Travelling the Balkans with Wandering Frank
‘It comes from a desire to travel cheaply and have unforgettable experiences’ –
Wandering Frank on travelling the Balkans.
Where are the Balkans?
The Balkans, otherwise known as the Balkan states include 11 countries on the southeastern edge of Europe. Some of these countries used to be part of the former country of Yugoslavia, such as Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia. It is disputed which countries fall under ‘The Balkans’ but usually it is defined through a combination of social, political, economic and geographical factors.
Interestingly the word ‘Balkan’ means mountains in Turkish. Therefore, it comes at no surprise that the Balkans are surrounded by mountains. These mountains affect the region’s climate. The north has colder winters and warmer summers, similar to central Europe. Whereas the south is known to have hotter, drier summers and wet winters and is sometimes described as being more Mediterranean.
Who is Wandering Frank?
Solo travel addict and photographer, Francesco Perra AKA Wandering Frank, is a 28 years old, qualified pharmacist from Sardinia, Italy.
Wandering Frank is an experienced traveller, and I think that’s important considering his desire to hitchhike when travelling the Balkans. It’s definitely not something for the faint hearted, nor is hitchhiking particularly safe in many parts of the world. Wandering Frank has had a different experience. Enthusiastically he explained his journey, the ups, the downs and the people he had the pleasure of meeting.
He has always been passionate about travelling and during his 12 months in Budapest on the Erasmus Program he decided to solo travel in his winter break. His first experience took him to the South Coast of Spain, to Barcelona, Valencia, Andalusia and through to Porto in Portugal.
This further sparked a curiosity in travelling and led to him to search for new opportunities. Interestingly, he decided to combine his university studies with travel. He chose to spend 3 months in Buenos Aires, Argentina and then a further three months Brighton, UK. These were for pharmacy internships where he travelled and ‘created incredible memories at any opportunity’.
Later, he bought a camera and decided to pursue photography and travel. Although his journey has not always been an easy one, struggling with how to create a balance of life’s purpose and meaningful travel.
The European Voluntary Service
If you haven’t heard of the European Voluntary Service, I suggest you look it up. They have opportunities for young people across Europe to engage in purposeful volunteering opportunities in 28 countries. Wandering Frank headed to Romania to help create spaces for blind people and thus began his desire to hitchhike.
He quickly realised that not only was it ‘a much cheaper way to travel’ but it was not as ‘hard as it might appear’. It’s actually pretty common to hitchhike in Romania and a much faster way to travel than getting the train.
Not always on the usual European itinerary, travelling the Balkans has always been on the forefront of Wandering Frank’s mind. The history, current situation and the fact there aren’t as many tourists is what attracted him. At first it seems surprising considering the way he describes the beauty of the cities and how the ‘nature is indisputable’. However, he went on to describe the situation of the countries. Although it’s still Europe, the connections with the ‘richer’ countries are just not the same.
If you fancy doing something similar, the easiest way is to start your journey by flying to Split, Croatia. This is because you will find plenty of affordable flights from low-cost airlines.
What is hitchhiking?
Hitchhiking can also be known as thumbing or hitching and is a method of transportation where you ask an individual (usually someone you’ve never met before) for a lift in their vehicle. Also, it is likely that this ride would be free, although some people may ask for a small payment.
Hitchhiking is a common worldwide practice, but some countries do have rules that you have to follow. In all European countries it is legal, but you cannot hitchhike where pedestrians are banned, this means that you should avoid the motorways.
It has been on the decline in recent years due many reasons. For example, safety concerns, films and faster motorways. If you enjoy it though, you’re not alone and could attend an annual Hitchgathering, organised by Hitchhikers for hitchhikers. Pretty cool, right?
Is hitchhiking in the Balkans safe?
I still had questions and concerns about hitchhiking though:
Whom should I go with?
How can I make it stress free?
Is it safe?
First, Wandering Frank’s top tip is to download the app HitchWiki. This app is essential for hitchhiking, it uses feedback from its users to determine, what roads you are more likely to get a lift from. Indeed, his ‘average wait time for a lift was only 20 minutes.’ Not too bad, I have visions of myself waiting and sweating every day for hours on end. Turns out- that’s not the reality.
In fact, during his 3 weeks of travelling the Balkans, Wandering Frank went on a crazy adventure from Arad, Romania, to Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Albania and ended up his trip in Sofia, Bulgaria, after travelling over 2000 km. Impressive!!
When hitchhiking, gender does play a part and you might find it easier to get a ride if you are a girl. Drivers usually feel safer giving a lift to a girl rather than a man. However, it can change from place to place or from day to day and whether or not luck is on your side.
On the road, most of the drivers he found were locals and some did lack an understanding of English. This was not a big enough barrier to stop him carrying on. He found kind people who were willing to help him out with information, life stories and even some food.
I want to travel the Balkans. What are the top tips?
His biggest tips for someone thinking of going on a hitchhiking trip would be to definitely plan, but prepare to be flexible.
‘It’s better to have a realistic and shorter ride than trying to go too far away, you’re risking ending up in a remote village at night and maybe that’s not the best idea…’
Of course, not everyone has the opportunity to hitchhike, it can take longer and some people just won’t ever feel safe, but that doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t visit this great part of the world.
His top 3 places when travelling the Balkans:
- Sarajevo, Bosnia
He fell in love with its multicultural demographics. Where the east meets west, making it a real melting pot in the Balkans. It’s a place with a sad history and you don’t have to wander far around the city to see the devastation of the recent war, with bullet holes and some destroyed buildings.
Despite this, the city is full of good vibes and incredible architecture dating back to the Austro- Hungarian Empire with a Turkish influence.
- Mostar, Bosnia
If you’re on Instagram and follow travel pages, you’ve probably seen pictures of the famous Stari Most Bridge. This has helped put this small city on the map. This UNESCO Heritage site was initially built in 1598. Although, it was destroyed during the war in the 90s and then rebuilt in 2004 to replicate the original style. It looks like something out of a fairy tale, so is no wonder that it’s one of Bosnia’s top destinations.
- Zabliak, Montenegro
Last but not least, is in Montenegro Zabljak, a little Town in the Area of Durmitor. The town is the highest urban settlement, with an altitude of 1450 metres and is surrounded by towering mountains and pristine lakes. Are you a nature lover? A visit to Durmitor National Park is a MUST .
‘Slow down, be flexible and avoid crazy plans’
Be sure to check out Wandering Frank’s further travels and incredible travel photography on Instagram too. I know I’ll be following, I wonder where he’ll be going next…
Really interesting article. It would be quite a different experience doing this hitch hiking. I’d like to go to Mostar, Bosnia at some point, that bridge looks like a sight worth seeing! Thanks for sharing.
What an incredible experience to be hitchhiking through the Balkans. I can see why Mostar is one of Frank’s favourite places in Bosnia. This is great inspiration to be more adventurous when travelling.
Interesting way of traveling the Balkans. I love the Balkans, it’s so beautiful there.
I have backpacked through the Balkans quite a few years ago, but I used trains and buses to move around. Your post brought back so many beautiful memories I’ve made during that trip. Bosnia was my favorite country out of all I visited during that trip. 🙂
Looks like such a beautiful hitchhike through the Balkans. The waterfall look incredible. I don’t think I would be able to jump from the Mostar Bridge though. Excellent post. Would love to hitchhike.
I absolutely love the Balkan region, the people are so warm and welcoming it doesn’t surprise me one bit that it’s a good place to hitchhike. Thanks for sharing with us!