Highlights of Montenegro (without a car) – Travel guide and 14-day itinerary

If a country has mountain in its name you can guess what its main topographical feature is… Well, that and stunning lakes, deep river gorges and the Adriatic coast. Welcome to Crna Gora or Montenegro (which means Black Mountain).

Today’s article is jam-packed with all the key things you need to know to explore this fascinating country – at your own pace and without a car. We even put together an itinerary that takes you to all our favourite spots, in 14 days (or more). Whether you love the great outdoors, history or delicious food, Montenegro has something for everyone – guaranteed.

Key things to know (in alphabetical order)

Visiting Montenegro often only requires a valid passport, as in many countries’ citizens can stay visa-free for up to 30 days. For up-to-date requirements relating to your country check out Montenegro’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

The country’s official language, not surprisingly, is Montenegrin. To a large extent, it’s the same language that is also spoken in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia. You will see both the Latin and Cyrillic alphabets being used, though Latin is more prevalent. Near the border to Albania, street signs are bilingual: Montenegrin and Albanian.

If you want to learn a bit of Montenegrin before your trip check out these tutorials:

• 21 essential phrases you’ll need in Montenegro
• Learn Croatian/Serbian/Bosnian/Montenegrin in 7 lessons

When planning your trip, be aware that some services won’t be available on these public holidays.

Apart from the occasional scam and pick-pocketing, Montenegro is a safe country to visit. Check out our general tips on how to stay safe while travelling and what to do if something goes wrong.

If you’re looking for a country with fast and cheap mobile internet, Montenegro is the place to be.

Montenegro, like all Balkan countries, is heaven for smokers. This means us non-smokers have trouble finding a place where we can breathe unencumbered. Smoking is allowed in cafes, but you should be safe in most restaurants (you may just not be able to sit outside).

Likewise, sustainability is still in its infancy: plastic bags, plastic straws, no garbage separation, etc are the norm. Do your bit by trying to avoid plastic/packaging in the first place.

Best time to visit Montenegro

When to visit Montenegro generally depends on where you want to go:

• If you want to explore the Adriatic coast avoid the European summer holidays, especially July and August when Serbian and Russian families flock to the Adriatic (and you have gazillion cruise ships anchored in the Bay of Kotor).
• If you want to hike in the mountainous national parks avoid the winter months (November to March) as trails will be inaccessible.

Great months to explore the whole country are May, June and September. Temperatures are pleasant, there is a good chance for clear sunny days, and there are fewer crowds.

For year-round weather information check out Weather Spark’s website. You can choose your destination on the top right and even switch between Celsius and Fahrenheit.

If you want to explore Kotor and the surrounding area you may want to time your visit when there are no cruise ships in port or at least only one. The old town of Kotor is very small, and it’s a very different experience sharing it with thousands of cruise ship tourists to only sharing it with locals.

How much to budget for Montenegro

Despite travelling in peak season, we found Montenegro to be quite an affordable destination – certainly more affordable than Croatia or Slovenia. For a full download on what to consider for accommodation, food, transport, etc check out our Montenegro travel costs.

How to get to Montenegro

Montenegro has two international airports – in the capital Podgorica and in Tivat (near Kotor):

• Podgorica (IATA: TGD) is serviced year-round by non-stop flights from all over Europe.
• Tivat (IATA: TIV) is more seasonal, with year-round non-stop flights only from Belgrade. Between May and October however, there are frequent non-stop flights from a number of European destinations, including Germany (Frankfurt, Hanover, Leipzig and Munich), the UK (London and Manchester) as well as Belgium (Brussels) and France (Paris).

For the best prices on airfares, we recommend Skyscanner to review what flights are available.

While Dubrovnik‘s airport is also close by (less than 20km from the Montenegrin border), we do not recommend to fly into or out of Dubrovnik. The bus service between Dubrovnik and Montenegro is not the best, and long delays are very frequent. We even encountered a bus driver who smoked while steering the bus. Not much fun.

How to get around Montenegro (without a car)

You don’t need a rental car to explore Montenegro. While the country is mountainous and therefore journeys take longer, travelling around Montenegro by train and bus is actually very feasible and has the added benefit that you can fully enjoy the stunning scenery.

Train travel in Montenegro

Let’s start with the easy one. There are only two train lines currently operating in Montenegro, both are run by state-controlled rail transport operator Željeznički Prevoz Crne Gore (ZPCG):

• the railway that connects the seaside town of Bar and Montenegro’s capital Podgorica with the Serbian capital Belgrade (in the summer full of Serbian families going on or returning from holiday), and
• the railway between Podgorica and the town of Nikšić.

For up-to-date timetables (and fares) check out the ZPCG website. You can buy tickets at all train stations and from the conductor on the train.

Bus travel in Montenegro

We found Busticket4Me most useful when it came to finding timetables and fares. You can even book bus tickets online through the website. Just be aware that you still need to

• check-in at the bus station (and pay a station fee);
• print off your bus ticket if you have ordered it online; and
• pay a luggage fee if you put your luggage in the hold.

The station and luggage fees are only a Euro each (per person and per item, respectively).

Buses stop frequently and can be waived down at stops along the roadside. In this case, you pay your fare (including the luggage fee) on the bus.

Taxis in Montenegro

All taxi services in Montenegro only accept cash payments and no credit or debit cards.

What to pack for your Montenegro trip

Given Montenegro’s topography, temperatures can vary significantly depending on where you go. We visited the country in July with 30+ degrees Celsius along the Adriatic coast but temperatures around 20 degrees Celsius in Durmitor National Park. Check the Weather Spark website for your destination.

If you want to be prepared for any weather and still pack light you may want to check out our (carry-on) packing lists – for men and women, respectively.

Ultimate Montenegro itinerary: Explore the highlights in 14 days (or more)

Our itinerary takes you from the fjord-like Bay of Kotor and Montenegro’s old capital of Cetinje to the coast of the Southern Adriatic, and the water lilies and bird life of Skadar Lake, before heading inland on a breath-taking rail journey through the deep river gorges, and high up into majestic mountains with crystal-clear lakes, and challenging hiking and mountain bike trails.

For this itinerary, we recommend flying into Tivat (IATA: TIV, ICAO: LYTV) and out of Podgorica (IATA: TGD, ICAO: LYPG). You can do the itinerary solely by bus and train. A rental car is not required, though we do recommend renting a car for a day or two in Bar as it allows you to explore a bit more of Lake Skadar.

You can travel by bus or taxi. Both take about 15 minutes through the road tunnel that connects Tivat and Kotor.

Intercity Buses from Bar, Budva or Podgorica to Kotor (via Tivat) generally stop at Tivat Airport. Bus fares cost around EUR3.00. A taxi between Tivat Airport and Kotor costs around EUR10.00.

There are frequent intercity buses between Kotor and Cetinje via Budva. The journey takes approximately 90 minutes. For the day trip to Lovćen National Park and Lipa Cave, we recommend hiring a bicycle. Your accommodation may even provide one for free.

To visit Ostrog Monastery on a day trip from Cetinje, you need to first take an intercity bus from Cetinje to Podgorica (45 minutes) and then the ZPCG train from Podgorica towards Nikšić, getting off at Ostrog (another 45 minutes).

From the Ostrog station, it’s a steep hike of just over 2km/280m elevation gain to the lower monastery (and an additional kilometre/280m elevation gain) to the upper monastery.

It is possible to overnight at the monastery and experience the first service at sunrise. There are dorm rooms at both the lower and upper monasteries. You can even sleep in the courtyard of the upper monastery if the weather allows and you bring your own sleeping bag/mat.

The bus journey takes approximately 2 hours. Once in Bar, we recommend hiring a rental car for a day or two. However, if you prefer public transport, there are frequent

• bus connections between Bar and Ulcinj (taking around 30 minutes), and
• train connections between Bar and Virpazar on Skadar Lake (taking 25 minutes).

If you do hire a car be aware that Montenegrin drivers (or Serbian drivers on holiday) are not the most courteous, and secondary roads tend to be skinny, requiring frequent stops to let oncoming traffic pass.

The journey from Bar to the north of the country is one of the most amazing train journeys on earth. After crossing Skadar Lake and leaving the capital Podgorica the train slowly ascends through deep river gorges into the mountains – over myriads of viaducts and the 200-metre-high Mala Rijeka Bridge.

There are only two trains a day, one in the morning, another one in the evening. To experience the stunning scenery the train travels through you’ll need to take the morning train. The journey to Kolašin takes 2 hours 15 minutes (though often it’s delayed by at least 30 minutes), and 15 minutes more to Mojkovac.

As for where to get off the train, it’s really your choice: Kolašin is the more interesting one of the two, but if you want to add a few nights to explore Biogradska Gora with its virgin forests Mojkovac is closer to the park.

There is no direct bus connection between Kolašin/Mojkovac and Žabljak. You need to change buses at Đurđevića Tara. The famous Tara Bridge is a masterpiece of engineering and well worth the stopover. Not including the stop at the bridge, the journey takes 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Frequent buses connect Žabljak and Podgorica, taking approximately 2 1/2 hours.

Between Podgorica town and the airport, however, there is no easy bus connection. From Podgorica, you can take a ZPCG train to Aerodrom Station which takes 7 minutes (costing EUR1.20), followed by a flat 10 minutes walk to get to the terminal (use Maps.Me to find your way). Check the train times though as trains are not that frequent. The main bus and train stations in Podgorica are adjacent to one another.

A taxi between Podgorica and Podgorica Airport costs around EUR12.00 and takes about 15 minutes.

Where to stay in Montenegro

Accommodation in Cetinje

Cetinje is easy to walk or cycle, and you can even explore Lovćen National Park by mountain bike (it’s 15km/620 metres elevation gain to the mausoleum of Petar II Petrovic-Njegos with 360-degree views).

We have therefore included some accommodation options that provide a bike free of charge:

• Apartman Donji Kraj (with free bicycles)
• Main Street Cetinje Apartment
• Apartman Maša (with free bicycles).

Accommodation in Žabljak (Durmitor National Park)

Žabljak is the gateway to Durmitor National Park, though the park entrance is a 2km walk southwest of the small town. Keep that in mind when you select your accommodation.

Here are our recommendations (we stayed at the first one on the list):

• Studio Apartment
• Apartman Sofija.

Food and restaurant recommendations

When visiting Montenegro make sure you try some typical Montenegrin or Balkan dishes, including

• Cevapi (small, minced meat sausages made without skin),
• Burek (filo pastry filled with meat, cheese or spinach) – locals have it with a yoghurt drink
• Ispod Saca (veal, lamb or goat meat slowly roasted under hot coals with potatoes, carrots, and onions)
• Buzara (a seafood stew with red or white wine sauce)
• Gavice (small fried fish)
• Grilled fish from Skadar Lake, and
• the local varieties of cheese (for example, Durmitorski Skorup, and Njeguški or Pljevaljski sir) and ham (the village of Njegusi between Kotor and Cetinje is known for its prosciutto).

Where to eat in Cetinje

If you dislike the service and prices in some of the more touristy spots in Montenegro you’ll be surprised by the value for money you get in Cetinje:

• Cukarland Café, opposite the National Museum
• Restoran Pečenjara Verige.

Where to eat in Žabljak

Being more a village than a town, Žabljak doesn’t have that many good dining options. The local bakery was always packed with people but our absolute favourite was a small family business that has since permanently closed:

• Café Paradiso, opposite the bus station
• Pekara bakery, behind the Voli Supermarket.

This article Highlights of Montenegro (without a car) – Travel guide and 14-day itinerary was originally published on https://www.minimalistjourneys.com/montenegro-sustainable-travel-guide-itinerary/ on 24 January 2020 and can be republished with permission.