Hello fellow travelers.
I’ll be visiting Kotor and the near area for a few days in a couple of weeks. Any suggestions on a centrally located hotel in the old town? Also is there a nearby town worth spending a night or two in some one can recommend.
Thanks in advance for your help.
I would feel more secure in this answer if I knew where you were coming from, how you were getting around (bus or car or transfer), and the time of year, and how many nights, and interests and budget ……
I have been to Kotor a few times, haven’t yet stayed there. I will be back in June and still not staying there. My preference would be 30 minutes away in the town of Perast, https://youtu.be/q2nckBnc7_M?si=CohK_4nsI6l7chEB and the Hotel Conte, https://youtu.be/zYJcm2zlXA8?si=w7VstV-oLoVEQLr7. There are some other nice hotels in the town as well. For me, on a pretty evening, just to sit at their restaurant on the bay makes the trip worthwhile.
Another point of interest near Kotor is a drive on the P1 Mountain Road for the views, https://youtu.be/QSz5hZVNxQ8?si=kAUpMBWDbSSztzt5 and a stop at for prosciutto at the Restoran Zora in Njeguši / Centinje, https://youtu.be/08il6EXog3o?si=PkQ6Rrueu6c_-U98
Also if you are coming from Dubrovnik a stop in the town of Herceg-Novi is worth the effort, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOqLXoeE_o4
Finally any of the boat trips into the bay for the islands, the cave, the swimming is worth the effort. They run 3 hours to most of the day. You can find several on Viator. https://www.viator.com/Kotor-tours/Day-Cruises/d23078-g3-c7
Then further afield there are a half dozen other worthy stops. Wonderful coastal towns, monasteries built into the faces of mountains, dramatic river canyons, olive plantations (with lessons and sampling with a great family), local cooking classes (with a great local family), wineries (in 500 year old ghost villages high up winding roads in the mountains), zip lines, rafting, fishing (river and sea), ancient cliff top fortified cities and large abandoned ancient cities. I have spent a total of 3 to 4 weeks in Montenegro and am still discovering.
Thanks for the info!! We will be the towards the end of this month. Moderate budget. Looking for 2 nights in Kotor and 2 nights elsewhere. We will be busing it to and from Dubrovnik.
jcadwellpdx
Happy to help, this is one of my favorite places in the world. But even with as much time as I have spent there, I am no expert so dont take any of this to the bank.
If you are taking the bus to Kotor, do look at the videos for Perast and Herceg Novi because you will never see them unless you do some good research and figure out the bus schedule from Dubrovnik to Herceg Novi and the bus schedule from Herceg Novi to Perast and the bus schedule from Perast to Kotor. Herceg Novi is as interesting as most of Croatia and Perast is maybe the sweetest place to stay anywhere on the Bay of Kotor.
Transfers with the stops in Herceg Novi and Perast will cost about 240€ (Daytrip.com, but I know someone who might be cheaper) and the bus will cost 60€ to 70€ (quick check on Rome to Rio, but you might do better). I wonder how long the bus takes at the border (checking 60 passports?). But while you will save maybe as much as 180€ on your holiday you are missing a lot unless you figure out all the bus connections. Then you need to figure out how to get from the bus stop to the old towns. Very possible.
If you ride the bus, do stay in Kotor because at least from Kotor there are a lot of tourist day trips to choose from. Check with Viator. https://www.viator.com/Kotor-tours/Half-day-Tours/d23078-g12-c95 Some of them will back track and take you to Perast for instance. You will find everything a bit less expensive than Croatia was.
Using the bus again, I would do the next two nights in Budva. The bus to Budva will take the low road so you miss the fun of the P1 and you miss my prosciutto house, oyster farm, olive plantation, but you get to Budva faster. The bus will be about 25€ for two, while the transfer with the stops might have been 150€.
Staying in Budva inside the walls is going to be sort of expensive, but it’s most convenient. I like the Hotel Astoria https://maps.app.goo.gl/qr7xJZWmvh7EXoTXA . When I am there in June I will be at The Hotel California, but it’s a bit inconvenient for a first visit https://maps.app.goo.gl/m4fJTit6sQxXHAz88 and its more suited for beach weather.
Again, from Budva lots of tourist day trips to choose from. https://www.viator.com/Budva-tours/Half-day-Tours/d26540-g12-c95 It’s a good beach city but towards the end of this month, it most likely will still be too cold for water sports, otherwise maybe pretty perfect weather for tourism, but I would still bring a light jacket.
If I had done the transfer, I think I would have stayed in Stari Bar (cheaper than Budva too). The abandoned ancient city https://youtu.be/_9MwpFfi3js?si=TJ2hzt2mDRoc4QLc Ths one starts with the still occupied old town quarter https://youtu.be/9z4dw_lMmz8?si=Li4Bsir_GK0Es-RT There is this amazing hotel https://maps.app.goo.gl/6ZF23WLNe2dKWYRY7 that I am making a return trip to in June. Then a day sightseeing at the lake, a winery, a little home cooking …. Mostly repeats from previous trips but I am going with someone who has never been so trying to do it right.
Then I presume you have to go all the way back to Dubrovnik and staying in Budva will put you closer and maybe just one bus.
Do add up the day trips you will take + bus and compare to transfers that include the stop.
Okay, I talked too much and probably didn’t help much.
DAY ONE: Using the bus, I would take as early a bus as you can. Rome to Rio shows the first at 11am but there must be earlier ones. You will arrive in Kotor a solid 3 hours later.
Spend the day with a walking tour of the city. Maybe take the cable car trip. Getting to the start of the cable car isn’t intuitive so research that. I would have asked an acquaintance that I have in the business about hotels in Kotor but I would have needed dates.
Never stayed in Kotor for dinner so I can’t help with that either.
1st night
DAY TWO: Maybe take a taxi back to Perast (maybe 20€ each way). Tour the town do lunch on the bay front (but a sunset dinner is 10x better), take a boat out to Our Lady. That should fill most of the day.
2nd night
DAY THREE: Bus to Budva. 45 minutes.
If you have trouble booking a hotel this late, let me know and I can send you the name of someone who can help find you something. Spend the day in the old town of Budva, and maybe some of the surroundings.
3rd night
DAY FOUR: Stari Bar and the lake day trip from Budva. Something like this: https://www.viator.com/tours/Budva/Wine-Roads-Montenegro/d26540-188145P3
4th night
DAY FIVE: I guess you are going back to Dubrovnik.
If you need help with any of this, I have an acquaintance that might be able to help you plan. To be honest, I always get help, every time I go back. But I generally have so little time that I want to squeeze all I can out of it.
Another point of interest near Kotor is a drive on the P1 Mountain Road for the views.
The views are unbelievably great. However, the road goes up the side of a mountain with solid rock on on side and nothing on the other. It has 25 numbered switchback turns and at least 70 - 75 other turns that are just a bit less than 180 degrees. Watch the video!
If heights or motion sickness is a problem, it might not be a road you want to travel. Don't mean to rain on your parade, just offering food for thought so you don't unknowingly get in situation that might not be your cup of tea.
Thanks everyone for your help! We’re looking forward to it.
