Friday, October 19, 2018

Schengen 1st Week-end Solo Trip: Bosnia and Montenegro

Bosnia & Herzegovina (Sarajevo and Mostar) and Montenegro (Podgorica and Cetinje) week-end adventure
August 31 to September 01, 2018

8 Days Summer Europe Trip with my Mother (Aug. 2018)


My 1st 2018 Schengen visa week-end only adventure following the Summer Trip with my mother focusing in Spain60th solo backpacking trip, quest to visit all the countries in the world, total of 73 countries visited so far (total of 31 in Europe) and of course, usual budget do-it-yourself itinerary from arrival to departure. The idea of maximizing the Spain Embassy-issued Schengen Visa (Aug. 2018) validity got started when I remember that all of the Southern Europe countries which are not part of the European Union can be visited by using a valid Schengen Visa. Last 2015, I visited Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria. I still have 4 consecutive week-ends before my 2018 Schengen Visa validity expires to fulfill my quest on completing the possible visits in European countries.


Schengen 1st Week-end Solo Trip: Bosnia and Montenegro

Schengen 1st Week-end Solo Trip: Bosnia and Montenegro

Schengen 1st Week-end Solo Trip: Bosnia and Montenegro

BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA

timezone - UTC +0200H    capital - Sarajevo    language - Bosnian    currency - Mark (BAM)
visa - Valid Schengen Visa (Philippine passport holders need to apply first before travel)

Citizens of the countries with whom Bosnia and Herzegovina has a visa regime, may enter, without the obligation to obtain a visa for entry, exit, transit and stay only if they have a valid multiple entry visa or residence permit issued by the signatory countries of the Schengen Agreement, the EU member states or the United States of America. A period of stay is possible up to 90 days in any 180-day period, provided that the one continuous stay cannot be longer than 30 days and within validity period of a visa.

http://www.mvp.gov.ba/konzularne_informacije/vize/default.aspx

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA
1. Stari Most in Mostar is one of the country’s most identifiable landmarks. It is a 16th-century Ottoman bridge that stood for 427 years, until it was ruined in 1993 during the war. The bridge was reconstructed and opened in 2004
2. Bosnia and Herzegovina has been nicknamed the “Heart Shaped Land” because of the country’s slight heart shape
3. The currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the Marka, which can’t be bought or exchanged anywhere else in the world
4. The difference between a Bosnian and a Herzegovinian is upheld as a regional, not an ethic distinction
5. The name Bosnia comes from the Indo-European word which means water as the country is full of waterfalls, rivers and lakes

MONTENEGRO
timezone - UTC +0200H    capital - Podgorica    language - Montenegrin    currency - Euro (EUR)

Holders of travel documents containing a valid Schengen visa, a valid visa of the United States of America, United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, or a permission to stay in these countries, may enter and stay, or pass through the territory of Montenegro up to 30 days, and not longer than the expiry of visa, if the period of validity of the visa is less than 30 days.

http://www.mvp.gov.me/en/sections/consular-affairs/visa-regimes-for-foreign-citizens/

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT MONTENEGRO

1. The name "Montenegro", as it is not hard to guess, came from the words "Black Mountain"
2. Montenegrins are the tallest nation in Europe. The average height of the representatives of the stronger sex is about 185 cm
3. The official currency is the euro (€). However, because Montenegro is not part of the European Union, it does not have the right to issue money, i.e. manufacturing and releasing them in circulation. The bulk of the finance comes from abroad from vacationers.
4. The entire city of Kotor is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a kind of open-air museum.

Schengen 1st Week-end Solo Trip: Bosnia and Montenegro

Schengen 1st Week-end Solo Trip: Bosnia and Montenegro

2 DAYS WEEK-END SUMMER TRIP IN BOSNIA AND MONTENEGRO PREPARATION AND ITINERARY (AUGUST 2018)

Preparation:
Spain Visa application in Abu Dhabi - maximizing the issued 1.5 months validity
Flight tickets for Abu Dhabi to Sarajevo - 379 AED
Flight tickets for Podgorica to Abu Dhabi - 844 AED
Night bus from Sarajevo to Podgorica - 81 AED (18 Euro)
Total: 1,304 AED

Day 1: August 31, 2018 Friday

0130H ETD Abu Dhabi Airport UTC +0400H
0520H ETA Istanbul UTC +0300H; Transit Desk ticket claim
0715H ETD Istanbul UTC +0300H
0810H ETA Sarajevo UTC +0200H; Immigration and exchanger 40 EUR = 76KM
0845H ETD Airport; shuttle to center 5; drop-off to autobus station; snacks 4; ticket to Mostar 17
1000H ETD Sarajevo autobus station
1230H ETA Mostar; walk to city center, Old Bridge; souvenirs and refreshments 14
1500H ETD Mostar 21
1730H ETA Sarajevo; walk to Sarajevo Old Town; exchange commissions 6; dinner 9; taxi to regional bus station 20
2000H ETD Sarajevo
2300H Crossborder checkpoint (Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro)
Total: 96 Km

Day 2: September 01, 2018 Saturday

0200H ETA Podgorica; city sightseeing walk at night; back to bus station 1
0620H ETD Podgorica 3
0700H ETA Cetinje; walk to Old Town; Souvenirs 5
0850H ETD Cetinje 3
0930H ETA Podgorica; sandwich 2
1330H ETD Podgorica; taxi to airport 10; two transits made
2000H ETA Paris Airport; Mcdo meal 8
2200H ETD Paris
Total: 32 Euro

Grand Total: 48 (96KM) + 32 = 80 Euro (360 AED) + 1,304 AED = 1,664 AED ($452)


Schengen 1st Week-end Solo Trip: Bosnia and Montenegro

Schengen 1st Week-end Solo Trip: Bosnia and Montenegro

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