TRAVELING BY AIRPLANE, CAR, BICYCLE, AND HITCHINKIG IN MONTENEGRO

TRAVELING BY AIRPLANE, CAR, BICYCLE, AND HITCHHIKING IN MONTENEGRO

TRAVELING BY AIRPLANE

Montenegro has two international airports. One is in the capital, Podgorica, and the other is at the seaside in the city of Tivat. Dubrovnik airport in Croatia is also very close to the Montenegrin border and many tourists use this route as well. Podgorica airport, better known as “Golubovci” after a nearby village, is located 12km southwest of the city center. This is a small airport but here one can find all the tourist amenities such as a car-hire desk, a bank, a duty-free shop, souvenir shops, two restaurants, and the offices of airlines. From this airport, there are regular direct flights to Belgrade, London, Moscow, Rome, Ljubljana, Zagreb, Budapest, Zurich, Vienna, Frankfurt, Paris, etc, as well as many low budget and charter flights. The airport’s working hours are from 6:00 to 23:00. There is no public bus from the airport to the city of Podgorica, the only option is a taxi, which should cost you 15 euros to the center of the city. Be sure to agree or negotiate on the price before getting in the taxi since overpricing can occur. Taxi costs from airport Podgorica to Kotor up to 50 euro, and to Budva up to 40 euro.

Tivat airport lies in the Gulf of Kotor, 3 km from the town of Tivat, and 4 km from Kotor. The airport is small and basic but has all facilities like the one in Podgorica including rent-a-car desks, a bank, and a restaurant. There are regular flights to Belgrade while other international flights are concentrated in the summer season only. Taking the taxi should cost you up to 20 euro to Budva and up to 15 euro to Kotor.
Dubrovnik airport “Ćilipi” is just 24 km away from Herceg Novi, the closest Montenegrin town. Transfer by car from the airport in Dubrovnik to Herceg Novi costs 50 euro, transfer to Kotor 80 euro and transfer to Budva 100 euro.

NOTE: Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, some of the airline companies do not operate and some of the airline connections don't exist at this very moment. None of the online web pages is 100% updated because the situation with the air services is changing very often.

TRAVELING BY CAR

By far the swiftest way to move around the country and reaching all of its corners is by car. However, driving in Montenegro can be very demanding. Due to the mountainous landscape, most of the roads wind endlessly above the deep abysses of the canyons and at the same time, some of them are in not-so-good conditions. Furthermore, the local drivers are renowned for their perilous driving and care little for signs, restrictions, and rules. All of this means that one should not engage in the adventure of driving in Montenegro if you are not an experienced driver, or you should be extremely careful and always expect the unexpected from other drivers. The motorized tourists should have valid international drivers’ licenses. If not in possession of a Green Card and if your insurance is not valid in Montenegro you will have to buy short-term insurance at the border crossing.

Seat belts are obligatory in all seats. If not signposted differently, the speed limit is 80km/h on main roads and 50 km/h when passing through populated areas. The blood-alcohol level tolerated is up to 0,03% which is equal to a bottle of beer, a glass of wine, or a shot of brandy. The use of mobile phones while driving is forbidden although you will rarely see anyone sticking to this rule. The car headlights turned should be on at all times. On unmarked crossing, you should give way to the vehicles joining from the right. The flashing of the lights by on-coming drivers is almost always a warning of a police speed control but could also be a warning of some other approaching danger.

Petrol stations are mostly situated at the exits of towns while in rural areas they are few and far between.  Check your gasoline meter when going deeper into the countryside. Some petrol stations work 24 hours and other stations open at 7 am and close at 8 pm. In the summer many petrol stations extend their working hours to 10 o’clock in the evening. All of the stations sell premium super, unleaded, diesel, and eco diesel while autogas you cannot find on every petrol station.

The circular road through Boka Kotorska is of good quality but curvy and passes through many towns and villages in some of which (such as Muo or Prčanj) the road narrows to just one lane. During the summer half of the year is congested, with lots of cars parked on its edges and pedestrians crossing it frequently. If in a hurry, you can shorten the route from Kotor to Herceg Novi by taking a Kamenari –Lepetani Ferry that connects the shores of the Gulf at is the narrowest point.

The Adriatic Highway (Jadranska magistrala) from Tivat to Ulcinj is in decent condition but the traffic on it is always heavy and taking a left-hand turn from the road and getting back onto it can be problematic. The part passing through Budva is jam-packed in the summer season and don’t be surprised if you stop for some minutes or move at a snail’s pace. From Bar, the road allows faster driving and the jams are less frequent except when in the late afternoon the bathers from other beaches start to come back to the cities Ulcinj or Bar. The main road Budva-Cetinje is used as the main route towards Podgorica and further on Serbia and is therefore packed with buses and sometimes even with heavy goods lorries. The road has alternatively the third line which makes overtaking buses and lorries easier.

The modern Sozina tunnel (charged 2,5 euros for a car) connecting coastal with Skadar Lake. The tunnel drastically shortened the route from the city of Bar to Podgorica. Tunel starts from the city of Sutomore to village Virpazar onwards to the capital the road is mainly straight and clear but still bears a lot of traffic, especially near Podgorica. The road from Podgorica to Nikšić passes through the valley of the Zeta River and is mostly wide and undemanding. Keep to the speed limit as there are frequent speed traps along the way. The road leading from Podgorica to Bijelo Polje (and further to Belgarde in Serbia) carries a huge volume of traffic with lots of trucks and busses. The part from Podgorica to Kolašin passes the spectacular canyon of the Morača River with many tunnels and curves. The brand new highway from Podgorica to the city of Kolašin will be open on the 1st of November. By this speed road, the distance between cities will last 30 minutes instead of 90 minutes by the current road next to the canyon.

From the two approaches to Žabljak the one from Mojkovac is very popular because drivers are able to enjoy the scenery of the Tara River canyon despite many curves. The road to Zabljak from Nikšić is of good quality and passes by an attractive Durmitor plateau. The road from Biljelo Polje to Berane and further on to Plav follows the flow of the River Ibar. The road is mostly clear and has only middle curves. The Berane-Rožaje road is somewhat more demanding.

Traffic signs follow the usual European pattern. Though many signs need renovation, the main roads are marked decently enough to keep your information on the driving conditions and your position but definitely less from the quantity of information that should be.

In recent years much has been done to improve tourist signalization and their brown and white signs can be seen regularly. However, most of them will show you only the first turn that you need to take, leaving you afterward with standard signs. To carry on to your destination, you will need to study up a map or consult the locals which are often the only solution to find one’s way. If you need roadside assistance call AMCG ( Auto Association of Montenegro) on telephone number 9807.

TRAVELING BY BICYCLE
Cycling is not a usual activity in Montenegro and there are no such things as cycle lanes on the roads. It is not recommended to cycle along major roads as they are narrow, bumpy and the drivers pay little attention to cyclists and pedestrians. Minor roads provide safer conditions but they are mostly full of potholes and bumps so additional care is needed. Bicycles can be carried onto the train provided that is not packed full and that you can find a place in which they won’t be a nuisance (usually by the entrance, facing the toilet). Conductors are usually tolerant of this but on some occasions, they might consider it a problem.

HITCHHIKING
In Montenegrin car-loving culture hitchhiking is far from the usual method of traveling but it is also not unheard of. It might take you some time and patience but in the end, it will get you to the desired location. The number of people willing to stop is proportionally opposite to the number of cars passing by so that fetching a ride in the middle of nowhere is usually more effective. Don’t be surprised if in a place like this you are offered a lift without asking.

Montenegro Hostel Team