Car rental in Tivat

About the rental

The approach drops in low over the turquoise Bay of Kotor, and minutes after the terminal you can be behind the wheel — the airport sits almost on the edge of Tivat, and the Montenegrin coast begins right at its gates. From here it’s a short run to the yachts of Porto Montenegro, a little further along the shoreline to the walls of Kotor, and beyond that Budva, Sveti Stefan and the mountain switchbacks of Lovćen open up. Pick the car up in Tivat itself and the bay is yours, with no bus timetables to watch and no transfer fees to swallow.

Tivat in brief

Tivat is the youngest-feeling town on the Bay of Kotor. A quiet naval town until fairly recently, it was reshaped around the Porto Montenegro marina: where the shipyards and arsenal stores once stood, superyachts now moor alongside waterfront restaurants and boutiques. The older character is still there, though — a climb up to the stone village of Gornja Lastva above town, or a stroll around the Island of Flowers, is enough to find the slower, more authentic Boka. The town sits mid-bay, at its narrowest point — the Verige strait — which makes it equally handy for the sea and for drives inland.

Tivat Airport lies a few kilometres south of the centre and is the busiest in the country, the main gateway to the coast. Because of the mountainous terrain it operates mostly in daylight hours, so arrivals usually come with a panorama of the bay. For most coastal routes it’s the natural place to start.

Why hire a car in Tivat

Public transport around the Boka is thin: there’s no direct bus or shuttle from the airport, and the geography of the bay scatters the best spots along a winding shoreline and up the hillsides. Kotor and Budva are still reachable by bus, but Perast, the beaches of the Luštica peninsula, the Lovćen viewpoints or the villages on the far shore turn into a connections-and-taxis exercise without a car.

A car removes that dependence. A morning swim at a quiet beach, lunch in Kotor, sunset over Sveti Stefan — all on your own schedule. One approach worth noting is the one-way rental: fly into Tivat, spend a few days on the coast, then drive over the mountains to Podgorica and fly out from there without doubling back. Local suppliers are based right at the airport, and on many cars you’ll find no-deposit options or a cash deposit — useful if you don’t travel with a credit card.

General traffic rules, speed limits and document requirements are the same countrywide — those are set out on the Montenegro page. Here we focus on what matters specifically in and around Tivat.

Popular destinations nearby

Distances and drive times are from Tivat Airport, by road. In high season, times stretch on the switchbacks and at the ferry crossing.

Destination	Distance	Drive time	Why go
Porto Montenegro	~3 km	~7 min	Superyacht marina, promenade, restaurants, submarine museum
Kotor	~9 km	15–20 min	Old town beneath the fortress walls, a UNESCO site
Plavi Horizonti beach (Luštica)	~11 km	~20 min	One of the bay’s nicer sandy beaches, shallow warm water
Perast	~25 km	~30 min	Baroque town with the islets of Our Lady of the Rocks and St George
Budva	~20 km	25–30 min	Beaches, nightlife, an old town on the headland
Sveti Stefan	~30 km	~40 min	The famous island-hotel and postcard views
Herceg Novi	~35 km	~45–50 min	Via the Kamenari–Lepetane ferry; fortresses, Igalo, greenery
Lovćen (national park)	~45 km	~1 hr	Njegoš Mausoleum, the Kotor–Njeguši serpentine, panorama of the Boka
Lake Skadar (Virpazar)	~65 km	~1 hr 15	The Balkans’ largest lake — boat trips, birdlife, vineyards
Podgorica	~88 km	~1 hr 30	Capital and second airport — handy for a one-way rental
Dubrovnik (Croatia)	~70 km	~1 hr 30 – 2 hr	Via ferry and border; cross-border travel is agreed at booking

Seasons and what to plan

Summer (June–September). Peak beach season: hot, the water warm, every ferry and boat tour running. It’s also the busiest for traffic — the switchbacks and the Kamenari–Lepetane crossing get busy, so plan longer trips for early morning. Ideal for the sea, island excursions and short loops around the bay.

Autumn (October–November). Quieter weeks: the sea often stays warm into mid-October, far fewer travellers, freer roads. A good time for food-led outings — olives, wine, fish tavernas — and for relaxed drives up to Lovćen or out to Lake Skadar.

Winter (December–February). Mild and calm, with the odd spell of rain, but the coast stays alive. Snow settles on Lovćen and inland, so you can pair the sea and the mountains in a single day. In February the nearby town of Herceg Novi holds its Mimosa Festival — a nice reason for a short drive along the bay.

Spring (March–May). Everything’s in bloom, the hillsides green, the air clear — the best time for driving and photos, though still too cool for swimming. Well suited to canyons, national parks and an unhurried loop of the bay.

Which car class to choose

The logic of the Boka is simple: the more compact the car, the easier the trip. The lanes of Kotor and Perast are narrow, parking in the old towns is tight, and the coast road pinches in places — a small hatchback or saloon usually manoeuvres more easily than a large SUV.

If Lovćen, Njeguši or the road to Cetinje is on your list, a car with enough engine helps — not for off-road, but to pull the serpentine calmly. Four-wheel drive is generally unnecessary on the usual tourist routes; a compact crossover or an estate is more practical when you’re travelling with family and luggage. Air conditioning is a necessity in summer, not a luxury.

One point especially for drivers from the UK, US, Australia and similar markets: manual (stick-shift) cars are the norm here, and automatics are fewer and usually cost more. If you need an automatic, book well ahead.

Licence, payment and driving side

• Driving licence and IDP. For most English-speaking countries the national licence is in the Latin alphabet and is generally accepted on its own; an International Driving Permit (IDP) is usually not required. The table below is a guide — confirm on the specific car’s page.

Licence issued in	National licence accepted	IDP typically needed
UK / Ireland	Yes	No
USA / Canada	Yes	No (occasionally recommended)
Australia / New Zealand	Yes	No
South Africa	Yes (photo + English)	No (some suppliers recommend it)
Any non-Latin-script licence	Not on its own	Yes

• Drive on the right. Montenegro drives on the right, and you overtake on the left. If you’re used to driving on the left (UK, Ireland, Australia, South Africa), take it slowly for the first hour — junctions, roundabouts and the narrow coast road are where habits catch people out.
• Paying by card (DCC). Montenegro uses the euro. When a card terminal offers to charge you in your home currency (GBP, USD, etc.) instead of euros, decline — that “dynamic currency conversion” usually gives a worse rate. Always choose to be charged in EUR.

How much car hire costs in Tivat

Price depends heavily on the season. Out of season, compact models run roughly from €15–20 a day; in spring and autumn around €25–35; at the August peak often €45–55 or more, especially when you collect at the airport. In town, rates are often lower than at the terminal desks.

To confirm a booking, local suppliers usually take a deposit of around 15–20% of the total, with the balance paid on collection. Some cars are available with no deposit, and on others the deposit can be left in cash — helpful if you don’t carry a credit card. The exact terms for a given car — deposit, insurance, mileage limit — appear on its listing at selection, so it’s worth comparing the whole package rather than just the headline daily rate.

Getting there

Tivat is reachable on direct flights from the UK over the summer season (routes have recently included London Gatwick, London Luton, Manchester and Bristol), with a flying time of roughly two and a half to three hours; routes and frequencies shift by season. You collect the car at the airport straight after landing.

Good to know: ferry, parking, roads

Kamenari–Lepetane ferry. The local shortcut — the crossing over the Verige strait between the Tivat and Herceg Novi shores. It saves around 30 km and up to 40 minutes heading towards Herceg Novi, Igalo and on to the Croatian border. It runs frequently, day and night; there’s a small fee for a car, while foot passengers and cyclists go free. In July and August a queue builds at peak times, so allow a time buffer.

Kotor–Lovćen serpentine. The old road, with two dozen-plus hairpins, gives the finest views over the Boka, but it’s narrow and demands attention; be patient when passing oncoming cars. If you’d rather avoid serpentines, climb to Lovćen from the Budva side instead.

Parking. Parking is paid at Porto Montenegro, and paid zones apply in central Tivat. Kotor’s old town is car-free — leave the car in the car parks outside the walls. In season, spaces at popular spots fill quickly, so arrive early.

Roads in general. The coast road is scenic but not very wide; in summer add pedestrians, cyclists and coaches. Driving calmly, with plenty of following distance, is the sensible approach. There are enough petrol stations along the Adriatic highway, but fill up before heading into the mountains. Montenegro has no motorway vignette; if you drive on into neighbouring countries, check their rules there.