Driving basics in Montenegro

In Montenegro, you drive on the right and must use dipped headlights or daytime running lights during the day. With a rental car, first check the vehicle against your booking and agreement. Record existing damage, the fuel level and the agreed return arrangements. Find the controls for the lights, wipers and clearing mist from the windows, check how to select reverse and confirm which fuel the car uses. These are easier to try in the parking area than on a hill or in a queue.

Agree who to contact if the car breaks down and what the contract requires if damage occurs. Crossing a border, adding a driver and driving off paved roads are separate questions for the provider. If any are part of your plans, obtain confirmation before collection. Permission for one use of the car does not confirm the others.

In the road report from AMSCG, Montenegro's motoring association, look for the places and road sections along your route. A timed closure, roadworks or traffic taking turns to pass may affect your departure time even when navigation still suggests the same route. For a drive into the mountains, check the forecast at your destination too. Weather by the sea does not describe conditions on a high mountain pass.

Check again shortly before leaving and read the period covered by the notice. A closure during specified hours does not mean the road is closed all day. A report on the main road may not cover the final local road to your accommodation. Ask your host for driving directions for that part rather than relying only on the property pin in an app.

Use the fuel information for your particular vehicle and identify a reliable place to fill up. On a scenic drive, do not assume a fuel station will appear on every stretch. The Circuit around Korita brochure, published by Montenegro's then Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism, warns that there is no fuel station on that route. Fill up before taking such a drive.

A car with two axles, an overall height of up to 1.9 m and a maximum authorised mass of up to 3,500 kg falls within category II. For that category, Monteput lists €3.50 for the full Smokovac - Matesevo section and €2.50 for the Sozina tunnel. These are separate charges for a single passage. Passenger cars are classified using the operator's criteria, and a larger vehicle or trailer may change the category. At the toll booths, use a lane marked for cash or bank cards if you have not arranged electronic toll payment.

Ask your accommodation exactly where to drive and where the car will stay. The apartment entrance, unloading access and a reserved parking space may be in different places. Save the parking location as your arrival destination, especially when staying beside an old town or on a slope above the coast.

For a visit to Kotor's old town, plan to park outside the walls and continue on foot. Check the parking ticket, local zone or accommodation permit on site and with the responsible operator. One payment does not automatically cover another parking area or another town. If your accommodation confirmation says parking is available, clarify whether a space is reserved specifically for you and whether there is an extra charge.