Day 11: From Croatia to Montenegro

Eleventh day turned out with us very long and saturated. If you read previous reports on our trip to Europe by car, you know that yesterday we decided not to stay for overnight in Plitvice Lakes, and go further into the Zadar, and then to Dubrovnik. As a result, we arrived at the paid track with free regional roads and already 3:30 in the morning were in Dubrovnik, leaving more than 400 km of the journey behind and stopping for a few minutes in Bosnia and Herzegovina for several minutes.

We drove: 520km

Passed: 10km

A small part of Croatia, where Dubrovnik is just located separately from the main territory, and in order to get there, you will have to drive around 12-15km through the territory of Bosnia. Our path lay through the coastal town of Neum. If we were driving it in the afternoon, I would definitely stay on the watch and walked along its streets, but there is nothing deeply at night. As for the border, we spent no more than 5 minutes on both borders, it didn’t even have to go out – just showed passports and went further. So at 3:30 am, we found themselves in Dubrovnik and we had the task of finding a hotel or camping, where you could spend the night. Budget hotels in Very little, and those that have loose places, close the reception at night. We traveled 3-4 hotels and realized that we had no chances and went to the campsite, which was noticed yet at the entrance to the city.

Set at night a tent is not the most pleasant lesson, but what to do. But in the campsite we were waiting for a surprise: the reception is closed, and an independent attempt to find free places in the dark was not crowned with success. Fortunately, on the contrary, it was another camping, in it all the places were free, only a lonely tent and a couple of bicycles visited in the far end of the site. When examining the territory of a strange camping, it turned out that in the toilet and on the territory there is light and water, t.E. he is not abandoned at all, but for some reason uninhabited. We decided that until morning I would sleep in the car, and there we will decide what to do next. A strange camping was not so uninhabited: "Cashier" appeared in the morning and took € 10 from us for the night. And we, oddly enough, slept and decided to go on research "Old Town" Dubrovnik, To see with your own eyes on the beauty that is under the protection of UNESCO.

Parking at the "Old Town" in Dubrovnik

In general, the city is very cute and pleasant, but how many tourists are here: their thousands! You walk down the street, and you are constantly tuned by the shoulders of the crowd of sightseeing groups, go to any temple or museum – it is impossible, everywhere gigantic queues and people, people, people. Add to this still terrible heat and high prices for water, ice cream and food, and it becomes incomprehensible, why did we come here at all?

The narrow streets of the old town are clogged to refusal

Crowds of tourists on the streets of the city

Meanwhile, in Dubrovnik there is a common life

It is possible that before that we traveled mainly by little places: in Krakow There are tourists, but they are not very much, in Brno They were almost at all, in Vienna We also did not notice them, on Plitvian lakes We were very lucky, so when we saw so many people in Dubrovnik, it was decided to quickly get away from here, and maybe return somehow in winter when there is no such crowd. But Dubrovnik decided not to let us go just so and finally please please our beautiful species, lumbering us on the funicular and Mount Srjj. Yes yes, in this word there are no vowels! &# 128578;

Cabin Funicular Soon raise us to Mount Srj

I must say that it was the best thing we did in Dubrovnik – for the sake of species that open from the observation deck unequivocally it was worth the heat and sweaty biomass from tourists. &# 128578; Something they look like Slovenian Piran, But with Croatian color.

View of Dubrovnik from Mountain Srjj

Dubrovnik from height

Dubrovnik from the observation deck

On this beautiful note, we decided to finish our first acquaintance with Croatia. We spent here for more than 3 days, but after the second europe (Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, Slovenia) to perceive Croatia very hard. The level of service is lower than in the European Union, and the prices are the same, and in some places even above. Nature, of course, is stunning, some Plitvice Lakes are worth, but in general, for this country you need a separate journey and research, because in our hearts we left her another chance (I really want to buy in the lakes of the Krka National Park, so we are in Croatia just still back, at least once).

From Croatia our way was lying in Montenegro. I must say that in Moscow we decided that it would become for us the transit country, on the way we maybe, and look at some landmark, but in general, we did not plan for a long time. Actually, our plan almost came true and from Dubrovnik, we straight went to the city of the bar, where they planned to swell before moving to Albania. From Dubrovnik to a bar, just about 130km, and the Budva is at all less than a hundred, so there are quite a few tourists, resting in Croatia, goes to the neighboring Montenegro and vice versa. This is especially visible on the ferry, which just for a few minutes seasoned you on the other side of the Gulf. Initially, we planned to drive around it along the shore, but considering the cost of gasoline and comparing it with the ferry price, decided not to waste time on the road.

Ferry through the kole

The queue is moving quickly, mostly Croatian, Albanian and Russian cars. Touching with the people managed to find out that these are the tourists who bought small houses in Montenegro and every year for three months with things, cars, children, wives, grandparents and other important things are moved to the Adriatic coast. Moreover, relatives, as a rule, fly by plane, and at the airport they are welcomed by the happy father of the family, who was driving on the car on the ground. If you come to Montenegro for three months, it is definitely profitable, and if for two weeks, then, probably cheaper to take the car in the rental. Car rental prices in Montenegro start from € 420 in 12 days per car with air conditioning and manual gear, t.E. Total € 35 per day.

On the ferry through the kole

Ferry in Montenegro

Swim on the other side of the Gulf

Already 15 minutes after landing on the ferry, we found themselves on the other side of the Gulf of Kotors, to free up almost an hour of time. And since his free time appeared, you need to spend it with benefit. We decided to watch the abandoned Austro Hungarian Holy Fortress.

Civilized sights This is, of course, very cool, but our heart has long been given exactly such places as much as in Montenegro: Abandoned, little-known (although who needs it, he knows) and with a big story. And if you add to this more and stunning views of the bay and the city of Tivat, it is generally an ideal place for tourists such as we.

Abandoned fortress Horad

Sea view and Tivat Airport

Types from the roof of Most

Great place for the observation deck

Having in love with beautiful species (today we were very lucky on them), we went to the place of overnight stay in the city of Bar, booking on the way Hotel Vila Monegr For € 25 per day for a double room with parking and breakfast. Pure, careful, the owner speaks good in Russian and very friendly – a great option for 1-2 days. Among guests are almost all Russian-speaking families who came to relax with children. We talked a little with vacationers, and everyone is very positively responding about the owners and say that no longer the first time they stop here. We are very difficult to judge, since we only spent over and went on.

Our view from the window is not the most picturesque, but only only € 25 per day

Conclusions of the eleventh day

Croatia and Montenegro left us rather indifferent to themselves. Nature, of course, picturesque in both countries, but after Italy and Austria are slightly sad, especially considering that prices are almost the same. But nevertheless, this does not mean that we will finish our acquaintance with these countries. Quite the opposite – we will definitely take a new raid to the Balkan countries to learn them better, and already do some conclusions. You can not judge the country, if you were passing about it – it’s just stupid.

But back to the practical side of the issue. If you are planning overnight stay in Dubrovnik, then the hotel needs to be booked in advance (otherwise only expensive options will remain) and traveling them better during the day – far from all South Croatia hotels have a round-the-clock reception.

Hotels in Dubrovnik

As for Montenegro, there is a housing "at every step", prices are different, from € 10 to infinity, you can even rent a separate home with a private beach. For example, the AirBNB service offers several excellent options, but personally we prefer proven and reliable booking, which began to offer apartments for rent. It is clear that it has complaints, but personally our experience in favor of the last. Here are some excellent options in Tivat and which, in the time of pandemic prices collapsed and now you can find completely unexpected options for affordable money: