are not required for visitors travelling to Montenegro on UK or any other EU passports for stays of up to 30 days. The same rule applies to citizens of a number of other countries, including Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and the United States. If you plan on staying longer than 30 days, by far the most straightforward solution is to pop over the border into a neighbouring country and then return.
Flights from the UK and Western Europe
Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) fly direct from the UK to Podgorica, which is the most convenient (and cheapest) way to reach Montenegro from the UK, and is well placed for accessing the walks in this guide. Easyjet (www.easyjet.com) fly direct from the UK to Tivat on the coast.
Other flights from the UK and Western Europe to Podgorica – including the national carrier, Montenegro Airlines – involve one (or sometimes two) stops, and are considerably more expensive.
Podgorica’s airport is at Golubovci, about 15km south of the capital. A shuttle bus is meant to operate between the airport and Podgorica, timed to meet Montenegrin Airways arrivals/departures – however in reality it doesn’t, so you will need to get a taxi. The fare into central Podgorica shouldn’t be more than 8–10. Taxi touts waiting at arrivals may quote considerably more than this – in which case, politely decline. If you want to book a taxi in advance, contact Taxi PG (www.taxipg.com, Tel: 069 951 961) or Taxi Travel (www.taxi-travel.me, Tel: 069 949 197). Golubovci is on the road to Virpazar and Lake Skadar (Route 5), so if you’re visiting this area (and it is highly recommended that you do so) it makes sense to start or finish your trip there.
In view of the comparative length and expense of other routes, many people still find flying to Dubrovnik, in Croatia, and then continuing to Montenegro by bus or taxi, a convenient option, particularly if visiting the Montenegrin coast or hiking on Orjen (Routes 1 and 2) – see below.
Travelling via Croatia
Travelling via Croatia carries the alluring prospect of spending some time on the lovely Croatian coast and islands after your exhausting days or weeks of walking in Montenegro.
Dubrovnik’s airport is actually at Čilipi, less than 20km south of Dubrovnik and only some 30km from the Montenegrin border at Debeli Brijeg. From the airport there is a shuttle bus to Dubrovnik. Take this if you plan to spend the night in Dubrovnik, or go as far as the turn-off to Cavtat if you want to stay there. (The local Dubrovnik-Cavtat bus picks up here, and will take you the last 3km down into Cavtat; it runs approximately every 30mins.)
Old mill in the Ropojana Valley, Prokletije (Route 17)
There are buses from Dubrovnik to Herceg Novi on the Montenegrin coast, continuing to Kotor and Budva at 10.00, 11.00 and 15.00 daily, with the 11.00 service continuing to Ulcinj. Buses don’t pick up from the airport, but will let passengers off there, so unless you plan to spend the night in Dubrovnik, you may be better off taking a taxi over the border and using the bus when you return.
If you are heading straight to Montenegro, a taxi from the airport to Herceg Novi (from where you can continue by local bus) will cost around 50; coming the other way, fares are roughly 40 Herceg Novi to Čilipi, around 50 to Dubrovnik (but some Montenegrin taxi drivers may be reluctant to cross the border). Hitching to, or over, the border can prove difficult, as very few drivers will stop to pick people up here – and any taxis waiting on the other side will ask extortionate rates. Note that the two border posts at Debeli Brijeg are quite far apart – if you’re walking or hitching, allow 20mins to walk between the two.
Airlines flying direct to Dubrovnik from the UK include British Airways (www.britishairways.com), Croatia Airlines (www.croatiaairlines.hr), Easyjet (www.easyjet.com) and Monarch (www.monarch.co.uk). Book flights (and accommodation in Dubrovnik, if you plan to spend any time there) as far as advance as possible – it’s the most popular destination on the Croatian coast.
Dubrovnik can also be reached by ferry (from Italy, and from other cities on the Croatian coast) and by bus (from most places in Croatia), and by domestic flights from Zagreb (www.croatiaairlines.hr).
For more information about travelling via Croatia, see Appendix C and visit www.croatia.hr and www.visit-croatia.co.uk.
By rail or bus from Western Europe
Travelling to Montenegro by rail is not particularly cheap or fast, but will certainly involve a smaller carbon footprint than a flight. See the Rail Europe (www.raileurope.co.uk) and especially the Deutsche Bahn (www.bahn.com) websites for possible routes and fares. Better value is an InterRail (www.raileurope.co.uk) or a Eurail (www.eurail.com, which must be bought outside Europe) pass, which allows travellers to stop off and explore several other countries on their way to Croatia. InterRail tickets, once the privilege of those under the age of 26, are now available to all age groups.
The only rail route into Montenegro is from Belgrade – there is no rail crossing between Croatia and Montenegro. Note that rail tickets are far cheaper purchased locally: Belgrade–Bar costs approximately 25 one way (first class, including seat reservation).
Eurolines (www.eurolines.com) runs international bus services from the UK to Montenegro. Season tickets are available for 15-day or 30-day periods.
Sv. Djordje and Gospa od Škrplja, on the Bay of Kotor, near Perast
Local transport
Bus
Local buses and minibuses will take you to most, but not all, of the starting/finishing points for the routes in this guide, and are generally the cheapest and most convenient way to travel – see the transport information at the beginning of each of routes in this guide. They are very frequent on major routes, and pick up passengers at many points along the way. You can buy a ticket at a bus station or on the bus itself. Sample one-way fares are: Podgorica to Virpazar 2.50; Budva to Kotor 3; Podgorica to Plav 11. Return fares are cheaper than two singles, but you’ll need to return on a service run by the same bus company.
For a timetable of departures from Podgorica to various destinations in Montenegro, see www.autobusni-kolodvor.com (and click on ‘english’).
Train
The only train line in Montenegro which you are likely to use is that running from Bar to Podgorica, Kolašin, Mojkovac and Bijelo Polje (and on to Belgrade). Slightly slower than the bus, it is nevertheless a spectacular feat of engineering, plunging through the mountains in an endless succession of tunnels and bridges (including one of the highest viaducts in Europe) on its route
