August holiday in Montenegro - our experience good and bad

Some observations:

• It’s VERY busy in August. Tourism is booming but the infrastructure of the country hasn’t kept up. This was something we heard complaints about from every taxi driver. The traffic in August along the coast is terrible and unpredictable and it causes all kinds of problems for people trying operate tourist businesses.
  • Most of the tourists in August are locals from the surrounding countries like Serbia and Bosnia. That’s why it’s SO busy. ‘Foreign’ tourists are still a minority.
• Tivat airport also needs serious investment. Somehow it worked but it was queues intersecting with queues and there’s no aircon or not any that makes a difference. I feel sorry for the people working there who somehow kept calm and professional.
  • The country has a reputation for poor service but we found everyone we interacted with to be polite and friendly.
  • Cash is still king. Every taxi and every trip we took required cash payment. This was a bit of a pain as I had to keep finding an ATM and withdraw on various cards as all mine have a €200 a day limit. If I’d known before I would have taken more euros with me.
  • Local taxis rip off tourists with high fares but there’s nothing you can do about it because there’s no effective public transport. I’d definitely recommend hiring a car if you want to explore. The roads were busy but ordered. Driving would have been ok but we didn’t want the hassle of it on this trip.

Overall I probably wouldn’t return to Montenegro for a summer holiday or recommend without reservation at the moment, although we paid a lot less than a similar holiday would cost in more established destinations. The infrastructure problems can be a real issue for travellers. Outside of peak times the experience would be very different and I’d like to explore more.

Thanks for the trip report. I appreciate your honesty in covering the good and the bad. The Montenegro Tourism Board? It's a little disappointed 🙂. But Montenegro is still on my list of places to see! Just maybe not in August.

No definitely don’t go in August for a sightseeing trip.

Helen, I am so glad you wrote the report. A lot of good information. I think you know its one of my favorite places in Europe. I will go back tomorrow.

I am not going to say I wouldn’t go in August as there are always exceptions. But if I had flexibility, it wouldn’t be my first choice. Unless there was a special draw, maybe like:

• Bokeška Noć (Boka Night) which is sort of a parade of lit up boats on the bay. Supposed to be beautiful and
• The Kotor Carnival

Still like you, August or miss it, then go in August. But even then, one could limit the time at the coast and run for the hills (literally) to cool down.

You stayed at some sweet hotels. I am a little like you in that a hotel can be part of the draw to a destination. I am not a “it’s a roof for a night” sort of person. You paid more than I did on the beach in Budva, but I was there in June and that might be the difference. Here is a link to your hotel so people can see how drop dead gorgeous it is: https://maps.app.goo.gl/fHfWHFdjLV4SbW7q7 and for what you paid with little advance booking … you cant beat that in Croatia.

You like Stari Bar enough for multiple returns. One of the attractions in Stari Bar is a small Olive mill. They do samplings. Don’t suppose you ran into that? I love Stari Bar too. I had someone else book everything for me, and she found a hotel on the main street in Stari Bar and knowing I love to sit outside at night found me a room with a balcony facing the street. Of course it was a 3 star, but for the relaxation in that environment, it was perfect. I just looked for it on Google Maps and the first photo is from our room. Funny. But the photos doe show what the old town looks like. https://maps.app.goo.gl/unRfnHGG9z12yQ5GA

Hey there are RS folks that do beach holidays in Europe. Just not the whole holiday. For that we did the California Hotel near the end of the Sveti Stefan causeway. I can’t think of a more beautiful setting anywhere. And of course, the room balcony looking directly at it. So we did almost as good as you. So much good stuff to chose from.

Yes, the Kotor taxis are crazy expensive. Not sure dishonest, just you get what you can get. The “Kotor” cable car is really more of a Tivat Cable Car. Was it as wild for you as for me to be looking down on airplanes as they land?

Like you, I found the people to be good. Well good enough to be making trip 6.

Again, thank you. Very well written and I like the details. There is so much more Europe out there than a lot of folks realize and you don’t know if it will speak to you until you try.

We always try to take a 2 week holiday abroad in August and budget around £5k for it which was what this trip cost (flights were £900). Usually that means self catering so this trip was definitely very good value. When we’ve done AI type holidays previously it’s been for a shorter stay.

Watching the planes land was definitely very weird. The cable car experience was much better than I thought it would be. It’s a very modern attraction and the views really are amazing.

Thanks for the report! Lots of good information!

I laughed at your description of Stari Bar “not the National Trust” - but accurate. In fact, I can think of a goodly number of places that fit that description. LOL. And the old guy is still selling candles at the door up there! I read an advance notice online somewhere about him. Fortunately he was occupied with trying to sell to someone else when I walked in. Ha!

I loved swimming in the Blue Cave also! But I missed the alpine coaster and the cable car (well, I basically didn’t go to Kotor either). I took my Blue Cave trip from Perast.

Your description of August sounds like what I read about Albania in August also. I love both countries and want to go back, but I think I will skip going in July or August.

Bless the National Trust they set a high bar for heritage attractions but it is quite fun to go to ones like this that are a bit more rough and ready.

August is a bit crazy but we still had a good trip. I wouldn’t try and use any of the public beaches as they are packed. The hotel had its own sun lounger area. I don’t think it’s technically private but no one came in.

I had a friend that would tell me every trip … you gotta do the cable car. I ignored her until June when it turned out I wasn’t given the option. I really enjoyed it. Those glass bubbles you ride in almost make you feel like you are standing in the air. For the others who haven’t seen it, it begins near the end of the Tivat airport runway and goes up a hill. In no time you are above the elevation of the flights coming in, but still close enough to see the tops of the planes. Really strange.

Our National Trust. Yes, they are excellent but also remember that the US has very rigid building codes and the American’s With Disabilities Act (ADA). Under the ADA a vertical rise on a sidewalk higher than ¼” inch is not permitted and the largest crack can be ½”. Building codes will require certain dimensions and and handrails on all stairs. This doesn’t exist in Europe and maybe never could.

I enjoyed the ruins of Stari Bar because they were still ruins without a lot of over restoration for codes and ADA. Of course, as a result it and a lot of Europe isn’t as safe (or is the US too safe?) and it isn’t as accessible for those with limitations. So you get some good and some bad.

One of the reasons I picked the beach hotel that I did was that it had a private beach. Not sure I needed it in early June, but wanted to be certain. https://cf.bstatic.com/xdata/images/hotel/max1024x768/486896516.jpg?k=75dfce9332fec3e3b529278613df39f4e3795a875a56bb66339e58271afacf13&o= Not too shabby? I felt like in the movies as they serve you on the beach LOL…

Now I am freaking spoiled … and it was cheaper than my last 3-star hotel in Dubrovnik old town. Like you discovered, you can do one of three things when you find good prices; stay longer, stay better, save the difference for the next trip. I try and stay better and that make Montenegro work for me. Its my 5 star hangout at Western European 3 star prices.