driving to Montenegro from Dubrovnik

I haven't done this but will be visiting Kotor from Dubrovnik next week. I am not renting a car, instead I will stay in Kotor a few days.
I do know that you must make sure your rental contract allows you to drive to Montenegro.
I am a nervous driver, so I would not want to do that drive. If you don't feel that way, you should be fine. Check out the maps and directions at viamichelin.
I would worry more about missing the scenery by having to watch the road more than anything else, but I have heard drivers there can be aggressive.

I was in Dubrovnik in September and took a day tour to the Bay of Kotor as I was apprehensive about driving on my own. The Bay & coast of Montenegro are stunning. I can't wait to go back. When I do, I will not hesitate renting & driving myself. There is nothing to be apprehensive about. Still, it's nice to have a knowlegeable guide. I learned a great deal about the history & area. Enjoy. The area is fabulous.

Thanks for all the response. Looks like what we have to decide is if we want to do the long drive ourselves and if we want to pay someone for his/her local knowledge.

I did a day trip out of Dubrovnik by rental car last fall. It's not all that far and it's pretty easy driving. At the border crossing, I had to pay 15 euro or so for some kind of federal highway insurance. I had taken all the coverage AutoEurope and Sixt provided, but they said this wasn't covered. It sounded like a scam, but of course, I paid. You might check with the rental car company about this. When I got back and called AutoEurope, they didn't seem to know anything about it--and of course never reimbursed me. Make sure you have some euros just in case.

My friend and I were in Dubrovnik last September and rented a car for the day to drive to Montenegro and it worked out great and it ended up costing less then what the bus tours with Atlas Travel were charging.

The drive was easy and I think Jeff above must have been scammed because we did not have to pay anything at the border crossing.

At the Croatian check point they just waved us through both coming and going. At the Montenegro check point they checked our passports and our rental car agreement.

At first I didn't understand the officer wanted to see the rental car agreement (he didn't speak English and I didn't speak Montenegrian), but after a few minutes of hand gestering I figured out what he wanted to see. After he looked at the papers he stamped our passports, gave them back and we were on our way.

As I mentioned above, coming back at the end of the day was a breeze.

On another note...we drove around the Bay of Kotor (BEAUTIFUL!) and then to Budva and then to Sveti Stefan. On the way back from Sveti Stefan to Dubrovnik we took the ferry short-cut across the bay instead of driving around it and it took off probably about an hour.

Enjoy your trip!

We drove from Dubrovnik and all around the Bay of Kotor, it was easy as could be, although the road was narrow at times at the bay and we had no problems.

The only reason I would hire the driver is to have someone to tell you about the area, which I think would be fun and interesting.

We did not do much Montenegro research before we went, so we did not know much of the background and we still thought it was fascinating.

We rented through Auto Europe (I cannot remember if we got EuropCar or Sixt)and we did tell them we would drive to Montenegro when we picked up the car - so they changed the keys they were handing to us to give us a more "low profile" vehicle. We declined all insurances as we were covered thru our credit card.

We had a few minute wait at the border on the way in, but there was no question of federal highway insurance there. Perhaps we had it and did not know it, or may Jeff was scammed. Curious.

Great. I feel more encouraged to drive there now. For the return, do any of your remember how long does it take? I assume it does make a very long day tough, right? Thanks again.

Winnie

We just returned from our trip to Croatia and did a day trip via a rental car from Dubrovnik. It was a very easy drive. We had to show our passports and car information going across the border. They did not charge any extra fees. We enjoyed our day and were very happy that we made this decision. We visited Kotor and hiked up the hill to St Ivans Fortress, and even put the car on the ferry for the return trip.

We'll be driving from Dubrovnik to Kotor this September. Does anyone have a hotel recommendation? Would 2 nights be a good amount of time?
Thanks so much!
Lisa

Taking the car back to Dubrovnik from Bay of Kotor on a ferry - do you remember what did it cost?

I think 2 days is adequate. Here is my photo gallery---the Bay of Kotor was my favorite.
http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/showgallery.php?cat=3882

kenav, I think the ferry the previous poster was referring to was the one across the Bay of Kotor. There is no Dubrovnik-Kotor ferry that I know of.

2 nights would be a decent amount of time to visit Kotor and surrounding towns on the bay.

ttt

It's the Lepetani-Kamenari car ferry just north of the town of Tivat It just takes a few minutes and pretty inexpensive-say a couple euro.

This may explain the "insurance" I paid at the border:

"If you are coming to Montenegro by car you are obligated to pay short term insurance for your vehicle at the border crossing. However, if your country has a special agreement with Montenegro (Green Card), you are not obligated to pay for insurance. The Green Card can be easily obtained at border crossings."

I just got back from Croatia last week. DO NOT DRIVE FROM DUBROVNIK TO SPLIT!!!!! The ONLY road is under construction and it took us almost 9 hours!! It is currently only a one lane road, so only one way goes at a time. There are ferries, so if you can plan the trip around the ferry schedule, DO IT!! I will never again complain about traffic in NYC after what we experienced in Croatia. The ferry company is Jadroljina (check the spelling).

We just returned from driving through the Balkans (16 days, including Albania). The drive from DBV to Kotor isn't bad, but road signs in Montenegro aren't great. There was road construction, but you'll get that whether you drive yourselves or hire a car. The border crossing went fine, but we had to get an insurance certificate for our car by actually walking to a house at the border and filling out paperwork. I don't know if that was just us, or if everyone has to do it. We went with the idea that this was going to be an adventure and that helped with the little "hiccups" in eastern Europe that you don't tend to encounter in western Europe. It's a pretty drive and Kotor is in a beautiful spot. Enjoy!

I want to retract my initial reply--the drive between Dubrovnik and Kotor isn't bad at all. I had assumed you traveled down the moutnain to get into the bay but in fact you drive around the bay on a relatively flat road.
The other drivers were not overly aggressive--but be deliberate when passing. The bay road is windy and you'll see lots of workers near the road.
You will wish you had more than one day. I suggest stopping in Herceg Novi to see the old town, then in Risan and Perast on your way to Kotor. There is parking just outside the old town. The views around the bay are stunning.

I would be a little apprehensive about driving to Budva because you do drive on mountains then, but not a big concern, mostly the bay is just so much nicer.

It will be at least 2 hours, just time your stops to break it all up. Maybe you can stop in Konalve (Croatia) for a nice dinner.
Enjoy!

Posting for 2 reasons...

1... bookmarking this thread to save advice already posted

2... to ask you to post back on your return to let those of us planning to do this same trip later in the year - OK, that's me - how you find it.

Thanks in advance!

How does one fly to Croatia from the states-what are the typical routes/airlines?

We drove from Dubrovnik to Montenegro just last month. We picked up our car a day early and it was a pretty easy and very interesting trip. As stated before, the road in really flat and winds around the Bay. We did use the ferry across which was "interesting"! I still can't believe how many trucks and cars and busses they were able to stuff on one little ferry! I think it was 4 euro. We enjoyed walking thru Kotor Town and mostly just enjoyed the scenery. We rented thru Economy Car and when we told them we were going to Montenegro (they had been advised prior to trip), they charged us another $159! When we turned the car in, the agent said all we would have needed is the green (I think it was green) card, which it sounds like we could have got at the border. I would drive it again in a minute. Sasi

I'll be in Montenegro in 2 weeks. After I finish my business-related duties in Podgorica, I'll rent a car in the late afternoon, drive to the coast and spend the night at Budva (a beach resort). The next day I'll work my way north, around the Bay of Kotor, and end up in Dubrovnik by early evening to spend two nights. The return to Podgorica (and my flight back to the U.S.) will take me through Bosnia-Hercegovina.

The quoted rate for my decent-sized compact car is 53 euros/day. I can't imagine why the original poster in this thread would be paying 280 for a one-day rental! The company I'm using - Meridian, which also has an office in Dubrovnik - quotes 115/day for a good-size minivan with automatic trans.

If you want an excellent guidebook for the daytrip from Dubrovnik to Bay of Kotor, check out Rick Steves' guide to Croatia and Slovenia. Good for touring Dubrovnik and points north too, obviously.

I highly recommend the drive to Montenegro from Dubrovnik. We did this last month and found the coast to be stunning. For the person who asked about accomodations, we stayed at Hotel Splendido which was fantastic. From there it was a short drive to the town of Kotor.

Just to add something about renting a car. We rented with National for a 2 week driving trip through the Balkans. The ability to drive in Montenegro (i.e. the green card) was included in our rate of approx $800 for the two weeks. However, when we returned the car to National in Zagreb and the woman learned we had been in Montenegro, she commented that it was a good thing we had not been in an accident there, as our insurance (the standard you get when you rent a car plus CDW) would not have applied. In her words, there is no insurance for Montenegro and any accident is catastrophic. I should have pushed her more on it but I was tired and as we hadn't been in an accident it was a moot point for us. But you may want to check when renting...while we felt perfectly safe driving there, I could see how accidents happen, what with the road at some parts barely wide enough for 2 lanes of traffic. We also took the ferry across the bay and while those guys know what they are doing as they load up the cars, it was an awfully tight squeeze.

For the person who asked about routes into Croatia, we flew through London on British Airways to Dubrovnik.

I drove the other direction... starting in Montenegro. I spent the night in Beccici (near Budva) and drove north. Checked out the Old Town of Budva, Kotor for a nice long time, and Perast for a drink at a waterfront cafe. It's great to take the Bay of Kotor at a leisurely pace with lots of stops for pictures and just taking in the views. The road is easy to drive and unconfusing. Signage is good. The border crossing into Croatia was a snap.

I was driving a car rented in Montenegro, and it most assuredly had insurance (and the "green card", which border guards will ask to see when you enter).

Who has the best car rental rate in Dubrovnik? Is it always a lot more expensive if you request automatic?
Thanks.

The best rental agency we've found so far is Economy Car Hire. We've been quoted and will shortly reserve a Skoda Octavia Estate wagon, manual with A/C for 927 euros for 30 days. This includes all insurances and permits driving in Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia, Herzegovina AND Montenegro. I know nothing of the car except that it's made on the same production line as the VW Passat and holds 5. We can pick up in Zagreb and dropped off in Dubrovnik or vice versa. I wonder how comfortable this car will be? If anyone knows the car, please respond.

Insofar as insurance for Montenegro, Auto-Europe and many other European rental agencies do NOT include driving in Montenegro, so you do need to pay additionally at the border or you are not covered for incidents while there.

We're leasing instead of renting since it's cheaper and you invariably get a brand new vehicle. The only rub is that there's a minimum of 17 days with Auto-Europe and 19 days, I think, with Renault. They offer many different choices and all prices include complete insurance. Good deal if you're staying that long. Last year we spent a month in southern France, picking up our car in Nice and driving to Tuscany, Umbria, ending up in Rome. We had a brand-spanking-new Peugeot 407 automatic with A/C for $1600 for the entire month.

We were in Dubrovnik for almost a month ( now in Kortula) and we rented a car and drove to Kotor...super easy and no problems what so ever.

We did it in late August and it was not crowded. NO problems with insurance and a very easy daytrip. NOt to be missed..it is great plus great way to see Dubrovnik and killer sunset on the way back.

I will soon post pics on our blog about this portion of our trip:

www.soultravelers.com

Hi All:

Just back from a 32 day Eastern European trip which included picking up a vehicle in Dubrovnik for two weeks. I booked through AutoEurope and called to inquire about traveling to Montenegro and Slovenia. They changed our vehicle from a Volkswagen to a Fiat because of "thieft and vandalism" in Montenegro. Additionally at the Sixt car rental company in Dubrovnik the agent wanted an additional $400 cdn for insurance. I said I would call my insurer plus the credit card company which had insured us as well and they backed off.

My day trip into Montenegro however was not smooth. We were about 5 km inside the boarder when with lights flashing a police car indicated we should pull over. Once we did they backed up drove past us laughing. We saw the same policemen at an tour bus accident a few kilometers up the road where a passing truck had smashed the windows of the bus on one side. There appeared to be a few minor injuries.

Traffic was slow moving but we were soon on our way when about another 5 km up the road an officer stepped between us and another vehicle with a "stop" sign batton. Again we were pulled over, our passports taken including the documentation for the vehicle and told to drive to Kotor to pay a 30 Euro fine for driving without headlights on at the post office. (We had our driving lights on but the next 15 cars I counted with Montenegrian liscence plates did not. We argued that our lights were indeed on because they come on automatically. No point now because we had turned off the car.) We were then to bring the papers back to them where we could retrive our passports and car documentation. I asked where the local police station was and that we would pay there, they said no. My partner asked what would happen if they were called to an accident where would we get our papers, they said they would be there. They said this was the way it was done in Montenegro or we could make an "accomodation" with them.
In other words "bribe". I did recall reading in a guidebook that this was a regular happening in Montenegro. So I told the police officers to either take us to the police station to pay the fine or that I was going to check "my book" on offenses in his country. Within seconds we had our passports and car registration back and on our way. It is important to note no individual police officer is allowed to hold your documents for any reason I later learned from a diplomat in Slovenia. That police corruption is rampant in that country.

That day there were no less than 6 police checkpoints from Kotor to Budva at which point not seeing the town we turned around and spent another hour at the boarder while the guards pulled passengers off the tour bus ahead of us.
Our 6 hour day trip to Montenegro turned into 12.

On returning to our apartment that evening I spoke with the owner about the incident. He said we must have been speeding for a speeding ticket in Montenegro is 5 Euros!

My advise is if you are driving and stopped for a bogus reason, it could be headlights on off, green card, speeding, etc. (unless you are actually speeding) then demand to be brought to the local police station. My gut feeling is the first police car that stopped us would have tried the same thing other than being called to an accident. I would suggest he probably called via cell to the officer further up the road to stop us and make a few bucks, kick back a few Euros for the tip. Why you might ask were we stopped in the first place? Because we had Croatian liscense plates and a big sticker on the bumper with the rental agency name. The initial stop could have been called ahead when we stopped at the border. "Keep your eyes open, tourists, foreigners, on the way." The border guards had seen we were tourists, had our passports for 5 minutes, enough time to call ahead to the local police. And, again in the bumper to bumper traffic to Kotor and Budva I spied one officer standing down the road with a cell phone looking at liscense plates and stickers and would call up ahead indicate which vehicles were to be pulled over by the police further up the road. Too coincidental for just German, Austrian, Croatians, and rental cars to be stopped.

Beautiful country, too much corruption.

Wow, Denise, I am sorry to hear about your bad experience. We are going to Croatia in March and are planning to drive to Montenegro from Dubrovnik for a few nights. I hope we don't have the same troubles, but I will definitely keep this in mind. Thanks for sharing, and I hope the rest of your trip was enjoyable!

Denise, I would have FLIPPED OUT if all that happened to me in one day. We must have been very lucky, we did not see any police presence at all on our drive. Good for you that you insisted that your fine be paid at the police station, I would not have thought of that.

Thank you for posting this, Denise. What a day you had!

I was planning to drive from Dubrovnik down the Montenegro coast for a day trip in just 2 weeks time. I would be driving myself and travelling alone (woman, late 40s). Now I am rather worried about this plan, as I could well be a sitting target. I am not very comfortable in confrontational situations, particularly with 'authority figures'. Maybe I should think about joining a tour...

I will try to do some research on 'offences' in Montenegro - and can you tell me what guidebook you had that gave you that information?

Hi Julia T:

I used Lonely Planet Eastern Europe which had a section on Montenegro. If you are driving in that country stay at the speed limit, use your driving lights and headlamps, have all documentation ready at hand, and do not under any circumstances give them your passport your hands are tied at that point. If I were traveling alone I would join a group for a day trip although some Aussies that we met did the bus tour and spent alot of time in traffic. The tour bus ahead of us at the border leaving Montenegro back into Croatia we learned that several foreigners were removed from the bus for "questioning" and the bus was tied up for close to an hour before they were allowed back on the bus. Unfortunately we did not get to compare notes with our Aussie friends till after our return. The comment a of a few Croatians and Slovenians we met was that Montenegro while a beautiful country it was going through some growing pains. They are desperate to build their tourism trade but government officals from the top down are not making it an attractive place to do business. Have a good trip and if confronted either play dumb, demand to see a higher authority or demand that you speak to a consulate of the country you are from. Safe travels.

WOW, amazing, Denise. Our day trips could not have been more different. We saw lots of police and we were in a rental car with croatian plates, but we had no trouble what so ever.

We were there in high season ( August) and there was no traffic either. We talked to lots of others who also had no problem.

So sorry to hear about your nightmare.

I am stunned that our experiences were so different. We found it a fabulous and peaceful day trip and one of the highlights of our trip.

http://www.soultravelers3.com/

You are the first that I have heard of this kind of experience, so it makes me curious on what the odds are and what one can do to stay on the positive experience.

No problems for me either. Sorry to hear your experience in Montenegro was so nasty, Denise!

I had been warned about speed traps (there were a lot!) and about keeping my headlights on. But I found the Montenegran people generally quite friendly and helpful.

Here are a few pictures from my trip.
http://usera.imagecave.com/balt21212/
The first 2 dozen or so are from Montenegro (Cetinje, Sveti Stefan, Budva, Kotor, Perast). Then a bunch in Dubrovnik. Then a couple in Bosnia.

Sorry to get off topic, but, Balto-where in Bosnia did you travel to? Did you drive there as well? We are going in March and are hoping to do Mostar and Sarajevo before heading to Dubrovnik.

Sessa -
I was only in the very southern-most part of Bosnia, due-west from Dubrovnik. I was on a business trip to Podgorica, the capital of Montengro. After I finished up, I rented a car for three days and made a circuit that began with the sea coast of Montenegro (overnight just south of Budva, in Becici), then up to Dubrovnik (spending 2 nights), then back to Podgorica by driving through a slice of Bosnia. That part of Bosnia is Serb (e.g. all signs in the Cyrillic alphabet), and the main town I went through was Trebinje, where I stopped for a nice lunch of grilled lamb. Interesting, fairly dramatic, countryside to drive through. No problems, other than being thrown by destination signs in Cyrillic that looked nothing at all like their equivalents in the Latin alphabet. Good roads, uncrowded.

If I'd had more time, I would have gone up to Mostar and Sarajevo.

We did our homework before leaving and read trip reports on travel to Montenegro before deciding to day trip, so we felt pretty comfortable. We did stop at Kotor after the incident and found the people great - even saw Obramavitch's Phoenix vessel in the harbour (owner of Chelsea football/soccer team in England). As I mentioned on our return to Dubrovnik I spoke with the owner of the apartment we rented. His sister lives in Montenegro and he travels regularly to visit her but uses her vehicle when driving around the area to avoid any "unpleasantness". He said that keeping the speed limit was very important, if stopped the police can charge you with anything, such as no first aid kit, spare tires and bulbs, on board your vehicle, etc. He said that the people of both Croatia and Montenegro have put there past differences behind them but that does not include the police or government officials, unfortunately. Patrick Horton wrote about Driving Offences (Montenegro) in the Eastern European Lonely Planet guide. I would be a most frustrated commuter/driver if the police did this on a regular basis or maybe it's something people learn to live with.

Yes, we drove it in April of this year and had no problems in a rental car. At the border leaving Croatia, we had to walk back a few hundred feet to a house to buy some sort of insurance. We were warned by a friend who lives in the Balkans; it's legit and we were prepared for it. I forget the cost, but it was around 10 - 20 Euros. If you rent, be sure to ask about that. People were very nice, even when we couldn't communicate. The road conditions were good and it's a beautiful drive. We drove down through Albania, to Macedonia, then Kosovo and the only bad roads were in Albania. We would drive on our own again.

We did this drive last August with our 6yo and it was wonderful and a peice of cake. It did not seem like a long day at all. We stopped and swam for a while in one of the many beautiful deserted places.

We did not have to pay at the border and had no trouble there, went right through both times.

Very easy to drive yourself.