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-   -   Has anyone experienced border delays? (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/has-anyone-experienced-border-delays-1061605/)

KeithAG Jul 13th, 2015 02:38 PM

Has anyone experienced border delays?
 
Going from Croatia into Montenegro for two days at the end of my trip in late September.. Has anyone experienced delays in crossing the border between these two countries.

Thank you!

Andrew Jul 13th, 2015 04:07 PM

I crossed the border driving between Dubrovnik and Kotor in early May. I doubt it saved me time in May, but I took the alternate border crossing via Konfin, Croatia / Kobila, Montenegro (on a google map, map out Dubrovnik to Kotor, then add Kobila, Montenegro - you'll see the dip down the peninsula. Tour buses can't cross here because it's a small crossing. You probably won't save time going this way in late September, either, but it takes the uncertainty out of it.

Anyway - I waited about five minutes at this tiny border crossing near Konfin only because the Croatian border agent was busy on a cell phone call and I had to wait until he was done.

I didn't cross back to Croatia - I drove from Montenegro to Bosnia.

Make sure your rental car (assuming you are driving one) has a "green card" for travel out of Croatia - mine was checked numerous times at border crossings.

Loved Montenegro! The Bay of Kotor has breathtaking scenery.

KeithAG Jul 14th, 2015 10:21 AM

Thank you Andrew, very helpful. I am renting the car in Slovenia and dropping it off at the end of our trip in Dubrovnik, but first we want to go to Kotor. You mentioned Kotor is breathtaking, did you find it that much different then some of the sites you saw in Croatia?


Thank you again.

Keith

Pegontheroad Jul 14th, 2015 10:43 AM

It took about an hour for our bus passengers to get through customs at the Russian/Estonian border. Not really a hassle, but it took a while.

Andrew Jul 14th, 2015 11:58 AM

Keith, I thought the Bay of Kotor's scenery was breathtaking - not necessarily the town of Kotor itself. I suppose you might find the towns similar to Dubrovnik. I liked the town but wasn't blown away by it - it was the scenery of the bay (from the walk of the walls above town, also from the scenic mountain drive way above town) that was so nice and unique. I am a photographer so I felt compelled to stop numerous times driving around the bay. There is also a church on one of the little islands that definitely catches your attention. (You'll also see a church-on-an-island at Lake Bled but it's very different.)

I will post my pictures soon if you want to see them.

Perast was also a really nice town, on the way to Kotor as you drive around the bay, definitely worth a stop.

If you look through a list of the attractions of both Dubrovnik and Kotor and feel you'd see similar things in Croatia, maybe it isn't worth the extra drive down. You'll see a lot of amazing scenery if you are driving from Slovenia down to Croatia. Montenegro is just...more. Different, though.

KeithAG Jul 16th, 2015 04:02 AM

Thank you again Andrew. I took some notes from your reply and am determined to go to Kotor with the intention of driving around the lake and higher points. Would certainly like to see your pictures when you post them. Have a great day!

Krzysztof Aug 21st, 2015 11:02 PM

We travelled from Dubrovnik to Herceg Novi in Montenegro in August 2015. On a way in from Croatia there was little waiting time on a main crossing in Debeli Brijeg however on a way back it was hell. We used local guy to drop us in Dubrovnik airport and thought that he knows what he's doing and take us through Kobila crossing. Instead he stuck in massive 2-3 hours waiting queue and if we not react historically he probably would still be there.

Well, cutting long story short, we arrived on time but had only 5 mins to drops our luggage before they close the drop off.

If time is an essence for your travel (airport, rent-a-car drop off etc) use Kobila instead. It is much smaller crossing but hardly there are any queues,


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