Long queues and hours-long delays were reported at Serbia’s border crossings on Saturday night and Sunday morning as large numbers of tourists returned from summer holidays, authorities said.
At the Gradina crossing on the border with Bulgaria, passenger vehicles faced delays of up to three hours, the Automobile and Motorcycle Association of Serbia (AMSS) said. On the Horgoš and Kelebija crossings with Hungary, waiting times were about 45 minutes, while at Batrovci on the Croatian border drivers reported delays exceeding two hours.
Traffic conditions remained volatile overnight, with kilometre-long lines forming at Gradina, Horgoš and Batrovci. On the Preševo crossing with North Macedonia, congestion also built up, with queues lasting more than two hours despite all six lanes being open.
At the Gostun and Špiljani crossings towards Montenegro, travellers faced about 30-minute waits.
Authorities urged drivers to exercise caution, maintain safe distances between vehicles and adjust their speed to changing road and weather conditions to avoid accidents during peak travel days.
Serbia, which is not a member of the European Union, lies on a key transit corridor for travellers and migrant workers moving between Western Europe, the Balkans and Turkey. Border traffic typically intensifies in late August as holidaymakers from central and northern Europe return home through the Western Balkans.
Heavy congestion has become a seasonal occurrence at Serbia’s busiest crossings with EU states Hungary and Croatia, where stricter entry checks often add to waiting times.