Montenegro: The Best Winter Destination for Digital Nomads

I am so bad at geography that Monaco, Montenegro, Montecristo, for me, are all very similar. It’s through traveling that I’ve become good at geography, and if Covid drags on, I’ll be able to locate all European countries on a map with my eyes closed. Hahaha. Jokes aside, we went to Montenegro after checking the entry and exit restrictions in December 2020, and I think it was our best decision in 2020.

Montenegro is THE ideal destination to spend winter in Europe! With or without Covid.

Before, we were too afraid to spend winter in Europe. But since we discovered Montenegro, we’re relieved to know that such a country exists, where winter can be pleasant, even for cold-sensitive people like us. We love this country too much. It’s a pity that more people don’t know about it. Here are some arguments to convince you to come spend your winter here.

Why you should come to Montenegro?

EU citizens can stay here for up to 90 days without a visa
The country is small, but the landscapes are extremely varied. You can go from the beach to snowy mountains (and go skiing) in 2.5 hours
The landscapes are incredible, everything is beautiful!
The infrastructure is excellent for such a small country; we were pleasantly surprised
It’s not cold: 15°C to 20°C near the Adriatic Sea, down to -5°C in the mountains
The people are really nice, really kind. Contrary to what we thought, in touristy places, they speak at least some English
Even though it’s not the European Union, they use the euro
It’s not expensive :
- The apartments are ultra comfortable, furnished, almost new, heated, and not expensive (from €20/night) – with breathtaking views
- The cuisine is Mediterranean with tons of Italian dishes. We get by for €5 to €7 per meal per person at local restaurants.
- Even though public transport is a bit lacking in winter, car rental is so cheap (between €5 and €15/day) that the question no longer arises
- You can ski for very cheap
The The internet connection is excellent. 4G is ultra fast and very cheap (500GB for €10, unheard of!). Fiber optics are available almost everywhere.
They love saunas and hammams. It’s not rare to be in an apartment-hotel with a pool and sauna available.

Where to spend winter in Montenegro?

It’s very simple! Do a search on Airbnb and you’ll see accommodation hubs suited for digital nomads. We’ve spotted the following places:

Podgorica, the capital. It’s where you’ll find the cheapest accommodations in the country. There are many local restaurants, very cheap. The downside is the pollution, constant traffic jams, and the view that isn’t great.
Around Kotor : it’s very easy to find an apartment a bit elevated with a view of the Bay of Kotor. Waking up to such a view is enough to have a good day. The downside is the restaurants closing in the off-season. The few open ones are either bad or very expensive.
Budva : the sunset in Budva is incredible. There are many accommodation options in Budva. The restaurants are varied and numerous. The downside is the somewhat concrete-heavy architecture of the new town. But the old town of Budva is a miniature version of Dubrovnik and will make you forget the concrete buildings next door.
Durmitor or Kolasin : if you like skiing between phone meetings, it’s the place to be. There are plenty of chalets with private saunas, ready to welcome you. Winter is obviously the high season in these areas, but prices don’t skyrocket because there’s little international tourism (except Albanians and a few Russians). You’ll have a huge choice of great restaurants, half-board hotels, or private chalets. It’s a great deal for ski lovers or those who want to learn to ski without paying a fortune.
- We didn’t find many nice accommodations in Bar or Ulcinj. There’s a lot of construction in these towns; maybe the supply will be more abundant in a few years.

A few words of caution

The infrastructure is excellent, but Montenegro’s roads are a bit narrow (two lanes only). In summer, there are tons of tourists for such small roads, so I’d recommend coming in the low season, i.e. winter (December – March) and during the shoulder seasons (September, October, April, May)

Some roads are very dangerous, so do your research before taking a shortcut. The most dangerous roads are listed here. If you have any doubt, turn back and take another route instead of pushing through.

Work Public transport is quite scarce in this country. Bus stations are not very well located. Trains exist but the network is tiny and slower than buses. Take your time getting around, rent a car, or at worst, pay for a taxi. The country is small, and all taxi drivers will be happy to take you to your destination. They’re always ready to go with you to Croatia, Serbia, or Albania.

To check bus schedules & routes, visit the website busticket4.me The schedules are up to date
To check train schedules & fares, visit this website
Local buses between Herceg Novi, Kotor, Tivat: Blue Line
For car rental, check out Goldcar (from €5/day) or Hertz (from €10/day). We were delighted with the service from the Hertz agency in Tivat, who took great care of us via WhatsApp. We rented the car in Tivat and returned it at Podgorica Airport (for a €30 penalty).

Always choose accommodation with a washing machine. Laundromats are nonexistent (there’s only one in Podgorica!). Dry cleaners are exorbitant (€6 for a pair of pants).

We’re not in the EU, so remember to take out international travel insurance (we recommend Chapka).

Montenegro uses the euro but is not part of the EU. ATM withdrawals will cost you €2-3 per transaction. It’s better to come with €100 in cash just in case, and pay the rest with international card. You might incur fees if you pay in euros with a card without international options. Contactless payment is accepted everywhere. The most we withdrew at once was €800 for €5 in fees.

Be careful not to exceed the 90-day limit. If you love this country too much and want to stay longer, spend a week in Croatia or Albania before returning to get another 90 days. The ‘visa run’ is tolerated. You’re allowed to stay up to 180 days total per year.

Cost

Expenses	Cost	Comments
Accommodation	between €20 and €40/night for two €20 is more towards Podgorica. For the rest of the country, count at least €30 for a nice apartment	see our 1st , and 2nd airbnb in Montenegro Click here to get €35 off your 1st Airbnb booking Contact summit.co.me, my ski instructor’s agency. He has a chalet in Zabljak and can give you a good price (I don’t receive any commission)
Food	Groceries: €35/week for two on average Restaurants: cheap: €5/person/meal. mid-range: €12-€15/person/meal expensive: €25/person/meal
Rental car	€10 to €15/day with Hertz. €5/day with Gold car	We recommend a powerful automatic car like our Skoda Rapid, especially if you’re going to the mountains, for safety
Activities	€2 – €3 each time
Skiing	€10 to €15/day for lift passes €25/hour with an instructor €8 to €10/day for ski equipment rental €10/day for ski clothing rental
TOTAL		Minimum: €740/month if you’re alone and don’t rent a car Average: €1250/month/person if you’re at least two, rent a car, and eat out at lunch

Our travel journals

If this information still hasn’t convinced you, look at the photos and read our travel journals:

If you prefer to pay for excursions, you can check out the activities offered by Civitatis (link) and Viator (link, a Tripadvisor company) in Montenegro.
In the Durmitor, you can contact Danilo, my ski instructor via his website https://summit.co.me/en/. It has a spacious chalet and offers very fun activities (canyoning, rafting, biking, quad biking, snowshoeing, photos…), in summer and winter alike (I don’t get any commission).

Our top addresses in Montenegro are on this custom Google Maps. You can access it for free by clicking here

Why you should come to Montenegro?

Where to spend winter in Montenegro?

A few words of caution

Cost

Our travel journals

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