The ticket office says "no"

We awake once again to the sound of torrential rain on the streets of Belgrade and both agree that Plan B must come into operation. First we enjoy a sumptuous breakfast and, like naughty students, fill our napkins with supplies for a hearty picnic. We discover that we have had a free upgrade but our hotel bill still comes to 42,000 Serbian dinar (but there are several hundred to the pound: our mental maths has been challenged here unlike in Romania where Simon could cope with 5 lei to the pound!) On the streets once more we wend our way through heavy commuter traffic, puddles and potholes to the train station. We are already feeling cold and soaked through. Simon asks for 2 tickets to Novi Sad but when he points at the bikes the ticket lady shakes her head. My heart is sinking while she calls over her supervisor who explains that it is not possible to take bikes on trains in Serbia without a special ticket. Simon asks "can we buy a special ticket?" but he replies "no". He then says he will have to ask the train driver but we will have to wait. We wait, wondering what Plan C could be. Finally he returns with a smile on his face and escorts us to the platform where we lift our bikes with relief onto the back of the train. We sit in First Class, unknowingly, and even though it was non smoking we were amused that the air was still circulated from the smoking carriages through the ventilation system for our pleasure! An enjoyable trip: I think I could get used to travelling by train! Cycling out of Novi Sad was another unpleasant experience and we yearned for the quiet car free roads of Romania. After a mere 28 miles of busy highway we arrive at the border town of Backa Palanka. Across the border to Croatia tomorrow. (Belgrade to Backa Palanka - 29 miles)