Everything You Need to Know About Renting a Car in Montenegro (if You’re an American)

Located on the Adriatic Sea sandwiched Albania and Croatia, you’ll find the charming country of Montenegro.  Referred to as the “hidden gem of the Adriatic”, Montenegro is a country that has beautiful coast lines and scenic drives, but isn’t overrun with tourists (yet).  I first visited Montenegro in 2021 when I did a 10-day, solo road trip through the country and to date, it’s one of my favorite road trips I’ve done.  Below I’m going to share with you everything you need to know about renting a car in Montenegro – if you’re an American.

 

For more information on traveling to Montenegro, don’t miss…

• The Best 4 Day Montenegro Road Trip
• A Guide to Visiting Kotor, Montenegro
• The Best Things to See and Do Along the Coast of Montenegro

 

Should You Rent a Car in Montenegro?

You should absolutely consider renting a car in Montenegro.  In my opinion, Montenegro is one of those countries where the scenic drives make the destination.  Sure, you could visit Kotor (arguably the most famous place in Montenegro) and call it a day, telling everyone you’ve been to Montenegro.  But to truly see and experience Montenegro, I would say you need a car to get the most bang for your buck.  There are tons of charming towns and viewpoints to stop at, that it would be challenging to get everywhere by public transportation.

 

EXPLORE MONTENEGRO BY CAR!

 

Requirements to Rent a Car in Montenegro

To rent a car in Montenegro, you simply need a valid passport (>6 months until passport expires), you must be 21 years of age, and you must have held a drivers license for a minimum of one year.  You should know that some companies have different rules, but these are the minimums and vary by rental companies.

 

Where to Rent a Car in Montenegro

My number one recommendation for renting a car in Montenegro would be to use a search engine that compares options and prices from multiple different rental agencies at once to ensure you’re getting the best deal.  I use and recommend Discover Cars to do this.

As far as where to rent your car from, you’ll be able to rent from almost everywhere in Montenegro.  I will say, the one place you won’t need a car is in Kotor (and parking is very hard to come by here) so I would try to avoid having a rental car during this time.  Or make sure that the hotel you’re staying in can help you out with parking.  One of the most important things to know is that while you can pick up the car in one city and drop it off in another, you’ll typically save money by picking up and dropping off the car at the same place so keep this in mind when you’re planning your route.

I decided to pick up my rental car in the capital – Podgorica and road trip through the country and along the coast before dropping my car off in Kotor.  I did pay extra to drop off in a different city, but I knew I didn’t need a car in Kotor and it was just more expensive to keep the car without using it.  If you will only be in Kotor for one or two days, it might be cheaper to hold onto the car (even if you don’t plan to drive it) and drop it off back in Podgorica (or wherever you rented from).

 

EXPLORE MONTENEGRO BY CAR – RESERVE YOUR RENTAL CAR HERE!

 

Do You Need an International Drivers License to Rent a Car in Montenegro?

As an American, you do not need an international drivers license to drive in Montenegro as long as you hold a valid drivers license in the states.  If you’re traveling to other countries/crossing borders in your car, make sure that you don’t need an international license for any country you might be crossing into.  If you do need an international license to drive in another country (that isn’t Montenegro), you can get one online here.

 

Do You Need Insurance to Rent a Car in Montenegro?

You don’t need car insurance to rent a car in Montenegro, but I would highly suggest having it.  Before buying car insurance (which you can easily do when you use Discover Cars), check to see if your credit card company offers insurance on rentals.  I have the Chase Sapphire Reserve and as long as I use my credit card to book the rental, the credit card does provide car insurance should something go wrong.

While we’re talking about insurance, I would also recommend travel insurance when traveling internationally.  I use and recommend Safety Wing to cover me in case anything were to go wrong.

 

Rules of the Road

As an American, the “rules of the road” in Montenegro are similar, so it really isn’t too challenging of a country to drive in.  To start, Montenegro does drive on the same side of the road as we do in the US (audible sigh of relief).  You’ll also notice speed limit signs everywhere (depending where you’re at the range is 50-100 km/hr) and when it comes to changing lanes, passing someone, or the use of seat belts, the rules are the same as in the US.  The only “different” rule is that your headlights must be on at all times, even if it’s in the middle of the day and sunny.  This is to ensure that other drivers can see you at all times.  (There are a lot of tunnels to drive through in Montenegro which is the only way that I can make sense of this rule).  You should also know that drinking and driving laws are very strict but you are permitted a BAC of 0.03 (which is about one beer depending on your size, etc).

I also want to bring attention to parking in Montenegro.  I stopped for lunch in a small town and parked on the side of the road (there weren’t any “no parking” signs that I could see) and my car was towed.  A local told me that this is common during the summer months when there are more tourists.  It’s important to make sure that you’re parking in a specialized parking lot or to stay at a hotel that has parking/will park your car for you.

 

Misc Tips

Below you’ll find some helpful tips when renting a car in Montenegro…

• Rentals are charged for 24-hours, so if you pick up your car at 8 am and return it the next day at 9 am, you’ll be charged for two days
• Remember to inquire about parking where you stay (it might be worth it to stay in a hotel that costs more and has parking versus finding it on your own in a country like Montenegro)
• Use Google Maps or Waze to get around but make sure to download the routes in case you don’t have service; otherwise consider renting a GPS device
• Your car should come full of gas, if not, make sure it’s documented so that you can return with the gas at the same level
• Make sure to photograph the car before taking off so you can document any scrapes or dents – also notify the agent of anything that might be wrong
• There’s usually an extra fee if there’s more than one driver
• If you plan to take the car to another country, you do need to notify the rental company of this and there will be an extra charge

 

FAQ

Q:  “Is driving in Montenegro difficult?”

• A:  Honestly, it’s not too bad.  The main thing I struggled with when driving in Montenegro was understanding the speed limit since it’s in km/hr versus mi/hr.  Otherwise, driving in Montenegro is pretty straightforward.

Q:  “Do you need a car in Montenegro?”

• A:  Need?  No.  Want?  Probably.  Especially if you plan to explore the smaller towns and not just visit Kotor and Budva.

Q:  “What’s the best time to visit Montenegro?”

• A:  Because of its location, Montenegro is pretty mild year round.  However, the real attraction to the country is the coast and the ability to swim in the Adriatic.  For that reason I’d recommend visiting Montenegro in shoulder season – May or September.

Q:  “What are the roads like in Montenegro?”

• A:  The roads are well paved and easy to drive but there are a lot of tunnels and if you’re driving up/down a mountain side (which is possible depending on where you’re going), the roads can have sharp turns and be a tight fit.  Again, this wasn’t impossible to navigate but it’s good to be aware of ahead of time.

 

Montenegro Essentials – What You Need & Need to Know About Visiting Montenegro

 

I loved my road trip through Montenegro so much that I hope to go back one day and see even more of the country.  If you’re an American, I hope that this guide on what you need to know to rent a car in Montenegro helps!  If you have any questions about driving in Montenegro or traveling to Montenegro in general, let me know in a comment below!

 

For more European road trip ideas, don’t miss…

• The Ultimate Guide to Road Tripping the Peloponnese in Greece
• The Best 8 Day Northern Portugal Road Trip Itinerary
• Solo Girls Guide to a Romania Road Trip
• The Ultimate Solo Guide to a 7-Day Road Trip Through the UK

 

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For more recommendations on things to see and do in Montenegro, make sure to check out my Instagram page/highlight reel by searching #ppinmontenegro or finding “Montenegro” in my highlights.

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