In our Montenegro Driving Essentials report, we cover all the basics for driving your motorhome or campervan in Montenegro, along with tips which we have gained from our personal experience on our Montenegro Road Trip travels.
This handy Montenegro travel guide will give you all the practical and essential information that you need to know before you go!
Go to our ‘Montenegro Travel Hub’ to understand everything about Montenegro, from wild camping rules, what you need to have in place to take your pet and even what mobile sim card to use.
Driving In Montenegro - Jump To...
Montenegro Driving Rules - The Basics
Here is our whistlestop tour of the basic road rules followed in Montenegro:
- Drive on the right and overtake on the left.
- Give way to the right.
- Compulsory seatbelts – front and back seats.Â
- Headlights always dipped for driving 24/7 all year round.
- Children under 12 must not be in the front seats.
- Keep documents on you whilst driving (licence, registration, insurance).Â
Montenegrins may have unique driving habits, including aggressive driving and not always adhering strictly to traffic rules. Always stay alert and practice defensive driving.
Montenegro Road Speed Limits in a Motorhome
Check your Speeds!
The driving speed for your motorhome under 3.5 tonnes are:
- Urban – 50km/h (30mph)
- Minor roads – 80km/h (50mph)
- Major roads – 90km/h (56mph)
- Motorways – (not applicable – none exist!)
The driving speed for your motorhome over 3.5 tonnes are:
- Urban – 50km/h (30mph)
- Minor and Major roads – 80km/h (50mph)
- Motorways – (not applicable – none exist!)
Essential Driving Requirements for Montenegro
The following items are those which are either legally required (M) or advised (A):
- Current passport (M)
- Valid Drivers Licence (M)
- Proof of Insurance (M)
- Registration documents for the motorhome or camper (M)
- A warning triangle in case of breakdown or accident (M)
- Headlight beam converters (already fitted to the motorhome) (M)
- First Aid Kit (A)
- Spare wheel for your vehicle (A)
- Reflective vest (A)
- Spare bulbs and fuse box (A)
What Is It Like Driving In Montenegro?
Driving overall in Montenegro is fine, especially for the more experienced drivers. The roads though are windy as soon as you get out of the coast. The tarmac can be pot-holed and broken up and it could be narrow roads. Be mindful to pull over safely to let the locals pass when on the single track or narrow roads – it stops them just overtaking you anyway and you will be thanked!Â
If you drive in the early mornings or late afternoons, you will ensure you miss any of the big tour busses and avoid that kind of stress on smaller roads. Driving roads like the Sedlo Pass and The Serpentine Road, are definitely easier if you do an early start. In high seasons both of these roads get snarled up with traffic. There is only one single coastal road, and in the summer, it is thick with traffic. It is the route into the mountains if you are coming from the beach, so everything has to go through it.
Give yourself plenty of time for the journeys. They say that the journey is part of the destination and this is so true in Montenegro. Don’t be tempted to rush, enjoy the spectacular scenery and stop frequently for a coffee or tea to enjoy the vistas. Â
Drink Driving Laws whilst driving in Montenegro
Drink drive limits are lower than the UK – including Scotland. 30mg per 100ml of blood. Random tests are carried out if the driver is expected to be over the limit. For certain categories of drivers, such as those who have held a driver’s license for less than two years, professional drivers, and drivers of heavy vehicles, there is a zero-tolerance policy, meaning the blood alcohol limit is 0.00%.
Based on this information, we would recommend that whilst you are driving in Montenegro, it is best to steer clear of all alcohol.
Driving in Montenegro in the Winter
It is mandatory to have winter tires on all wheels from November 15th to April 1st. The minimum tread depth for winter tires must be 4 mm. This regulation applies to all vehicles, regardless of whether they are registered in Montenegro or abroad. In addition to the winter tyres, when driving in Montenegro, carrying snow chains is compulsory during winter months. You should be familiar with how to install the chains on your vehicle’s tires.  These must be used on snow-covered roads or when indicated by road signs or conditions, especially in mountainous areas.
Pay attention to weather forecasts and road conditions. In severe weather, non-essential travel may be best avoided. Information on road conditions can be obtained through local news, online resources, or transport authorities. Montenegro can have very changeable weather, especially in the more rural areas in the National Parks.
Speeding and Police Checks in Montenegro
Police Checks: Police patrols are common on both highways and local roads. The police in Montenegro have the authority to stop vehicles for document checks (driving license, vehicle registration, and proof of insurance) or if they suspect a traffic violation. It’s also common for police to conduct checks to ensure drivers are not under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Speed Cameras: Speed enforcement is carried out through various means. Fixed speed cameras are installed on certain sections of the road, especially on stretches where accidents are frequent or in urban areas. Additionally, mobile speed traps operated by police are also common. These can be more unpredictable as they can be set up anywhere, including on highways, main roads, and rural areas.
Wild Camping in Montenegro
The big question on wild camping in Montenegro is can you or can’t you wild camp legally. Honestly, I am unable to give you a straight answer to this one because the information is so varied. There is no reference to wild camping regulations on either the Montenegro Tourist Board website or the Montenegro Government website.Â
The general information would indicate that wild camping in Montenegro is not permitted – but it is tolerated. I am unable to find out any information from any source about what the potential fines might be. The indication is that it may not be tolerated along the beach front, especially in the height of the tourist season.Â
I can share our own experiences with wild camping in Montenegro though! We travelled in Montenegro for about 9 weeks and stayed on 3 campsites during that period of time for a day or two here and there. The rest of the time we wild camped and we didn’t have any problems at all. We travelled the length and breadth of the country, in all the national parks and were fine.Â
With this in mind, as always with wild camping, take care of your surroundings. Don’t set up camp, getting everything out for a weeks holiday! Make sure you clean up if it is necessary to actually stay there, and always leave the place cleaner than you found it. Above all as they say leave only foot prints.
Driving Phrases for Your Montenegro Trip
Google Translate has to be the ‘Go To’ app for dealing with any language barriers in Montenegro, although it is fair to say that English is very widely spoken. But Google Translate is such a good app to have on your mobile, especially with the camera option to translate things like menu’s for you. However, sometimes it is easy to have some useful phrases to hand, so these are our useful Montenegro driving phrases:
- My motorhome has broken down: Moj kamper se pokvario
- Where is the nearest petrol station please?: Gdje je najbliža benzinska stanica, molim vas?
- Can you help me please? Možete li mi pomoći, molim vas?
- I am lost: Izgubio sam se (Male) or Izgubila sam se (female)
We hope you enjoyed this article and found it useful. If you found it useful, please do share with others using the share buttons below. If you think we have missed something – please do let us know. We read all our emails!Â
