About Montenegro

I'm writing this post because when I searched for information about Montenegro, I didn't find much, just remember some posts full of complaints that made me scared to go, but I'm glad I didn't give up.

Montenegro is a beautiful country. Even though the geography is similar to Croatia, and the architecture of the old towns resemble each other, Montenegro has a more natural beauty in my opinion, especially in the Bay of Kotor, in the morning light, it looks like a fairy tale. The mountains surrounding the bay are stunning, and climbing them is absolutely worth it. The view from the top is breathtaking. Perast is a small but very charming town; I went in spring and it was full of flowers, the streets were smelling good. We also went to Budva, which I didn't enjoy as much, it has more of a party and showoff atmosphere, which isn't my thing, though it is gorgeous. We also visited Petrovac and did the hike to the abandoned hotel, which they actually seem to be renovating, from what I could see, the hike is pleasant, everything was clean, but the terrain is a bit broken up.

Since this isn't high season, everything was calm. We didn't see much trash as reported in other posts. I think that's probably an issue when there are too many visitors. Prices aren't super cheap, but if you step away from the tourist areas you can find a ćevapi with bread for €5–6, burek for €2.50–3, and pizza slices also for €2.50–3.

I didn't rent a car and did all my trips by bus. I landed at Podgorica airport, it's quite small but functional. From there I took a bus to the bus station. (If you buy your ticket through the website https://busticket4.me/en you need to print it out, there was also a machine inside the airport to purchase tickets). When you are at airport you will see the markings on the ground pointing the way, then follow these footprints on the ground that show you which direction to head to reach the bus stop, you cross the street and you'll see a glass bus shelter. Several lines stop there, so pay attention to the company operating the route and the destination (If you travel with luggage in the hold, there's a fee ranging from €1 to €2 per bag, this fee is general not only in the airport). Also, if you buy your tickets online, through Flixbus, for example, at least in Kotor, there was an additional fee of around €2.20 per person to use the bus station platform. I bought all my tickets just a few minutes before boarding (I traveled in early May, still low season). At first the system can seem confusing, but you get it. You need to check the route the bus takes, you won't always board at its first stop, sometimes it's coming from another city and you'll get off before the final destination. You also need to pay attention to the name of the company operating the route, such as "Jadran" or "Kotor Tours". The buses or vans are white, but you can find the company names either on a sticker on the side or on a small sign on the dashboard.
Overall, I had a good experience with the people there. I rented a room at a guesthouse that operates out of a family home, and everyone was friendly and gave me helpful information. Everyone speaks English and even Spanish and other languages. Some bus drivers don't speak english but despite their grumpy appearance at first, they are very helpful. Not everyone will be all smiles, but they will be attentive and genuine and that didn't bother me at all.
I think the experience depends a lot on the expectations a person brings. If you travel to a country expecting the same kind of experience you have at home, or a uniform standard of tourism no matter where you go, that's already a problem. Traveling is about encountering differences and understanding other people's perspectives. If you want a premium experience or to feel important and pampered everywhere, then you're just looking for a product and expecting the locals to be at your service. We can't forget that real cities have real people, what feels like a unique experience for you may be something that waiter or bus driver deals with day in, day out, month after month, year after year. It's good not to lose that perspective. It even saddens me to see that in the more touristy spots, you can't find local beer brands or even regional food, so they are making an effort to please those who seek the familiar in foreign lands.