since the rates will be suboptimal. You can also use ATM machines to withdraw money, but some rates might apply there as well. It will not be possible to get by paying by card only, you will definitely need some cash, e.g. for smaller cafes, bus fares, and the like.

Since Serbia is not in the EU you might want to get a prepaid SIM card. For example, MTS (a local mobile service provider) offers such cards, and this might be cheaper than roaming plans. Most corner shops sell such cards, and the local organizers can point you towards the closest one(s) once you got settled in.

Contact for the local organizers

If you have any further questions concerning the local organization, contact Stefan Ivanović (s.ivanovic@outlook.com), Peđa Kovačević (pedjakovacevic90@gmail.com), or Micol Vianello (vianellomicol@gmail.com)

There is also a WhatsApp group for the EGG that you can sign up for. Send a mail to the local organizers to get access.