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How To Save Time And Money Using Montenegro Transfers

BY SARAH PAVLOVIC

Montenegro transfers are a great way to get around Montenegro. In fact, if you’re not hiring a car, booking a transfer will make your arrival here so much easier. But they won’t suit every situation, and there are times when using a taxi or public transport is a better option.

Montenegro doesn’t have Uber, Lyft or any other ride-sharing services. So without a rental car, your options for getting around are public buses, transfers and taxis.

Here's how decide when to use Montenegro transfers and when to use other options.

Airport Arrivals and Departures

Taxis

You can get a taxi to take you to your accommodation on arrival at the airport, but there are some drawbacks with this:

Taxi drivers often overcharge foreigners. One German couple was charged €50 for the trip from Tivat airport to Porto Montenegro in Tivat. The standard price for that trip was €15
You have to negotiate a price with the driver and often end up accepting a price because you don’t feel like you have a choice
You have to have cash in Euros to pay for the taxi
You’ll probably have to take two taxis if there are five of you because there isn’t an appropriate vehicle available. If you’re with a larger group you’ll need to negotiate with several taxi drivers
You can’t get child seats

Montenegro Transfers

Booking a transfer for your arrival at the airport will make your arrival so much smoother and more pleasant.

When you book a transfer in advance a driver waits for you in the arrivals hall, helps you with your luggage and drives you to your accommodation
There is no haggling over the price, it’s already agreed and paid in advance in your local currency
If you’re a group of five or more, you can pre-book a car or van that will comfortably accommodate everyone
You can request extras like child seats, bottled water and en-route stops
You can request a quote if your destination is not listed
You can book your arrival and return transfer all in one quick transaction

Book An Airport Transfer

Apartment or Villa has no address? No Problem!

Montenegro transfers can be tricky if you’re staying in an apartment or villa. Most hamlets around Montenegro have no street names and houses have no numbers. So, you’ll often get an address like Bijela bb, which means ‘Bijela no number.’ This can make finding your accommodation difficult. But there’s an easy way to deal with this.

Booking.com has the widest range of accommodation around Montenegro and they offer lots of self-catering apartments and villas all around the country. When you make your booking, Booking.com will send you a confirmation email with a link to the property’s location on Google Maps. Make sure you have the Google Maps or Maps.me applications on your phone and use that to show your driver exactly where you need to go.

Getting Around Montenegro

So you’re staying in Montenegro without a rental car, but still want to get around and do some sightseeing. Here are your best options:

Tours

If you want to do some sightseeing but don’t have a rental car, the best way is to book private tours with a driver and guide or this Montenegro tour.

Montenegro Transfers

If you're planning an activity, like wine tasting at Skadar Lake, and don’t want to drive, the best way to get there is to book transfers to take you there and back again. If you’re not sure how long it takes to get somewhere eg. Budva to Virpazar, you can do a quick check on Google Maps.

BOOK A TRANSFER >

Intercity buses

You can use public intercity buses for short distances like Herceg Novi to Kotor, Tivat or Budva. This is a cheap and easy way to see popular towns. Buses are cheap (around €2-5) and go several times per day. Check Balkan Viator (there's also an app), Busticket4.me and the local bus station for time tables and pricing.

Getting Around Town

All towns have local bus routes and taxi companies. These are the best ways to get around town if you don’t have a car.

Local Buses

Local buses generally pass every 30 minutes and connect towns with the surrounding villages. You’ll find the timetable at your local bus stop.

Taxis

Taxis are generally inexpensive, although the prices in June, July, August and September are significantly higher than the rest of the year. Despite this, for groups of three or four travelling short distances, taxis cost the same as the bus and are much quicker and more comfortable.

You’ll find taxis parked at locations all over town and you can call them to pick you up. If you have an internet connection you can call most of them on Viber to avoid roaming charges.

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Local’s Tip: When using local taxis make sure you only use metred taxis. Unmetered taxis usually have a €5 minimum charge and if you don’t negotiate the price in advance, you could be in for a nasty surprise at the end of your trip!

Since the legal alcohol limit for driving is 0 in Montenegro, you may want to take a taxi when you go out for dinner. That way everyone can enjoy a glass or two of fine Montenegrin wine!