Montenegro Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know for your Best Holiday

Last summer John and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. We thought of taking a trip on our own, which we’ve never done, but couldn’t imagine celebrating without the kids. Instead, we planned a longer trip and spent our first 5 days in Montenegro. We feel so fortunate to have had an opportunity to explore Montenegro before it is on the top of everyone’s travel bucket list! We hope our Montenegro travel guide will help you and your family explore the magic of this incredible country.

Your Ultimate Montenegro Travel Guide!

Where is Montenegro?

Montenegro is nestled in the middle of the Balkans on the Adriatic Sea. It is surrounded by Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia to the north, Kosovo to the east and Albania to the south. Once part of the former Yugoslavia, Montenegro is hoping to join the European Union in the coming years just as Croatia has done.

How do I get to Montenegro?

Montenegro by plane

• Montenegro’s two airports are located in Tivat and Podgorica. Your best option depends on where you plan to spend your time in Montenegro. The majority of our time was spent in Kotor and along the Adriatic coast so we decided to fly into Tivat. If you plan to visit Durmitor National Park or Ostrog Monastery, you may prefer to fly into Podgorica and visit these areas before travelling toward Kotor.

Montenegro by car

• If you plan to visit Montenegro after arriving by plane into one of Montenegro’s neighbouring countries you will need to cross the international border. You can do this by bus or private transfer.
• If you plan to cross the border in a rental car, you will need permission from the rental agency and will likely need to return the car to the country where you rented it. As such, if you plan to do a one-way trip, you are best to rent a different car in each country rather than use it for crossing borders.

            Border crossing between Montenegro and Albania

• If you fly into Tirana or are visiting Montenegro after exploring Albania, you will need to cross the border at either Sukobin-Muriqan, Hani Hotit-Bozaj  or Cijevna-Grabon. We travelled in the opposite direction and found the border crossing from Montenegro to Albania at Kufitare Muriqan quite straightforward.

        Border crossing between Montenegro and Croatia

• Because of the number of flights to Dubrovnik from North America, many travellers choose to fly into Dubrovnik. While the distance between Dubrovnik and Montenegro is short, the border crossing can be very busy at times resulting in several hour delay getting into Montenegro.

Montenegro by train

• The only train service to Montenegro is from Belgrade, Serbia to Podgorica, Montenegro. From Podgorica, you can take a train to the coastal city of Bar but there are no other train routes in Montenegro so from Podgorica or Bar you will be dependent on bus or car.

Montenegro by ferry

• The ferry service from Bari, Italy to Bar, Montenegro was suspended in 2023 but is expected to be reinstated in 2024. Details on the 11 hour crossing can be found at the Jadrolinija ferry website.

When is the best time to travel to Montenegro?

The best time to travel to Montenegro will depend on what you’d like to do while there. I’m not a fan of cold weather, I get enough of that at home, so for our family, the best time to travel to Montenegro would be from May to October.

We visited Montenegro in July, and it was terribly hot but we really enjoyed it. The mountain areas were cool and there was a sea breeze when we travelled along the coast. Beware though, the beaches will be packed mid-summer and the old town of Kotor will be very busy with cruise ships.

Montenegro in winter is also enjoyable with mild weather and many ski hills. Check out the largest ski resorts near Kolašin or those in Durmitor National Park. Nordic skiing, snowshoeing and winter rafting on the Tara River are also popular winter activities.

What currency is used in Montenegro?

While Montenegro is not yet part of the European Union, it has received permission to use the euro. Euros are readily available and ATMs are easy to find.

Montenegro Language               

I was surprised to learn that there really is no such thing as a Montenegrin language. Instead, Montenegrans mostly use Croatian and Serbian or a blend of the two. Sydney has many food allergies so I always create allergy cards in the languages spoken at our destination. This was the first time I felt the need to include two languages on the cards

I really like being able to say even a few words in the local language. It makes people smile despite not quite pronouncing the words correctly. Here are a few useful words you can use or will see in Montenegro:

Where to Stay in Montenegro?

Unless they are on an adventure holiday, most travellers spend the majority of their time near or along the Adriatic coast. Kotor is by far the most popular destination.

Accommodations in Montenegro vary from inexpensive Airbnb type rentals to small boutique hotels to fancy all-inclusive resorts.

While old town Kotor has many small hotels and rentals, we were advised to stay outside of the old town due to noise in the summer evenings. We instead found a wonderful two-bedroom apartment in Dobrota. It was only a five-minute walk to Old Town and included parking which would have been necessary had we rented a car. The views across the Bay of Kotor in one direction and the Fortress of Kotor in the other direction were beyond incredible, especially at night.

In Budva we opted to stay in the Old Town. R Club Apartments was fantastic for our family of five. Their largest apartment had 2 double beds and 2 twin sofa beds. Our balcony looked over the old town beach, Plaža Ričardova Glava and the apartment had easy access to great restaurants and historic sights.

*Please note that if you are renting a car, you will want to find a location with parking as public parking is quite difficult to find at times.

What are the most popular foods in Montenegro?

Our Montenegro Travel Guide wouldn't be complete without talking at least a little about the food!

The food throughout Montenegro is INCREDIBLY good but these are perhaps the most popular tasty treats to try.

How should we spend our time in Montenegro?

Check out our top things to do in Kotor and our Montenegro and Albania itinerary for ideas of how to spend your time in Montenegro.

We focused on the Adriatic coast of Montenegro but would have loved more time to explore. If you have more than five days, plan to explore the Tara Gorge near Durmitor National Park, Ostrog Monastery, Old Town Bar, Old Town Ulcinj, and Nicolas Island and Ostrog monastery in Petrovac.

What other countries should we pair with Montenegro?

Whether you decided to visit other countries before or after Montenegro will ultimately depend on the amount of time you have. There is definitely enough to do in Montenegro to warrant a full week or more but you can shorten this if your time is limited. We had five days in Montenegro and we loved it but we also would have really enjoyed visiting Durmitor National Park, Tara River and Ostrog Monastery which was impossible with our short timeframe.

If you do decide to add one or more nearby countries, there are several options. Originally, we had planned to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania spending nights in Sarajevo, Mostar, Kotor, Budva, Ulcinj, Berat and Himare. In the end, we had five nights in each of Montenegro, Albania and Corfu. Another option is to spend a week in Croatia and a week in Montenegro, or of course, a blend of any of these.

The world is your oyster when visiting the Balkans!

Montenegro Travel Guide Summary

We tried to cover everything in our Montenegro travel guide but of course, that's impossible. If there's something you'd like to hear about that we didn't include, please reach out in the comments or by email. We'd love to help! Also, check out our other Montenegro travel posts for more details on our visit to Montenegro.

Save this for later. Pin it!!