Balkans Travel in the Winter

I'm planning a trip to the Balkan states (Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro and Albania) in the winter months (November-March). I was hoping to slow travel my way through each of these 4 countries, staying for about one month in each country. However, I have the following questions:

1.) Would most accommodations, restaurants, sights/museums close for the Winter. Where I'm left with nothing to do but stay in my hotel/apartment the whole time?

2.) Would there be any problems with road conditions or transportation between these countries in the winter?

Additional information: I'm planning on staying in Dubrovnik for Christmas and Montenegro for the month of January. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

A lot is going to be closed at that time, especially places like Dubrovnik. Heck I was there in late April and a lot of stuff was still closed, let alone the dead of winter.

There are an awful lot of windy roads in BiH that aren't well maintained and I wouldn't want to go on in winter.

Although these countries are very hot in the summer months, in the winter the temperatures plummet and snow and ice can cause problems, Sarajevo did host the winter Olympics in 1984 afterall and Bosnia is trying to become a Ski destination again. I spent a few weeks in the Balkans (Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro) last September and they were still busy at that time, but I could tell that even then, some places were winding down a bit for the end of the season. The hostels I stayed in were not busy, which was good for cheap rooms, but not very good for meeting people or planning trips in small groups.

Snowfall can be very heavy in winter time in this area of Europe, many roads could be blocked for days, maybe weeks on end, the railway network, which is basic at the best of times, could be affected too, at the very least it will be busier because people are forced off the roads. As great as the Balkans are, perhaps winter is one time to avoid them, unless you stick to the big cities and fly between them or are 100% certain that your entire route is open before making a journey.

Thank you so much for the advice. Now I'm thinking about leaving on the last week of April and and stay in the Balkans until the end of August and move on to Turkey for September and October. Hopefully that will work out better.

That seems like a more solid plan. Turkey is still popular in September and October, especially for British holiday makers, so they are certainly geared up for large numbers of people later on in the year when compared to other holiday spots. I know you're probably not going to be going to holiday resorts, but Turkey generally has better infrastructure so you should find it easier to travel between places compared to the Balkans. Weather should not be a problem at that time of year either. I've visited Turkey in October and it's been in the 20's (C), if anything it'll be more pleasant than the summer months!

Turkey in the winter may be a bit cold, damp and miserable, but it is definitely open for business, and Istanbul is still pretty fun, even if the Princes Islands would be a cold and windy idea.

It almost never snows in Istanbul, so the roads will be clear up to Eastern Turkey. You will be out of the main tourist season, which is probably a good thing. The only negative aspect I can thing of that would affect you would be the short days, which means that the bus tours of Western Turkey, a good deal in my opinion, spend more time on the buses than in the sites. I normally don't recommend bus tours, but if time is an issue, they are an excellent value.

Winter in Capadochia is absolutely charming and marvelous, and I recommend it highly, especially after it snows and when the full moon is out. Spectactular in so many ways!!!

A lot closes in the winter in the Balkans. I think you're right to go in the summer, it's a totally different place then.