Practical information for Podgorica

Public transport

The bus is an affordable option between the centre and more distant parts of Podgorica, especially if you are staying outside the central area. The time between departures varies by route, and services on parts of the network are much less frequent at weekends. Some routes run every 40 minutes on weekdays and every 80 minutes at weekends, while others run even less often. Another limitation is rush-hour crowding: on busy routes, a full bus may occasionally be unable to take all the passengers waiting.

Tickets and fares

You can buy a single city bus ticket from the driver for €0.90. The ticket is valid for 90 minutes, during which you can transfer to another city bus at no extra charge.

Taxis and on-demand transport

For a direct journey around Podgorica, book a taxi with a local company, since Uber and Bolt are not available in the city. Local short dialling codes may not work when you call from a foreign SIM card. In that case, use the full number with the +382 country code. Red Taxi also accepts bookings by text message, using a different number from the one for phone calls.

Tesla Taxi accepts requests for a vehicle with a child seat and allows payment by debit or credit card.

• Halo Taxi (short dialling code)19700
• Halo Taxi (call)+382 69 019 700
• PG Taxi (short dialling code)19704
• PG Taxi (call)+382 68 019 704
• City Taxi (short dialling code)19711
• City Taxi (call)+382 69 019 711
• Red Taxi (short dialling code)19714
• Red Taxi (call)+382 69 019 714
• Red Taxi (SMS)+382 68 019 714
• Tesla Taxi (call)+382 69 057 073

Car hire

In Podgorica, you can book a hire car for collection at the airport or delivery to your accommodation or another address in the city.

On the Hire And Travel page for Podgorica, you can compare offers for your dates and collection location. Fees for your selected collection and return are included in the total offer price, while the security deposit is shown separately.

SIM cards and where to buy them

MTEL shops are located in central Podgorica at Ulica slobode 76 and in Preko Morace at Bulevar Svetog Petra Cetinjskog 143. You can use a physical tourist SIM card even if your phone does not support eSIM.

eSIM and activation

An MTEL eSIM requires a phone that supports the technology. Your identity is checked during the purchase, after which the installation QR code is sent by email.

Calls and roaming

The MTEL tourist package includes internet, but starts with €0 credit for chargeable calls and text messages. Standard phone calls are therefore charged separately from the included internet.

A separate, smaller data allowance applies when travelling from Montenegro to other Western Balkan countries. The Mtel turist 15 package, for example, includes 500 GB in Montenegro and 9.92 GB for regional roaming.

Our Where to stay in Podgorica page recommends specific hotels, apartments and hostels, with explanations of their locations and services.

For a broader accommodation search, you can use Booking.com or the local platform Odmor.me, which offers separate hotel and apartment searches. The Airbnb page linked here is for monthly stays in Podgorica.

Stations and departure points

The bus and railway stations are on Trg Golootockih zrtava. The bus station is at number 1 and is open 24 hours a day.

• Bus station information+382 20 620 430

Connections to other destinations

For onward travel to the coast, distinguish between destinations served by train and those reached by bus. The railway runs to Bar via Virpazar, while Budva and Kotor have no passenger railway station. From Podgorica, continue to those two cities by intercity bus.

You can also travel by train towards Niksic or Bijelo Polje. Use the bus for Cetinje, which also has no passenger railway station.

Timetables and tickets

You can select a bus departure by date and destination and reserve a ticket on BusTicket4.me. For train travel, the Railway Transport of Montenegro website lists departures and fares, while tickets in Podgorica are bought at the station counter.

Arrival from the airport

For travel from the airport terminal to Podgorica, see our guide comparing transport options into the city.

Currency and payment methods

Payments in Podgorica are made in euros, as in the rest of Montenegro. Cards are widely accepted at hotels, restaurants, shops and petrol stations.

ATMs and currency exchange

Access to ATMs inside shopping centres depends on the opening hours of those buildings. Podgorica also has ATMs accessible 24 hours a day for withdrawals outside those hours.

You can exchange foreign cash at an NLB branch during its opening hours. Banknotes have a separate exchange rate list for cash, distinct from the rates for non-cash exchanges.

Pharmacies

For medication at night, Krusevac Pharmacy at Bulevar Svetog Petra Cetinjskog 45/a is open 24 hours a day. In the centre, Podgorica Pharmacy at Ulica slobode 24 is open daily from 7:00 to 22:00.

• Podgorica Pharmacy+382 67 148 471
• Krusevac Pharmacy+382 67 148 331

Routine healthcare

For a routine medical appointment during your stay, you can contact the Capital City Health Centre. Its call centre provides information about the appropriate clinic and booking an appointment.

• Health centre call centre19816

When a car is useful

A car is useful if you plan trips outside the city from Podgorica. The panoramic road through Kuce and Korita, for example, is a 65 km scenic driving route that starts in Podgorica.

Traffic and access to the city

In the city, parking charges apply in some residential areas too, and regular on-street spaces in paid zones have a time limit. For a longer stay in one place, public garages and car parks with barriers are alternatives.