Holidays in Montenegro: features and cost

Original and bright, with a mild maritime climate and clear waters of the Adriatic Sea, Montenegro is a good alternative to the bored Asian resorts. The pleasant combination of mountains and sea guarantees stunning views and no stifling heat even during peak season.

The tourist season in Montenegro is divided into two - summer and winter. The rest of the time, in autumn and spring, it is the rainy season. Tourists have been opening the beach season since the beginning of May. The Adriatic Sea is cool but the air temperature is very comfortable - + 25– + 27 ° С, although on especially hot days the thermometer can rush to +40 degrees. The first to warm up are the beaches of Kotor and Ulcinj. Kotor Bay is perfect for families with children precisely because of the very warm water and the absence of waves.

By July, the sea water temperature warms up to + 28 ° С even in northern Herceg Novi, Jaza and the most popular resort in Montenegro, Budva.

However, the mountain air, descending to the beaches, brings with it the desired freshness. By September, the beaches are noticeably empty, while the temperature of the water and air remains at a comfortable level. Since the beginning of October, the sky of Montenegro is covered with dense clouds, and the thermometer is smoothly creeping down.

The middle of November marks the beginning of the winter season - modern ski resorts - Zabljak and Kolasin are waiting for their guests.These are quite young resorts, but they are quickly gaining popularity, as they are built according to the latest requirements of alpine skiing. Various levels of difficulty of the slopes allow you to find the right rhythm of relaxation for both beginners and professionals. Some slopes are illuminated at night. Separate safe tracks have been built for children.

The main advantage of winter holidays in Montenegro are affordable prices and stunningly beautiful nature. So it will be interesting to relax here in winter not only for winter sports lovers, but also for connoisseurs of mountain landscapes. A huge number of picturesque places are almost within walking distance; the rest are easy to get to with the help of an inexpensive sightseeing tour or by car. An important point is a low crime rate and an even political situation in the country. Montenegro is recommended to tourists as one of the safest countries to travel.

Summer vacations also have a number of advantages, the main of which is - comfortable water and air temperature even in July and August. The hotel service is acceptable, at the European level, so everyone can find comfortable living conditions for themselves.

Many Russian tourists prefer the private sector as an alternative to the bored "all inclusive". Hospitable Montenegrins are very fond of comfort and delicious food, so a vacation in a rented apartment can be interesting from the point of view of a gastronomic tour. Another plus of a vacation in Montenegro is visa-free entry for a Russian tourist and the similarity of the language, which allows those who do not yet speak English to feel comfortable. Almost everyone here understands Russian. Local currency is euro, prices are easy to navigate.

It is worth noting the main disadvantages of a summer vacation in Montenegro.

• The sea has a number of unpleasant features. Most of the beaches are pebbly or concrete, with a steep slope, which is not suitable for families with small children. However, some hotels have equipped areas with imported sand, so it is imperative to clarify the nature of the seabed before booking. In addition, sandy beaches can be found in Ulcinj, but the water here is not crystal clear. There are often cold currents, especially in June, and the water temperature can drop to + 17– + 18 ° С.
• Prices for sun beds and excursions are close to European ones.
• In the "hot" season, the number of tourists per square meter "rolls over". It is quite difficult to find a place on the beach, especially in Budva, which is popular with Russian tourists.
• Many bays are used as marinas for yachts, resulting in water pollution.
• Local utilities often cannot cope with the influx of tourists during the high season, as a result - garbage on the beaches and cozy streets spoils the overall pleasant impression of the country.

If you make simple calculations, it becomes obvious that for a comfortable stay with children it is cheaper to buy a tour than to try to organize everything yourself. However, lovers of extreme recreation and non-standard experiences may well go on an independent journey.

Obviously, the cheapest tickets to Montenegro can be purchased during the off-season. So, in October, round-trip tickets from Moscow cost around 8,500 rubles, in the ski season they rise to 10,000 rubles, and an air ticket at the height of the beach season will cost at least 13,000 rubles, reaching up to 15,000 rubles or more in some airlines.

Eating in hospitable Montenegro can be tasty, abundant and inexpensive. So, a large portion of meat with salad in an inexpensive restaurant will cost only 3-5 euros, a cup of coffee - 1.5 euros, and a set lunch costs from 5 to 30 euros.It is worth considering that the closer to the sea, the higher the price of food. So, in a cafe with a sea view, you will have to pay twice as much for lunch. It is worth noting the increased prices for seafood, for example, one fish plate costs from 15 to 20 euros.

In supermarkets, prices are standard for European countries. If you give preference to fresh vegetables from the market, you need to be prepared for the fact that prices there are 30% higher. Fresh fruits and vegetables can be purchased from street vendors, which can result in significant savings.

The price range may fluctuate depending on the season, but on average, you can focus on the following prices per kg:

• peaches, strawberries and cherries - within 3 €;
• oranges - 0.5 €;
• apples - 0.8 €;
• watermelon - 0.5 €;
• pears - 2.4 €;
• chicken fillet - 6 €;
• beef - 6 €;
• bread - 0.6 €.

There are many hotels in Montenegro where you can relax on an all-inclusive basis. This is the best option for families with small children. However, according to Russian tourists, this country can hardly be called "package". It is much better to explore the local flavor by renting an apartment or a small house. For this option, it is worth considering the cost of the tourist tax, which is usually included in the hotel payment system, but private hotel houses or apartments indicate prices without it. Typically the tourist tax is 1 € per day. To avoid a fine, you can pay the tourist tax at the nearest information center.

The cost of housing is inversely proportional to the distance from the beach. For those tourists who prefer to leave their rooms in swimming trunks, prices will be much higher. So, a night in a hotel on the beach in Budva can cost about 60–70 €.

Many Montenegrins make a living by renting out their homes. The easiest way to find it is through Booking. A common practice is to book accommodation for one or two days, and look for more comfortable apartments on the spot. Usually the house where the rooms are rented is decorated with a SOBE sign. A two-room apartment with a kitchen can be found for 40 € per night, and prices for one room start at 10 € per night.

The main entertainment in beautiful Montenegro is excursions. The impressions of the mountain landscapes will remain in your memory for a long time. Fans of club life will feel comfortable in Budva, but is it worth going to the sea to choose stuffy bars and nightclubs for relaxation? Tours can be bought locally or booked on travel websites. Average price - 40 €. Consider the following prices for excursions in Chornogoria:

• a bus sightseeing tour for adults costs 40 euros, for children - half the price;
• Tara and Moraca canyons by minibus - 65 €;
• Skadar Lake, including lunch and boat trip - 40 €;
• Boko-Kotorska bay - 22 €;
• monastery tour - 35 €;
• a separate bus tour to mountain Ostrog, a 15th century monastery - only 12 €.

Tour operators offer excursions to neighboring countries - Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia. Prices for such trips do not exceed the cost of local excursions and range from 40-50 €.

For fans of extreme sports and sea fishing, there are many offers - paragliding, diving, kite surfing, rafting, yachting, kayaking excursions and a whole park of extreme entertainment in Goritsa.

Montenegro is not a country where you should go for shopping. But some Italian brands can be found here at an affordable price. Nice jewelry is sold in Podgorica. Local textiles of excellent quality, with appropriate price tags.

Religious souvenirs can be purchased on monastic excursions. Clothing prices are quite high here, especially during the high season.So, a light summer dress costs 35–40 €, beach bags - within 10 €, swimwear can be chosen for 5–7 €. It will not be difficult to choose an interesting souvenir in a country that lives off the tourism business. There are souvenir shops always and everywhere.

Wooden souvenirs, tablecloths and towels with national embroidered motives, woolen clothes are functional, but very expensive gifts. A traditional magnet with a mountain landscape costs 2 €. As souvenirs and gifts, tourists often buy national food - figs, honey with nuts, prosciutto (dry smoked pork), and olive oil.

Car rental starts from 10 € per day. Drivers should be aware of the wild driving style of local residents on the narrow mountain roads they are used to. Drivers often forget to turn on the turn signals and park in unexpected ways. You can also travel around Montenegro by public transport, but one must be prepared for the terrible non-punctuality and inconvenience of the latter.

At the peak of the season, minibuses are packed to capacity and carry people with the air conditioner turned off. A bus delay of 15-30 minutes is the norm, and a delay of 1 hour is a common practice. However, public transport is quite developed, by bus / minibus you can get to any local attraction. Considering the cost of an average excursion, it is obvious that trips on sightseeing buses with a guide and meals will be somewhat more comfortable and safer than your own travel.

It is most convenient and useful to save on food and housing, of course, within reasonable limits. So, if you rent a room 15–20 minutes walk from the sea, you can get a good discount and the opportunity to take a daily wellness exercise along the romantic and green streets of cozy Montenegrin towns. Fast food, ready-made meat and fish are quite expensive, so if you build your diet on seasonal vegetables and fresh fruits, and cook dinner yourself, the cost of food will be very moderate, and the health benefits are tangible.

The final cost of a vacation in Montenegro depends solely on the individual preferences and requirements of the tourist. For those who are not picky about food and interior design and do not mind walking several kilometers to the sea, a week's vacation can cost as little as 150-200 €. A normal, comfortable vacation with the condition of an independent trip usually requires a budget of 1000 €. Well, everyone sets the upper limits of daily spending himself.

It's easy to organize a trip to Montenegro on your own. This option is suitable for those who do not like a "package" vacation. A visa for citizens of Russia and Belarus is not required, the only document required for the trip is a passport. Health insurance is optional but recommended. Having settled down and unpacking things, it is necessary to register at the tourist center within 24 hours in order to avoid a fine.

You can get from Moscow by plane; the flight time is 3 hours. An alternative, longer and more difficult option, is a car trip. Daily expenses, including food and accommodation, with modest budget planning, usually do not exceed 40 €, based on this figure and planning 3-4 excursions, 40 € each, you can calculate how much money you need to take with you.

It is convenient to book apartments on Booking or using services such as roomguru or airbnb. ru, which contains almost all proposals for accommodation. However, according to the reviews of experienced tourists, in comparison with the voucher, it is expensive to have a rest on your own.

A weekly trip to Budva in a four-star hotel with breakfast for one person will cost 510 €.In Becici, the second line of the beach for 7 nights in July per person costs 470 €. In two-star hotels, a seven-day voucher will cost from 440 €. And a trip to Herceg Novi for a week with a stay in a 4-star hotel will cost no less than 835 € with flight, breakfast and dinner. An all inclusive tour costs around 1000 €.

According to the advice of seasoned travelers, it is better to buy vouchers not from tour operators, but to take them on Internet resourcesthat analyze hundreds of proposals and give out dozens of optimal options. A common misconception is that paying for your stay directly at the hotel is cheaper.

For an inexpensive vacation, you need to choose small resort towns. The sea there is the same gentle, the road to the main attractions is just as hot, but the prices are pleasantly lower. You need to choose an apartment with a kitchen and cook yourself. If you want to dine in a restaurant, you should try to avoid the promoted establishments on the embankment, and find an inexpensive cozy cafe away from the beach line - the cost of a portion there is 1.5–2 times less.

When planning a trip, you can periodically monitor travel sites in search of great deals. Sometimes you come across attractive tours for two for five days for 350 € with flight.

Traveling with a company or family is often more profitable than traveling alone. So, you can rent an apartment or a small house in which everyone will be comfortable. Most of the hotel rooms are also designed for two or three people; children under 12 years old are often included in the price of family vacations.

Montenegro is a Balkan pearl buried in flowers and greenery, which often leaves an ambiguous impression on tourists. - the beauty of nature and an abundance of garbage, pacifying landscapes and an excess of people on the beach, affordable housing prices and inflated prices for souvenirs, a European standard of living and echoes of the Soviet mentality among local residents. You should definitely go, if only to form your own opinion.

For information on how much a vacation in Montenegro costs, see the next video.