The Mala Rijeka viaduct
 

Spectacular scenery between Belgrade & Podgorica or Bar as you travel to Montenegro comfortably by train. No airports, no flights.

See photos & video of this amazing train ride.

Montenegro's Adriatic coast by train...

It's easy to travel by train all the way from London or Paris to Podgorica, Bar, Kotor or Budva in Montenegro.  Leave London mid-morning, travel via Paris and Zagreb, and you'll be in Belgrade by early evening the next day, with modern high-quality air-conditioned trains throughout.  You can then take the amazing Belgrade-Bar railway to Montenegro, one of Europe's most scenic train journeys.  Alternatively, travel by train to Italy then catch a ferry across the Adriatic to Montenegro.  It can cost little more than flying, yet it's a memorable travel experience not a soulless flight.  This page explains how to plan, book and make a train journey from the UK to Montenegro.

Train times, fares & tickets

small bullet point  London to Podgorica, Bar, Budva, Kotor by train

small bullet point  The spectacular Belgrade to Bar railway

small bullet point  General European train travel information

small bullet point  Luggage   Taking bikes   Taking dogs  

small bullet point  Hotels & accommodation

small bullet point  Useful country information: currency, dial code...

Route map

Route map:  London to Montenegro by train

Useful country information

Train operator:

www.zcg-prevoz.me.

Eurostar times & fares.  All-Europe online train times:  www.bahn.de

 

Railpass:

Beginner's guide to European railpasses    Buy a rail pass online

Time zone:

GMT+1 (GMT+2 from last Sunday in March to last Saturday in October).

Dialling code:

+382

Currency:

Montenegro uses the euro, 1 = approx 1.11   Currency converter

Hotels:

Find a hotel anywhere in Eastern Europe

Tourist information:

Tripadvisor Montenegro page

Page last updated:

13 February 2023


London to Montenegro

There are two ways to travel from the UK to Montenegro, both have their own appeal - feel free to go out one way and back the other.

Option 1, London to Podgorica, Bar, Budva by train via Belgrade

This option involves comfortable modern trains all the way to Belgrade, then a ride on the famous Belgrade-Bar Railway, recognised as one of Europe's most scenic.

London ► Montenegro

Montenegro ► London

Fares & how to buy tickets

What's the journey like? 

See the Belgrade to Bar page for a full account of this journey and what to see on the way.

High in the mountains of Montenegro

The Adriatic, seen from the train leaving Bar

Option 2, London to Podgorica, Bar, Budva by ferry from Italy

Montenegro Lines used to sail from Bari in Italy to Bar in Montenegro, but ceased trading in 2017.  However, Jadrolinija (www.jadrolinija.hr) resumed once a week sailings (twice a week in high summer) between Bari & Bar, making this route possible once more.

Montenegro Lines ferry from Bar to Bari

The former Montenegro Lines ferry to Bari at Bar ferry terminal...

Bar ferry terminal, Montenegro Lines   View of Bar ferry terminal, across the marina

Bar ferry terminal...

 

Bar ferry terminal, from across the marina...

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European Rail Timetable & maps

Thomas Cook European Timetable -  click to buy onlineTraveller's Railway Map of Europe - buy onlineThe European Rail Timetable (formerly the Thomas Cook European Timetable) has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus currency & climate information.  It is essential for regular European train travellers and an inspiration for armchair travellers.  Published since 1873, it had just celebrated 140 years of publication when Thomas Cook decided to pull the plug on their entire publishing department, but the dedicated ex-Thomas Cook team set up a private venture and resumed publication of the famous European Rail Timetable in March 2014.  You can buy it online at www.amazon.co.uk (UK addresses) or www.europeanrailtimetable.eu (shipping worldwide).  More information on what the European Rail Timetable contains.

Rail Map Europe is the map I recommend, covering all of Europe from Portugal in the west to Moscow & Istanbul in the east, Finland in the north to Sicily & Athens in the south.  Scenic routes & high-speed lines are highlighted.  See an extract from the map.  Buy online at www.europeanrailtimetable.eu (shipping worldwide) or at www.amazon.co.uk (UK addresses).

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Guidebooks

Lonely Planet Eastern Europe - buy online at Amazon.co.ukTo get the most from your visit, you should take a good guidebook.  For the independent traveller, I think this means one of two guidebooks, either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide.  Both series are excellent.  You can buy a guide covering all the countries in Eastern Europe.  Lonely Planet Eastern Europe.

Click to buy online at Amazon...

 

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Find hotels in Montenegro

Find hotels at Booking.comMy favourite hotel search site: www.booking.com

www.booking.com is my favourite hotel booking site and I generally prefer booking my hotels all in one place here.  You can usually book with free cancellation - this allows you to confirm your accommodation at no risk before train booking opens.  It also means you can hold accommodation while you finalise your itinerary, and alter your plans as they evolve - a feature I use all the time when putting a trip together.  I never book hotels non-refundably.  I have also come to trust their review scores - you won't be disappointed with anything over 8.0.

Tip:  It can pay to compare prices across multiple hotel sites:  HotelsCombined.com is a price comparison site which compares hotel prices on Booking.com, Hotels.com, Expedia, Accor, Agoda and many others.  Though if there's not much in it, I prefer keeping all my bookings together in one place at www.booking.com.

Other hotel sites worth trying...

www.tripadvisor.com is the place to find independent travellers' reviews of all the main hotels.

Backpacker hostels...

www.hostelworld.com:  If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels.  Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in most cities at rock-bottom prices.

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Travel insurance & VPN

 

Staysure travel insurance

 

Confused.com logo

Always take out travel insurance...

You should take out travel insurance with at least 1m or preferably 5m medical cover from a reliable insurer.  It should cover trip cancellation and loss of cash & belongings up to a reasonable limit.  These days, check you're covered for covid-19-related issues, and use an insurer whose cover isn't invalidated by well-meant but excessive Foreign Office travel advice against non-essential travel. An annual policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I use an annual policy myself.  Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, see the advice on missed connections here.  Here are some suggested insurers, I get a little commission if you buy through these links, feedback always welcome.

UK flag  www.staysure.co.uk offers enhanced Covid-19 protection.

UK flag  You can use www.confused.com to compare prices & policy features across major insurance companies.

US flag  If you live in the USA try Travel Guard USA.

 

Curve card

Curve card saves foreign transaction fees...

Banks often give a poor exchange rate, then charge a currency conversion fee as well.  A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, 500 per month as I write this.  The balance goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.  And you can get a Curve card for free.

How it works:  1. Download the app for iPhone or Android.  2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to most European addresses including the UK.  3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app.  4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, just like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance onto whichever of your debit or credit cards you choose.  You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.

I use a Curve Blue card myself - I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I'm recommending it here because I think it's great.  See details, download the app and get a Curve card - they'll give you 5 cashback through that link, too.

 

Express VPN

Get a VPN for safe browsing.  VPNs & why you need one explained...

When you're travelling you often use free WiFi in public places which may not be secure.  A VPN means your connection to the internet is encrypted & always secure, even using unsecured WiFi.  In countries such as China where access to Twitter & Facebook is restricted, a VPN gets around these restrictions.  And lastly, you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geographic restrictions which some websites apply - for example one booking site charges a booking fee to non-European visitors but none to European visitors, so if you're not located in Europe you can avoid this fee by browsing with a UK IP address using a VPN.  VPNs & why you need one explainedExpressVPN is a best buy and I use it myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using the links on this page, you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription, and I get a small commission to help support this site.

 

Anker Powerrbank

Carry an Anker powerbank...

With tickets, reservations, vaccination records and Interrail or Eurail passes now often held digitally on your mobile phone, it's vital to keep it charged.  I recommend carrying an Anker powerbank which can recharge your phone several times over if you can't get to a power outlet when you're on the move.  I never travel without one.

 


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