BookNRoll Editorial · 2026-09-16 · 7 min read
You can see most of Montenegro without driving. Here is exactly how, what it costs, and the three trips where a car still wins.
Montenegro is 180 km end to end. You do not need a rental car for a coastal trip, and in Kotor and Budva a car is mostly a parking problem. Here is how the alternatives actually work.
Coastal buses run every 20–60 minutes in summer. Typical 2026 fares and times: Kotor–Budva €4, 40 min · Budva–Podgorica €7, 1h20 · Kotor–Herceg Novi €5, 1h · Podgorica–Žabljak €10, 3h. Buy at the station or on board; there is a small charge for hold luggage. Buses are punctual leaving, less so arriving.
Crosses the mouth of the bay in 10 minutes and saves 25 km of driving between Herceg Novi and Tivat or Budva. Runs day and night; a few euros for a car, walk-on passengers ride cheaply. Useful even if you are on a bus route.
Taxis are inexpensive by EU standards but vary. Kotor–Tivat airport is roughly €20–€25, Kotor–Budva €30–€40. Always agree the fare or insist on the meter before you get in. Local apps work in Podgorica and Budva; Uber and Bolt do not operate countrywide.
A pre-booked transfer from Tivat or Podgorica removes the one genuinely stressful part of arriving — late flights, no queue, fixed price. This is the case where booking ahead beats improvising.
For Durmitor, the Tara canyon, Skadar Lake and Ostrog Monastery, a guided day trip is usually cheaper than a rental car plus fuel plus the driving, and far cheaper than a taxi. Pick-up from coastal towns is standard.
Base yourself in Kotor or Budva, use buses along the coast, and book guided day trips for the mountains. Rent a car for two or three days only if the north is on your list.
Airport and private transfers → · Rent a car → · Day trips from the coast →
BookNRoll (booknroll.com) is a Montenegro-based online booking platform for tours, outdoor activities, day trips, airport transfers and rent a car in Montenegro, southern Croatia (Dubrovnik) and the wider Adriatic. Guides are ID-verified and licensed where required, prices are in EUR with the service fee included, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before.