How to choose accommodation in Montenegro?

In recent years, Montenegro has become a real center of beach tourism for guests from different parts of Europe, especially attracting the attention of citizens of the post-Soviet space. There is everything to create the atmosphere of a dream - a warm sea, sunny beaches, mesmerizing mountains, ancient architecture, and all this at prices that are very inferior to Western European ones. However, you will have to pay a lot to get here, because many travelers with experience prefer not to spend money on the services of a travel agency, but to organize their vacation on their own.

There are no difficulties in finding rented private housing for every taste in Montenegro - the locals are well aware of the tourism potential of their country and are happy to use it. On the Internet, you can find several sites at once that offer a search for rental housing with various filters - thanks to them, you can organize your dream vacation.

Experienced tourists say that in this Balkan country it is most reasonable to look for apartmentssince hotels do not often provide higher comfort, but they ask for more money.

At the same time, during the search for housing, it is worth listening to several valuable tips.

Montenegro is literally a "rubber" country, it is able to accommodate much more tourists than locals live here, but the question is, what will you get - the best, chosen in accordance with your own tastes, or something according to the leftover principle.

Even 2-3 months before the start of the season, the choice is not the same, and if you arrive and start looking for housing already on the spot, you risk losing the whole day in search and either pay exorbitant prices for a normal cottage, or choose something that no one else can take wanted to.

The wilderness itself is not so bad if you just wanted a secluded getaway in silence, but if you wanted a bright and fun vacation with a sea of ​​adventure, you may face deep disappointment. The fact is that only 625 thousand people live in Montenegro, it does not reach the level of many regional centers, because all these people are also scattered across many towns and villages.

If your rented apartment is located somewhere not in the center of the opstina (not in the regional center, if in our opinion), you may be faced with the fact that there is nothing here but the sea and the beach. The same store can be one with overpriced, buses rarely go here, there is no taxi at all or for big money, there is nowhere to go with children, excursions from here also do not start - in a word, by the sea, but like on a desert island.

If you have ever sold something yourself, then you probably understand that the seller's task is to concentrate on the good qualities of the product, trying somehow not to think about the bad ones. For this reason, beautiful phrases, to which the southern peoples have a special inclination, sometimes create pictures in the head of our compatriot that are extremely far from reality.

For example, under the promising phrase "apartments in a villa with their own kitchen" usually hides an ordinary apartment in a small-apartment building, but the floridness of the wording can confuse you and you will overpay for housing, which in Montenegro does not pretend to be a class higher than the "standard". Similar "Walking distance to nightlife" means that it will be extremely difficult for a lark to fall asleep in the evening, let alone put a child to bed.

Many people want to relax in a “quiet place with a wonderful ecology”, but it is not customary to complain about the dirty air in Montenegro, and for this predominantly rural country, a “quiet place” is completely wilderness, where there is nothing at all.

A great way to fight your own imagination, played out from the local Montenegrin language, is to find your future home on the map. She will not lie, allowing you to clearly define how far you will live from shops or public transport stops. On it, you can also check whether the owner kept silent about the branded Balkan bonus - the view of the cemetery from the window.

There are no large cities in Montenegro - lovers of walking can easily cross any of the local villages. Unsurprisingly, accommodation is often described as being “10 minutes from the city center” or “500 meters from the sea”, but this is not so simple.

In Montenegro, many mountains drop off right into the sea, and some small towns pressed right up to the rock, descending in tiers to the water. It looks damn picturesque, but it is convenient to walk for 10 minutes on flat terrain, and here all this time can be spent on the descent (and on the way back - on the ascent) along a rather steep staircase. Agree, “a thousand steps” looks less tempting than “500 meters”, and in the heat and after the beach, such a tour is hardly interesting, especially with a small child.

The Internet is good not only for the ability to conveniently search for suitable housing, but also because it contains useful information from other users. So, the owner will never write about the negative aspects of his proposal, but some of the previous guests can fulfill their social duty and leave other travelers a hint as to why this option is doubtful.

Montenegro is an ancient country, and the locals take great care of the ancient architecture. Chasing color, you can choose a village with narrow streets, where the car cannot be parked even from reasoning of logic - it will obviously block half of the street. In the private sector, this issue is usually a little easier, but in the center - where there are apartments, sometimes you have to pay extra for a private parking lot, and even walk to and from it.

Experienced travelers know that the more people live in an apartment or room, the cheaper it is per person. Renting a three-room apartment for six people will usually still be cheaper than renting three double rooms, even with a shared bathroom and kitchen. At the same time, the same guest room in the owner's house is often described as accommodating up to four people, but the sleeping places can be different - someone will get a comfortable bed, and someone can be accommodated in a folding chair.

If everyone in your company is equal, this can be a problem. In addition, couples often fundamentally want a double bed, but it is more profitable for the owners to put single beds - then guests of any degree of kinship can be accommodated in the room.

When going on vacation, remember that Montenegro is located in the far south and that it is a country with a stunningly warm sunny climate. Almost all summer, there is a tangible heat here, which is partially smoothed out by the sea, but still can cause discomfort. If suddenly you decide to come to the south in winter, please note that in Montenegro there is no central heating as such, and although the winters here are far from Russian, you will be extremely uncomfortable without a normal heater.

Many tourists consider it not a good idea to leave a deposit when booking, especially if the vacation planning is carried out several months before the trip itself.

It so happens that the landlord after you comes across a more profitable client for the same dates, and since your agreement remained only on paper, nothing prevents the owner from doubting your arrival - sometimes you are not even warned that your reservation has been canceled. It's another matter if you have already paid part of the money, and even have confirmation of this.

Hotels are usually chosen by those tourists who rightly believe that there is no need to deny themselves comfort, and it is simply impossible to overpay if the conditions of stay are improved. Here you need to pay attention that in Montenegro there are both modern hotels of 4 and 5 stars with their sandy beaches, a water park and the beloved all-inclusive system, as well as old "monsters" from Yugoslav times, which since then no one has bothered rebuild or at least radically update.

For this reason, we, guided by the feedback from guests, will briefly go through several popular establishments, showing how well you can live in Montenegro.

Pearl of Budva. If you have chosen the most popular resort in the country, it makes sense to choose the best hotel in it, and this hotel is in the top in the whole of Montenegro. You will have to pay an average of about 15 thousand rubles per person per night, but the level of service is considered European. Naturally, this establishment boasts its own beach, as well as two swimming pools, a casino, baths and saunas.

Tivat is not located on the seashore, but it lies on the coast of the breathtaking Bay of Kotor, and this hotel is on the first line. In general, it can be called a sanatorium with full-fledged treatment, because there is everything to maintain health - baths, saunas, fitness equipment and a swimming pool, tennis courts and bowling alleys. Nearby there is the opportunity to ride a real yacht or dive to the seabed with scuba diving.

Kotor is a relatively calm resort, but this is its advantage. Oddly enough, even five-star hotels in this resort do not provide all-inclusive catering, but they offer breakfast (included in the room rate) on a chic terrace overlooking the bay and the surrounding mountains. Having breakfast with a view of passing ships is a pleasure available to very few of our compatriots.

Located in southern Ulcinj, it is appreciated by guests for offering nutritious meals throughout the day. Caring for guests is manifested in the fact that not only breakfasts, lunches and dinners, but also beach accessories such as umbrellas or sun loungers are already included in the price - you will not have to pay extra for anything.

The unusual design in the medieval Italian style attracts lovers of color here, and the location of the city itself literally pushes for excursions to Lake Skadar and neighboring Albania.

At the same time, almost the entire coastline of Montenegro is densely built up with hotels and hostels for every taste, therefore, both an individual tourist and a family or a group of friends can choose a place to stay on vacation. In addition, you can navigate by your wallet - there are budget options "for students", and there are VIP numbers for the richest guests.

It should be noted that the main tourist flow in Montenegro goes to the sea coast, while every corner of this truly magical country can be called beautiful. Fans of walks in mountainous terrain and ancient architecture will find accommodation in almost any Montenegrin settlement, but due to the specifics of tourist flows, the infrastructure inside the country develops relatively slowly.

However, if you are driving for the sake of the mountains and color, and not for the sake of a beach holiday, pay attention to the options in the interior of the continent - most likely the prices there will be much cheaper, and if you wish, you can get to the sea by a rented car.

For those who are interested not so much in the sea coast as in the mountains, Montenegro offers accommodation in campsites. It is not worth considering such an accommodation option unambiguously budgetary, since this method of settlement in this country has a characteristic feature - many local campsites essentially offer small summer cottages in the mountains.

On the one hand, there are clearly fewer amenities and infrastructure than in the center of the resort town, on the other hand, the organization of a water supply system in such places may imply additional costs, because it is a mistake to think that living here is necessarily cheap.

At the same time, as it should be for camping, many such institutions still allow you to live in the most budgetary among all known ways, that is, in a tent.At the same time, the tent may be yours - then you are offered to put it on an equipped, and, possibly, protected area, nearby with minimal infrastructure like a shared kitchen and the same shower.

As a rule, such housing is concentrated in picturesque mountainous areas, where you can go in any direction and accidentally get on a fascinating walk through charming places. This, of course, is not exactly a resort vacation - it looks more like a trip to the village for a vacation, because many in the reviews highlight the opportunity to swim in a river or waterfall, see beautiful landscapes and even just overeat juicy fruits from the trees growing around.

Another thing is that you can hardly find such an entourage within your native country - whatever one may say, the mountains in Montenegro are very high, and most importantly, incredibly beautiful. Camping will appeal to those who like to visit colorful travel, and will definitely help to "reboot".

It is not a secret for anyone that rest in a sanatorium can have a positive effect on the state of health, and combining business with pleasure is both reasonable and beneficial. Another thing is that in any post-Soviet country the system of sanatoriums is somehow built incorrectly - in fact, you just come to this or that relatively picturesque place, where doctors constantly follow you with their pills and syringes.

In Montenegro, everything is arranged completely differently, because the local infrastructure is focused on foreigners who will not specially come to an ordinary hospital.

There are no problems with the surroundings anywhere - there are beautiful mountains everywhere, there is a sea, but there is no harmful industry, which is why the air is surprisingly clean. They are treated here with mud, mineral baths and even just the climate, therefore, since ancient times, people have sought here who want to recover from serious injuries or emotional upheavals. Those who have been here note that the level of service here is not worse than in Italy or Switzerland, but the services are much cheaper.

The Mediterranean Health Center in Igalo has been known for several decades - in Soviet times, it was here that high-level domestic party leaders and athletes of the national team level preferred to receive treatment. This center enjoys worldwide popularity as one of the best.

Moreover, he does not have a specific specialization - local doctors deal with the problems of the musculoskeletal system, and skin diseases, and the recovery of patients after operations or heart attacks. Nature itself here contributes to the relief of symptoms of allergies and other respiratory diseases.

In Prcanj there is a medical center with the same complicated name "Vrmac", which also deserves attention. Here, the main emphasis is on cardiovascular diseases, however, they treat the musculoskeletal system, and the nerves, and the respiratory system. It has been proven that basalt sand on the sea beaches of neighboring Ulcinj is very useful for eliminating rheumatic pains.

Interestingly, there is even a beach nearby with the unusual name "Female" - in fact, it is not intended exclusively for the fair sex, it just beats a sulfur spring, whose water is very useful for the treatment of female infertility.

They say that even the air itself heals at sea, and scientists have proven that this is true. Based on this statement, it makes sense to visit Montenegrin city of San Stefan. It is not famous for sanatoriums in the usual sense of the word, but it is located on a peninsula, remote from the main continent, and connected to it only by a narrow isthmus.

Whichever type of accommodation you choose in Montenegro, you probably want to save some money without losing comfort. As is often the case, tourists with experience can advise several interesting solutions that are economically beneficial, but do not spoil the impression of the vacation at all.

• Do not contact travel agencies - go to Montenegro on your own. In recent years, the country's tourism industry has flourished, it is easy to find both hotels and private accommodation on the Internet - use it without paying for the services of intermediaries.

• For many local hosts, guest rooms and lodges in their backyard areas provide comfort comparable to a three-star hotel. The owner, however, looks after his estate more carefully than a simple hotel manager, but he sets prices lower, so the private sector is still more profitable.

• As often happens, the longer your stay in the apartment, the cheaper you can stay. The specificity of the tourism business is such that on certain days the influx of tourists can be extremely high, while on other days there will be no demand and housing will be empty. Naturally, the owner wants a clearly visible future, so he will agree to a discount if you, figuratively speaking, want to stay all summer.

• According to the logic described in the paragraph above, it makes sense to book accommodation as early as possible - this allows the owner to calculate his budget for the year ahead. Sometimes, with early booking, you can grab a discount of up to 50% of the cost, and this despite the fact that the "early bird" is given the best choice among all the available options. As mentioned above, theoretically it is possible to settle in Montenegro on the day of arrival, but competent tourists begin to take an interest in the issue of summer residence in January.

• Don't be like a cannonball - hit the same funnel twice. If you are already vacationing in Montenegro with a local owner, you like everything and you would be happy to return, start negotiating right there next year. The owner knows you, and if you behaved normally, this is a certain guarantee for him - he will know that next year he will not come across the typical "Russo tourist". In addition, this, again, allows him to make financial plans in advance and not be looking for future visitors.

• The region determines the price. The cost of living partly depends on the demand of guests, therefore, in the promoted resort areas, the room will cost a little more than the exact same one, located somewhere in a quieter corner. In Montenegro, the most expensive housing is traditionally located on the Budva Riviera - in Budva itself and its environs. The same Tivat and Kotor, located on the shores of the extremely picturesque Bay of Kotor, offer rates slightly lower, although the beauty here is pristine, and the first is also located near the airport. In the outback, prices will be the lowest, but then it is far from the sea.

• To save money, it is wise to travel with several families at once and rent one huge villa. The price will be like a small apartment for every family, but there will be much more space and amenities.

How to choose housing in Montenegro, see below.