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Spectacular scenery between Belgrade & Podgorica or Bar as you travel to Montenegro comfortably by train. No airports, no flights. |
Montenegro's Adriatic coast by train
It's easy to travel by train from the UK to Podgorica, Bar, Kotor or Budva in Montenegro. Leave London mid-morning, travel via Paris & Zagreb and you'll be in Belgrade by evening the next day. You can then take the amazing Belgrade-Bar railway to Montenegro, one of Europe's most scenic train journeys. Alternatively, travel by train to Italy then catch a ferry across the Adriatic to Montenegro. It can cost little more than flying, yet it's a memorable travel experience not a soulless flight. This page explains how to plan, book and make a train journey from the UK to Montenegro.
Train times, fares & tickets
London to Podgorica, Bar, Budva, Kotor by train
The spectacular Belgrade to Bar railway
General European train
travel information
Luggage
Taking bikes
Taking dogs
Useful country information:
currency, dial code...
Route map
Useful country information
There are two ways to travel from the UK to Montenegro, both have their own appeal - feel free to go out one way and back the other.
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Option 1, travel all the way by train, using the spectacularly scenic Belgrade-Podgorica-Bar railway.
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Option 2, travel from the UK to Bari in Italy by train, then sail across the Adriatic by ferry.
Option 1, London to Podgorica, Bar, Budva by train via Belgrade
This option involves comfortable trains all the way to Belgrade, then a ride on the famous Belgrade-Bar Railway, recognised as one of Europe's most scenic.
London ► Montenegro
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Step 1, travel from London to Belgrade as shown on the London to Serbia page.
This takes 2 days, 1 night. Allow at least 2 hours to make connections in Belgrade in case of any delay, it may be a safer bet to stop overnight in Belgrade and continue on day 3. I recommend the classic, historic but affordable Hotel Moskva. Visiting Belgrade. Belgrade station guide.
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Step 2, travel from Belgrade to Podgorica or Bar via the famous & scenic Belgrade-Bar railway, see the timetable here.
There's a convenient overnight sleeper all year round and a daytime train in summer, see the Belgrade to Bar page for details.
The Belgrade-Bar railway one of the most spectacular train routes in Europe, a daytime journey is highly recommended - the northbound daytime train does the best bits in daylight, the southbound train reaches some of the nice bits after dark, depending on the time of year. For the best scenery you must sit on the right hand side of the train going south. However, even the overnight train can show you the best scenery southbound, at least in summer. See the Belgrade to Bar page for video & photos of this amazing train ride.
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Buses to Budva or Kotor
Buses link both Podgorica & Bar with other towns such as Kotor & Budva, see busticket4.me. Buses link Podgorica with Budva every half-hour from 05:45 to 21:25, distance 65 km, expect to pay 6 or so. Buses link Podgorica with Kotor every hour or so. Buses link Bar with Budva every hour or better, 39 km. Buses link Bar with Kotor every hour or two from 05:45 until 20:00.
Montenegro ► London
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Step 1, travel from Bar or Podgorica to Belgrade via the famous Bar-Belgrade railway, see the timetable here.
There's a convenient overnight sleeper all year round and a daytime train in summer, see the Belgrade to Bar page for details.
Assume that the train will arrive 1 to 4 hours late, so don't plan any tight connections. An overnight in Belgrade may be a safer bet, I recommend the classic, historic but affordable Hotel Moskva. Visiting Belgrade. Belgrade station guide.
As the Bar-Belgrade line is so scenic, a daytime journey in at least one direction is highly recommended. For the best scenery sit on the left hand side going North. See the Belgrade to Bar page for times, fares, video & photos of this amazing train ride.
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Step 2, travel from Belgrade to London as shown on the London to Serbia page. This takes 2 days, 1 night.
How to buy tickets
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Book the London-Belgrade journey as shown on the UK to Serbia page.
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Book the train from Belgrade to Montenegro as shown on the Belgrade to Bar page.
What's the journey like?
See the Belgrade to Bar page for a full account of this journey and what to see on the way.
Option 2, London to Podgorica, Bar, Budva by ferry from Italy
Montenegro Lines used to sail from Bari in Italy to Bar in Montenegro, but ceased trading in 2017. Jadrolinija (www.jadrolinija.hr) then started weekly or twice-weekly sailings before abandoning this route. In 2024, Adria Ferries started a twice-weekly ferry from Ancona to Bar, which may run again in 2025.
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Step 1, travel from London to Milan by Eurostar & TGV, stay overnight in Milan and take a morning train to Ancona as shown on the London to Italy page. Allow several hours in Ancona, check ferry check-in times and procedures carefully.
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Step 2, sail from Ancona to Bar in Montenegro overnight with a cosy cabin.
In summer 2024, the ship sailed twice a week from early July to early September, the day of the week and time varied.
Check ferry sailing dates & book online at www.adriaferries.com/en/lines/ancona-bar.html.
If you find no sailings to Bar, look for a sailing from Bari to Dubrovnik in Croatia, just 3h45 by bus along the coast.
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Trains link Bar with Podgorica and indeed with Belgrade on the spectacular Bar-Belgrade Railway. Buses link Bar bus station with Budva & Kotor.
European Rail Timetable & maps
The
European Rail Timetable
(formerly the Thomas Cook European Timetable)
has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus
currency & climate information. It is essential
for regular European train travellers and an inspiration for armchair
travellers. Published since 1873, it had just celebrated 140 years of
publication when Thomas Cook decided to pull the plug on their entire publishing
department, but the dedicated ex-Thomas Cook team set up a private venture and
resumed publication of the famous European Rail Timetable in March 2014.
You can buy it online at
www.amazon.co.uk (UK addresses) or
www.europeanrailtimetable.eu (shipping worldwide).
More information
on what the European Rail Timetable contains.
Rail Map Europe is the map I recommend, covering all of Europe from Portugal in the west to Moscow & Istanbul in the east, Finland in the north to Sicily & Athens in the south. Scenic routes & high-speed lines are highlighted. See an extract from the map. Buy online at www.europeanrailtimetable.eu (shipping worldwide) or at www.amazon.co.uk (UK addresses).
Guidebooks
To
get the most from your visit, you should take a good guidebook.
For the independent traveller, I think this means one of two
guidebooks, either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide. Both
series are excellent. You can buy a guide covering all the countries in Eastern Europe. Lonely
Planet Eastern Europe
.
Click to buy online at Amazon
Find hotels in Montenegro
Backpacker
hostels
www.hostelworld.com: If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels. Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in most cities at rock-bottom prices.
Travel insurance & other tips
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Always take out travel insurance
You should take out travel insurance with at least 1m or preferably 5m medical cover from a reliable insurer. It should cover trip cancellation and loss of cash & belongings up to a reasonable limit. These days, check you're covered for covid-19-related issues, and use an insurer whose cover isn't invalidated by well-meant but excessive Foreign Office travel advice against non-essential travel. An annual policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy with Staysure.co.uk myself. Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, see the advice on missed connections here. Here are some suggested insurers, I get a little commission if you buy through these links, feedback always welcome.
www.staysure.co.uk
offers enhanced Covid-19 protection and gets 4.7 out of 5 on
Trustpilot.
www.columbusdirect.com is also a well-know brand.
If you live in the USA try
Travel Guard USA.
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Get an eSIM with mobile data package
Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a European mobile data package and stay connected. Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility list. There's no need to buy a physical SIM card! Maya.net is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and a range of packages including unlimited data.
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Get a Curve card for foreign travel
Most banks give you a poor exchange rate then add a foreign transaction fee on top. A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, 500 per month as I write this. The money you spend on your Curve card goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards. And you can get a Curve card for free.
How it works: 1. Download the Curve app for iPhone or Android. 2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to the UK and most European addresses. 3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app, you can link up to two cards with the free version of Curve, I link my normal debit card and my normal credit card. 4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, exactly like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance in your own currency onto whichever debit or credit card is currently selected in the Curve app. You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.
I have a Curve Blue card myself, it means I can buy a coffee on a foreign station on a card without being stung by fees and lousy exchange rates, just by tapping the Curve card on their card reader. The money goes through Curve to my normal debit card and is taken directly from my account (in fact I have the Curve card set up as payment card on Apple Pay on my iPhone, so can double-click my phone, let it do Face ID then tap the reader with the phone - even easier than getting a card out). I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I recommend it here because I think it's great. See details, download the app and get a Curve card, they'll give you 5 cashback through that link.
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Get a VPN for safe browsing. Why you need a VPN
When travelling you may use free public WiFi which is often insecure. A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always secure, even on unsecured WiFi. It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply. See VPNs & why you need one explained. ExpressVPN is a best buy with a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using this link you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription. I also get some commission to help support this site.
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Carry an Anker powerbank
Tickets, reservations, hotel bookings and Interrail or Eurail passes are often now held on your mobile phone. You daren't let it run out of power, and you can't always rely on the phone's internal battery or on being near a power outlet. I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over. Buy from Amazon.co.uk or buy from Amazon.com.
Touring cities? Use hill walking shoes!
One of the best things I've done is swap my normal shoes for hill-walking shoes, in my case from Scarpa. They're intended for hiking across the Pennines not wandering around Florence, but the support and cushioning for hiking works equally well when you're on your feet all day exploring foreign cities. My feet used to give out first and limit my day, now the rest of me gives up before they do!