We visited Montenegro in September 2024, deciding to divide our time between Kotor Bay on the country’s west coast, and Durmitor National Park in the interior. We found that Kotor provided a great way to access plenty of that part of the country, using the coast road to visit towns such as Budva and Perast, swim in the crystal clear waters of the bay, soak in the views at the top of the Serpentine road and also take to the water on a boat trip.

Accommodation

We chose to stay in a couple of Airbnbs during our Montenegro trip, spending the first 5 nights by the coast and then heading inland to Durmitor for the last 2. If we were to do it again, we would probably have given ourselves 3 or 4 more days in the National Park, as we felt like we barely scratched its surface!

During the Kotor leg of our holiday, we stayed in “Apartments Bobo”, which pound for pound must have one of the best Airbnb views in the world! These apartments are located a short drive from Kotor and benefitted from off-road parking. There is only one main road around the coast, which these are on, so it can be tricky if you don’t have access to guaranteed parking.

At the time, our stay cost in the region of £45/night plus service and cleaning fees. There were plenty of options in this price range, as well as hotels.

Getting about

As we were planning to try and see as much of the country as we could in a week, we decided to hire a car from Costa Rent a Car, which we conveniently collected at Tivat Airport, just outside the main terminal. I am typically fussy when it comes to choosing a hire car, aiming to find the best reviewed company I can, offering as much cover as possible, whilst avoiding awkwardly large deposits being locked to your credit card whilst away. All of this in mind found us collecting a fairly ‘weathered’ but solid diesel Skoda Rapid, perfect for some of the steep mountain passes and narrow roads, especially in the National Park.

Tivat Airport

Tivat Airport’s was an experience quite like any other, so it is worth coming prepared. Arriving is the smooth part and after getting through passport control and baggage reclaim, you quickly find yourselves near the car hire kiosks and the exit.

TIP: Yes. Montenegro is in Europe, but it is not in the EU, meaning a lot of mobile providers do not offer data roaming. Therefore, bills can quickly rack up if you’re not prepared. We found the easiest option is to obtain a Montenegrin SIM card. These were available for free at the airport or you can purchase a prepaid eSIM from companies like One. You will need internet to set these up and it’s worth doing before you collect your car, as you’ll quickly realise Google Maps doesn’t work and you’re stuck in the car park expecting the car parking fees to keep ticking up… We found a public WiFi network at the airport, so possible to do this via a VPN to keep your details safe.

Also, another tip. Most of Montenegro still uses cash over card, and minimum card fees often apply. This included the car park at the airport.

Although at the beginning of your trip, the last thing you want to think about is leaving, but be prepared for a bit of chaos in departures. It is not always 100% clear what is going on or which queue you need to be in. We spent 2 hours queueing for the single bag drop, only to then be whisked through passport control and basically straight onto the plane. It can get stuffy, so bring plenty of water. Don’t let you put this off your trip, as flights do still seem to leave as they should!

Currency

Montenegro uses the Euro, which is ideal for those travelling within the Eurozone. However, for us Brits, it’s not as handy. Withdrawing cash is very expensive and paying by card is not always an option, so it’s highly advisable to bring all the cash you expect you’ll need for the duration of your trip. Expect to may for most smaller purchases with cash.

Kotor is a maze of narrow streets and although it is not the biggest, it makes up for it in charm. The walls of the old town give a great view of the marina and the bay. Inside the old town you can find the classic mix of cafes, bars, restaurants and shops. Although it was nice to explore, we chose to avoid the busiest areas when finding somewhere for a coffee or a meal. On one of our visits into the town, we stopped at BBQ Tanjga for some amazing fresh BBQ steak sandwiches on the southern edge of the marina.

For parking, we used this free public parking lot which was a fairly short walk into town, via a couple of handy little supermarkets for snacks and cold drinks: https://maps.app.goo.gl/dKWGQSvPHGrGMTg9A?g_st=ia.

Cats of Kotor

There really are cats. EVERYWHERE. On street corners, in souvenir shops and in bars, if you like cats, this is the place to be!

Kotor Fortress

A visit to Kotor would not be complete without taking in the views from Kotor Fortress, located at the top of the hills above the town. Conventional access to the fortress is through an entrance located in the old town and there is a fee of 15 euros to climb the hundreds of stairs to the top. It is not for the faint hearted! From reading Google reviews around the time of our trip, it is key to keep hold of your ticket for the way back down to avoid being charged again.

We chose to save on the admission fee and take the alternative route, starting on the far side of the old hydroelectric dam, which can be reached by leaving the north of the old town. A link to the start of the walk is here: https://www.google.com/maps?q=CQGF+V8H+Start+of+the+Ladder+of+Kotor,+Dobrota,+Montenegro&ftid=0x134c3372d604675f:0x4c7ff0ce8651d13c&entry=gps&shh=CAE&lucs=,94297695,94275415,94284472,94231188,94280568,47071704,94218641,94282134,94286869&g_ep=CAISEjI1LjQ5LjkuODM4ODk5MTgzMBgAINeCAypRLDk0Mjk3Njk1LDk0Mjc1NDE1LDk0Mjg0NDcyLDk0MjMxMTg4LDk0MjgwNTY4LDQ3MDcxNzA0LDk0MjE4NjQxLDk0MjgyMTM0LDk0Mjg2ODY5QgJHQg%3D%3D&skid=c8841db3-61b9-452b-8a59-1300a79a12a4&g_st=ia&g_st=ia. The walk takes 45 – 60 mins at a sensible pace and is very steep, although the flat gravel path is probably preferable to the slippy steps of the main fortress stairs. Towards the top, there is a small cafe and shop. On the way up, we encountered mountain goats and visited a beautiful old abandoned chapel.

There is also a small waterfall at the end of the walk, which was very welcoming for a paddle at the end of a hot day with lots of walking.

Kotor Serpentine

One of the highlights of our time in Kotor was driving up the Serpentine road to enjoy stunning views of Kotor Bay and the surrounding coastline at sunset. The Serpentine is a narrow road littered with hairpin bends that climbs to the top of the surrounding mountains. Parking is available near the Horizont Bar, which has an observation deck out the back for incredible views. Again, make sure to bring cash! We chose the Serptentine over getting the cable car to a similar viewpoint. For those without a car, the cable car would be the best option.

Just be careful on the drive back down. The road is very dark at night but gets very busy after sunset. We met quite a few people still heading up to the top, which made for some dicey encounters!