Montenegro! The choice was quickly made when we decided sometime in June that we wanted to go away for a longer time. And “we” are Alieke (founder of this platform) and me: Daniëlle (Marketer and part-time digital nomad). Working and traveling is “really our thing” after all, so it took me only 3 seconds to convince Alieke that we really needed to get away again this summer.
The only requirement: a country neither of us had seen yet. Oh and nice weather, that too, of course. “MONTENEGRO!”, we exclaimed just about simultaneously. And so it came to pass that these two digital nomads packed the laptop bag again in August and headed off to Montenegro for a road trip. I like to tell you about our work and travel experience in this amazing country and take you into the practical world of traveling around with your laptop under your arm.
That’s somewhere in the Balkans right?
To be honest: I knew little about this country. I have been hearing more and more about it in recent years. We flew into Dubrovnik airport in southern Croatia, because this small country (half the size of the Netherlands) also only has two relatively smaller airports. Dubrovnik is about a 20-minute drive from the town we chose as our starting point: Herceg Novi. With a location in northern Montenegro, it’s a perfect place to start your tour. Note that you are crossing the border from EU country Croatia to a non-EU country Montenegro. So count some extra time you’ll need to cross the border through a customs post.
The practicalities beforehand for Montenegro
Finding a hotel with a dreamy view is fun, as are the restaurants where you can get the best sea view, but practical things also need to be arranged. And to save you some time I give you those very briefly below on a silver platter:
- What to pay with in Montenegro: the euro, handy!
- Can you make calls from your Dutch data bundle? No, Montenegro is outside the EU so you need an eSIM or local sim card needed for your Internet.
- What about your travel insurance? Europe coverage also applies in Montenegro.
- Do you need a passport or ID: passport, you are leaving EU territory and thus get a nice stamp as you travel into the country.
Low budget travel as a digital nomad
With these practical matters covered, we could move on to the actual travel. We decided to do part of our trip by car and part by public transportation. Considering we will be gone for about 6 weeks this keeps it somewhat affordable. The first few days we traveled by bus which is a great option. It’s cheap and buses run very frequently. For example, we went from Herceg Novi to Tivat for €7.90 per person (2.5 hours) and if you think away the fact that we were sitting in a riding sauna because the air conditioning didn’t work with 36 degrees outside, the ride went well. By the way, this blog is about the practicalities of touring Montenegro, if you want more tips on sights, restaurants and beautiful viewpoints, check out this blog by Alieke with tips for Montenegro.
Sightseeing along the coast of Montenegro
We chose to stay in Tivat, the self-proclaimed “Monaco of Montenegro.” Also be sure to visit Kotor. This ancient town is one of the most famous in the country, which made us curious. A coastal bus ride (for €2.50 per person) took us along the breathtaking coast to our destination. It does take a bit longer because of the busy traffic and narrow streets so on the return trip we opted for the so-called express bus. This costs € 7.50 and takes you back to Tivat a bit faster via a different route.
Both towns are absolutely worth visiting. Kotor is bursting with medieval charm and in Tivat there are boats even more expensive than our two houses put together. You’ll feast your eyes! Almost all restaurants and accommodations have wifi, which is generally good enough to do some online work. After all, you are a digital nomad for half the day, and then productive work needs to be done.
Many hot spots in Montenegro are by the water, so the views are often fantastic. The only downside is that there are few great beaches. Every town has some city beaches, where for €10 you rent a bed standing on the concrete or pebble beach and in some places you can enter the water. Not ideal as a beach destination, but a dip in the sea is fortunately possible to cool off.
East, west: roadtripping is the best!
The first three places we visited were coastal towns, after this it was time for “a change of scenery. On the menu: Durmitor National Park, a mountainous area in the interior of Montenegro. And this place we visited by car, which we rented through Sunny Cars , because we wanted a reliable rental company and no hassles on the spot. We easily arranged that in advance online. A nice car with air conditioning, fully covered in terms of insurance (also for scratches or a small hole in the window) and no excess, so we went into the mountains completely carefree. I would really recommend this because you will encounter the most beautiful views along the way and how nice is it that you have the flexibility to make a spontaneous stop and enjoy them?
It is wonderful to stay here in the peace and quiet of nature. The tourist bustle of the coast is pleasant, but the silence in Durmitor is a relief. Do check well in advance if your accommodation has good wifi, which is not everywhere in this region. You can backup yourself with an eSIM or local sim card. In the morning we sit with our noses behind the laptop, with the sound of birds in the background. In the afternoons we enjoy going offline, going into nature and taking beautiful walks. We loved it!
Through the mountains to the seaside resort of Budva
Although we don’t really want to leave after 4 days in this place, the coast beckons again and this time it is the seaside resort of Budva where we drive to with our rental car. Secretly we were also a bit tense for part of this journey by car, because the Reels and TikToks we came across in our preparation showed roads with potholes that would make our Belgian neighbors jealous. But nothing could be further from the truth: the roads are perfectly passable! We both enjoy the infinite view, beautiful views and the freedom to go wherever we want. This is why we became digital nomads!
Big don’t: having a rental car in Budva. This was the worst idea ever because there is no parking anywhere. Walk, take the local bus or take a cheap cab.
Montenegro as a destination for your remote work trip
After 3 weeks of traveling around Montenegro, we can definitely say that it is a suitable destination for digital nomads. You won’t meet many of them yet, but the facilities and infrastructure are fine. In terms of prices, the country is comparable to the Netherlands; it seems to have become considerably more expensive in recent years as its popularity has grown.
Coworkspace, colivings and laptop friendly cafes are not really found here yet. And unfortunately no digital nomad community either. But I’m sure this will evolve in the coming years and get there. For now, just book yourself an accommodation with good wifi or arrange a backup, then you can just do your online work.
Crossing the border: Albania awaits
We opted for convenience (and budget) and caught the bus from Budva, to Shkodër (Albania). Depending on the day and time, you pay about €20 per person for your ticket. And another € 2 for your suitcase and another € 1 for printing your ticket and another € 1 to the bus driver for, yes, we honestly still don’t know. It remains a slightly less efficient culture than the Dutch, we usually laugh at these differences!
The advantage of the bus: you sink in for three hours and let your bus driver do the talking at customs and in no time you’re across the border. It makes our digital nomad hearts beat faster how easy traveling in Montenegro is. Having doubts? Don’t, just go! And let yourself be convinced by all there is to see and do. Montenegro has won a place in our hearts.
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Hotspots in Montenegro: mooiste plekken, activiteiten & restaurants
