After a couple of days in Zagreb I opted to take the bus to Zagreb as the train didn’t go across the border. I wasn’t entirely thrilled by the prospect having checked out the reviews of the bus companies that covered the routes but had no other options really.

I thought I was travelling with Croatia Bus but it was in fact a company called Centrotrans. I guess on the whole it wasn’t entirely terrible in terms of the conditions but the journey didn’t get off to the best of starts. Upon boarding the bus and trying to put my rucksack in the hold I realised there was an extra fee to stow the luggage, not something I’d been told when booking the ticket. I had absolutely no money on me thinking I’d pick some up when I got to Sarajevo. The bus driver when loading the bags was not happy about this revelation. I tried to explain that I didn’t know it cost extra and that I had no cash. He did not understand and just yelled at me loudly gesturing wildly and demanded money. I politely told the bus driver that I didn’t have any fucking money but he didn’t seem to understand this either, signalling for me to just go away. His customer service skills left a little be desired putting it mildly. Cutting a long story short, I managed to extract my rucksack, run across the bus station and get to an ATM. Naturally it dispensed me only the highest value note possible (the luggage fee was only a euro) Fearing the further wrath of the driver I then pelted it to a shop to buy something to get change and made it back just in time to get on, remaining completely calm and relaxed throughout as you can imagine!

Another British chap also made friends with the driver when just before leaving he presented his e-ticket on his mobile phone. Paper tickets only apparently. After further angry words from the driver he was actually banished from the coach looking totally confused and bewildered. We left and moved to another part of the station where thankfully he was allowed to board having somehow sourced a paper ticket.

The bus was only two hours late which I’ve subsequently learned it was pretty in time.