Montenegro by campervan
Podgorica is closer to Tirana than Vlorë is — two and a half hours over Hani i Hotit, with the Adriatic on the other side of it.
You can start or finish here. Podgorica is one of our pick-up and drop-off points: choose it in the search to collect the van there, leave it there, or both. Handing the van over there costs €190 each way. Kilometres are unlimited either way.
How far it is
From Tirana, crossing at Hani i Hotit, north of Shkodër, into Božaj. These are map distances rounded to something honest — a mountain road in August, or a queue at the border, will add to them.
| Where | Distance | Driving |
|---|---|---|
| Podgorica | about 130 km | about 2½ hours |
| Ulcinj | about 150 km | about 3 hours |
| Budva | about 200 km | about 4 hours |
| Kotor | about 230 km | about 4½ hours |
The paperwork, in one paragraph
Montenegro is covered by our insurance. Tell us you are going at least 3 days before you collect the van and we issue the green card that names that country — the document that makes the van legal to drive there. It costs nothing, it travels in the glovebox with the registration, and you take your own licence and passport to the border as you would in your own car.
Crossing without telling us costs €200, and leaves the van uninsured the moment it passes the border. The full border rules are worth two minutes before you set off.
What people drive there for
- Lake Skadar, which both countries share — the quiet half is the Montenegrin shore
- Ulcinj's long sand beach, the closest proper stop to the border
- The bay of Kotor, and the old coast road above it rather than the tunnel
- Durmitor and the Tara canyon, if you have the days for the mountains
Find a van for the dates
Choose Podgorica as the pick-up or drop-off to start or finish the trip in Montenegro.
The road itself
Where to stop, what the driving is really like, and how long each leg takes.
Questions
Can I take a GoVan campervan to Montenegro?
Yes. Montenegro is one of the countries our insurance covers, as long as you tell us you are going at least 3 days before you collect the van, so the green card is issued for it. There is no charge for that.
Can the trip start or finish in Montenegro?
Yes. Podgorica is one of our pick-up and drop-off points: choose it in the search to collect the van there, leave it there, or both. Handing the van over there costs €190 each way.
How far is Montenegro from Tirana?
Podgorica is about 130 km from Tirana, roughly 2½ hours in a campervan, crossing at Hani i Hotit, north of Shkodër, into Božaj. Mountain roads and a queue at the border can make that longer, so treat it as a morning rather than a fixed time.
What happens if I drive to Montenegro without telling you?
There is a charge of €200, and the van is uninsured the moment it leaves the countries named on the green card. An accident on a card that does not name Montenegro is not covered by anybody, so it is worth the telephone call.
The same van, the other borders
Or the whole picture at once: the Balkans by campervan.