THIS POST WAS UPDATED IN AUGUST 2021
Banja Luka is the second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
To help you with your trip planning, here are our 4 suggested options for traveling to Banja Luka:
1. From Sarajevo.
Take a train from Sarajevo's main train station. There are two departures a day. Tickets cost around € 16. The journey takes about 4 hours and is very comfortable. WiFi is available in some services and it is completely secure. On arrival there are taxis waiting at the station.
2. From Zagreb, Croatia.
You can rent a car or take a bus to Banja Luka. If you rent a car, the trip is about 2 hours, which is mostly by road, with very little traffic congestion. There is an international border to cross into Bosnia and Herzegovina. If you want to take the bus, first take the airport shuttle bus that waits outside “arrivals”, to the central bus station in Zagreb (33 direct minutes - € 5). A bus leaves 5 times a day for Banja Luka. The cost is € 16. The trip takes about 4 hours, due to stops and border crossing. Tip: be sure to take the bus across the border in Gradiška, our recommended car rental provider (button below) can arrange a rental car from Zagreb airport.
3. From Belgrade, Serbia.
There are 2 options available:
(1) AirSerbia flight from Belgrade to Banja Luka. The flight lasts approximately between 35 and 45 minutes and is direct.
(2) Rent a car and drive from Belgrade to Bosnia via Croatia by highway (which will involve crossing international borders at two border crossings) or from Serbia to Bosnia and Herzegovina which is all secondary road and can take around 5 hours if there are no delays at the border.
4. Flights to Banja Luka Airport.
Wizz Air, Air Montenegro, Air Serbia and Ryan Air offer direct flights to Banja Luka from the following countries:
(a) Germany,
(b) Belgium,
(c) Netherlands,
(d) Sweden .
(e) Norway.
(d) France.
(e) Serbia.
(f) Montenegro.
(g) Switzerland.
You can book a rental car to meet you at Banja Luka airport.
Our recommended car rental provider (button below) can arrange a rental car from Banja Luka Airport.
There is also a shuttle bus to and from the airport.
OUR RECOMMENDED CAR RENTAL