Split-Dubrovnik-Mostar-Kotor-Tivat, early Nov 2026

For Mostar, I can enthusiastically recommend Muslibegovic House, one of the most wonderful places I've ever stayed anywhere. (Not because it's high luxury, but because it is a chance to get a real feel for the culture and history of Mostar and Bosnia.)

Their website (https://www.muslibegovichouse.com/) is woefully out of date, but there is a reservation page that seems to function correctly. You can also book them on Booking.com (https://www.booking.com/hotel/ba/bosnian-national-monument-muslibegovic-house.en-gb.html).

I don't have any recommendations for your other destinations.

Split-Dubrovnik-Mostar-Kotor-Tivat, early Nov 2026. Planning a driving/roadtrip in early November and looking for hotel recommendations and tips on best sights/activities during shoulder season

• You didn’t say how much time you have?
• Are you doing it one way? Land in Split and leave from Tivat? Complete with the rental car drop off fee?
• You referred to November as a “shoulder season”, it’s not. It’s “off season”. You understand that in early November there will be a lot closed. You need professional advice from someone who really has the answers as opposed second and third-hand information. I have been to Croatia 4 times and Montenegro 6 times and Bosnia & Herzegovina 4 times but never beyond mid-October in BiH and Montenegro.
  

I am familiar with Lane’s hotel in Mostar, but I had an issue during booking, and I chose to stay elsewhere. Where I stayed worked very well because of the location but wasn’t a hotel that I thought was special in any way.

On the way into Mostar there are some interesting stops if the weather is okay. waterfalls, villages on hillsides a 500 years old Dervish spiritual house.

The road down from Mostar will cross the border at a lesser used crossing so that’s good. It misses Novi Herceg (not good), but it does cross through a couple of really sweet local bay front villages. I would certainly stay the night at one before going on to Perast and then to Kotor.

Kotor is a very okay stop for 2 nights … I started to say so you could tour the bay, but in November, well, that isn’t happening.

Tivat is interesting, but I would trade the time for the P1 road up above Kotor. Great stops to see prosciutto curing and buy local cheese. Again, its November and I don’t know what will be open. I have been there around the first of October, but never that late.

November might work out okay on this trip. But it’s iffy enough that I will repeat; you need professional advice from someone who really has the answers as opposed second and third hand information.

You might consider trading Croatia for Sarajevo – Mostar – Montenegro – Albania. At least ask your expert if more will be open and more activities to participate in. It sounds like a longer trip, but it isnt that much longer.

Yes, as mentioned it is very much off season. I do not know how much will be going on in Kotor or Tivat as I have never been there in the off season. There is just no reason to go then. I believe they could be very quiet. Perhaps this is what you are looking for.

Split and Dubrovnik will be fine, though, but it is the rainiest month. I would even say it is not a bad time to visit as crowds will be lower. Dubrovnik is starting to receive flights year round. However many things close at the end of October such as the cable car. If you get the Dubrovnik pass and work through it you will be fine. Same with Split, the major sights will still be open. It is going to islands or beach towns which I would not recommend, again this may be the case for Montenegro but again I do not know. That is a better question for Montenegro form. If they are too quiet for you I would look first at Zadar and Šibenik in Croatia or Sarajevo in Bosnia.

I rarely stay in hotels and will typically stay in apartments, it is hard to recommend good apartments as it only takes one person to book them and some may only be open seasonally. But you will be able to find good ones, every apartment in Croatia is government regulated which does not ensure quality but does mean everyone will have gone through at least some sort of process to host you.

Thank you for your detailed responses! We are planning to fly into Split, drive to Kotor and fly out of Tivat. MACK car rental has been very helpful with quote and cross border info. The hotels we have selected are open in November, however I was unaware that many businesses close the end of October (restaurants, shops, museums?). I will take your advice and talk with a local tour operator before finalizing any travel arrangements.

Just for grins I looked on Viator at a Kotor Bay boat trip, complete with swimming in the bay ... 18 Novmeber. They will indeed sell you a ticket to a very unadvisable November activity. I suspect the odds are high that when you show up and you are the only one that shows up, the boat is going nowhere. Do get some on the ground advice from a local. I sent you a PM with a suggestion. For Dubrovnik tours if that interests you, I like:

NERA PAVLOVIC
Independent Tour Guide
+385 98 183 4365
(WhatsApp, Phone, Text)
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ner
a-pavlovic-b2186873/

Sorry to keep bothering you. I am certain you have this worked out and dont need any discussion. But, .....

I looked a Mack Car Rentals. Very interesting. I didnt go so far as to look at pricing. But do consider using MACK or anyone for Split to Dubrovnik, then do consider and check the prices for a transfer with stops from Dubrovnik to Kotor where you can get a car and drop it any place you want and not necessarily Tivat.

• The connections in November from Tivat are Belgrade (eeeek!) and Istanbul.
• The connections from Podgorica include Budapest, Vienna, London, Hamburg, Rome, and others; but it is very day of the week specific.

I met an Italian couple in Montenegro a few weeks ago. They used a local agent to plan their trip driving around Montenegro. All the options of what to see were listed out along with some directions to get to the stuff thats not on the maps. The agent got them the car too. When I met them it was lunch just before their trip back to Italy. The agent told them to drive the car to the Podgorica airport, park it and send a photo of the parking space number. That simple.