Montenegro is one of those destinations that really surprised us. On the map, the country looks tiny, and we thought we could easily explore the whole place. Once there, we discovered mountain roads winding for kilometers, beaches with crystal-clear waters, fortified towns, and, a few hours later, mountain peaks where the temperature drops by several degrees.
During our road trip through Montenegro, we rented a car in Podgorica so we could explore the country at our own pace. That’s definitely what we’d do again today: here, the journey is just as much a part of the trip as the destination. In this article, we’re sharing the seven experiences that left the biggest impression on us in Montenegro—from the sea to the lakes to the mountains.
Planning a Trip to Montenegro: Our Practical Tips
Here are a few things to check before you leave:
| Things to Plan For | What You Need to Know |
|---|---|
| 💶 Currency | Montenegro uses the euro, even though it is not part of the European Union. |
| 🚗 Car | For our itinerary, renting a car gave us real freedom, especially around Lake Skadar and in Durmitor. |
| 📱 Phone | Check your carrier’s roaming policy before you leave, or make arrangements for mobile data. |
| ⏱️ Travel time | Always allow for extra time: mountain roads can significantly slow down certain legs of the journey. |
| 💳 Payment | We always keep a little cash on hand for small expenses, such as parking or shopping. |
💡 Since Montenegro is not part of the European Union, we recommend that you check the terms of service for your mobile plan before you leave. A Montenegro eSIM can be a convenient way to have mobile data available as soon as you arrive, without having to look for a local SIM card.
Above all, this allows us to maintain the freedom we love about a road trip: being able to change our plans whenever a beach, a scenic overlook, or a small road makes us want to stop.
Check the formalities before departure
Montenegro is not a member of the European Union.
Before a trip, we always check the latest recommendations from France Diplomatie, particularly regarding:
- the required identification documents;
- the authorized length of stay;
- the rules applicable to vehicles;
- any safety recommendations;
- important health information.
Taking a few minutes to check things before you leave can help you avoid a lot of unpleasant surprises.
Our Trip to Montenegro at a Glance
| Experience | Where? | Our advice |
|---|---|---|
| 🏞️ Strolling along a huge lake | Lake Skadar | Take the back roads and pack a picnic |
| 🏖️ Enjoy the long beaches | Ulcinj | Stay away from the busiest areas |
| 🏰 Strolling through a walled city | Budva | Come at the end of the day |
| ⛵ Discover a spectacular bay | Kotor | Plan for at least one full day |
| 🚗 Drive along the scenic routes | Kotor Bay | Never rely solely on kilometers |
| 🏔️ Sleeping in the mountains | Žabljak | Set aside several days for Durmitor |
| 🥾 Hike around Lac Noir | Crno Jezero | Make sure to wear good shoes |
| 📱 Planning a spontaneous road trip | Everywhere! | Save the Internet for GPS and last-minute searches |
1. Drive along Lake Skadar on the small roads
Our adventure really begins around Skadar Lake National Park, near Virpazar. This immense lake, shared by Montenegro and Albania, is one of the places where we immediately feel the urge to slow down.
Rather than taking the fastest route directly to Ulcinj, we decided to take our time and drive along the lake.
And that’s exactly the kind of detour we love to take when we’re traveling.
We enter “Murići” into the GPS and find ourselves on a particularly narrow mountain road. In some spots, it’s even difficult for two cars to pass each other. We have to drive slowly and sometimes wait, but the views more than make up for the few close calls!
We eventually arrive at Murići Beach, a very quiet beach on the lake. On the agenda: a picnic, swimming, and simply enjoying the scenery before heading back to Ulcinj.
🚗 Our tip: Don’t always choose the fastest route suggested by your GPS. Some smaller roads take longer, but offer incredible views.
2. Go swimming on the vast beaches of Ulcinj
After the scenery around Lake Skadar, it’s a complete change of atmosphere: we’re heading to the Adriatic coast and Ulcinj, in the very south of the country.
There, we discover, among other things, Velika Plaža, also known as Long Beach. And the name is quite fitting: this immense sandy beach stretches for several kilometers.
As is often the case, our first instinct is to look for the quietest spot possible. So we head away from the busiest areas… only to realize that some spots are really meant for kitesurfers!
That’s part of what road trips are all about: things don’t always go as planned.
Above all, Ulcinj allows us to discover a different side of Montenegro, with a more southern atmosphere and long beaches that stand in stark contrast to the small coves found further north.
👉 You can find our complete selection in our article on Montenegro’s most beautiful beaches.
3. Explore Budva and head to Mogren Beach
We then continue on our way to Budva.
Our first observation upon arrival: choosing a hotel in the heart of the old town isn’t necessarily the most practical idea when traveling by car! We have to leave our car in a parking lot about one kilometer away before walking to our lodging.
Once we’d dropped off our luggage, we quickly forgot about that little hiccup.
The old walled city is especially pleasant to explore on foot. We recommend getting lost in the narrow streets rather than following a specific route. That’s how we prefer to visit this kind of city: pick out a few sights in advance, then leave plenty of time to explore on a whim.
Just a few minutes’ walk away is Mogren Beach, a lovely cove where we enjoy the crystal-clear water before heading back to the old town for sunset and dinner.
🌅 Our tip: We prefer Budva in the late afternoon. The light becomes softer, the heat subsides, and it’s especially pleasant to have dinner inside the city walls.
Even though Budva is beautiful, we find it more touristy than Kotor, which remains our absolute favorite.
👉 Check out our complete guide to visiting Budva.
4. Fall in love with the Bay of Kotor
It’s hard to talk about our trip to Montenegro without mentioning Kotor and its bay.
This is probably the place that made the biggest impression on us during this road trip.
The old town is surrounded by ramparts and nestled between the mountains and the water. The natural and cultural-historical region of Kotor is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. When you take in the scenery—the bay, the mountains, and the fortified towns—you quickly understand why.
We just love getting lost in its narrow streets, wandering from one small square to another, and admiring the stone facades.
But Kotor can’t be fully appreciated just from land.
A boat ride lets you step back and appreciate the sheer size of this immense bay surrounded by mountains. It’s also a chance to get away from the hustle and bustle of the old town and, depending on the tour you choose, enjoy a swim.
If you’re visiting in the summer, we recommend exploring the historic district as early in the morning as possible. The atmosphere is much more pleasant before most of the day’s visitors arrive.
👉 We’ve compiled all our information in our article on visiting Kotor and the Bay of Kotor.
5. Get a bird’s-eye view of the roads around Kotor
Kotor is beautiful from sea level, but the scenery becomes even more impressive as you start to climb higher.
The roads that wind their way up behind the bay take one turn after another, gradually revealing incredible panoramic views of the Bay of Kotor.
This is exactly the kind of road where we end up stopping much more often than we planned. A curve, a new viewpoint… and we’re already looking for a place to park so we can get the camera out.
This experience pretty much sums up our trip to Montenegro: the distances look short on the map, but the trips take a long time.
And in the end, it’s not a problem. The journey is part of the adventure.
📷 Our tip: Always allow a little more time than your GPS suggests. Between the winding roads and photo stops, a leg of the trip covering a few dozen kilometers can easily take up a good part of the morning.
6. From the Sea to the Durmitor Mountains
This is probably the most impressive change of scenery on our road trip.
After spending several days on the coast, we leave Kotor and head to Žabljak, at the entrance to Durmitor National Park.
Within a few hours, the landscape changes completely. The beaches disappear, the terrain becomes increasingly rugged, and the temperature drops significantly.
We’re staying in small wooden cabins surrounded by nature at Eco Camp Chalets Podgorom. After the hustle and bustle of the coastal towns, we’re really enjoying this much quieter atmosphere.
Durmitor National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With its mountain peaks, forests, glacial lakes, and the Tara Canyon, this part of Montenegro is completely different from the coast and is a true paradise for those who love hiking and the great outdoors.
🏔️ If we could do it all over again: we’d spend at least one more day in Durmitor. That’s the part of our itinerary where we wish we’d had more time.
7. Take a walk around Lac Noir, even when the weather isn’t perfect
The next day, we headed to Crno Jezero, literally “Black Lake,” located near Žabljak.
The weather really isn’t ideal when we arrive. But rather than giving up, we decide to go for a walk around the lake anyway.
And we did the right thing.
The trail alternates between sections through the forest and views of the water, with the Durmitor Mountains in the background. Even when it’s cloudy, the colors are magnificent, especially when the water takes on blue-green hues.
Our walk around the lake is about 7 kilometers—the perfect distance to enjoy the scenery without having to plan a long day of hiking.
And as is often the case after a walk, it’s time for a little treat: we finish with some trout and a local beer at the restaurant by the lake.
Simple and effective!
🥾 Even for a relatively easy hike, be sure to bring good shoes and a jacket. In Durmitor, the weather can be very different from that on the coast.
If we were to go back to Montenegro…
We wouldn’t necessarily try to add more steps. Instead, we would do the opposite:
- one more night in the Bay of Kotor;
- several days in Durmitor;
- more small roads around Lake Skadar;
- enough free time to stop whenever we see a landscape we like;
- and always a few days with no set plans.
Montenegro may look small on a map, but it boasts an impressive variety of landscapes. It was precisely this contrast that we enjoyed so much: a beach in the morning, a walled city in the afternoon, and, a few days later, a hike in the mountains.
We really enjoyed reminiscing while writing this article. If you’re planning a trip to Montenegro or know of other places to add to our list for a future trip, feel free to leave us a comment.
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