43852CRO
Montenegro
Excursion
You might have 2 drivers. Make sure to speak with them in advance about the entire programme as they might need to plan their individual driving schedules up to 4 days in advance in order to accommodate the required driving needs of the tour. Make sure you are clear about the driving regulations.
NB: You must have a list with each passenger’s (and your) legal name, country of birth, country of residence, passport number, date of issue, date of expiry, birthdate, birthplace, and nationality for the Montenegrin border. You should keep 3 copies of this list with you on the excursion as you (or the driver) will need to give in this list (you will have a copy for each time you cross as well as a spare version for yourself just in case). Your driver might have a form you can use to make the list. If not, you can simply create an excel document.
Pax must have their passports in the coach cabin with them, as they will be asked to show them at the border, these will be checked (and probably stamped) in both directions at the Croatian border post as this is the external frontier of the EU.
Timings today are very approximate as the border is extremely strict and, if there is back-up there, you could be stopped for an extended period of time. Check with your driver(s) for a prediction of the timings.
Encourage pax to eat a good breakfast. Remind them that in Montenegro, Euro is the traded currency and can be withdrawn from ATMs there.
Departing Dubrovnik, there is a panoramic lookout point above the Old City just past the Ploce Gate for coaches to pull out onto so pax can take photos of Dubrovnik.
Dubrovnik-Montenegro border: approx. 1 hour.
Montenegro border-Perast: approx. 1 hour.
After Herceg Novi, the scenery becomes more rustic.
Pass Kamenari and look for a gravel lookout point near the small white lighthouse (2 minutes after you exit Kamenari). Pax can get out and take photos of the narrow strait leading into the Bay of Kotor.
Continue to baroque Perast for another photo stop (check with driver about the route into town: either take the exit fork to the right and drive directly into the town or stay to the left and enjoy the views from above and then backtrack into the town). A nice place to stop is in front of the church on the water.
Perast-Kotor: approx. 30 minutes.
Coach can drop-off outside the city walls. Drop-off point is also pick-up point. Fix a time with the driver as he cannot park at this spot. While the old town is quite tiny, pax might enjoy having 3-3.5 hours to enjoy it if the weather is nice. This allows fitter group members to attempt to climb the fortification walls (very challenging). Lead the group towards the Bay, turn left to cross the bridge that crosses the Skurda River and that brings you to the walled city (you will see it on your left from the coach; look closely and you can see the fortification walls up the mountain). The main town gate faces the Bay.
There is a tourist info kiosk at the gate as well as a map of the town which allows you to explain the layout of the town to the group before letting them loose. Groups may have to pay a tourist tax (€1pp) here, but student groups are usually exempted. Just beyond the main gate (still outside the walls) is a fruit/veg market with gorgeous olives, etc. Walking along the Bay is very enjoyable as well as wandering the alleyways within the city walls and the walls themselves (these walls are very steep and are not recommended to pax who are out of shape). The walls around the town are free to wander but cost €15 if you take them up towards the fortress!
The public wc is behind the Square of Arms (enter by the Main Town Gate, continue straight and circumnavigate the cafe in front of you counterclockwise to reach the alley behind the Square). Remind the group to use the wc before meeting to board the coach.
After meeting the group and boarding the coach, depart Kotor, take the tunnel towards Budva, follow signs into Tivat, continue down the main road to Lepetane (a few miles beyond the end of town). The coach will line up to drive onto the ferry (pax stay onboard). The actual ferry crossing to Kamenari takes less than 10 minutes.
Consider a stop in scenic Cavtat (back in Croatia) if you are not pressed for time (Kotor-Cavtat: approx 3 hours). Sunset in this seaside town is indescribable. (Cavtat-Dubrovnik: approx 45 minutes).
Kamenari-Dubrovnik: approx. 1.5 hours (if no extenuating circumstances at the border).