This article collects detailed information about car rentals in Montenegro. You can check the requirements for renting cars, prices, tips and traffic rules in Montenegro – everything you need to know for easy and safe car rental.
Car rental in Montenegro
Montenegro is a beautiful country with many cultural, historical and natural interesting places to visit. The railway system, as well as bus routes, are not developed. You have four ways to travel around the country: group guided tours, rental car rentals, hitch-hiking, or hiking. We recommend renting a car, as you will be flexible in visiting only places of your choice without waiting for other tourists; you can download an audio guide and not miss interesting facts about the place. As sights are located remotely from each other and you may want to visit the nearest countries from former Yugoslavia, it is better to take a car for at least a week. Moreover, the price per day will be lower for extended bookings.
We will recommend the most popular rental services and explain their conditions, traffic rules in Montenegro, and other tips for renting a car in Montenegro.
Tips for renting a car in Montenegro
Montenegro is a European country with similar renting rules to those of all developed countries. Please go through these tips to be prepared.
Rent a car only on popular and well-known websites with many reviews. Please do not follow the colorful banners offering the lowest price; some of them are scams and fake.
Choose cars on aggregators to see all proposals in one place. Some websites offer additional discounts that can be applied in addition to your private discounts.
Book in advance. Summer is the most popular season in Montenegro, but the choice of July and August is limited. If you cannot find a car in your city, you may try neighboring cities. Most car companies offer car delivery services to hotels or apartments (may be charged additionally).
Rent a car with an automatic transmission gearbox. The landscape in Montenegro has many hills, mountains, narrow roads, and ups and downs. For inexperienced drivers, mechanical transmission will be a nightmare.
Choose an expanded insurance. Because of the difficult driving conditions (see previous point), small damage to windscreens, mirrors and tyres is common. Basic insurance normally does not cover such expenses, which could be quite expensive.
Check precisely the car condition and take photos. Most car companies charge a deposit, which they return if the car is delivered in the same condition you take it. If the service agent finds damage to a paint film or a glass, it will not be returned. Sadly, it was like that when you took the car, but you didn’t report it.
Read a rental agreement. There are many other hidden points for charging money from you if you are not reading the agreement. For example, children’s seats can be paid, or you need to fill the tank to the full with gasoline. Please check in advance the limit on kilometers and the possibility of leaving the country,
Choose a car with at least a 1.2L tank. There are not so many gas stations in remote areas in the mountains.
Availability of road assistance service. This option is a nice bonus for all drivers; please save the number.
The specific rules regarding traffic rules, documents and other conditions for taking a car in Montenegro we will discuss in other sections.
Traffic rules and driving regulations
The traffic rules in Montenegro are similar to those in Europe. We will not list all of them here; we will only list the basic ones that can save your life and prevent fines.
Do not forget to wear seat belts for the driver and passengers when you start moving in the car. The fine is up to 100 Euro.
Use children’s seats for kids under 5 years and sit on the back seat for those under 12 years. The fee is up to 100 Euro.
Drive the car on the right side of the road. The fine is up to 450 Euro.
Wear a reflective jacket on all stops, not in the parking lots, especially at night.
Do not talk on your cell phones without a hands-free system. The fine is up to 150 Euro.
Do not exceed the speed limit in the urban area of 50 km/h, in the residential area, 30 km/h and 80 km/h in the non-urban areas. The fine is up to 2.000 Euro.
Turn on the low beam light always when you drive the car. The fine is 30 Euro.
Avoid drinking alcohol before driving; the limit is 0.2 permille. The fine is up to 2000 Euro or arrest.
If you have less than two years of driving experience, think carefully about renting a car in Montenegro. The roads in small towns and mountains are twisty and narrow; cars might park on both sides of the road, leaving only one way, and local drivers drive aggressively. We recommend using a horn if other cars block the road and asking other drivers to pull over if they are in a better position. However, the road quality in Montenegro is good, and GPS navigators help people travel safely even in remote rural areas.
If you are stopped by the police, you may pay the fine using the card payment terminal with a 30% discount. Another option is to pay in the bank or the post office. You need to have a driving license and be older than 21 years old (normally). It is better to have an international driving license, especially if your name is not in the Latin alphabet.
Police in Montenegro also require certain items in the car. Please check rental cars for the availability of a fire extinguisher, a first-aid kit, and at least one reflective jacket for the driver. There are no toll roads in Montenegro; you need only pay in the Sozina tunnel near Podgorica. Moreover, there are no parking meters; payments should be made to an attendant.
Prices on car rent
The prices for renting cars in Montenegro differ, as well as requirements for the drivers and additional charges. Some companies require driving experience of at least one year, and some require two. You need to have a credit card or cash to pay a deposit. Some companies are not allowed to exit the country. We can’t suggest a rental company, as it depends on your preferences and needs. There is a choice between local suppliers and international companies. You may find options for pick-up and drop-off in different offices or delivery to the hotel. We recommend comparing all conditions and prices on aggregators.
The best aggregator is LocalRent, which has proposals only from reliable companies. Other popular aggregators are KAYAK, EXPEDOA and Booking.com. The prices for cars differ on season, auto type, and rental duration. In the off-season (from October to mid-May), the price per day for a small car (Class Mini with manual transmission and limited mileage) starts from 10 Euro. While in peak season at the last minute, the same car (if you find it!) will cost you 60 Euro per day. Among international companies, we can recommend Europcar, SIXT, Avis, and Hertz. Unfortunately, these companies are available mainly at the airports of Tivat and Podgorica. The local rental companies are Montenegrocar, Adria Rent, Pro Auto Car Rental Montenegro, Enjoy Rent a Car, Abeona, and many more.
For comparison, we would like to compare the conditions of two companies (local and international) for a one-week rental in May 2024. We provided the general conditions for rent.
SIXT
Montenegro Car
Car
VW Polo TSI Life
Skoda Fabia
Passengers
5
5
Mileage
Unlimited on the territory of Montenegro
Unlimited on the territory of Montenegro
Fuel
Gasoline
Gasoline
Transmission
Automatic
Automatic
Tank
Full to Full
Full to Full
Baby seats
Extra payment
Extra payment
Additional charges
For drivers under 23 years
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Driving license
Experience at least 2 years, the age of driver should be at least 21 years
Experience at least 2 years
Insurance
Not included
Basic (damages over 500 euro)
Premium insurance (with minimum financial responsibility)
Additionally 126.43 Euro
Additionally 125 Euro
Free cancellation
No
Yes
Pick up / drop off point
Tivat Airport
Tivat airport
Price
Starting from 265.17 Euro
Starting from 196.79 Euro
Most car rental companies provide different types of cars – convertible, compact, automatic, manual, and limousines, for six passengers and more. But please rent a car in advance, considering the fact that you have a free cancellation period.
Gas station
In Montenegro, you can find easily unleaded petrol and diesel, as well as other types of petrol. There are many petrol (or gasoline) stations, especially near big cities. Some have attendants to help you fill the tank or self-service, but there are no automatic stations. Most of the stations on highways work 24 hours every day, but in urban areas, they operate around the clock. We advise you to fill the car at Petrol and Lukoil stations as they have better gas quality, while EKO stations have fuel with additives and poor quality. For diesel cars we recommend Vuk Petrol stations. All stations are available in GPS navigators at least every 20-70 km. But if you are going to rural areas, we recommend going there with the full tank.
The price of gasoline is not constant everywhere. For example, in April 2024, the average price was $1.53 per liter. You can also find other fuels—LPG, Diesel, Premium 98, and Super 95. It also varies from one gas station to another. You can pay by cash, credit cards, or other contactless payment methods (ApplePay, GooglePay, etc.).
Conclusion
We tried to provide all the essential information for all drivers in Montenegro. These rules will also be applicable to car owners. You can cross the whole country in 6-7 hours and conveniently visit all the sights by car. Nevertheless, please take care of your safety and avoid trips to mountains and rural areas in rainy weather. In winter, you have to wear winter tires. Roads on the coast are much better. Many car rental companies offer a good choice of cars. You need to book a car in advance and take care of insurance and all mandatory items. Be prepared that the minimum price normally has limitations in included miles and insurance and has no free cancellation, but you can add all required options and enjoy spending time in Montenegro traveling around!