I was riding on an old train that looked like something out of the 60’s, when I had the thought, “This train is really old. Is everything in Montenegro going to be like this?” I wondered if going to Montenegro was going to turn out to be a bad idea. At the same time, I was taking in the stunning views through the old windows of the train. 

My best friend and I were traveling the world and we needed to get out of the Schengen area of Europe. I had looked into Montenegro two years before, but was now finally getting the chance to explore this coastal country that many people had never heard of. 

Little Known Montenegro

You see, Montenegro has a long and storied history. The first inhabitants of the area were the Illyrians, who were later conquered by the Romans. In the Middle Ages, Montenegro was ruled by a number of different states, including the Byzantine Empire, the Kingdom of Serbia, and the Ottoman Empire. In the 17th century, Montenegro gained its independence under the rule of the Petrović-Njegoš dynasty. The country was recognized as an independent state by the Great Powers at the Congress of Berlin in 1878. Montenegro fought in both world wars, and after World War II, it became a part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In 2006, Montenegro declared its independence and became a sovereign state.

A lot of people aren’t familiar with Montenegro because it was less than twenty years ago that they declared independence. Although it’s fairly “new” on its own, there is still a rich history of the people and the land. 

Though Montenegro is small, it is a beautiful country, with stunning mountains, coastlines, and lakes. I spent most of my trip along the coastal area of the country. Next time, I hope to explore the mountain areas. Nearly two thirds of the topography of Montenegro is mountainous. 

Transportation in Montenegro

Rental Cars

I usually rent a car in most countries that I travel to, but we tried to go for a while without a rental in Montenegro because they were so much more expensive to rent than in other European countries. It was going to cost me more to rent a car than it was to rent a three bedroom Airbnb for the month. We did end up renting two different times during the month we stayed there, just because it became worth the convenience. If you’re going to stay in one city for a long time, you don’t really need a car. Most of the cities and towns are walkable. But if you want to explore around the country, planning to pay for a car rental is probably the best option. 

Car Rental Requirements

Anytime you travel to another country, if you’re planning to drive, be sure to get your International Driving Permit. It’s not expensive, and you don’t need to take a test or anything. It is simply a booklet that translates your driver’s license into 10 different languages.In the US you can pick one up at your local AAA office. Visit the AAA site to learn more: AAA IDP International Driving Permit

Car Rental Lessons Learned

Montenegro was one of the places where I learned two pretty hard lessons with a car rental experience. The first lesson was a last minute decision to rent a car. I almost always book my car rentals through Skyscanner, who often forwards you to a third party site to complete the booking. This is generally fine, but it doesn’t work for last minute situations. We decided to book a car when we were in Tivat, instead of taking a bus back to Bar, because we didn’t want to have to leave by a certain time. I booked the rental car and then when we went to the counter to pick it up 30 minutes later, the employee was like, “we don’t have any cars.” So lesson number one, is don’t do online bookings for last minute car rentals. 

Once we realized that we couldn’t get a rental through that company, we went into the Tivat airport to see what other car rental options there were. The one company we were going to go with wanted to charge me a $15,000 deposit when they realized I was American. I have never heard of anything like this in all of my life. He said it would only be around $1,000 if I were European (or something like that). We told him my friend was from Portugal and that we’d just rent it in her name. Then his story changed. It was such a mess. I ended up refusing to rent from them and we just booked a driver back to Bar. I’m not sure what it is about being taken advantage of, but it’s certainly one of the most exhausting things about travel, and I’ve never experienced it in a category more than car rentals. 

We were able to successfully rent a car for a week or so from a company in Podgorica at some point during the trip. We were even able to drive the car into Albania for a day (which was an adventure, to say the least). Having a car made it so much easier to get around.

Trains

There are some decent train options in Montenegro, but it’s not like you can take them everywhere. The old train I mentioned was one of our first experiences in Montenegro. We took the train from Podgorica to Bar. We had to take a taxi from the Airport to the train station in Podgorica, and then took another taxi from the train station to our Airbnb in Bar. The cost of everything was kind of adding up, but you just have to get where you’re going. 

Like I mentioned, the train was old, but it was comfortable and the views were stunning!

Buses

We would take the long walk from our Airbnb to the bus station in Bar when we wanted to get from city to city along the coastal areas. The bus rides were beautiful, as is most transportation in Montenegro because the scenery is always stunning. Once you get the hang of the bus schedules and buying tickets, it’s not so bad, but finding information online was not super easy. Keep in mind that this was 2019 and there may be more information online now. 

Walking

Like I mentioned above, if you are staying in one city, it’s pretty easy to walk. We stayed in Bar for our entire trip and chose to walk, even though our Airbnb was in a rural area between the modern city and the old city. It would take us about 25 minutes to walk from the Airbnb to the coast. One day we also walked about 30 minutes to get to the old town. The walks were always enjoyable. Once we got to any city like Podgorica, Petrovac, Kotor, Budva, or Ulcinj, we would walk everywhere and found it pretty simple to get around. 

Food in Montenegro 

Grocery Shopping

Just like any new country you visit, especially if you don’t speak the language, you should plan to spend more time in the grocery store on your first few visits. I’m pretty accustomed to various brands throughout Europe, but in Montenegro, there wasn’t anything I recognized. However, with time, you’ll get used to what their brands are. Because we had a long walk to the store, we would do big shops and then take a cab back to our Airbnb. 

Restaurants in Montenegro

Culture

Family

One of the things that really stood out to me during my time in Montenegro was how many dads I saw playing with their kids. It’s not something I find to be common throughout the world and maybe that’s why it stood out to me. There is definitely a sense of community and balance in life. 

Animals

Throughout my time in Montenegro I noticed that there seemed to be a community effort in caring for street cats and dogs. There was a stark contrast to this when driving into Albania for a day, which is maybe why it was so obvious in Montenegro. Montenegrins seem to be kind and caring of animals, which I found to be lovely. 

Smoking

If you care about your lungs, you’ll want to stay outdoors for eating and entertainment. Montenegro is pretty far behind the rest of the world as it relates to smoking. Not only is smoking common, but it’s widely accepted indoors. I didn’t notice it much at first because we spent most of our time outside, but it became really clear on a trip to Podgorica. The first shocking instance was in the movie theater. Not only were people smoking, but it just had that old stale smoke smell in general. Even more shocking, was the indoor food court at the mall. Not only do you have to eat around a bunch of smoke, but it was right next to the children’s playground. That was really disturbing to me. I understand it’s a cultural difference, but we know too much about the damage of secondhand smoke on the lungs of anyone who encounters it, for me to not mention that this really should change, if only for the children. 

Language of Montenegro

Montenegro is a country with a rich linguistic history. The official language of Montenegro is Montenegrin, which is a standardized variety of the Serbo-Croatian language. However, Serbian, Bosnian, Croatian, and Albanian are also widely spoken in Montenegro.

If you are traveling to Montenegro, it is a good idea to learn a few basic phrases in Montenegrin. This will help you get around and communicate with locals. However, you will also find that many people in Montenegro speak English, so you should be able to get by without knowing any Montenegrin.

Here are a few basic phrases in Montenegrin that you might find useful:

• Dobar dan (doh-bar dah-uhn) – Hello
• Zdravo (zdrah-voh) – Hi
• Hvala (hah-vlah) – Thank you
• Molim (moh-leem) – You’re welcome
• Kako ste? (kah-koh steh?) – How are you?
• Dobro sam (doh-bro sahm) – I’m fine
• Doviđenja (doh-vee-djeh-nyah) – Goodbye

My Favorite Destinations in Montenegro

Here are some quick notes and photos from some of my favorite cities that I visited throughout Montenegro. 

Bar

Bar is very laid back with lots of cafes along the water.

Old Town Bar

The old town of Bar is fabulous for a visit to the ruins and has stunning distant views of the sea. 

Budva

Budva is a buzzing coastal city with an outstanding nightlife.

Kotor

Kotor is very touristy but has stunning sites and views.

Petrovac

Petrovac was probably my favorite. A little hidden gem.

Ulcinj 

Ulcinj is another great coastal town to visit, with beautiful old town streets along the water.

Lake Skadar

Laka Skadar is the largest lake in Southern Europe, where kayaking is a must!

Closing Thoughts on Montenegro

I hope you enjoyed reading about my trip to Montenegro! I had an amazing time exploring this beautiful country, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a unique and unforgettable travel experience.

If you are planning a trip to Montenegro, I would recommend doing some research in advance to learn about the different places you want to visit. There are so many amazing things to see and do in Montenegro, so it is important to narrow down your options before you go.

Finally, I would recommend just relaxing and enjoying your time in Montenegro. This is a country where you can slow down and appreciate the simple things in life. Soak up the sun, swim in the crystal-clear waters, and hike through the stunning mountains. You won’t regret it!

Thank you for reading!