If you’re planning to explore beyond the coast, hiring a car is one of the better decisions you’ll make in Montenegro. It’s a small country, but it packs the Bay of Kotor, Durmitor’s mountains, and Lake Skadar’s quiet shoreline into a single week without much time lost to driving.
Do you actually need a car?
If you’re staying put in Kotor or Budva, public transport and organised excursions cover you fine. But if Durmitor, Lake Skadar, or the mountain roads are on your list – and they should be – a hire car is genuinely the only practical way to get there. If you’re following the 7-day road trip itinerary, it’s essential, not optional.
Which side of the road?
Right-hand side, same as most of mainland Europe – a small adjustment for UK drivers, but one people settle into quickly. If you don’t drive manual, book an automatic early; they sell out well ahead in summer.
Road conditions
Coastal roads (Kotor, Budva, Tivat) are in good shape but slow down in summer, especially when cruise ships are in port – expect delays, not difficulty.
Mountain roads (Durmitor, Lovćen) are narrower with plenty of switchbacks. Manageable, but take them slowly – rushing is both less safe and misses the point, since these are some of the best drives in the Balkans.
Is it safe to drive?
Yes, with one caveat: local driving style is more assertive than most UK visitors are used to.
- Avoid unfamiliar mountain roads after dark – lighting is limited
- Let faster local traffic overtake rather than holding your line
- Keep speed down on mountain roads
- Watch for cyclists and livestock in rural stretches
Typical driving times
- Tivat → Kotor: 15 minutes
- Kotor → Perast: 20 minutes
- Kotor → Budva: 35–45 minutes
- Budva → Sveti Stefan: 15 minutes
- Kotor → Žabljak: 3.5–4 hours
- Žabljak → Lake Skadar: 3 hours
- Lake Skadar → Tivat: 1.5 hours
Distances are short on paper – the mountain roads are what actually slow things down.
Parking
Kotor – the Old Town is pedestrianised, so you’ll park in one of the public car parks outside the walls.
Budva – public car parks near the Old Town fill quickly in July/August.
National parks – designated parking at the main trailheads; arrive early in summer.
Fuel
Widely available on the main routes. Fill up before heading into the mountains, particularly from Nikšić or Žabljak, since options thin out once you’re up there.
Offline maps
Worth doing. Signal is generally fine but drops in patches through the mountains. Google Maps offline and Maps.me both cover the basics; Komoot is better specifically for hiking trails.
Crossing borders
Montenegro pairs easily with Croatia, Bosnia, or Albania, and most hire companies allow it – but check your rental agreement first, since some require extra documentation or insurance for cross-border driving. Flag it with the hire company when you collect the car, not after.
A few practical tips
- Build in extra time during peak summer
- Don’t rush this – it’s not a country built for speed
- Start scenic drives early, both for light and for quieter roads
- Keep some cash on hand for parking and smaller cafés
- Carry water in the mountains
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