Why I’ll Never Rely on Taxis in the Balkans Again

Montenegro isn’t big, but it’s having a moment. Tucked between Croatia and Albania, this little country has been quietly drawing more and more travelers each year — many of them skipping the usual tourist trail in search of something less polished and more real.

Mountains crash into the sea here. Villages hang off cliffs. Roads twist through forests and open suddenly onto medieval towns. It’s the kind of place you can drive across in a day, but somehow never run out of things to see. And lately, it’s been turning up on more travel lists — not because of flashy resorts, but because it still feels untouched in all the best ways.

That’s what pulled us in. And it’s also what made us wish we’d rented a car from the start.

I learned the hard way that this is the fastest way to lose time, patience, and opportunities. Here's what happened.

The Day We Landed — And Waited

We arrived at Tivat Airport just after 2 p.m., coming in from Vienna. Our destination was Kotor, only 12 km away. It should’ve been a 20-minute ride.

There were three taxis at the curb. One left, the second was on a phone call, and the third didn’t seem to work at all.

We waited 30 minutes before someone offered us a ride for €30, cash only. The official fare should’ve been around €15–20.

No meter. No receipt. No explanation. Just a shrug.

We later learned that taxi apps here are unreliable and often don’t show up — especially during peak tourist hours or in smaller towns.

A Ride to Budva That Took the Whole Day

Two days later, we decided to visit Budva. Instead of paying another overcharged taxi fare, we took the local Blue Line bus from Kotor, scheduled at 11:40.

It showed up at 12:25. The bus was full, no AC, and we stood the entire 35-minute ride.

Our plan was to go straight to Jaz Beach, but that would’ve meant finding a taxi again — and no one wanted to take the short ride from Budva for under €15.

So we walked. In 34°C heat.

By the time we reached the beach, we were more exhausted than excited.

The Real Turning Point

By day four, we realized we were spending more time waiting and negotiating than actually exploring.

A guy we met at a cafe in Tivat — an expat from Poland — told us,

“You don’t really experience Montenegro without a car. The buses only take you to the obvious places.”

He was right.

We looked up rental options online and found a local car rental company Sitngo where you could book a specific car, pay in advance, and pick it up the next morning just a few blocks from our guesthouse.

The process took 10 minutes. No deposit. No surprise fees.

Just a small Renault Clio, good tires, a full tank, and the open road.

Let’s just say: from that point on, the trip started.

What We Finally Saw — And Never Would Have Without a Car

Here’s what we managed to fit into the next 5 days:

• A sunrise at Pavlova Strana, watching the river bend like a green ribbon
• Wild swimming near Arza Fortress, where no public bus goes
• A lunch stop at Njeguši, with home-smoked prosciutto and mountain tea
• A private viewpoint above Lovćen National Park, discovered purely by accident
• And an entire day in Rijeka Crnojevića, where the only other tourists had cars too

We had no itinerary. We stopped where we wanted. We took photos when the light was perfect. We never waited, bargained, or argued with a taxi driver again.

“Once you’re in a car here, you realize how much you were missing.”

— from my travel journal, somewhere near Lake Skadar

The One Thing I’d Tell Any Traveler Headed to the Balkans

If you’re visiting Montenegro, don’t make my mistake.

Yes, taxis can be convenient in cities — but they’re unpredictable, often cash-only, and completely impractical if you want to explore beyond Kotor or Budva.

Buses are cheap, but limited. You’ll never get to the most beautiful, off-grid places using public transport.

If I were planning this trip again, I’d skip the stress and rent a car from day one.

In our case, the company we used offered a fast online process, clean modern vehicles, and even accepted crypto — something I’ve never seen with a rental agency before.

It turned out to be one of the smartest decisions we made on the whole trip.

We didn’t just get a car. We got back our time — and our trip.