Start: Rovinj, Croatia
Finish: Podgorica, Montenegro
Total distance: 1105 km
Getting there: Direct flights from London to Pula with EasyJet and returning from Podgorica with RyanAir.
Car hire: You can hire a car from Pula Airport and return it to Podgorica Airport. In 2016, car hire for two weeks with Enterprise through Auto Europe cost £243.99, payable at the time of booking. There was an additional 'One Way Fee' of €250 for returning the car in a different country, which was payable on collection of the car.
When to go: Avoid the crowds, both on the roads and on the beaches, by visiting in the shoulder seasons of May to June and September to October. I did this trip at the end of June.
How to drive: Head from north to south, following the coastal roads all the way, enjoying the glorious view of Croatia's 1185 islands to your right and stopping along the way for a refreshing swim. At Split, catch the ferry onto Hvar Island, then drive the length of the island from Hvar town to Sucuraj, where you can catch another ferry back onto the mainland. Continue south into Montenegro and skirt all the way around the striking Bay of Kotor to reach the beautiful Lustica Peninsula. Return to Kotor to drive up the narrow snaking P1 road, with 25 hairpin bends that take you to the top of Mount Lovcen and provide spectacular views over the entire bay and out to the Adriatic Sea. Continue through Lovcen National Park to Cetinje, turning back towards the sea and the coastal town of Budva. Explore Montenegro's Adriatic coastline down to Petrovac, eventually turning away from the sea to visit the large tranquil Lake Skadar.
Hi Andor! Thanks for leaving a comment. The Montenegro coast is just as beautiful but it is not as well developed as Croatia. Some of the road conditions and other amenities are not as refined or well maintained. There are some spectacular landscapes and I highly recommend driving the serpentine road up to Mount Lovcen and exploring Lake Skadar. The people are very friendly and their red wine is lovely! I would, however, try to avoid visiting in July and August as the beaches can get very crowded. I happened to catch a few days there at the start of July and I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people on one beach - you couldn’t see the sand!
Hi, I also love this coastline but the southmost I ever was is Dubrovnik. How did you like Montenegro in comparison with Croatia? It would be nice to read a bit about personal impressions too ;) but anyway very nice blog with wonderful pictures. Cheers Andor https://www.andorbundi.com