Baščaršija is the one part of Sarajevo where a car can be more nuisance than help while you are in it. What matters here is less which car you take than where you keep it.
The core of Baščaršija is pedestrianised. Most apartments in Sarači and Kazandžiluk cannot be reached by car, whatever the listing says. That is not a problem, but it is worth knowing in advance.
In practice we hand the car over at the nearest point a car is allowed, usually on Obala Kulina bana or by the City Hall, leaving you a few minutes on foot. We agree the exact spot by message, with a pin, so you are not circling and searching.
Everything you came to see in the old town is walkable: the Sebilj, the Gazi Husrev-bey Mosque, Ferhadija, the Latin Bridge, the City Hall. Driving between them would make no sense even where it were allowed.
So people staying in Baščaršija take a car for what walking cannot reach: Vrelo Bosne, Bjelašnica, Jahorina, Mostar. If you only need it for one such day, say so, because a short hire is calculated differently.
The streets above the bazaar, up towards Vratnik and Bistrik, are narrow, steep and often one-way. If your accommodation is up there, a big car is a genuine burden rather than a question of comfort.
For that part of town we suggest something small, the Mercedes-Benz B-Klasa or the VW Golf Sportsvan. If you still need a bigger vehicle for the travelling, tell us where you are staying and we will work out whether the approach is realistic.
Parking here is the most expensive and most contested in the city, and nearly the whole area is a paid zone. Before you book accommodation, check whether parking comes with it — it ends up costing more than the difference in the room rate.
The most reliable option is one of the garages near the centre, open all day with a daily tariff. A street space near the bazaar is findable off season, rarely in summer.
If the address is inside the pedestrian zone, no car can reach it. We hand over at the nearest permitted point and send you the exact location by message.
Probably not for the town itself. A car makes sense if you plan trips outside Sarajevo. For a few days in the bazaar you will spend more on parking than you get out of the car.
A small one. The Mercedes-Benz B-Klasa or the VW Golf Sportsvan fit through the narrow one-way streets and park more easily. A large van is a liability up there.
Send the address and your dates. We will suggest a handover point and a car that suits that street.
