Montenegro
Car rental in Podgorica
Podgorica is the country's second airport and the nearest to Lake Skadar and the north. The sea is an hour away on a good road, so people collect a car at the airport. This is where you rent a car not for the coast but for Lake Skadar and the north.
from €25 per day
- TGD airport
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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.
Podgorica airport: when it beats Tivat
Compare fares to Podgorica and to Tivat for your own dates: sometimes one airport works out cheaper, sometimes the other. The sea is about an hour away on a good road through the Sozina tunnel (toll €2.50), so people collect a car at the airport and drive on.
A car for the lake and the north, not the sea
Podgorica is the closest base for Lake Skadar — Virpazar is about half an hour away, roughly 25 km. It is also the easiest starting point for Ostrog monastery and the north: the Tara canyon and Durmitor. From the coast those places are another hour and a half to two hours each way.
What to keep in mind in the capital
Podgorica is a plain working city without an old centre, and most people pass through it. Summers here are hotter than on the coast: temperatures hold higher than by the sea. Parking in the centre is paid but there is far more of it than in Kotor or Budva. A day-by-day plan is in the five-day road trip.
What is near Podgorica
Ostrog monastery is about an hour north, carved straight into a sheer cliff and still one of the most visited Orthodox shrines in the Balkans. Virpazar and Lake Skadar are roughly half an hour south, with boats leaving among the water lilies. Right by the city are the falls on the Cijevna river — low in summer, in full flow in spring.
When to come here
Podgorica lies in a valley and summers here are hotter than on the coast: temperatures run higher and there is no sea breeze. If you arrive in the cold season and plan to head north, collecting the car here makes sense.
Before you set off
From Podgorica the road to the sea runs through the Sozina toll tunnel (€2.50). Montenegro has two toll roads; the other is the motorway heading north. Both, and the rest of the rules, are covered in the article on driving rules and fines. North and around Lake Skadar the roads run empty: fill up in advance, and the signal drops in places. A day-by-day route is in Montenegro 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
How long is the drive from Podgorica airport to the sea?
About an hour on a good road through the Sozina tunnel; the toll is €2.50. Montenegro has two toll roads: this tunnel and the motorway heading north. The alternative is the old mountain road over the pass: prettier, but noticeably longer.
What can you see from Podgorica by car?
Ostrog monastery is about an hour north, carved into a vertical cliff. Lake Skadar and Virpazar are roughly half an hour south. The falls on the Cijevna river are right by the city and run full in spring.
Is it better to fly into Podgorica or Tivat?
In summer, for the coast, Tivat is easier: it is by the sea, 25–30 minutes from Budva. From Podgorica the sea is about an hour away, but if the north and Lake Skadar are on the plan, it is closer in any season. Compare fares for your own dates.
How much is parking in Podgorica?
€0.40–0.60 an hour, cheaper than on the coast. Paying by text only works with a Montenegrin SIM, so a UK phone will not do it.
How long is the drive from Podgorica to Budva and Kotor?
Budva is about 65 km, an hour and a quarter; Kotor about 85 km, an hour and three quarters. In July and August allow one and a half to two times as long once you reach the coast.
Is the road north from Podgorica a toll road?
The motorway from Smokovac to Mateševo is: €3.50 for the full stretch. Beyond it come mountain roads with few petrol stations, so fill up before you set off.
Can I pick up in Podgorica and return the car at Tivat airport?
Usually, yes, which suits flying in to Podgorica and home from Tivat. Returning in a different town often carries a surcharge, so ask for the amount before you pay.
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