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How to travel to Montenegro on your own. From Montenegro to Serbia and Bosnia. By places of Kusturica and Shargan Eight How long does it take to travel from Serbia to Montenegro

08.05.2024

The most vivid impressions of our overland journey from Albania to Russia and back were the train ride from Belgrade to Podgorica.

The railway connection between Belgrade and the port city of Bar in Montenegro was opened in 1976. The route is 467 km long, of which 301 km the train travels through Serbia with incredible scenery of mountain and plain landscapes. On the way from Albania to Russia we traveled by night train, and on the way back in March we specially bought tickets for the day train to admire the spring nature.

From Belgrade the train departs at 9 am and arrives in Podgorica at 19.30. A whole day on the road doesn't bother us! The train has only 5 cars, of which 3 are passenger cars, 1 is a restaurant car and the driver's head car. The cost of our 2 tickets in a soft carriage one way was 34.5 euros. Additionally, you can pay about 6 euros for reserving seats. We weren't really able to sit in our seats during the trip, because... Almost all the way we were glued to the open windows, letting in the fresh air of fields, mountains and rivers and revealing the incredible beauty of Serbia before us...

From green meadows we found ourselves in snow-capped mountains...

The train continually dove into tunnels, of which there are more than 200 along the route with a total length of 114 km...

We climbed several hundred meters into the mountains (the maximum height is 1032 m in Montenegrin Kolasin, this is where the popular ski resort is located)...

And then they descended again onto the green plains...

There are 435 bridges on the way from Belgrade to Bar... The trip will take your breath away!

Photos, of course, will not convey half of the emotions and feelings that you can experience while traveling by train along the route Serbia - Montenegro. The Balkans never cease to amaze us with their sincerity, calmness and warmth of soul...

And this is the border station, in a couple of hours we will arrive in Podgorica, from where we will go to Albania.

On the third day in Belgrade, we felt that the sea coast of Montenegro was calling us. The necessary things were packed, tickets were purchased, and we were ready to begin the long 12-hour bus journey.

By bus from Belgrade to Montenegro

We chose a small seaside town as our destination, from where it is about five hundred kilometers to Belgrade. Of course, the bus is not the best option to get there from Belgrade to Montenegro, but we didn’t find any other option: there were no trains in the right direction at the time we needed.

It is known that in countries where heat of 35 degrees is commonplace, air conditioners are very popular. The bus driver and passengers were no exception. The only problem was that the air conditioner was located directly above our seats, and our meager supplies of warm clothes and scarves did not save us. The trip that began peacefully continued with a struggle to turn the air conditioners on/off. Unfortunately, the enemy had an advantage - the absence of a language barrier when communicating with the driver. But it turned out that in an emergency situation, the language is learned instantly, and after some time I got used to approaching the driver every half hour with a request in Russian-Serbian: “CAN YOU ELIMINATE THE CLIMATE?” (the driver refused to understand the word “air conditioning” or even “conditioning”).

In between this struggle for unblown ears, we stopped for a snack and also passed the Serbian-Montenegrin border (there is no need to get off the bus there - the border guards themselves enter the bus and collect and then distribute passports).

By dawn we reached the coast. Sea, mountains and rising sun - life seemed wonderful! Then there were many stops at coastal bus stations and a ferry across the Bay of Kotor. Like this: you wake up, look out the bus window, and there is the sea on all sides!
On a ferryboat:

Around 8 am we finally found ourselves at the final station - the Herceg Novi station.

Despite the fact that there are many tourists on the Montenegrin coast, supply still exceeds demand. When getting off the bus, aunties attack you, inviting you to stay with them.

  • "Sobe" means "rooms"

After thinking a little, we agreed to the offer of one of the aunties - Aunt Sonya: she offered us a room with a sea view for 20 euros. Aunt Sonya's house was, as she promised, very clean indeed. One of the two rented rooms was intended for us, and we also had at our disposal a balcony with a table and a personal refrigerator. In addition, food could be prepared in the kitchen.

Our room:


And this is also the view from the window:

We decided to stay with Aunt Sonya for three nights, but for a longer period she would have had to pay some kind of tax for us, which would have added a few more euros to our bill.

After talking (in a mixture of languages) with Aunt Sonya, we learned that she has Ukrainian roots and her grandfather moved to Montenegro a long time ago. In the end, Aunt Sonya turned out to be very nice, she helped us buy tickets back to Belgrade, and when we left, she even came to take us to the station!!

To the question “What is it like here in winter?” Aunt Sonya answered: “Dead!”

But in the summer, life on the sea coast is in full swing, nevertheless, we faced a difficult task - to figure out what we would do.

An independent trip to Montenegro is a great idea!

Even if you have never gone on vacation without a travel agency, organizing an independent trip to Montenegro will not be difficult. This country is easy to get to. The local culture and Slavic language are close and understandable to us. Finding a hotel or renting private accommodation is not a problem. And most importantly, a trip for up to 90 days does not require a visa.
Next is our step-by-step instructions on how to travel to Montenegro on your own.

Since there is a lot of information, some of it hidden in tabs. They open with a mouse click and look like this:

Just three steps

To organize a trip, you need to take three main steps: purchase tickets, book accommodation and buy an insurance policy.

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How to get to Montenegro on your own

If desired, you can get to Montenegro by sea


You can get to Montenegro by air, by land and, if desired, by sea. Let's take a closer look at the simplest and most popular method - by plane. And briefly - on an interesting, but long journey - by train from neighboring Serbia or Moscow.

Flight to Montenegro

There are only two airports in Montenegro - in Tivat and the capital of the country Podgorica. From Moscow, direct flights are usually operated to Tivat. It is located in the center of the resort area. With transfers you can get to both Podgorica and Tivat from any city in Russia, Ukraine, or Belarus. Another option is to fly to Belgrade, get to know the capital of Serbia, and from there - to Montenegro by train or bus. By the way, this route will be much cheaper.
If saving is not an issue, the best way is to fly to Tivat. From Tivat airport to Budva - 30 minutes by bus, to Herceg Novi - 1 hour.

Tivat Airport on the map

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Tivat airport is tiny, like Montenegro itself

You need insurance that will provide real help

Independent trips around Montenegro

Montenegro is a tiny country that you can travel around in a few days. You can often get from point A to point B on foot: the distances between settlements are so short. Once we had a great walk from Budva to Sveti Stefan and back. It only took half a day.

Transfer from the airport to the hotel

From Tivat airport You can get to the hotel by bus, taxi, ordering a transfer online or renting a car, which will be delivered directly to the airport (see chapter).
If you are traveling without children, with little luggage and the flight is not very tiring for you, there is no point in spending money on taxis and transfers. From the airport to Budva it takes half an hour by bus.

Bus is the cheapest transport in Montenegro

By bus
To take the bus, you need to get onto the highway near the airport (a hundred meters away) and walk along it to the left for a hundred meters, towards Tivat. There you will see bus stops. If you need to go to Budva, Sveti Stefan, Bar, Ulcinj, wait for the bus at the bus stop without crossing the road. If you are going to Herceg Novi, Tivat, Perast, go on the opposite side. Just in case, check with the driver whether he is going to the resort you need.
Or you don’t have to look for a stop. Stand next to the highway and, noticing a bus coming, vote :) The driver will notice and stop.
Bus fare - from €2 .
The bus will take you to the bus station. You will have to get from there to the hotel by taxi or on foot. See the location of the hotel and bus station on the map in advance.

Bus station in Budva on the map

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Entrance to Budva bus station

By taxi
Taxi drivers are usually on duty near the airport; their prices, as is usually the case in such places, are inhumane and overpriced. If you can negotiate, you will leave at an affordable price.

Transfer

Transfer is a convenient option

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How to leave on your own from one city in Montenegro to another?

It's easy to get to any city by bus

The distances between settlements in Montenegro are small, so you can get around by taxi, rented car or bicycle, or sometimes just on foot. The most popular mode of transport is bus. The entire coast - from Herceg Novi to Ulcinj - takes 3.5 hours by bus and 9,5 Euro. Traveling between other cities is cheaper and faster. The disadvantage of Montenegrin buses is that the schedule changes frequently and is not always followed.
Bus schedules and fares are on the website busticket4.me .

Car rental in Montenegro

Maximum mobility when traveling independently in Montenegro is provided by renting a car. The roads are excellent. The country, however, is mountainous and the landscape is steep. If this doesn’t bother you, by renting a car you can see the whole country.
It’s easy to rent a car via the Internet - on websites or.
Company Feature Auto-travel the fact that it specializes in renting cars from local rental companies; You can book a specific car with her, and not just choose a car model. Rentalcars is focused on popular brands and provides the opportunity to choose a car from the most famous rental companies.
As for prices, in the summer months both those and others start at 30-35 euros per day. Out of season, of course, it's cheaper. A rented car can be picked up at Tivat and Podgorica airports or at any of the popular resorts.

They don’t rent a car like this :)

Language of Montenegro

In accordance with the Constitution of Montenegro, the official language in the country is Montenegrin. However, it is almost no different from Serbian. However, what is important to us is not linguistic subtleties, but how clear the language is for us.
According to our experience of traveling independently through the countries of the former Yugoslavia, you can communicate with Montenegrins, Serbs, and Croats without even knowing their language. This is the case if you want to ask something, you can clarify and ask again if you misunderstood. Many Montenegrin words are similar to Russian:
“dobar dan” - “good afternoon”
"autobus" - "bus"
"zheleznichka stanitsa" - "railway station"
"izlaz" - "exit".
Some things may be confusing:
"right" - "straight"
or to be confused:
"trg" - "area".
Therefore, we take with us to the Balkans a cheat sheet with words that can be useful in everyday life.

If you read the name of the street, then you already know how to read Montenegrin

Currency of Montenegro

Monetary unit of Montenegro - Euro, although the country is not part of the eurozone. This is very convenient: you don’t have to change currency twice, you just need to bring Euroca currency with you. The most profitable option for bank cards is a card in euros; There will be no conversion or commission on purchases.

When there are no small euros, you have to wait for change

Excursions around Montenegro

In fact, you can see any sights in Montenegro on your own. In some places it’s enough to walk, in others you can take a bus or rent a car. But if you want comfort, to be brought and taken away and told, buy excursions on the spot or order online.

— here is the largest selection of excursions;

- here are the lowest prices;

You can visit places on your own that you can’t get to with a tour.

One of the common routes to Montenegro lies through Serbia; its capital, Belgrade, is connected to most European cities by air and rail. You can get from Montenegro to Belgrade by bus or train.

Amazing landscapes of the mountainous regions of Montenegro

Trains leave from the city of Bar, one in the morning at 9:00, the second in the evening at 19:00. Tickets are inexpensive, their prices range from 20 to 30 euros. The train takes 12 hours to travel, so if you decide to travel, try to stock up on food for the trip.

When it comes to public transport for a trip to Belgrade, the morning train is the most interesting means of transportation. It allows you to take an amazing excursion through the mountains of Montenegro and Serbia, see beautiful rivers and picturesque canyons, high-mountain villages and ancient fortresses.

Lake Skadar appears as the train departing from Bar emerges from a long tunnel

The Moraca River Canyon is considered one of the most beautiful in Montenegro

Podgorica railway station

After the train leaves Podgorica, it begins to gradually gain altitude

The height of the supports of this bridge is 200 meters!!! It takes your breath away when the train passes through it

On one section of the route, the train climbs so high into the mountains that snow-capped peaks become visible

The mountains in the east of Montenegro are less rocky and seem to be covered with velvet

Kolasin – an alpine village in Montenegro

The border crossing between Montenegro and Serbia is the only thing that separates these countries

In Serbia, the color of the water in the rivers is no longer azure, but brown

Gradually the train descends from the mountains and beautiful Serbian cities begin to come across along the way.

comments 4

  1. Olga writes:

    There are various ways to get from Montenegro to Serbia. It's cheaper by train, of course. But there is one inconvenience - the trains are always late. So keep that in mind. But otherwise, traveling by train is a pleasure.

    According to my feelings, we spent half of the journey in some tunnels. But the remaining half saw incredible landscapes outside the train window, similar to those presented in the photographs by the author of the article. Rocks 40 centimeters from the window, it seems, I could stick my hand out and touch :) Chasms, mountain rivers, gorges, there are a lot of running mountain goats everywhere, the sea and Lake Skadar.

    As for the Bar-Belgrade-Bar train itself, it is very long. But very comfortable. Don't even compare it to a bus. But I would advise not to take the cheapest tickets. A coupe would be the best option. We arrived rested and incredibly happy. And if you are traveling from Bar to Belgrade and back, then it is better to buy tickets back to Serbia in its capital, since in Bar tickets are sold only at train stations, and there are a limited number of them there, which will not be very pleasant.

  2. Natalia writes:

    Thank you for the photo report, these are wonderful places I already want to visit.

  3. HHH writes:

    I traveled to Serbia from Montenegro both by train and by bus. And every time the trip delighted me. Canyons of incredible beauty and at the same time chilling mountain serpentines. But this will remain in memory for a lifetime. I would also like to take a backpack one day and walk along the canyon.

  4. Anton writes:

    You are not the only one who has noticed the danger of Montenegro’s roads. In Europe, Montenegrin roads have long been considered one of the most difficult. They received this rating due to the large number of inconvenient serpentines, limited visibility and places from where you can easily slide into the abyss. Another unpleasant factor on the roads of Montenegro is frequent landslides. And sometimes even a small collapse of stones can play a fatal role in someone’s life.

    They say that drivers in Montenegro are already accustomed to the incidents of local roads and drive there calmly. However, statistics show the opposite - there are a lot of accidents on mountain roads in Montenegro. Therefore, I support the idea of ​​traveling from Montenegro to Serbia by train.

    Here are some more negative facts about the roads of Montenegro:
    — many tunnels in Montenegro are not illuminated
    — in Montenegro there are tunnels with a lot of turns
    — the roads of Montenegro are often used for driving livestock
    - most mountain roads in Montenegro have one lane in each direction, and there are cases of a long line of cars due to one extremely slow driver

Discover Serbia with us, we will introduce you to nature, culture, history, traditions, people and cuisine.

We are waiting for you on our excursions in Russian, dear friends!!!

Djurdjevic Bridge

Our path runs through the north of Montenegro, with its amazing canyons, amazingly colored Tara and Moraca rivers, virgin forests, crystal clear lakes. One of the most stunning places in Montenegro is the five-arched concrete Djurdjevic Bridge. This beautiful massive structure, 365 m long and 172 m high, is considered the largest road bridge in Europe. The Tara River Canyon is considered one of the deepest in the world - 1300m at one point, after the Grand Canyon in the States, it ranks second. The water in the river is so clean that you can safely drink the water. The emerald color of the water will amaze you with its beauty, however, not everyone will want to swim in Tara - usually the temperature here does not rise above +11C.

Milesheva Monastery

The Mileševa Monastery was built in 1218-1219, and painted from 1222 to 1228. It was founded by King Vladislav, the son of King Stefan the First-crowned and grandson of Nemanja. Vladislav built the Milesheva monastery as his mausoleum. Mileševa Church of the Holy Ascension was built on the model of the previously built monasteries of Studenica and Žiča, in the Raška style. This style is characterized by the Romanesque style of the building, common to the Serbian coast, adapted to the needs of the Orthodox Church. It is a very simple building, built of limestone and then plastered. Sava's body was buried in this monastery and this raised the reputation and veneration of the monastery. Milesheva Church becomes a cult place for pilgrims. That is why the Turks in 1594 took the relics of the Saint to Belgrade and burned them, wanting to destroy the cult of Saint Sava of the Serbian people. On the contrary, since then the spirit of the Saint, through dust and ashes, has become even more significant, and the Mileshev Church becomes an indestructible witness that calls and inspires. The partially preserved frescoes are of great value. The main glory rightly went to the fresco “Angel at the Tomb” - a supreme phenomenon that is so reminiscent of ancient Greek art, the similarity with which is emphasized by the proximity of holy women and soldiers in white robes.

Zlatibor

Stopicha cave

Stopića Cave is located on the north-eastern side of the Zlatibor Mountains. The area of ​​the cave is about 8 square kilometers, and its height in some places reaches 50 meters. This is a river cave, the Trnava stream flows through it, in one place, with an abundance of water, a real waterfall 10.5 meters high is formed, called the Source of Life. Stalactites hang in clusters from the high arches. The cascades are amazing, they seem like frozen stone waterfalls. From below they resemble a cream cake with frayed edges the color of creme brulee. In fact, the cascades are a series of baths created by water, located at different heights. Water, having filled the upper baths, begins to pour down, filling the lower ones. The result is a beautiful cascade of waterfalls 10.5 meters high. Be careful as some baths are 7 meters deep!

Open Air Museum, Old Village of Sirogojno

"Staro Selo" on Zlatibor is an open-air museum that shows the architecture and interior design of buildings, the way of doing business and family life of the people of the hilly mountainous border of the Dinaric region.

Zlatibor - center

Arrival in Zlatibor, the largest air resort in Serbia. A hike to the observation deck, where you can see the whole of Zlatibor and where you can take the most beautiful photographs of mountain beauties, and then a hike to the center of tourist splendor, where we are waiting for you. Inspection of Kraljevo Vode Square, Zlatibor Lake, the town of Zlatibor, also, a visit to the market where you can do a food tasting, buy homemade cheese "kajmak", smoked meat "Zlatibor prosciutto", honey, brandy, wine.. Overnight stay in the best hotel in the middle of the National Park in Zlatibor. You will be surprised by the genuine hospitality of the Serbs, as well as delicious food!

Mokra Gora and Drvengrad (visiting director Emir Kusturica)

Mokra Gora is united by two beautiful mountains, Zlatibor and Tara; no one can compare with them in beauty. At the same time, the ethno-village Drevenograd on Mečavnik Hill gained tourist popularity, thanks to the work of director Emir Kusturica. For his film, he chose to shoot on one of the most beautiful railway lines in the world - Shargan, in the film "Life is a Miracle." The emir simply fell in love with this place and decided to build his mountain house with a cinema hall here. This is how this unique ethno-village in the world was discovered, of course, in his opinion. You will also visit the Diego Maradonna market, Bill Clinton's prison, the Hollywood film cemetery... The tour will take about an hour, and then there will be free time for lunch at a national restaurant serving Serbian cuisine.