Montenegro
Car rental in Herceg Novi
From €25 a day: Tivat and Podgorica airports, hotel delivery, some cars with no deposit.
from €25 per day
- convenient when arriving from Croatia
Search and book
A live catalogue with prices and availability for your dates. The rental contract and payment are handled directly with the rental company at pick-up.
A convenient first stop when arriving from Croatia
Herceg Novi sits right at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor, closest of all to the Croatian border. If you flew into Dubrovnik and are coming in by car, this is the logical place to collect one. If you rent in Montenegro and plan to drive back into Croatia, tell the rental company in advance: you need a Green Card, and without it you will be turned back at the border.
A town of stairs and the ferry across the bay
Herceg Novi is built on a slope and half the town is stairs — bring comfortable shoes. To get from here to Tivat or Kotor without driving round the whole bay, take the Kamenari–Lepetane ferry: under ten minutes on the water and €5 for a car, saving about 30 kilometres and anywhere from half an hour to an hour.
What is near Herceg Novi
Savina monastery stands among cypresses above the town, and Herceg Novi itself is known for its greenery: for centuries plants were brought here from all over the world, turning the town into a botanical garden with stairs. This is the closest base for the Blue Cave and Mamula island — boats leave from the neighbouring coves. Mamula is seen from the water (the island is a hotel), and since 2026 motor boats have not been allowed into the grotto: the boat waits at the entrance. The Croatian border is fifteen minutes away.
When to come here
The town sits at the mouth of the bay and the weather is milder than deep inside Boka: the air moves. The greenery makes summer bearable even in August. The defining feature is the terrain: half the town is stairs, and comfortable shoes matter more here than anywhere else on the coast.
Before you set off
If Croatia is on the plan, the rental company issues the Green Card in advance — you cannot buy it at the border. That and other non-obvious things are in what can go wrong when you rent. Around town the parking rules help: flat ground on the slope is scarce.
Where to go from here
Herceg Novi sits at the mouth of the bay, equally handy for heading out or in. Inwards: the ferry to Tivat and Kotor, then the hairpin road up Lovćen. Outwards: the Croatian border is fifteen minutes away and Dubrovnik about an hour plus the border crossing — provided the rental company has given you written permission to leave the country and arranged a Green Card.
Boats to the Blue Cave and Mamula island leave from the neighbouring coves — closer than from anywhere else in the country: a boat for the day. The full country route is in Montenegro by car in 5 days.
Prices by class
Starting prices in low season. July and August cost more. The final amount is calculated at booking for your dates.
Economy
2–4 people, manual
Fiat Panda, VW Polo, Opel Corsa
from€25per day
Compact & estate
4–5 people, room for suitcases
VW Golf, Škoda Octavia
from€35per day
SUV
mountain roads, Durmitor, Lovćen
Dacia Duster, Nissan Qashqai
from€45per day
7-seat minivan
a family or two couples with luggage
VW Touran, Citroën Berlingo
from€60per day
Premium & convertible
the coast and Porto Montenegro
BMW 5, Mercedes E, convertibles
from€90per day
By city
Common questions
Can I drive a rental car from Herceg Novi into Croatia?
Yes, but only by prior arrangement and with a Green Card — the rental company issues it in advance for a fee. You cannot buy it at the border: without it you will be turned back. The border is fifteen minutes away.
What is the quickest way from Herceg Novi to Tivat and Kotor?
By the Kamenari–Lepetane ferry: under ten minutes on the water instead of the drive round the bay, which saves about 30 kilometres and half an hour to an hour. The ferry runs around the clock, every twenty minutes during the day; a car costs €5 and there is no need to book. In July and August the queue at peak times can reach 45–60 minutes.
Is parking difficult in Herceg Novi?
Harder than in the neighbouring towns, and not because of tourists but because of the terrain: the town is on a slope and flat ground is scarce. Half the streets are stairs. Check the space with your host in advance.
How much is parking in Herceg Novi?
€0.70–2.00 an hour, depending on the zone. Paying by text only works with a Montenegrin SIM; a local tourist package is €15 for 500 GB over 15 days.
How long is the drive from Herceg Novi to Dubrovnik?
About 50 km, an hour plus the border, where the summer queue takes from half an hour to two or three hours. UK passport holders are photographed and fingerprinted on their first entry into the EU, and parking by Dubrovnik’s walls runs to around €10–20 an hour in summer.
Can I get to Dubrovnik without a car?
Yes, by bus: six departures a day, €24–30, 1–2 hours; times are on <a href="https://busticket4.me" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">busticket4.me</a>. You skip the rental company’s permission, the Green Card (€25–50 per rental) and Dubrovnik’s parking.
Can I drive to the Blue Cave (Plava špilja)?
Not to the grotto itself, which is reached only from the water. A road runs to Žanjice beach on Luštica, where boats to the cave cost €5–10, and since 2026 motor boats stop at the entrance rather than going in.
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