You want a car here. The bus network covers the coast well and the interior badly, and the best parts of the country are the parts a bus does not reach. But the rental market has three traps that catch people every summer, and none of them appear on the price you compared.
The deposit
Almost every company holds a deposit on a credit card, usually between €200 and €1,500 depending on the car and the insurance you take. Held, not charged — it is a pre-authorisation that ties up that much of your limit until a week or two after you return the car.
- It must be a credit card, in the main driver's name. Debit cards are refused by most companies and every large one.
- The name on the card has to match the name on the licence. No exceptions, and no arguing at the desk at midnight.
- If your limit is low, the deposit can quietly eat your holiday spending money for the whole trip.
The green card, if you are leaving the country
Montenegro is not in the EU. A car hired here is insured here, and the insurance stops at the border unless you have a green card — an international insurance certificate the rental company issues. Croatia, Bosnia, Albania and Serbia all want to see it.
Ask for it when you book, not when you collect. Most companies charge between €20 and €50 for it, some restrict which countries you may enter, and a few forbid Albania and Kosovo entirely. Crossing without one means either being turned back or buying border insurance at whatever it costs that day.
The gravel road exclusion
Read the damage waiver. Most Montenegrin contracts exclude damage that happens on an unpaved road. That sounds like a formality until you notice that the road to Splavište, the last stretch to several Durmitor viewpoints and half the tracks in the north are gravel.
It is not usually enforced for a stone chip. It is very much enforced for a cracked sump or a torn tyre sidewall. If your plan involves the north, either take a car you are allowed to take there or accept that a serious knock is yours to pay for.
What it should cost
| Low season | July and August | |
|---|---|---|
| Small hatchback, per day | €15 – €25 | €35 – €55 |
| Estate or small SUV, per day | €25 – €40 | €55 – €90 |
| Deposit held | €200 – €800 | €200 – €1,500 |
| Green card, one-off | €20 – €50 | €20 – €50 |
| Petrol, per litre | around €1.50 | around €1.55 |
Local versus international
The international brands cost more and behave predictably. The local companies are cheaper, often deliver the car to your accommodation, and vary enormously — some are excellent and some will find damage that was there when you collected it.
Whoever you use, photograph the whole car before you drive away, wheels and windscreen included, with the date visible. Do it again when you hand it back. That five minutes is the difference between a deposit returned and a deposit argued over from another country.
