Hi, Planning solo trip in Sept/Oct starting in Greece (Athens, a couple islands and Nafplio). Hoping to go the Dubrovnik and Kotor from there. Initial research tells me flying to Dubrovnik is my best option? From there I'd like to travel by train/bus/ferry to Kotor. Anyone have experience doing this? Was in Southern Italy (Compania, Calabria, Sicily) last year and can't get it out of my head! That said, I thinking about heading to Bari and Matera from Kotor. From there I've not idea yet. I'm retired with plenty of time. I understand there's an overnight ferry from Kotor to Bari. Has anyone taken this ferry? Thanks in advance for your help!
Posted by
Republic of Texas / U.S.A. / Magyarország / Budapest
26910 posts
I tend to be a bit hard on off season trips to Croatia and Montenegro. These are places that, for my taste, just aren’t worth the time and effort unless you work them for all they have, that’s good, And under those circumstances, they are well worth the effort.
In October the weather is a bit more unpredictable. And you miss out further with so much being closed. Why closed? August sees over 400.000 tourist arrivals and October 90.000. That’s a 75% reduction. The shop owners maybe have left the city until Spring.
But that’s just my bias. (And I will be there the first week of September this year. But it’s a short trip and I will be out before mid-September.)
So, where are you going after Dubrovnik / Kotor? Looks like the only non-stop from Athens is to Dubrovnik (and it’s not cheap – its 3x the cost of my flight from Budapest to Podgorica, Montenegro in September).
Anyway, to answer the direct question, it is a depender. The depender is do you want to fly past a lot of good stuff between Dubrovnik and Kotor? If so, then sure, take the bus or the three times a week up until September high speed catamaran. Do check reviews on the catamaran. We had one that went up the Danube, and no one liked it because it just beat you to death the whole way. Technology is probably better these days.
Both will take about 3 hours, plus passport control. If you want to see the stuff in-between (if it’s not already boarded up for the off season … don’t know), then better to hire a transfer. I have made the trip by car on 3 occasions over the years. Used to be cheap, not so much anymore, but worth asking. Do a forum search for the name Dijana and call and ask if maybe a transfer is cheaper in October and ask her what is open and will not be open. She is in the tourist business, she should know.
But first take a look the highlighted links below as those are what you miss on the bus or the boat. The others are there in the event you want to stay in Montenegro instead of turning around and going back to Dubrovnik (another 3 hours). All those times don’t include passport control.
Herceg-Novi, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOqLXoeE_o4
Perast, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fd6ErEHPHmg
Hotel Conte, https://youtu.be/zYJcm2zlXA8?si=w7VstV-oLoVEQLr7
Kotor, https://youtu.be/G7QgBl7XNKU?si=pK1etsEr8UcAlofr
P1 Mountain Road https://youtu.be/QSz5hZVNxQ8?si=kAUpMBWDbSSztzt5
Prosciutto at Zora on the P1 https://youtu.be/08il6EXog3o?si=PkQ6Rrueu6c_-U98
Budva, https://youtu.be/TKhHJsb9A0w?si=WsnjJJ_j95TfFAvO
Stari Bar, https://youtu.be/OBU56OT78fw?si=tzF65lSmOXSEpWKZ
Ulcinj, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaPcThRQdi4
Lake Shkodra, https://youtu.be/2CQg4qei3Lc?si=RN0HoEY2QF9ysAmk
Ostrog Monastery, https://youtu.be/ixrJu6qv46M?si=9QWkwFz29VmgmpbD
Hotel and Restaurant Sokoline, https://youtu.be/0fdbD9upFP4?si=KAnxVV80rYk4sZpd
Tara River Canyon, https://youtu.be/9aGMZB8hB5Y?si=MQ-xXvRlIDkYEzpI
Motel MB Tara, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QhSY9uWkrY
I offer the Montenegro stuff because it’s the direction of travel. You can fly out and to someplace else out of Podgorica or Tivat.
Posted by
Republic of Texas / U.S.A. / Magyarország / Budapest
26910 posts
Let me offer you an alternative. Bosnia & Herzegovina. Ive been there twice in October (fly fishing). Pretty nice, Sarajevo is full open as are the smaller stops. But even then it was early October when I went.
Posted by
Zagreb
47 posts
It is difficult to get to Croatia from Greece unless you fly even though the distance really is not that far.
It is easy to fly into Dubrovnik and catch a bus to Kotor. Adriatic lines has a ferry Monday and Wednesdays until the end of September from Dubrovnik to Kotor. There is a ferry from Dubrovnik to Bari twice a week until 21. October leaving every Friday (overnight) and Sunday (morning) with the final sailing for the season on a Wednesday. There is not a train anywhere near to Dubrovnik due to terrain. I do not think there is a Kotor to Bari ferry. So easiest thing to do is to fly to Dubrovnik, spend a couple days there, take a bus to Kotor, then back to Dubrovnik.
So if you use Dubrovnik as a base to get to Kotor and then back, you can easily get to Bari as well as long as you do not leave it too late into October.
September and the first half of October are also good times to visit. Dubrovnik still has healthy amounts of arrivals in these two months, about three times fewer tourists than July but still a good amount. Weather will be a little bit more variable but very nice if not raining, Dubrovnik average high is 21 centigrade. You are not guaranteed to be able to swim, but things should still be open and you will have to fight fewer tourists. By second half of October there are fewer flights and ferries though.