Where to stay in MontenegroWhich place to choose for your holiday

Kotor is the most common choice for a first visit. The old town is under UNESCO protection, and from there it is easy to reach Perast, Lovćen, Cetinje and Budva. Tivat Airport is about 8 km from Kotor. In the old town itself it is crowded in summer, especially when cruise ships enter the harbour, and parking is expensive.

A quieter option is accommodation in settlements along the bay: Dobrota is immediately north of Kotor, and Prčanj about 5 km from the town, with stone captains' houses and pebble beaches. There are no large sandy beaches in Boka: you swim at smaller pebble beaches and concrete platforms, and the sea is calm.

Budva is the main tourist centre on the coast and has the widest choice of accommodation, from hostels and apartments to hotels and campsites. Right next to the town are Slovenska Beach and Mogren, and along the Budva Riviera stretch Bečići, Rafailovići, Kamenovo, Pržno and Sveti Stefan. In summer Budva is lively until late at night; in July and August there are crowds on the beaches, in the streets and on the road.

If you want to be close to Budva without the city noise, choose Bečići and Rafailovići (about 3 km to Budva along the promenade) or Pržno and Sveti Stefan, about 6 km from the town.

Petrovac is 19 km from Budva, with a town beach of about 600 metres along the promenade and a Venetian fortress above the harbour. Lučice Cove is 500 metres to the south, and Buljarica Beach is about 2 km towards Bar. Petrovac is chosen by families and couples who want the sea and a promenade, but quieter evenings than in Budva.

Tivat is 10 km from Kotor and 23 km from Budva, and the airport is on the edge of the town. The town has the Pine promenade, Porto Montenegro marina, Buća Summer House and the town beaches of Belane and Kalardovo. On the Luštica peninsula, in the Tivat municipality, is the sandy Plavi Horizonti beach. Tivat is a practical base for a short stay and for travellers who do not want to fight their way through Kotor every day.

Herceg Novi is the first town after the border with Croatia, about 25 km from Dubrovnik Airport. The old town with Kanli Kula and the Pet Danica promenade that connects places along the riviera give it a calm, strolling rhythm. The town is full of steps, which should be kept in mind if you are travelling with small children or older people. From here you can go by boat to the beaches of Luštica, and in summer the town has open-air festivals.

Bar is the largest port in Montenegro, with a seaside promenade and Stari Bar 4 km from the coast. The town is at the end of the Belgrade–Bar railway, and local trains go to Podgorica in about an hour, so Bar is convenient for travellers without a car. About 10 km to the north is Sutomore, with a long town beach and more affordable accommodation. From Bar you can reach Lake Skadar and Virpazar quickly through the Sozina tunnel.

Ulcinj is at the very south of the coast, near the border with Albania. Velika Plaža is about 13 km long, with fine sand and shallow sea, and Mala Plaža is right below the old town. Families with small children and kitesurfers come here, and the old town, bazaar and cuisine give the town a different rhythm than in Boka. Ulcinj is far from Kotor and Durmitor, so it is better for a holiday in one place than for touring the whole country.

Žabljak is at 1,456 m above sea level, on the edge of Durmitor National Park. In summer it is a base for hiking, Crno Jezero, the Tara Canyon and rafting, and in winter for skiing at Savin Kuk. Kolašin is at 954 m, below Bjelasica, with the ski centres Kolašin 1450 and Kolašin 1600; in summer it is a good starting point for Biogradska Gora. Trains from Podgorica and Bar also go to Kolašin.

In summer the mountains are a good break from the heat on the coast: daytime temperatures in Žabljak are then usually 15–25 °C.

Podgorica is the capital, with the airport about 12 km from the centre. As a base it is practical for Lake Skadar, Ostrog Monastery and the south of the country, but in summer it is very hot there. Cetinje, the old royal capital at 672 m, is a quiet base for museums and Lovćen National Park.

• A week, first time: 4 nights in Kotor or Tivat and 3 in Žabljak.
• Seaside holiday with children: the whole stay in Petrovac or Ulcinj, with one excursion to Lake Skadar.
• Without a car: Budva or Kotor for the coast (buses run frequently), then by train from Bar or Podgorica to Kolašin.
• Arriving via Dubrovnik: first night in Herceg Novi, then further down the coast.