Montenegro is a really underrated country, and while more people are starting to know about it and visit, it still feels far less well-trodden than its larger neighbour Croatia. I first visited in Spring 2024, when my partner and I flew out for a long weekend to see some friends who were travelling through Europe with their van. We mainly explored the Bay of Kotor and Budva on the coast, but there’s also lots of exploring to do inland too.

Perast

I also briefly passed through Montenegro on my 2025 Europe travels which I mention in my Western Balkans blog post, and I was once again reminded what a lovely country it is! This post covers my 2024 trip and is mostly an opportunity for me to share some photos of this gorgeous place.

Budva

On a Friday morning we flew from London Luton to Tivat, and enjoyed beautiful views of the mountains from the air as we passed over Switzerland and northern Italy. We collected our car hire from the airport and then drove half an hour round the bay to Camping Mimoza, where our friends had parked their van in a lovely spot right by the water. Some of the roads are very narrow but the scenery was stunning, with lots of boats and sweet little villages all around the bay. After some lunch we drove into Kotor and wandered around its beautiful historic old city. We climbed up the fortress for some fantastic views of the bay with its striking mountainous backdrop and then enjoyed some ice creams after our descent. In the evening we had a relaxing dinner at the campsite.

Bay of Kotor

Camping Mimoza

Kotor fortress

The following day we drove through Kotor and onto Perast, a charming small town with a baroque bell tower, where we enjoyed soaking up our surroundings in a waterfront café. We took a boat to one of the two islets in the bay, ‘Our Lady of the Rocks’, and had a mosey around, admiring the pretty church. After returning across the water to Perast we drove on to Risan where we saw some Roman mosaics in a small museum. We used the car ferry to hop back across the bay and return to the van. We left the campsite and drove 45 minutes to a new campsite on the coast near Budva called Camping Seoce-Budva. It had stunning views of the sea from its hillside location and we had a delightful chilled evening there.

Perast

Perast

Our Lady of the Rocks

Returning to Perast

Camping Seoce-Budva

The next day we drove into Budva, which has a lovely old walled city (the modern town was quite busy and built-up). It was so nice to just wander through the picturesque streets and sit in cafes. We also walked across to a charming statue of the ‘Budva Ballerina’ and enjoyed the view of the old town rising above the crystal clear water. In the afternoon we headed to Sveti Stefan beach, and I was delighted to be able to sunbathe so early in the year! The beach has a view of a fortified island village that’s connected by a causeway to the mainland, which has been turned into a 5-star hotel. In the evening we enjoyed dinner at a waterfront restaurant in Budva and the next morning my partner and I flew home to the UK.

Budva old town

Budva Ballerina

Budva old town

Sveti Stefan beach

I hope this post has given you a small flavour of the beauty of Montenegro. I’d love to return to explore some of the inland national parks and find out what else this country has to offer.

Alexa

P.S. If you enjoyed reading this post, why not take a look at Solo Travel in Italy, A Fortnight in the Philippines and Vanlife around the Isle of Skye.

Header photo: Perast, Montenegro