Parking in Montenegro: what it costs and where not to stop
Updated:
Renting in Montenegro is cheap, the distances are short and fuel is predictable. The one thing that genuinely spoils a driving trip is parking in July and August.
An hour’s parking costs from €0.40 in Podgorica to €4.80 by the walls of Kotor’s Old Town; in Budva it is €1–2 and at Sveti Stefan €2–4. There is no single set of rules: car parks are run by the municipalities, and each town has its own zones, tariffs and hours. The bigger problem is that there are physically fewer spaces than cars, and money does not fix that.
What it costs
In the centres of resort towns parking is paid, and the price depends on the town and on how close you are to the main sight:
| Town | Price per hour |
|---|---|
| Kotor | from €0.90 in the outlying car parks to €4.80 by the Old Town walls (€2.40 in winter) |
| Budva | €1–2, up to €3 by the Old Town |
| Sveti Stefan | €2–4 |
| Herceg Novi | €0.70–2.00 depending on the zone |
| Tivat | €0.60–1.00 |
| Podgorica | €0.40–0.60 |
| Lovćen National Park | €1 |
The busiest spots are the priciest: the waterfront in front of Kotor’s gates and the car parks at Sveti Stefan. Away from the centres and in non-resort towns parking is cheaper, and in places free.
Hours and payment: there is no nationwide free weekend
Car parks are municipal, and every town sets its own hours. There is no general “free at weekends” rule: in Kotor and Budva you pay round the clock. The hours and the tariff are on the sign at the entrance to each zone — go by that.
You pay at a ticket machine or by SMS. Paying by SMS only works with a Montenegrin SIM card — a text from your home number will not go through. Where to buy a local SIM is covered in mobile internet in Montenegro.
Leave a car unpaid in Budva and the fine is €50.
Where cars cannot go
Kotor’s old town — traffic inside the walls is closed. You leave the car on the waterfront in front of the gates and walk: an hour there costs €4.80, while the outlying car parks start at €0.90. At the height of the season the car park by the gates fills by ten in the morning, and after that you are looking further up the road.
Budva’s old town — the same story. There are no central spaces in July and August; you park in the paid lots up the hill.
Sveti Stefan — the island itself is closed to cars: it is a hotel, open again since 1 July 2026. The viewpoint above it is free; the car park down on the waterfront is not, at €2–4 an hour.
How to avoid the tow truck
Tow trucks here work briskly, especially in Budva in season. Getting the car back costs €60 to €150 including the fine, depending on the town. The rules for not meeting one:
- Yellow markings along the kerb mean no stopping.
- Never double-park, not even “for five minutes”: narrow streets block instantly.
- Driveways and corners are the most expensive places to leave a car.
- If your accommodation is deep inside a block, ask the host exactly where to park. Apartments usually have their own space or an arrangement with a nearby lot.
What to ask when booking accommodation
This is the tip that saves the most nerves: ask about parking before you book the hotel or apartment, not after.
The question is: does the place have its own space, is it paid or included, and what to do if it is taken. In Budva, Kotor and Bar the answer matters more than the view from the window.
Where parking is not a problem
In Tivat finding a space is easy all year — it is a marina town, not a resort anthill. In Podgorica car parks are paid but there are far more of them than on the coast. Herceg Novi is harder because of the terrain: the town is on a slope and flat ground is scarce.
Prices checked in September 2026; they change from season to season. The rest about the roads is in driving rules in Montenegro. A ready-made route is in Montenegro by car in 5 days. Cars and rental terms are on the car rental page.
If the car is already gone — what to do when it has been towed.
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