I've spent the last few weeks here in Kotor, Montenegro. As there isn't a lot of data out there I thought I'd share my thoughts.
First off, a bit of background and context: yes, I realize I am here during the OFF peak. Keep that in mind as you read through it. With that being said, the place is small. No doubt that the venues that become hot every summer are just the ones that get marketed the best.
I had my Ukrainian girl here with me for the first week or so of the month. With that being said, this is an excellent place to take a girl for those of you who enjoy that kind of thing. It's small and relaxing enough that you won't feel like you're constantly having to go do stuff to fit it all in.
Get a place with a great view of the bay, and staying in with a bottle of wine and having her cook is a great option as opposed to eating out all the time, too.
And, as a final note--this is a guide purely on the city, logistics, and the overall vibe of the place. I was tied up with her at first, now the next two weeks here are dedicated to finishing my latest book. So I really have no comments to add regarding Montenegrin girls, although I will say this: there doesn't seem to be many of them.
Alright, let's get started.
Getting There & Transportation
Most likely, you'll fly into Tivat Airport, or take a bus from Dubrovnik.
If you choose to go the bus route, make sure NOT to buy your tickets online. Or if you do, print them. I had bar codes on my phone and the driver refused to take them. Instead, he made us pay 35e for two new paper stubs. Ridiculous. Called my credit card company and disputed it.
It's about two hours and a spectacular ride, so if you're forced to go into Dubrovnik, it's not the end of the world.
From the airport, only five flights operate daily during the offseason. Apparently this jumps up to over 50 during the summer.
Don't even bother trying to find a bus (more on those bastards in a minute), it won't happen. From what I've seen and heard, there is no bus to Kotor from the airport, even though it's only 10km away.
I also dropped my girl off there, and in the two hours I was there I didn't see a single bus pull up. Perhaps during peak season there are some, but I wouldn't trust any information out there on the internet regarding Montenegrin transportation.
A taxi will run you 10-12 Euros from the airport to Kotor or 7-8 going back (airport tax accounting for the higher price).
Now, speaking of the transportation....
Transportation Around Kotor
It's an absolute joke, no way around it. A bus schedule does not exist, as the tourist kiosk in Old Town told me. The website looks like it was built by hand-coded HTML in 1997. All you can do to take the bus is show up and ask the driver.
Be wary of the time it can take to get places. I would avoid the Kotor Blue Line bus at all possible. Take buses from the stations to get to other neighboring towns. The reason for this is the roads. The Blue Line primarily travels on the coastal roads to get to other cities such as Tivat. These roads are a lane and a half wide, and shared by pedestrians, bikes, scooters, and cats. There are a lot of cats in Kotor.
This means that every time someone is coming the other way (which is often as it's a main road), someone has to pull to the side and let the other through. It's a horrendous process. If you're on the side that has the room to pull off (typically the side away from the bay), you can expect to be pulling over on the side of the road every 30 seconds to let a car through. Don't even get me started what happens when another bus is coming the other direction. It's a 5 minute ordeal while one of them backs up, and traffic comes to a dead halt.
In short, it'll take you an hour to go 8km at times.
Taxis are cheap. The RED Taxi companies are the best. Make sure you negotiate the price before you get in, or book it through your phone or via email. They have a Viber sticker on the side of their car that you can use to book if you don't have a local SIM.
Kotor Prices
Off-season: RIDICULOUSLY cheap. My apartment has two beds, 1.5 baths, and the front door is about ten feet away from the pay. I'm paying about $16 a night. If you look at the same listing in July it's over $100.
500ml of beer: 2 Euros at a restaurant or pub
1 kg ground beef in the market: 4 E
Meal out in restaurant: 7-10 E
I suspect prices rise a bit during the summer months. Obviously, rent does.
The food is okay. Nothing special. Better if you like seafood--I don't. Otherwise, there are the typical pub fares in the main square. Overpriced, but not bad quality-wise.
Most people speak English, I'm shocked. Very friendly as well, much like Serbians from what I hear. It's a tourist town, so even the old ladies in the markets speak a few words of English. If you speak any Serbian, you can pick up the language quick. Otherwise, don't bother.[/size]
As I said, I don't think I've even seen any local girls. The occasional one here and there looks like a local, but make no doubts: this is a tourist town. A bunch of hot Serbs and Russians were out milling in the clubs last week, but if your goal is to capture a Montenegrin flag, I'd probably advise you to look elsewhere.
Although frankly, I don't know where.
Logistics
You have three options where to stay:
** If you have a week or less of a trip, I would stay here.
Anything beyond a week (which is think is rare, my case is not the norm), I'd highly advise you NOT to stay in the Old Town. It's simply too small, and I suspect most would feel a bit claustrophobic.
The narrowness of the streets and alleys rivals Venice. Very little natural light gets in unless you're on the top floor. Overall, if you're staying for a while it's going to feel incredibly cramped, and packed during the peak seasons.
If you are staying less than a week, stay there to party. Where you stay in the Old Town doesn't matter much. You can walk from end-to-end in five minutes.
Like I said, this place has the vibe of an ever-changing nightlife scene. Not many locals around, so whatever clubs and pubs do the best job of getting people in during the summer are the ones that are going to prosper.
Just look for the best spot you can get for your budget and take it, don't worry too much about being right next door to somewhere good. The whole Old Town is out your front door.
Muo
Across the bay from Kotor, this is where I am--though not far from Kotor itself--about a ten minute walk. You want to make sure you get a spot that has a nice view of Kotor if at all possible. Therefore, I'd suggest looking for a spot at least past Muo 20.
It's definitely a bit cheaper, rent-wise, on this side of the bay. However, the tradeoff is that there isn't much to do. No restaurants nearby, store is a ten minute walk away. It's not bad and I'm glad I'm here for a month versus Old Town, however...
Dobrota
I do wish I'd stayed in Dobrota. There is a great boardwalk with tons of cafes, and if the weather is nice, lots of people out. Just like Muo, make sure you don't stray too far away from Kotor if you plan to go out at night. But if you get something right on the edge, it could give you more space, more sunlight, and still have a great spot overall.
The Dobrota side is also home to the only mall/shopping center in the Kotor area.
Venues I've Liked (Food)
I've taken day trips out to these places and I'll share some brief thoughts.
Budva looks like it's happening anytime the sun is shining. It's got incredible views everywhere (most of this area does), and definitely a resort-like feel to it. Definitely worth going back during the summer.
Tivat is a dump. There is one nice area, the main boardwalk. Other than that, I saw absolutely nothing of interest there.
In both cases, you can get to these cities by going to the Kotor bus station and buying a ticket. Should cost you 4 Euros, max. Like I said, no schedule online. Just show up and look at the table for future reference, or hop on the next one (at least once an hour, even in off-season).
Closing Thoughts
If I could sum up Kotor: Lazy, unorganized, but...charming. I doubt you'll find much as far as top-shelf Montenegrin talent, but I think there is potential to have a lot of hot Russians and Serbs running around. Plus, the added bonus of less stag parties than you'd find in a place like Krakow, Prague, Budapest, etc.
Life is slow here. It's nice to have it once in a while. With that being said, I realize this sheet is somewhat lacking in actual venues to go to. I managed to crank out 10k words today on the book, so there is a chance I will actually have the time and energy to go out and investigate a bit more. I'll make sure to update the thread if I do.
Any questions...drop 'em below.
First off, a bit of background and context: yes, I realize I am here during the OFF peak. Keep that in mind as you read through it. With that being said, the place is small. No doubt that the venues that become hot every summer are just the ones that get marketed the best.
I had my Ukrainian girl here with me for the first week or so of the month. With that being said, this is an excellent place to take a girl for those of you who enjoy that kind of thing. It's small and relaxing enough that you won't feel like you're constantly having to go do stuff to fit it all in.
Get a place with a great view of the bay, and staying in with a bottle of wine and having her cook is a great option as opposed to eating out all the time, too.
And, as a final note--this is a guide purely on the city, logistics, and the overall vibe of the place. I was tied up with her at first, now the next two weeks here are dedicated to finishing my latest book. So I really have no comments to add regarding Montenegrin girls, although I will say this: there doesn't seem to be many of them.
Alright, let's get started.
Getting There & Transportation
Most likely, you'll fly into Tivat Airport, or take a bus from Dubrovnik.
If you choose to go the bus route, make sure NOT to buy your tickets online. Or if you do, print them. I had bar codes on my phone and the driver refused to take them. Instead, he made us pay 35e for two new paper stubs. Ridiculous. Called my credit card company and disputed it.
It's about two hours and a spectacular ride, so if you're forced to go into Dubrovnik, it's not the end of the world.
From the airport, only five flights operate daily during the offseason. Apparently this jumps up to over 50 during the summer.
Don't even bother trying to find a bus (more on those bastards in a minute), it won't happen. From what I've seen and heard, there is no bus to Kotor from the airport, even though it's only 10km away.
I also dropped my girl off there, and in the two hours I was there I didn't see a single bus pull up. Perhaps during peak season there are some, but I wouldn't trust any information out there on the internet regarding Montenegrin transportation.
A taxi will run you 10-12 Euros from the airport to Kotor or 7-8 going back (airport tax accounting for the higher price).
Now, speaking of the transportation....
Transportation Around Kotor
It's an absolute joke, no way around it. A bus schedule does not exist, as the tourist kiosk in Old Town told me. The website looks like it was built by hand-coded HTML in 1997. All you can do to take the bus is show up and ask the driver.
Be wary of the time it can take to get places. I would avoid the Kotor Blue Line bus at all possible. Take buses from the stations to get to other neighboring towns. The reason for this is the roads. The Blue Line primarily travels on the coastal roads to get to other cities such as Tivat. These roads are a lane and a half wide, and shared by pedestrians, bikes, scooters, and cats. There are a lot of cats in Kotor.
This means that every time someone is coming the other way (which is often as it's a main road), someone has to pull to the side and let the other through. It's a horrendous process. If you're on the side that has the room to pull off (typically the side away from the bay), you can expect to be pulling over on the side of the road every 30 seconds to let a car through. Don't even get me started what happens when another bus is coming the other direction. It's a 5 minute ordeal while one of them backs up, and traffic comes to a dead halt.
In short, it'll take you an hour to go 8km at times.
Taxis are cheap. The RED Taxi companies are the best. Make sure you negotiate the price before you get in, or book it through your phone or via email. They have a Viber sticker on the side of their car that you can use to book if you don't have a local SIM.
Kotor Prices
Off-season: RIDICULOUSLY cheap. My apartment has two beds, 1.5 baths, and the front door is about ten feet away from the pay. I'm paying about $16 a night. If you look at the same listing in July it's over $100.
500ml of beer: 2 Euros at a restaurant or pub
1 kg ground beef in the market: 4 E
Meal out in restaurant: 7-10 E
I suspect prices rise a bit during the summer months. Obviously, rent does.
The food is okay. Nothing special. Better if you like seafood--I don't. Otherwise, there are the typical pub fares in the main square. Overpriced, but not bad quality-wise.
Most people speak English, I'm shocked. Very friendly as well, much like Serbians from what I hear. It's a tourist town, so even the old ladies in the markets speak a few words of English. If you speak any Serbian, you can pick up the language quick. Otherwise, don't bother.[/size]
As I said, I don't think I've even seen any local girls. The occasional one here and there looks like a local, but make no doubts: this is a tourist town. A bunch of hot Serbs and Russians were out milling in the clubs last week, but if your goal is to capture a Montenegrin flag, I'd probably advise you to look elsewhere.
Although frankly, I don't know where.
Logistics
You have three options where to stay:
- Old Town, which is in Kotor
- Muo
- Dobrota
** If you have a week or less of a trip, I would stay here.
Anything beyond a week (which is think is rare, my case is not the norm), I'd highly advise you NOT to stay in the Old Town. It's simply too small, and I suspect most would feel a bit claustrophobic.
The narrowness of the streets and alleys rivals Venice. Very little natural light gets in unless you're on the top floor. Overall, if you're staying for a while it's going to feel incredibly cramped, and packed during the peak seasons.
If you are staying less than a week, stay there to party. Where you stay in the Old Town doesn't matter much. You can walk from end-to-end in five minutes.
Like I said, this place has the vibe of an ever-changing nightlife scene. Not many locals around, so whatever clubs and pubs do the best job of getting people in during the summer are the ones that are going to prosper.
Just look for the best spot you can get for your budget and take it, don't worry too much about being right next door to somewhere good. The whole Old Town is out your front door.
Muo
Across the bay from Kotor, this is where I am--though not far from Kotor itself--about a ten minute walk. You want to make sure you get a spot that has a nice view of Kotor if at all possible. Therefore, I'd suggest looking for a spot at least past Muo 20.
It's definitely a bit cheaper, rent-wise, on this side of the bay. However, the tradeoff is that there isn't much to do. No restaurants nearby, store is a ten minute walk away. It's not bad and I'm glad I'm here for a month versus Old Town, however...
Dobrota
I do wish I'd stayed in Dobrota. There is a great boardwalk with tons of cafes, and if the weather is nice, lots of people out. Just like Muo, make sure you don't stray too far away from Kotor if you plan to go out at night. But if you get something right on the edge, it could give you more space, more sunlight, and still have a great spot overall.
The Dobrota side is also home to the only mall/shopping center in the Kotor area.
Venues I've Liked (Food)
- Pub Square (always full, decent beer and food)
- As Snack Bar (same as above)
- Forza (cool cafe on the entrance to Old Town)
- Gaileon (fanciest place in town)
- Pizza Pronto (where all the sluts will hang out at night after drinking too much)
- Tanjga (Montenegrin style grill, and REALLY good + cheap)
I've taken day trips out to these places and I'll share some brief thoughts.
Budva looks like it's happening anytime the sun is shining. It's got incredible views everywhere (most of this area does), and definitely a resort-like feel to it. Definitely worth going back during the summer.
Tivat is a dump. There is one nice area, the main boardwalk. Other than that, I saw absolutely nothing of interest there.
In both cases, you can get to these cities by going to the Kotor bus station and buying a ticket. Should cost you 4 Euros, max. Like I said, no schedule online. Just show up and look at the table for future reference, or hop on the next one (at least once an hour, even in off-season).
Closing Thoughts
If I could sum up Kotor: Lazy, unorganized, but...charming. I doubt you'll find much as far as top-shelf Montenegrin talent, but I think there is potential to have a lot of hot Russians and Serbs running around. Plus, the added bonus of less stag parties than you'd find in a place like Krakow, Prague, Budapest, etc.
Life is slow here. It's nice to have it once in a while. With that being said, I realize this sheet is somewhat lacking in actual venues to go to. I managed to crank out 10k words today on the book, so there is a chance I will actually have the time and energy to go out and investigate a bit more. I'll make sure to update the thread if I do.
Any questions...drop 'em below.
![[Image: montenegro-carte-bouches-kotor-3Djpg.jpg]](http://voyages.ideoz.fr/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/montenegro-carte-bouches-kotor-3Djpg.jpg)
![[Image: d0zJLQh.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/d0zJLQh.jpg)
