diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 22194fb0a..afe5886fb 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ before_install:
   - unzip chromedriver_linux64.zip
   - sudo chmod u+x chromedriver
   - sudo mv chromedriver /usr/bin/
+  - pip install --upgrade pip
 install:
   - pip install .
   - pip install -r requirements.txt
@@ -34,12 +35,12 @@ matrix:
         - BROWSER=chrome
         - SELENIUM=3.3.1
         - ROBOTFRAMEWORK=2.8.7
-    - python: "3.3" # For PR and cron
+    - python: "3.6" # For PR and cron
       env:
         - BROWSER=chrome
         - SELENIUM=2.53.6
         - ROBOTFRAMEWORK=3.0.2
-    - python: "3.3" # For cron only
+    - python: "3.6" # For cron only
       env:
         - BROWSER=firefox
         - SELENIUM=2.53.6
diff --git a/src/Selenium2Library/keywords/browsermanagement.py b/src/Selenium2Library/keywords/browsermanagement.py
index edf969248..036dc8c57 100644
--- a/src/Selenium2Library/keywords/browsermanagement.py
+++ b/src/Selenium2Library/keywords/browsermanagement.py
@@ -625,6 +625,11 @@ def _create_remote_web_driver(self , capabilities_type , remote_url , desired_ca
         creates the associated remote web driver'''
 
         desired_capabilities_object = capabilities_type.copy()
+        
+        try:
+            unicode        # Python 2
+        except NameError:
+            unicode = str  # Python 3
 
         if type(desired_capabilities) in (str, unicode):
             desired_capabilities = self._parse_capabilities_string(desired_capabilities)
diff --git a/src/Selenium2Library/keywords/element.py b/src/Selenium2Library/keywords/element.py
index 3c6bf57f3..8e2c9b326 100644
--- a/src/Selenium2Library/keywords/element.py
+++ b/src/Selenium2Library/keywords/element.py
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@
 
 from .keywordgroup import KeywordGroup
 
+try:
+    basestring        # Python 2
+except NameError:
+    basestring = str  # Python 3
 
 class ElementKeywords(KeywordGroup):
 
diff --git a/src/Selenium2Library/locators/customlocator.py b/src/Selenium2Library/locators/customlocator.py
index 6f68752d7..6c81d43e6 100644
--- a/src/Selenium2Library/locators/customlocator.py
+++ b/src/Selenium2Library/locators/customlocator.py
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 from robot.libraries.BuiltIn import BuiltIn
 
+try:
+    basestring        # Python 2
+except NameError:
+    basestring = str  # Python 3
+
 
 class CustomLocator(object):
 
diff --git a/src/Selenium2Library/utils/__init__.py b/src/Selenium2Library/utils/__init__.py
index f43c24c57..092c83fd8 100644
--- a/src/Selenium2Library/utils/__init__.py
+++ b/src/Selenium2Library/utils/__init__.py
@@ -4,7 +4,10 @@
 
 
 def escape_xpath_value(value):
-    value = unicode(value)
+    try:
+        value = unicode(value)  # Python 2
+    except NameError:
+        pass                    # Python 3
     if '"' in value and '\'' in value:
         parts_wo_apos = value.split('\'')
         return "concat('%s')" % "', \"'\", '".join(parts_wo_apos)