Intercity buses
The bus is Montenegro's main public transport. Lines are run by many small companies, so there is no single timetable: departures and fares for the whole country are collected on busticket4.me, where you can also buy tickets. The main stations are in Podgorica (next to the railway station, more than 300 departures a day), Kotor (at the entrance to town, a few minutes' walk from the Old Town), Budva (Rozino, about 1.5 km from the Old Town), Herceg Novi, Bar, Ulcinj and Žabljak.
How often they run, based on the timetable for mid-October 2026 (there are more departures in summer):
- Kotor – Budva: about 37 departures a day, from 5 am to 11 pm; 25–65 minutes; €4–6.
- Kotor – Tivat: 17 departures; 10–25 minutes; €2.50–5.
- Kotor – Herceg Novi: 20 departures; 45–70 minutes; €3.50–8.
- Budva – Podgorica: 34 departures; 75–115 minutes; €6–9. From Kotor to Podgorica, 25 departures, €8–10.
- Budva – Cetinje: 31 departures; 40–55 minutes; €3.50–5.50.
- Budva – Bar: 13 departures, about an hour, €6–7; Bar – Ulcinj: 14 departures, 30–50 minutes, €3–4.50.
- Podgorica – Kolašin: 12 departures, €6–8; Podgorica – Žabljak: only 3 departures, about 2.5 hours, €10–12; from Kotor to Žabljak one departure a day, about 4 hours.
A station fee is charged on top of the ticket, and you can only get onto the platforms with a ticket or a separate platform pass (€1 in Podgorica). When you buy online the fee is already included (in October 2026, €1.30 for departures from Kotor and €1.65 from Podgorica). Some companies still want a printed ticket; if you don't print it in advance, the station usually charges about €2. The driver or conductor often charges €1–2 per suitcase in the hold, in cash, so carry small change.
Train: Bar – Podgorica and Belgrade – Bar
Montenegro Railways (zpcg.me) runs local trains Bar – Sutomore – Podgorica, Podgorica – Nikšić and Podgorica – Kolašin – Bijelo Polje. Between Bar and Podgorica there are about ten trains a day, the ride takes about an hour and a second-class ticket is €2.80. From Podgorica there are five trains to Nikšić (€3.20, about 1 hour) and four to Kolašin (€3.40, about 1 hour 25 minutes).
The Belgrade – Bar railway runs through 254 tunnels and over 435 bridges. The best known is the Mala Rijeka viaduct north of Podgorica, 498 m long and about 200 m above the river; until 2001 it was the highest railway bridge in the world. The night train runs all year: from Bar at 20:10, arriving in Belgrade (Beograd Centar station) at 07:08; from Belgrade at 19:54, arriving in Bar at 06:54. In summer (in 2026, mid-June to mid-September) there is also a day train: from Bar at 09:00, arriving in Belgrade around 20:15. A Bar – Belgrade ticket costs €23.80 in second class and €35.60 in first, and a seat reservation is compulsory at €3. On the night train a couchette costs €8 extra (six-berth) or €12 (four-berth), and a bed in a sleeping car €16–24.
Tickets are sold at the stations in Bar and Podgorica, through the Srbijavoz app, or by ordering on tickets-zpcg.me (confirmation arrives by e-mail). For the best views sit on the right-hand side heading to Bar and on the left heading to Belgrade.
Taxis and apps
Uber does not operate in Montenegro. Sources from 2026 disagree about Bolt, so don't rely on it. The local apps are MonteGO (Podgorica and the coastal towns; you see the price before the ride and pay the driver) and TeslaGo (Podgorica only, card payment). Most often a taxi is still called by phone or taken from a rank; ask your host for a local taxi number. For trips between towns, agree the fare before you set off and expect to pay in cash.
The Kamenari – Lepetane ferry and boats around the bay
The ferry across the Verige strait links Kamenari (Herceg Novi side) and Lepetane (Tivat side) and saves the drive around the inner bay. In summer (in 2026, 4 May to 14 October) it leaves every 15–20 minutes, day and night. A car pays €5, a bus €17.50, and foot passengers, cyclists and people with disabilities cross free. There is no bridge over Verige. In summer, especially at weekends, expect a car queue of more than half an hour.
There is no regular public boat line between Kotor, Perast and Tivat. Taxi boats and excursion boats leave from Kotor harbour and from the Perast waterfront (for example to the island of Our Lady of the Rocks); agree the price before you board. Local buses also run from Kotor to Perast.
Airports and getting here from Dubrovnik
At Podgorica Airport, buses run by BTC Zeta, MS Tours and Zejdin leave from in front of the terminal for the main bus station (Zejdin also goes to Ulcinj); buy the ticket on the bus or on busticket4.me. The official taxi companies are Zeta Taxi and Vuk BG Taxi; expect about €15 to the city centre. At Tivat Airport there is no dedicated bus: intercity buses stop on the main road, about 400 m from the terminal. Fixed-price airport transfers are on our Airports page.
There is no ferry between Dubrovnik and Kotor and no regular boat line, only organised excursions. The bus from Dubrovnik leaves from Gruž station; in October 2026 there are four departures a day, the ride takes 2–2.5 hours and a ticket costs €29–36. The border is Karasovići – Debeli Brijeg: Croatia is in the Schengen area, so since October 2025 (at every crossing since April 2026) travellers from outside the EU are registered in the EES (face photo and fingerprints at the first crossing). In summer expect to wait 30–90 minutes. If you plan to drive as well, see car rental and our guide to tolls, borders and parking.
