I am writing a post that would be useful to me before I decided to try wintering in Montenegro. I’ll even make two posts. This one is about all sorts of life hacks and nuances, and the second one is about food, shops and restaurants.
General information about entry:
During the off-season, Russians can stay in Montenegro continuously for up to 30 days, during the season – from April 1 to October 31 – for up to 90 days (it is better to check the exact dates in each particular year on the consulate’s website). Everything is changing.
That is, during the winter, you either need to make a residence permit, or go abroad every 30 days, this is called a visa. I love to travel, so during this winter I traveled from Montenegro to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia. Also, the locals here offer a service – to leave and enter in one day.
After arriving in the country, according to the law of Montenegro, you must immediately register at the tourist center. They are in every city, there are 3 locations in Tivat. The cost of the service is approximately 1 euro for 1 day of stay in the country. To register, you need a residential address. Everyone is afraid that without this document there may be large fines, but in fact it has never been asked anywhere.
As for the covid topic:
❕For winter 21/22
To enter, you need either a PCR / atigen test, or a certificate of a previous illness or vaccination. It is also better to clarify this information right before arrival.
I don’t observe any special measures, no one goes in masks, only sometimes they ask in grocery stores. Everything is very unobtrusive. In general, in the Balkans you forget that a pandemic has been declared.
If you need to take a test in Montenegro, then I recommend the Moj Lab network of laboratories. A copy of the document is sent to the mail. With a seal, they are handed out if you need it.
About cities:
Before renting an apartment, I had to go all over the coast to figure out where I would like to stay. I have an impression of the cities. I’ll share it, but it’s very subjective, you know.
Bar is a port city. Architecturally featureless, quite large. From here there is a ferry to Bari. But the old town is cute, even though they’re cute everywhere.
Budva is our Sochi. There are a lot of high-rise buildings, a huge Russian-speaking community, in general it seems that there are almost no Montenegrins here. But all the “eyelashes”, “nails” and yoga are here.
The bar and Budva are in the open sea. All subsequent towns are located in the picturesque Bay of Kotor.
Herceg Novi – the spirit of the sanatorium is hovering here. Everything is so cute-dilapidated) This is a multi-level city and therefore full of stairs, that is, you can swing the back of your thighs every day without going to the gym.
Kotor is also on the mountain, and I didn’t quite understand it. It’s like there are just a lot of houses around the old town.
Tivat is my choice. Small, cozy, neat, cute, clean, there is some kind of separate garbage collection. Since a marina for superyachts (Porto Montenegro) has been built here, both the infrastructure and the service are slightly higher than in other cities. In Montenegro there are similar respectable resorts Luštica Bay and Portonovi, but there are very tiny towns. And there is even an airport in Tivat, which is incredibly convenient. There is also a fitness center, medical facilities, playgrounds, a park, a beautiful promenade, a few clothing stores in Porto, restaurants, food shops, small markets. Minus – no cultural program.
Ideally, to have a car here, but even without it it’s OK. Convenient taxi company Red Taxi. You can write to them in Viber, set a time, etc. They go by the counter.
How to choose an apartment
- The cutest selection of apartments on Airbnb and Booking. Local sites are clumsy, there are a lot of irrelevant ads. Realtors ignore your request, spamming unsuitable options, plus add their commission to the price. So it’s better to communicate directly with the owners.
- Before you rent an apartment for a long time, you should definitely live in it for at least a couple of days to understand how you are there.
- In Montenegro, construction sites are prohibited in the season, but out of season (November-May) they bloom in riotous color almost everywhere, so it is better to choose an apartment away from all this so that the noise does not bother.
- I recommend renting an apartment that gets maximum sun. I do this everywhere, but in Montenegro it is especially important, since the darkened areas of the apartment are prone to mold. The first floor is not recommended at all, only if there are Underfloor heating, the house is new and renovated.
- Heating. I recommend an apartment with several heating sources. For example, electric batteries /underfloor heating and air conditioning. This is in case there are suddenly very cold nights, so as not to freeze for sure. It is also very important to have a heat source in the bathrooms, otherwise it will be a cryo chamber. And another important point is good double–glazed windows. I highly recommend checking this so that there are no defects and no air / sound penetrates anywhere.
- Mosquito nets are not needed in winter, all flies are asleep, there are no mosquitoes. In the summer, I think this ppc is relevant.
If I still remember something, I will add it. If you have any questions, ask them, preferably in the comments, so that this information is available to everyone.