Montenegro and Croatia

You could fly Ryanair from Rome to 2 cities in Montenegro: Podgorica or Tivat
Given a choice, I would prefer to fly into Tivat and take a bus or hire a driver to go to nearby Kotor. We stayed in Kotor for a few nights in early May. Both Tivat and Kotor are quite touristy, but Kotor would probably be better suited to a group with young children. Climb up to St. John's Fortress in Kotor for amazing views. There are lots of very upscale restaurants and hotels in Tivat and it attracts lots of tourists, but might not be the best location for young children.

Be prepared for delays when going from Kotor to Montenegro. We took a local bus on Monday May 4 which took approximately 4 hours, but it was supposed to be a 2.5 hour trip. There was only one border guard checking each person's passport and digital fingerprints. All passengers had to leave the bus twice: first to go through Montenegrin customs and again to pass through Croatian customs which had only one border guard checking ID and fingerprints.

Thank you!!

I would first look at landing in Montenegro, spending 7 days and then crossing to Croatia in the morning for 3 days in Dubrovnik. Where and what you visit in Montenegro depends on the date, your interests, your budget, your style.

It’s a small country, but it takes a lot of time. How small? In theory drive from the Croatian border to the Albanian border in 3.5 hours. It’s not an easy country to get around in because it hasn’t been tourist-fied yet. Its still a back door to Europe. Its affordable enough that when I go I can do a lot of private transfers and its still more affordable than the same amount of time in equally good sytle in Austria. I just returned a few weeks ago and I am working on my return in September. I think that will make trip 6? Maybe 5.

Montenegro has two airports. In June and July and August at least, no direct flights to Rome out of Tivat and direct flights to Rome out of Podgorica only two or three days a week. But they start at about 30€. The next nearest airport would be Dubrovnik which has non-stops to Dubrovnik 6 nights a week in the Summer.

Crossing the border: 60 folks all at once must take more time than a private transfer. In the bus you drive right past a lot of good stuff. Consider going from Montenegro to Croatia and not the other way around; and do it in the first half of the day. That might be a bit faster.

Tivat is beautiful. Tivat is maybe the most expensive destination in Montenegro. Tivat is mostly new construction. Tivat is for the rich and famous. Hotels? Ching, ching, ching!

Kotor is near Tivat. Kotor is the stock day trip and ship stop in Montenegro. When someone says they went to Montenegro figure 8 out of 10 meant Kotor and only Kotor. It can be cram packed with tourists but it is pretty authentic and pretty sweet if you get there early and hide when the boat hoards come ashore. They leave early so the late afternoon and evening are good too. Room costs reflect the demand.

If you are coming from or going to Croatia from Kotor then you can have the opportunity dine on the edge of Boka Bay in the picturesque town of Perast. Herceg Novi is also a great stop for a few hours. If you are traveling to or from Kotor to further down the coast of Montenegro, then you will have the opportunity to visit a prosciutto maker and drive some exceptional switch back mountain roads with spectacular views of Boka Bay. Or you

Budva is maybe better for beach and watersport lovers. Paragliding, jet skis, boat trips. No shortage of good food. Budva inside the walls is small and quaint but can get a bit crowded. For a better beach experience head down to Sveti Stefan. The actual hotel on the island if you can afford $2000+ a night or one of the nearby hotels on the mainland facing the island. I did a really wonderful 5 star with a sea view balcony for under 300 euro.

Stari Bar on a hillside is a bit further down the coast. Its walled old town is a ghost town. Very interesting. The pedestrian zone that adjoins it is really wonderful. Prices are amazing too. I love the place. The last trip we did a 3 star with a balcony facing the old town for 60 euro a night. But there is one nice 4 star in the town too. This is olive country so visiting the plantations and sampling and seeing how the oil is made is a big thing. Not real impressed with the newer part of Bar, but its a nice more modern city on the coast.

Ulcinj is the next city heading south. Again a walled city, this time on a high cliff overlooking the sea. Its pretty spectacular, prices are exceptional and there are some amazing hotels in and around the old town. Good for beaches, watersports, food, mediaeval walled city life and scenic beauty that’s hard to beat.

If you are into nature, well then there is the lake and the villages. I was dreading a boat ride on the lake. Turned into one a very memorable experience and I would love to go back to the village for a night or two. Sweet, simple, affordable, great food, wonderful people and the setting is like magic.

We haven’t even gone inland yet. A lot more to Montenegro than just the coast, but you said you only had ten days. Still, take a look at the Ostrog Monastery. Its an easy reach from the coast and a totally different environment than the coast.

This thread has links to a lot of good videos on destinations in Montenegro: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/bosnia/10-days-of-independent-travel-after-best-of-adriatic-tour

Here are recent trip reports:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/montenegro/montenegro-trip-report-ef2dbe8e-3b6b-4cc7-a0c6-c1cc3d3f258e
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/montenegro/our-time-in-the-balkans-mainly-montenegro
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/montenegro/places-to-check-out-in-montenegro
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/montenegro/winery-in-montenegro

If it matters logistics wise, from Pesaro you are quite close to Ancona for a ferry to Split. Pesaro may have some ferries depending on season.
What month? Age of kids? Do you need to end somewhere with flights to Rome?

We will be going in mid May and children are 5 and 7. I have cousins in Pesaro and they are the ones who sparked this idea as we were looking across the Adriatic with them. I was thinking of flying in to Rome and taking the train to Pesaro and perhaps a ferry to Croatia. It would be a whole lot easier if there were only two. I know nothing of the ferry system but have seen many are overnight crossings, and that would not be my preference.
Also we would need housing in both Croatia and Montenegro5-6 days in each place. Any suggestions for the least crowded, near the beach and walkable towns?
I appreciate any help!

least crowded, near the beach and walkable towns

And close to each other (Montenegro and Croatian cities). Tough call in Croatia as everything is crowded. I guess I would consider sucking up the crowds and doing Korcula but its still 3 hours to an airport. Im no fan of Split. I love Dubrovnik despite tge crowds, but might be more manageable in May. Package day trios from Dubrovnik will also be easier to find. Tough choice.

In Montenegro depends on the mood you want and budget. Any place on the Budva Riveria. You will find the full spectrum of costs and beach access. But other than Budva old town its all pretty new. Okay, Budva Hotel Astoria is one to look at.

But if you want a unique cultural experience, stay in Ulcinj. Its Montenegro's Albanian corner of the coast. Facinating and Ulcinj i think is the best of the Montengro walled old towns after Kotor. Good beaches, warmer being further south, plenty of water sports. If you come from Croatia you visit Kotor on the way in then Ulcinj is well situated for day trips to places like Stari Bar and the mountains on the border. Okay, convinced myself ... Ulcinj. Hotel Palata Venezia (but there is cheaper).

Lots of basic legwork need to be done RE searching ferry schedules and flights so you know exactly what meets your needs transport-wise. In mid May, the sea is still pretty cold. Kids won’t care I suppose, but worth mentioning. Do you need to return to Pesaro? If so, then I think Montenegro might be a tall order.

You fly to Florence or Bologna and first go to Pesaro. Then Rome. Then fly to Croatia. The later the better I think.

Forget thr Ferry. Fly into Croatia and ouy of Montenegro ot the reverse. The Rome airports arent terrible and Dubrovnik isn't bad and both in Montenegro are glorified bus stops. No time at all to get through.

I was in Montenegro mid-May last year. Fishing in the mountains when the weather changed and I got rained out. So I changed everything and went to the coast and played in the sun. Message: nothing is predictable. The water in Zadar mid last September was too cold for me to enjoy. The water in Budva early this past June was almost perfect. I am counting on good air and water temps in Ulcinj in early Sept this year.