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. A pleasant combination of mountains and the sea guarantees stunning views and the absence of suffocating 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, the rainy season is here. Tourists open the beach season from the beginning of May. The Adriatic Sea is cool but the air temperature is very comfortable - + 25– + 27 ° С, although on very hot days the thermometer can rush to the mark of +40 degrees. The beaches of Kotor and Ulcinj are the first to warm up. Kotor Bay is perfect for families with children because of the very warm water and the absence of waves.

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

However, the mountain air, going down to the beaches, brings with it the desired freshness. By September, the beaches are noticeably empty, while the temperature of water and air remains at a comfortable level. Since the beginning of October, the sky of Montenegro has been covered with dense clouds, and the thermometer’s column creeps 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 skiing requirements. Different levels of difficulty of the slopes allow you to find the right rhythm of relaxation for both beginners and professionals. Some slopes have night lighting. Separate safe tracks are built for children.

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

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

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

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

• The sea has a number of unpleasant features. Most of the beaches are pebble 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 before booking, you must definitely clarify the nature of the seabed. In addition, sandy beaches can be found in Ulcinj, but the water here is not crystal clear. Often there are cold currents, especially in June, and the water temperature can drop to + 17– + 18 ° С.
• Prices for sunbeds and excursions are approaching European.
• 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, popular with Russian tourists.
• Many bays are used as marinas for yachts, which leads to water pollution.
• Local utilities often do not cope with the influx of tourists in high season, as a result - garbage on the beaches and cozy streets spoils a generally 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 trying to organize everything yourself. However, lovers of extreme relaxation and non-standard impressions may well go on an independent trip.

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

Eating in the hospitable Montenegro can be delicious, plentiful 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 bought from street vendors, in which case significant savings can be obtained.

The price range may vary depending on the season, but on average you can focus on the following prices per 1 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 a "package". It is much better to study the local flavor, 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. Usually the tourist fee is 1 € per day. You can pay the tourist fee in order to avoid a penalty 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 the room in swimming trunks, prices will be much higher. So, a night at a hotel on the beach in Budva can cost about 60–70 €.

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

The main entertainment in beautiful Montenegro are excursions. Impressions of mountain landscapes will remain in memory for a long time. Fans of club life will be comfortable in Budva, but is it worth it to go to the sea to choose stuffy bars and night clubs for relaxation? Excursions can be bought on the spot or booked at travel sites. The average price is 40 €. Consider the following prices for excursions in Chornoria:

• a bus sightseeing tour for adults costs 40 euros, for children - half as much;
• canyons Tara and Moraca by minibus - 65 €;
• Skadar Lake, including lunch and boat trip - 40 €;
• Boka Kotorska Bay - 22 €;
• monastery tour - 35 €;
• a separate bus tour to the mountain Ostrog, a monastery of the 15th century - 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 lovers of extreme sports and sea fishing, there are many offers - paragliding, diving, kite surfing, rafting, yachting, kayaking tours and a whole extreme entertainment park in Goritsa.

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

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

Wooden souvenirs, tablecloths and towels with national embroidered motifs, 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, prshut (smoked dry pork), and olive oil.

Car rental starts from 10 € per day. Car enthusiasts need to remember the wild way of driving local residents on their narrow mountain roads. Drivers often forget to turn on turn signals and park in the most unexpected way. You can 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 transport people with the air conditioning turned off. A bus delay of 15-30 minutes is normal, 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 attractions. Given the cost of the 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 movement.

It is most convenient and most useful to save on food and housing, of course, within reasonable limits. So, if you rent a room a 15-20 minute walk from the sea, you can get a good discount and the opportunity to make a daily health-improving exercise along the cozy streets of Montenegrin covered with greenery and verdure. Fast food, prepared 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 will be 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 demanding in food and interior and do not mind walking to the sea for several kilometers, a week's rest can cost as little as 150-200 €. A normal, comfortable stay with the condition of an independent trip usually requires a budget of 1000 €. Well, everyone sets the upper limits of daily expenses himself.

Organizing a trip to Montenegro yourself is easy. 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 unpacked things, it is necessary to register at the tourist center during the day in order to avoid a fine.

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

It’s convenient to book your apartment on Booking or with services such as roomguru or airbnb. ru, which contains almost all offers for accommodation. However, according to the opinions of experienced tourists, in comparison with a ticket, it is expensive to relax on your own.

A one-week 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 package will cost from 440 €. A trip to Herceg Novi for a week with accommodation in a 4 star hotel will cost no less than € 835 with a flight, breakfast and dinner. Tour package "all inclusive" costs around 1000 €.

According to the advice of experienced travelers, it’s better to buy vouchers not from tour operators, but to take on Internet resourcesthat analyze hundreds of offers and issue several dozens of optimal options. A common misconception is that paying directly for a hotel is cheaper.

For an inexpensive vacation, you need to choose small resort towns. The sea there is the same affectionate, 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 it yourself. If you want to dine in a restaurant, you need to try to avoid the hyped-up establishments on the waterfront, and find an inexpensive cozy cafe farther from the beach line - the cost of a serving there is 1.5–2 times less.

When planning a trip You can periodically monitor travel sites in search of great offers. Sometimes attractive tours for two for five days come across for 350 € with a 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; children under 12 years old are often included in the cost of a family vacation.

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

About how much a vacation in Montenegro costs, see the next video.