20+ Genuinely Helpful Issues to Know!

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In the event you’re interested by Montenegro journey, you’ve come to the precise place. I like instructing folks about touring within the Balkans, one in every of my favourite areas on the planet, and particularly telling folks what it’s prefer to journey to Montenegro!

I beloved Montenegro from the second I first visited in 2012. How may this tiny nation be so extremely gorgeous? So many rugged mountains and clear teal lakes, so many enjoyable journey actions and picture-perfect outdated cities.

And from that first journey, I’ve saved coming again to Montenegro — for music festivals and mountaineering, birthday celebrations and rafting journeys, monastery-hopping and swimming within the Bay of Kotor.

This can be a small nation — but it surely has a lot to supply.

Listed below are issues it’s worthwhile to find out about Montenegro journey. (And don’t neglect to take a look at my information to the greatest issues to do in Montenegro, too!)

Morning at the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro, orange roofs and a bright blue sky
Spectacular Kotor at dawn.

Montenegro is without doubt one of the most stunning international locations on the planet.

I’ve steadily known as Montenegro probably the most stunning nation on the planet — or probably the most stunning nation in Europe. That’s excessive reward — and I don’t give it out frivolously. (And sure, I’ve been to Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, you identify it.)

Whereas Croatia’s Adriatic shoreline would possibly get all of the hype, Montenegro’s shoreline has fairly a little bit of magnificence as nicely. The Bay of Kotor is nothing in need of spellbinding, with lush inexperienced mountains crashing down into clear teal water.

However that’s simply the bay (which additionally occurs to be the southernmost fjord in Europe). There are additionally the mountains. When you head additional inland, Montenegro is crammed with gorgeous grey mountains interspersed with little tufts of greenery.

Actually, Montenegro’s identify (Crna Gora) means Black Mountain, and was named for the dense evergreen forests on Mount Lovcen.

Kayaks and wooden boats perched on the dock on a reflective lake surrounded by forest and mountains.
Durmitor Nationwide Park in Northern Montenegro is nicely well worth the journey.

The place to go in Montenegro

Not tremendous conversant in Montenegro? Take a look at my listing of 30 greatest issues to do in Montenegro. Listed below are a number of the greatest locations to go to within the nation:

Bay of Kotor: This spectacularly beautiful bay is probably the most touristed a part of the nation. Many, many day-trippers come over from Dubrovnik, and lots extra vacationers simply pop into Kotor and come out a couple of days later. Cruise ship vacationers base in Kotor as nicely.

Kotor is probably the most well-known city to go to within the area and makes base for exploring each Kotor Bay and Montenegro as an entire. A tiny city near Kotor is Perast, and will get a number of day-trippers but in addition makes base for a couple of days. Herceg Novi is a giant resort city near the Croatian border; Tivat is house to the area’s worldwide airport and will get a number of moneyed yacht guests.

A bit extra inland however near the bay, you might have Lovćen Nationwide Park and the outdated royal capital of Cetinje, each value a go to.

Budva Riviera: Budva is a serious seashore city in Montenegrin coast that has been drawing big crowds of vacationers for many years (and attracts numerous Russians particularly). This a part of the nation is house to top quality seashores. Some cities to go to past Budva itself embody Sveti Stefan and Petrovac.

Northern Montenegro: This a part of Montenegro is mountainous and rural, and is house to nationwide parks together with UNESCO World Heritage-listed Durmitor Nationwide Park, house to Black Lake and Tara River Canyon rafting, and, additional east, stunning and underrated Biogradska Gora Nationwide Park.

Central Montenegro: Central Montenegro is without doubt one of the lesser-visited components of the nation, however there are some cool locations to go to right here, like Ostrog Monastery, set right into a rocky cliff.

Southern Montenegro: If Montenegro is formed like a diamond, the underside quadrant is house to fairly a couple of varied websites.

Right here you might have the scruffy but in style seashore cities of Bar and Ulcinj, that are a bit scruffier than the Budva Riviera and draw a extra native Montenegrin and Albanian crowd. The present Montenegrin capital of Podgorica doesn’t have a lot to see, however close by Stari Bar is a little bit of a ghost city with ruins that have been wrecked within the 1979 earthquake.

Skadar Lake Nationwide Park is house to the most important lake within the Balkans and is a really attention-grabbing place to spend a day.

A tiny village of stone houses with orange roofs set against a forested hillside on the Bay of Kotor.
This a part of Perast appears quite a bit like Croatia!

Is Montenegro the brand new Croatia? Not likely.

Everybody likes to declare locations the “new” one thing. Riga is the brand new Prague! Medellín is the brand new Chiang Mai! Mahahual is the brand new Playa del Carmen! And loads of folks have been calling Montenegro the brand new Croatia for years. (And, in flip, Albania the brand new Montenegro.)

Is that true? I don’t actually suppose so. Whereas Montenegro might need comparable dramatic shoreline, together with rocky however not sandy seashores, Montenegro is gentle years away from Croatia when it comes to infrastructure for vacationers.

What does that imply? There are not any ride-sharing apps that work within the nation, buses gained’t honor internet-purchased tickets except you print them out, the highways have a single lane in every path and get backed up, and whereas there are some good resorts right here, most lodging tends to be at a extra primary stage. Many tourism companies don’t have a lot of a web based presence, both, past a WhatsApp quantity to name.

I’m not saying this to insult Montenegro — removed from that! I find it irresistible right here. Simply know earlier than you come that journey right here is much more primary — particularly when you’re used to touring in Western Europe.

People swimming in the bright blue Bay of Kotor next to a bar built on a cement block.
Journey to Montenegro in the summertime to get pleasure from seashore time to the fullest.

When’s the most effective time to go to Montenegro?

To me, Montenegro is a quintessential summer season vacation spot. Between swimming within the Adriatic Sea, mountaineering via the mountains, and hopping via the beautiful cities, Montenegro is like ingesting in sunshine. That’s why I needed to return for my latest birthday in August.

Montenegro has a Mediterranean local weather, although a lot of the climate is determined by the elevation. The coastal areas are usually a lot hotter and rainier than the inland mountain areas, that are cooler and get quantity of snow within the winter months.

July and August are peak season in Montenegro; June via September is excessive season. Nevertheless, I don’t advocate visiting throughout July or August when you don’t must. I most lately visited in August and the site visitors alongside the shoreline was NUTS. Cruise ships have been NONSTOP. The cities have been PACKED. Taxis have been charging INSANE costs (extra on that under).

In the event you get pleasure from summer season climate, I like to recommend visiting Montenegro from early to mid-June or mid-September to early October. It is going to nonetheless be summery and beautiful — simply much more peaceable of an expertise!

What about shoulder season? Completely! In the event you don’t care about swimming within the sea or sunning your self, spring and fall will be nice occasions of 12 months to journey in Montenegro. Shoulder season is particularly good for mountaineering and outside journey.

Winter can be very quiet, with many companies on the shoreline closed — but it surely’s a good time for snowboarding within the mountains. Snowboarding in Montenegro is totally a factor (look to the Dinaric Alps), and it’ll value you a fraction of what you’d pay within the Swiss or Italian Alps.

A menu of an oyster and mussels restaurant held over the clear green waters of the Bay of Kotor.
A easy restaurant in an costly location in Montenegro.

Is Montenegro costly or low-cost? Sure.

For many years, guidebook authors have been encouraging Europe vacationers on a price range to move east. You’ll get much more on your cash in Budapest than Paris!

The truth of that right now? KIND of true, however not at all times. (In any case I dwell in Prague, as soon as a famously low-cost European getaway, however now I typically spend much less in Italy than I do in Prague. Italy!!)

The Western Balkans — consisting of the previous Yugoslavia and Albania — typically get you fairly a bit on your cash. North Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia, Kosovo, and Albania are very budget-friendly locations, whereas Slovenia has grown costlier and far of Croatia has turn into considerably costlier, particularly Dubrovnik.

So how costly is Montenegro? It is determined by the place you go.

Kotor and Perast? Very costly. These in style hotspots on the Bay of Kotor get a number of tourism, and thus costs are pushed far up. Budva and its southern seashores are solely a bit cheaper than Kotor and Perast, although there are some offers available.

Southern seashore locations in Montenegro like Ulcinj and Bar that draw native guests are a bit shabbier and quantity cheaper than the seashores additional north.

However when you head deep into inland Montenegro — suppose Durmitor Nationwide Park and Biogradska Gorda — costs drop considerably and are extra on par with Serbian costs. Even heading barely inland from the coast could make a giant distinction in costs.

It’s the identical as wherever else on the planet: cities, coastal locations, and vacationer hotspots are usually costliest. Rural, inland, much less in style locations are usually cheaper.

Kate takes a selfie at sunrise in front of the Bay of Kotor
Me mountaineering solo in Montenegro, safely.

Is Montenegro protected?

Montenegro is as protected as most locations in Europe — which implies it might be safer than your hometown. Do what you’d do in every other vacation spot — hold your valuables on you in transit, don’t drink an excessive amount of, keep conscious of your environment, be in contact with somebody at house.

I’ve traveled in Montenegro as a solo feminine traveler and I felt very protected the entire time. I’d journey solo in Montenegro anytime. (Have you ever seen my prime 10 journey security suggestions for girls? Positively verify them out when you haven’t but.)

Are there any Montenegro-specific security precautions to take? Just a few.

Be cautious of petty theft. Pickpocketing can occur in busy cities like Kotor and Budva, particularly of their darkish, twisty outdated cities. Preserve your belongings in a zip-up crossbody purse, don’t take extra money and playing cards than you want for the day, and lock up the remainder in your room in a conveyable protected.

Watch out on the roads. Roads in Montenegro are usually slim and winding, particularly when you get deeper inland. Many of those switchback-filled roads which can be protected, however it’s worthwhile to go far more slowly than normal. Watch out the place you cease to take footage, too. There are hardly ever guardrails at scenic overlooks. Allot additional time on your drive so that you don’t have to hurry.

Observe security when mountaineering. Speak with a neighborhood earlier than you head out on a hike, verify the climate, be sure it’s at the moment protected and satisfactory, and let your lodge know the place you’re going and when you have to be again. Be cautious of snowstorms within the mountains from fall via spring.

Don’t go drink for drink with Montenegrins, particularly if rakija is concerned. Like Serbians, Montenegrins LOVE to share rakija with guests and can provide it typically, particularly when you’re a person (my husband even obtained supplied rakija at BREAKFAST as soon as!). You should not have wherever near their rakija tolerance — I like to recommend making an attempt one shot, max, provided that you’re not driving, or politely turning them down.

The Bay of Kotor from above, green mountains plunging into a deep blue fjord, two tiny islands in the water.
The Bay of Kotor from above.

How one can get to Montenegro

There are two worldwide airports in Montenegro: Tivat, which is on the Bay of Kotor; and Podgorica, the capital. In the event you’re flying straight in, you’ll need to goal for a kind of two airports. Neither airport is tremendous well-connected, particularly outdoors the summer season months, however you will discover your method through some bigger cities.

Some folks prefer to fly to Dubrovnik and head to Montenegro from there. I’ve carried out that earlier than myself. The border is a little bit of a ache, but it surely would possibly match into your journey higher, particularly when you’re including on time in Croatia.

Alternatively, you may get to town of Bar, Montenegro, two other ways: there’s a Montenegro Traces ferry from Bari, Italy, in addition to a prepare from Belgrade, Serbia.

In any other case, you’ll be arriving overland by automotive or bus. For that reason, vacationers typically pair Montenegro with one other nation or two (I at all times have!). You possibly can simply add Montenegro to a southern Croatia itinerary, or add Montenegro to an extended journey via Serbia, Bosnia, or Albania.

(Simply let your rental automotive firm know when you plan on crossing borders.)

Montenegro after sunset: a mountainous backdrop with a city in the distance.
Montenegro after sundown.

Montenegro just isn’t within the Schengen Zone.

Like lots of the Balkan international locations, Montenegro just isn’t a part of the Schengen Zone. The Schengen Space is a bunch of 27 nations in Europe which have open borders.

Lengthy-term vacationers and digital nomads in Europe can solely be within the Schengen Zone 90 days inside a 180-day interval. Consequently, numerous these persons are in search of good non-Schengen areas to spend their time till they’ll return to the Schengen Zone.

So sure! Montenegro just isn’t Schengen, so it makes a pleasant place to go to if it’s worthwhile to go away the realm for awhile.

People squished into a public bus, some hanging onto railings.
The view from the Blue Line Bus in Montenegro — packed like sardines!

Are you able to do public transportation in Montenegro? Sure, but it surely’s a ache.

Montenegro journey will be carried out both with or and not using a automotive. I’ve carried out two Montenegro journeys and not using a automotive and one with a automotive and actually, having a automotive makes journey in Montenegro a lot simpler.

In the event you simply need to do a fast Bay of Kotor journey, or possibly Kotor and a day journey to Durmitor, you may get away and not using a automotive. If you wish to journey Montenegro comprehensively, you’ll completely want a automotive.

So what sort of public transport is there in Montenegro?

Bus: Buses are the principle approach to get round Montenegro, together with factors past the nation’s borders. You should buy tickets at bus stations in cities which have them.

The Blue Line bus travels alongside the Bay of Kotor, from Herceg Novi to Kotor, stopping at most cities alongside the way in which, although know that buses will be late and packed to the gills.

Necessary word: you MUST have tickets printed out when you purchase them upfront. Having them in your telephone display screen gained’t work. I purchased tickets via BusTicket4Me, a Montenegrin firm, and so they wouldn’t let me on as a result of it wasn’t printed out!! In the event you don’t have a printer, you possibly can have the bus station print them out for you, but it surely is perhaps an extended wraparound line, because it was the day I did it.

Practice: Shock, there’s a prepare in Montenegro — and it’s truly a stunning journey! There’s a prepare that runs between Bar and Belgrade, Serbia, stopping at Podgorica and Bijelo Pole en route. This may be an all-day or in a single day journey (13 hours by day, 9 hours in a single day).

Ferry: If you wish to skip the lengthy drive round Boka Bay (on the Bay of Kotor), there’s a brief ferry between Kamenari and Lepetane. Ferries run continually as they fill, take 10 minutes, and value 4.50 EUR ($5 USD).

Internationally, there’s a ferry that runs between Bar and Bari, Italy, on Montenegro Traces. The journey takes 9 hours.

Vacationer shuttles: Montenegro Hostel affords vacationer shuttles (good-quality buses and vans that take you direct from hotspot to hotspot so that you don’t have to alter buses a number of occasions). I took their shuttle from Tirana to Budva as soon as and it was a stunning, comfy, air-conditioned expertise. You possibly can take them from locations in Montenegro to Dubrovnik, Croatia; Mostar, Bosnia; and Tirana, Albania.

Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus: There’s now a hop-on-hop-off bus in Montenegro operating alongside the Bay of Kotor between Risan and Kotor. At 25 EUR ($27 USD) for twenty-four hours, I believe it’s a deal in case you are touring solo and could be taking taxis in any other case. Actually, I’d LOVE it if it continued to Budva and even Sveti Stefan or Petrovac. Hope they increase it sooner or later.

Taxis: Frustratingly, Montenegro doesn’t have Uber or any ride-sharing or ride-hailing apps. Taxis can and can cost excessive charges, particularly on the Bay of Kotor. In 2023 I used to be quoted 50 EUR ($53 USD) for a 30-minute one-way journey from Kotor to Budva!

Cars driving down a road in Montenegro, tall mountains rising up in the distance.
A typical scene whereas driving across the Bay of Kotor.

Driving in Montenegro has its challenges.

In the event you’re going to hire your personal automotive in Montenegro, nice! You’re going to get to see a lot extra this manner.

Nevertheless, you must plan for your whole drives to take for much longer than you anticipate. Montenegro is perhaps the scale of Connecticut, however you shouldn’t anticipate to get from Herceg Novi to Ulcinj as rapidly as you may get from Greenwich to New London. (Or possibly you possibly can. I went to varsity in Connecticut and site visitors there may be fairly gnarly.)

There aren’t any broad highways in Montenegro. Main roads within the mountains could seem like highways on Google Maps, however they’re typically very slim and curvy with one lane of site visitors in every path. You typically must decelerate to drive these roads safely, and as soon as we even needed to drive via a landslide!

That mentioned, these roads are usually in good situation and driving is clean. Your primary concern is switchbacks in mountainous areas, and there are tons of tunnels.

Throughout the summer season months, site visitors is horrible alongside the coast. As soon as once more, the one street alongside the shoreline has a single lane in every path. Know this forward of time, and plan a versatile schedule in case you get caught. (In any other case, go to throughout one other time of 12 months. Even June and September will be higher than July and August.)

As for Montenegrin drivers? They’ll sometimes get a bit aggressive, but it surely’s nothing on the extent of what I noticed in Albania or, shockingly, Slovenia.

Parking in Montenegro generally is a big ache through the summer season months, particularly alongside the coast (we actually needed to sit and wait for somebody to go away Perast with a view to park there). Once more, take into account visiting outdoors of July or August, and take into account simply paying for parking to have much less of a headache.

People waiting in line at a monastery carved into the wall of a cliff.
Ostrog Monastery is in a rural a part of Montenegro the place English is much less more likely to be spoken.

Do folks communicate English in Montenegro?

The native language in Montenegro is Montenegrin, one of many Serbo-Croatian languages. That mentioned, isn’t a lot of a language barrier in Montenegro — in areas catering to overseas vacationers, that’s — so when you solely communicate English, you’ll be okay.

Like in lots of components of Central Europe and the Balkans, everybody who works in tourism speaks English. In additional rural, much less touristy areas, you’ll discover that youthful folks (underneath 40) have a tendency to talk English whereas older folks don’t.

Whereas Montenegrin makes use of two alphabets — the Latin alphabet and the Cyrillic alphabet — most signage in Montenegro makes use of the Latin alphabet. It is a huge distinction from Serbia, which leans extra on Cyrillic.

You’ll discover that menus in Montenegro are usually within the native Montenegrin language, English, Russian (Russians particularly love the Budva Riviera), German (Germans go in all places), and Italian (perché no?).

Lastly — communicate any Slavic languages? You would possibly be capable to get by sometimes in Montenegro! My husband Charlie speaks Czech, and some occasions he was capable of communicate Czech with Montenegrins and so they obtained the gist of what the opposite individual saying.

An ancient city of rocky walls set against a mountainous backdrop.
The ruined metropolis of Stari Bar, through Shutterstock.

How does cash work in Montenegro?

Montenegro just isn’t a part of the European Union, however they use the euro as foreign money. I hold the Foreign money app on the house web page of my telephone and use it continually to double-check what costs are (not as a lot in Montenegro, as euros are fairly near US {dollars}, however you wager I take advantage of it a ton within the Czech Republic the place the speed is a hard-to-calculate 22:1!).

Listed below are some cash suggestions for Montenegro:

Keep away from Euronet ATMs. These ATMs are discovered all through Europe and can RIP YOU OFF. As an alternative, use an ATM connected to a bodily financial institution. (Added bonus: within the unlikely occasion your card will get eaten, it may be saved from a financial institution ATM.)

If it asks whether or not to cost you in euros or your own home foreign money, ALWAYS select euros or regardless of the native foreign money is. This would possibly seem on an ATM display screen as “Will you settle for the conversion?” At all times say no — it would nonetheless work. Or when paying by card, it might ask you which of them foreign money to cost. At all times the native foreign money.

I do know, this doesn’t really feel intuitive. However they find yourself charging you much more after they convert the speed.

You should utilize your bank card for many transactions in Montenegro. I take advantage of playing cards every time potential — each for factors and to maintain higher monitor of my spending in YNAB, my budgeting software program (which I ADORE). Nevertheless, it’s at all times a good suggestion to hold a small quantity of euros for small purchases or when companies don’t settle for playing cards.

A landscape of lake, mountains, and wetlands with lots of water lilies.
Karuc Bay in Lake Skadar Nationwide Park, Montenegro, through Shutterstock

Will your telephone work in Montenegro?

Don’t use your own home telephone plan overseas — they may doubtless cost you ABSURD charges. Moreover, in case you have an EU SIM card, know that it’s going to not work in Montenegro.

However do you have to simply depend on wifi in Montenegro? I don’t advocate it. Having working web in your telephone is a security situation.

As an alternative, get an eSIM. I used to at all times get an actual SIM card in Montenegro, however eSIMs exist now and so they’re improbable, as you should purchase them at house with out going to a retailer.

These days I purchase my eSIMs from Airalo. You possibly can see their Montenegro eSIMs right here. On the time of publication, you may get 3 GB of knowledge for $15.

Two dishes on a patterned tablecloth in Montenegro: a plate of various grilled meats, and a plate or grilled tomatoes, peppers, and zucchini.
Welcome to a typical meal in Montenegro!

What’s Montenegrin meals and what is going to you be consuming?

Diving into Montenegrin delicacies? Get able to eat a number of meat. (Except you don’t eat meat, that’s — you possibly can keep away from it if you wish to.) Montenegro, like many Balkan international locations, is admittedly huge on the meat consumption, particularly up within the mountains.

It’s widespread to get a combined grill that includes pork, lamb, veal, and hen, in addition to a giant platter of tomatoes, peppers, and zucchini. One other meat dish is ćevapi (cheh-VA-pee), rolled minced grilled meat, typically served in a pita. My husband is obsessive about pljeskavica, a Balkan burger made out of pork, beef, and lamb.

Two sauces to strive along with your meat are kajmak (KY-mack), which is like clotted cream, and ajvar (I-var), made out of roasted crimson peppers.

Alongside the shoreline, you’ll discover loads of native seafood, with fish stews that includes prominently on many menus. Numerous mussel and oyster farms within the Bay of Kotor have easy eating places working out of shacks. You’ll by no means discover brisker seafood than this!

In additional touristy locations, you’ll discover barely extra worldwide meals choices — together with a number of pizza and pasta. (The standard varies, to be trustworthy. Don’t be stunned if they carry you ketchup on your pizza.)

In the event you’re in search of an inexpensive snack or breakfast choice, I like to recommend heading to a neighborhood bakery and grabbing a burek — a flaky pastry widespread all through the Balkans. It may be crammed with spinach, cheese, roasted crimson peppers, or anything!

A simple apartment in Montenegro with a queen-sized bed topped with towels, two small end tables, and almost nothing else in the room.
A typical mid-range condominium in Montenegro.

Flats rule for lodging in Montenegro.

In Montenegro, like many of the Balkans, condominium lodging tends to be extra in style than resorts. And no, it’s not an Airbnb factor — that is the way in which issues have at all times been right here.

Within the pre-smartphone period, it was widespread for native girls in Central and Jap Europe to face in prepare and bus stations with indicators studying “condominium.” At the same time as lately as 2020 in Makarska, Croatia, I noticed girls on the aspect of the street holding up indicators studying “Apartmenti”!

Typically these flats are thought of guesthouses, with a number of personal, lockable rooms out there for vacationers. To ebook these locations, you will discover a number of them on Reserving.com as of late. And sure, they’re protected. I keep in guesthouses steadily and wouldn’t in the event that they weren’t protected.

And remember the fact that once you keep in an condominium or visitor home in Montenegro, you’re (often) giving cash to a neighborhood — not shopping for a lodge chain CEO a 3rd yacht.

The tiny town of Perast, set on the bay of Kotor on a cloudy rainy day, lots of boats in the gray water.
Perast is a part of the Pure and Culturo-Historic Area of Kotor.

Montenegro is house to 4 UNESCO World Heritage Websites.

In the event you love visiting UNESCO World Heritage Websites all over the world, Montenegro has 4 of them: two which can be completely Montenegrin and two which can be cut up between completely different international locations.

First off is the Pure and Culturo-Historic Area of Kotor, and consists of the cities of Kotor, Perast, and Risan along with the assorted fortifications and palaces and the way they have been built-in into the mountainous panorama.

Durmitor Nationwide Park can also be a UNESCO World Heritage Website, singled out for its biodiversity, glacial lakes, and the second-deepest canyon on the planet.

The Stećci Medieval Tombstones Graveyards embody a set of websites in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, and Serbia. In Montenegro, there are two websites in Žabljak and one in Plužine.

The Venetian Works of Defence between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries are present in Italy embody a set of websites in Italy, Croatia, and Montenegro. The fortifications of Kotor are the lone Montenegrin website.

And hold your eye on the tentative UNESCO listing for the longer term — some Montenegrin websites which were nominated embody the Cetinje historic core, Biogradska Gora Nationwide Park, and Ulcinj outdated city, amongst others.

Orange roofs of Kotor against a gray-green mountain backdrop at dawn.
Kotor from above, simply after dawn.

You possibly can see quite a bit whereas utilizing Kotor as a base.

Need to have a better journey to Montenegro with out worrying a few automotive? I like to recommend utilizing Kotor as a base on your Montenegro journey and exploring from there.

Why Kotor? It has probably the most tourism infrastructure within the nation. Buses head off in a number of instructions from right here (if going from Perast to Kotor, for instance, you need to change buses in Kotor). And lots of excursions depart straight from right here.

Spend a couple of days exploring what Kotor has to supply (and it has a LOT to supply). Hike as much as St. John’s Fortress very first thing within the morning, go to the Kotor Cats Museum, {photograph} the whole lot in sight.

Spend in the future on a Durmitor Nationwide Park day journey. This journey takes in Black Lake, Tara Canyon (no rafting) and Ostrog Monastery; alternatively, you are able to do a Tara Canyon rafting day journey.

Spend in the future on a Nice Montenegro Tour, which incorporates the Kotor Serpentine, Ngejusi, Lovcen Nationwide Park, Njegoš Mausoleum, Cetinje, Lake Skadar, and a quick photograph cease at Sveti Stefan.

One afternoon, take a boat journey to the Blue Cave, submarine tunnel, and Our Girl of the Rocks.

Sooner or later, take the hop-on-hop-off Montenegro bus to Risan, Perast, and Bajova Kula. (Or simply take the Blue Line bus for cheaper, maybe so far as Herceg Novi when you’d like.)

Sooner or later, take a bus to Budva and Sveti Stefan.

You possibly can see QUITE a number of Montenegro — and also you’ll be capable to lay your head in the identical place each night time. Not unhealthy in any respect!

A tiny chapel with a blue dome and bell tower built on an island in the Adriatic.
Montenegro day journeys from Croatia often embody a go to to Our Girl of the Rocks.

Must you take a day journey to Montenegro from Croatia?

There are such a lot of Montenegro day journeys that go away from Dubrovnik. Most of those journeys soak up Kotor and Perast. In the event you don’t have a lot time and you actually, actually need to expertise Montenegro, then sure, you possibly can completely do that.

Today journey from Dubrovnik to Montenegro is an efficient one, together with Our Girl of the Rocks (or, alternatively, time in Perast), Kotor, and Budva.

Nevertheless, you must know that summer season site visitors between Dubrovnik and Kotor will be tough. I’ve seen it worsen and worse over time.

Moreover, you’ll must undergo passport management on each side. And ever since Croatia turned a part of the Schengen Space in 2023, they’ve been additional strict and thorough with folks at crossings.

A day journey to Montenegro means you’ll be sitting in site visitors for a LOT of the day, particularly when you go to through the summer season.

Take into account staying in a single day, on the very least, when you’re visiting Montenegro from Croatia. You’ll get to see a lot extra. But when that is your solely probability, take the day journey. You’ll nonetheless find it irresistible.

The monastery of Cetinje with its tall bell tower.
The outdated capital of Cetinje in Montenegro is usually a cease on longer journeys.

How a lot time do you want in Montenegro?

How a lot time do you have to truly spend in Montenegro? Greater than a day journey, in fact, however how a lot do you actually need?

I like to recommend spending round one week in Montenegro. I’d advocate spending 3-4 days on the Bay of Kotor — staying in Kotor is best, although I beloved staying in Perast as a repeat customer — and your remaining days in a single or two different locations.

Durmitor Nationwide Park makes an incredible selection; you may as well head down into Southern Montenegro with quick access to discover the environment, particularly in case you have a automotive. Someplace like Bar, for instance, provides you a number of choices.

Is it too far to fly to Montenegro for only one week of journey? You possibly can completely lengthen your journey when you’d like — or add on a brief stint in a foreign country. Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, or Albania could be my prime suggestions so as to add on to a visit to Montenegro.

A giant cruise ship sailing through the Bay of Kotor, a tiny rowboat in the foreground.
These grotesque ships DO NOT belong within the Bay of Kotor!!

Please don’t take a cruise ship to Montenegro.

Sure, that is one thing that you just hear me say steadily, and it deserves to be repeated. Cruise ships are horrible for many locations all over the world — and that features river cruises. Cruise ships dump tons of or 1000’s of vacationers on a vacation spot. They crowd the streets and spend little to no cash. Who’re they serving to, actually?

And it’s particularly egregious to see monstrously massive ships crusing via the fragile Bay of Kotor and dropping folks within the small metropolis of Kotor. It’s TOO SMALL to deal with numbers these massive.

Lately, Dubrovnik diminished the variety of cruises they host. That was a wise transfer, and needs to be applauded.

However Kotor picked up the slack. All these cruises at the moment are going to Kotor as an alternative of Dubrovnik.

Do you need to see Montenegro by boat? Can I counsel a Montenegro crusing journey as an alternative, or possibly a Croatia and Montenegro crusing journey? This manner you possibly can nonetheless journey by boat and have a a lot gentler affect on native communities. And these journeys are insanely enjoyable.

Kate standing in front of one of the tiny islands in the Adriatic in the Bay of Kotor, wearing a burgundy tank top and black and white polka dot shorts.
My third journey to Montenegro — and never my final!

Journey to Montenegro and also you’ll be again quickly.

Montenegro journey is so value it — and when you’ve had a style of it, you’ll be hooked. Even years after my first Montenegro go to, I do know I needed to return to rejoice my birthday right here. It’s that type of place. It simply makes the whole lot really feel particular.

I hope you might have the most effective time in Montenegro! Positively come again and inform me all about it.

Extra on Montenegro:

Extra on the Balkans:

Do you journey to Montenegro? What are your suggestions? Share away!



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