Combining Serbia and Montenegro on a road trip
If you search for "serbien montenegro roadtrip", you usually don't want a generic explanation — you want a clear recommendation. That's what I try to give here.
I live near the lake most of the year and have tried most of what you'll read here myself. Whatever I don't know, I say so.
Short answer
Montenegro is small — you can cover it comfortably in a week. The hardest choice isn't where to go, but where to start: coast or mountains?
For a first visit I suggest two nights at Lake Skadar, two on the coast (Kotor or Bar) and two in the mountains (Lovćen or Durmitor). The rest will fall into place.
Route and highlights
A rental car is almost mandatory. Trains are charming but slow. Buses cover the coast well and the lake poorly.
Count on slow country roads and unusually heavy traffic around Podgorica. Podgorica to the lake is 35 km — but a solid 45 minutes.
Practicalities
Best time to visit in my experience: late May to mid-June and September. July and August are hot and crowded on the coast — bearable at the lake, but birding is quieter then.
Winter has its own charm, but many things are closed. If you want quiet and can live with rain, you'll be rewarded.
My recommendation
Montenegro is small — you can cover it comfortably in a week. The hardest choice isn't where to go, but where to start: coast or mountains?
For a first visit I suggest two nights at Lake Skadar, two on the coast (Kotor or Bar) and two in the mountains (Lovćen or Durmitor). The rest will fall into place.
Häufige Fragen
Wie viele Tage?
Was kostet die Reise?
Beste Reisezeit?
Note: the German version of this article is more detailed. If you read German, you may prefer the full German edition.