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Language
The Serbian language is one of the standard versions of the Stokavian dialect, used primarily in Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and by Serbs everywhere. The former standard was known as Serbo-Croatian language, now split into Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian standards.
The Serbian alphabet is very consistent: one letter per sound with an insignificant number of exceptions. This phonetic principle is represented in the saying: “Write as you speak and read as it is written”, the principle used by Vuk Stefanovic Karadzic when reforming the Cyrillic spelling of Serbian in the 19th century.
Another rare feature of Serbian language is the presence of two alphabets: Cyrillic and Latin. The two alphabets are almost equivalent; the only difference is in the glyphs used. This is due to historical reasons; Serbian once being a part of the Serbo-Croat unification brought Latinic usage into Serbia.
Local Currency
The currency in Serbia is ‘Dinar’ - this is hard to come by in the UK as most banks don’t stock the currency.
You can buy your currency at airport or railway station when you arrive.
Dinar banknotes are available in units of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1000 and 5000 coins are called ‘para’. Please, do not rely on credit cards for local purchases. MasterCard and Visa are not generally accepted.
Exchange offices and banks abound, particularly in the centre and around tourist areas (Belgrade Airport - arrival hall, Main Railway station - exit area, etc.). They don’t charge handling fee for these services. In order to exchange money you are supposed to present your passport (usually in banks only). Always ask for a receipt and always count the money you received. All licensed exchange offices are properly signed (‘Menjacnica | Exchange’). Do not change money on the street! There is no foreign currency black market anymore.
Local Time
Serbia the Central European Time (CET) zone (GMT+1 hour), as well as the most countries of Western Europe.
Summer time counting (GMT+2 hour) starts on the last Sunday of March and lasts until the last Sunday of October.
The current in all regions of Serbia is 220 Volts, with plugs of two round pins, as everywhere in southern Europe.
Emergency
192 - Police
193 - Fire department
194 - Urgent medical help
195 - Time
196 - Telegrams
9821; 981 - Information
987 - Road assistance
985 - Information centre
901 - International calls