16 nights in Montenegro

3 nights Perast:

Stayed: Palace Jelena, a cross between a hotel and an apartment. My room felt like an old Venetian Palace - large and marbley (is that a word?). No breakfast but had intermittent cleaning, the owner was nearby, and it was above a restaurant. Only place where parking was difficult.

Did: on driving day I stopped and walked all through Budva’s old city. I didn’t swim but beaches were nice and I really liked this old town.

Day 1) boat trip to nearby caves for swimming in some of the clearest water I have seen, as well as a ride through a submarine cave, Port Montenegro where the REALLY rich people park their yachts, and a stop at Our Lady of the Rocks chapel. Plus some relaxing.

Day 2) a full day trip with a guide to Lovcen, the Mausoleum of beloved ruler Njegos; then a stop for lunch of cheese and prosciutto made locally in the village of Njegusi; and finally a tour through the former capital Cetinje. No way would I have wanted to drive the 25 serpentine curves going up to Lovcen, but views were fabulous.

3 nights at an ethnovillage near Pluzine in Durmitor National Park.

Stayed: Etno selo Izlazak in what I would compare to a cabin in a national park here, although the complex of about 20 cabins is privately owned. The view from the outdoor dining room where I ate breakfast and a couple of dinners down on Piva Lake were hard to believe.

Did:

Day 1) a full day guided tour in a circle through Durmitor, full of mountains, lakes, and stunning scenery. Again, this would not have been a drive I would do, mainly because I would not be able to both drive and see the scenery.

Day 2) I had asked for a day to do nothing. However I did drive to see Piva Monastery, a small place built in the 16th century that was in the way of flooding due to the creation of Piva Lake. In a very complex process, it was moved, stones, frescos, and all, to a new location. Then I went into Pluzine and enjoyed a really great dinner of trout caught fresh from the lake I could see out the window.

1 night Podgorica at Ziya Hotel, another really nice boutique hotel. This night was merely to return the car and set the stage for the train ride through the mountains Podgorica to Belgrade the following morning.

Summary:

• This was a great trip for me. I like extra time in places and don’t mind plenty of time to relax. Time is what I have so I don’t feel I need to hurry.
• With no jet lag, coming with a driver from Dubrovnik, I could have made the stop at Ostrog Monastery on my way to Podgorica - and cut Podgorica by a night.
• I could have cut a night in Kolaśin without much trouble.
• I could have cut a night in Stari Bar.
• I didn’t need all 3 nights in Durmitor, but I liked having them.
• I would really have enjoyed another night (or 2) in Perast. From there I would have taken the bus to Kotor to explore. I also didn’t see Herceg Novi.
• A driver would have been a little cheaper than the rental car and gas. If you count the days I didn’t use the car at all, then even adding driver days for moving city to city it would have been cheaper. This is hard for independent me to believe, but I did the math. It is definitely possible to move around by bus - but you can’t easily get to as many places as I went without a car or a driver. But a combo wouldn’t be hard.
• Dijana can do your trip however you want it - and that is exactly what she did for me. You could easily do most of where I went in 7-8 days, if you don’t have time for the extra slower travel. Distances are short and if someone else is driving, you get the full enjoyment of longer days without the stress of driving the narrow roads - and a large part of the beauty IS the mountain areas that require extra concentration.
• Roads are decent, but most are one lane each direction and not a lot of shoulder. Plus mountains and curves.
• This was my first trip to let someone else do the planning and I am not good at turning loose. But for several reasons, I simply didn’t have the time to plan the way I would want - and I wanted to get to this area THIS year, not next year.
• I don’t know if I will repeat letting someone else plan, but Dijana did a great job of giving me what I asked for and for finding the interesting lodging I like. This was a successful 2 weeks and I have no hesitation in recommending her.
• I did price most of my lodging and I would not be able to reserve myself as cheaply as she did.
• Montenegro is not EU but uses the euro.
• Biggest take-away - Montenegro is less traveled and well worth the time. I understand grabbing a day trip from Dubrovnik, but goodness, there is SO much more.

Hi TTM..soo enjoyed your trip report! I have not been to Montenegro..spent 2 weeks in Croatia and loved it. I love that you used an agent..I have found as much as I enjoy my own planning..that when I am in super new areas..I like a locals perspective for many reasons. I enjoyed your slower travel..but well packed days! It sounds like a beautiful trip..and I would not hesitate to use your planner for an upcoming trip to Montenegro. Thank you for sharing!

A driver would have been a little cheaper than the rental car and gas.
If you count the days I didn’t use the car at all, then even adding
driver days for moving city to city it would have been cheaper.

I'm thinking about this more and more and moving forward I think I'll do the math vs the convenience.

Enjoyed reading your trip report and keeping all this info and advice on hand for future. Thanks.

Pat

TexasTravelmom, lovely lovely report! I have been wanting to go to Montenegro ever since I started reading the Nero Wolfe mysteries (his character was from there). But your description has really enhanced that desire, so it might be something to do in a few years. And that totally makes sense about hiring a driver. I will keep that in mind if/when I make it here. Thanks!

Thanks for this interesting report! This is an interesting and beautiful part of the world.

Such a well-organized and interesting report! Just what someone would need to know to assess their interest in Montenegro.

Thanks for posting on this seldom-covered area!!!

Montenegro is a place we thoroughly enjoyed, however it's a little small for so many days. The people there are very friendly and downright beautiful.

We're planning to visit Montenegro again and take in Croatia and Slovenia on the same trip.

Your trip sounds so peaceful. I wish I could gift this trip to myself when I was working a stressful and chaotic job. I could feel the tension slipping away with each fabulous view, cozy cabin, and relaxing afternoon on a lake or at a beach. I might never have gone back to my job!!

Keep on traveling! I think I will just follow in your footsteps.
What are your 2024 plans?

Thanks, everyone. It really is a beautiful place. I think people who just see the areas with the cruise ships (Kotor) or who hop over for a day trip from Dubrovnik are really missing so much.

Allan, in this case, I think I would have both saved money and convenience by not having a rental car. I actually hate to admit this. 🤣 I certainly don’t think that is true everywhere but seemed to be in Montenegro.

David, I admit 16 nights was longer than most people need and more than some would want. I think I could have shortened the trip by maybe 4 days for my stays - but I also feel like I shorted the coastline. I needed a bit more time there. And as always, skipping an area is an option.

Laurel, you made me remember the Italian couple staying at Balbani. They were doing a week long active trip: hiking, kayaking, biking, etc. My activity level is different and I was there more for culture and history. Options. :)

CW, you know me and my relaxing. 🤣

Linda, it was definitely a new experience for me to use a planner. I feel fortunate she understood what I wanted.

Thank you, Pat, Valerie, and Carol! It IS a beautiful, easy place to be. I keep beautiful Perast in my heart - it would be easy to go back.

Mardee, I will now have to find those books! 🤣

Tammy, having trouble nailing 2024 down. So it remains to be seen!

Great trip report! Sounds like a very pleasant, relaxed trek. I like these sort of experiences, and my experience of the people of the Balkans is that they are warm, friendly, and welcoming. Glad you had a great trip... and can't wait to read about your time in Bosnia!

Thanks, Dave! And I agree about the people - I found them hospitable and kind in all three countries on this trip. They laughingly told me the joke about Montenegrins is they are lazy - I said it was just laidback and relaxed. 🤣

Mardee, I will now have to find those books!

They're very dated (1950's) but fun to read. The only book that really discusses Montenegro in detail is The Black Mountain, where Nero Wolfe returns to his homeland to solve a murder. At some point he cooks a dish using Romano cheese that he found buried in a hole in the ground (evidently a local custom).🤣

Thanks, Mardee!