In the last decade, Montenegro has gained immense popularity among domestic beach lovers. Most of those who want to relax on the Adriatic coast arrive at the airport of Tivat, but not it is the main resort of the country - the main tourist flow is sent to Budva. If you are among those tourists who can save money by refusing the services of a travel company, you should try to fly in and book the hotel yourself, but then you should figure out in advance how to get from Tivat to Budva.
Distance
Montenegro is a small country, in principle there is no any large distance, therefore Budva is located not far from Tivat - it is only about 25 kilometers away. However, you will not pass them on foot, and with suitcases - all the more, so you need to invent something more suitable.
For the traveler, it is important to correctly calculate not only the distance, but also the time that can be spent on its overcoming. The bus that makes intermediate stops on the route, from Tivat to Budva, will take a good 40 minutes, and a taxi, of course, takes 20-25 minutes with the breeze, but the first option will certainly be cheaper for the tourist.
Whatever mode of transport you choose to get, there are subtleties everywhere.
Buses
If you are left without a transfer, organized by a travel agency, the cheapest way to get from Tivat to Budva will be a passenger bus. The schedule of this transport may be subject to periodic changes. but in general, buses between the two cities run from about 5.20 in the morning until 20.40 - at least in 2018 it was exactly like that. Besides, There is usually an even earlier flight on Saturday, departing at 4.50 in the morning.
The interval of buses on this route is about half an hour, but at the weekend, due to increased demand, a couple more flights are added, due to which the interval is reduced.
The ticket is usually purchased from the driver or the conductor, the fare between these two points is approximately 2-3 euro per person.
Unlike our realities, loading luggage in the luggage compartment requires a separate payment, amounting to another 1 euro.
Tivat airport is located just one and a half kilometers from the city center, about a kilometer from the bus station, and, as you understand, it is also not quite in the center. In the city, you will have to get to it anyway, but if you want to go directly to Budva from the airport, please note that the stop is much closer. The route from Tivat to Budva runs literally 100 meters from the passenger terminal, you have to walk a few hundred meters along it, and you will see a characteristic “fungus”.
To go to Budva, you don’t even have to cross the road from the airport, but note that the bus itself does not stop, even if it sees passengers - you need to “vote”.
Experienced visitors to Montenegro note that buses are generally ready to stop without a designated stop, so if you see a transport catching up with you, try to slow down.
Please note that most buses are suitable for you, but still not all. Since Tivat is the largest international airport in Montenegro, an important highway runs from it across the country, on which Budva lies, but this does not mean that all buses go to it, and no further.Accordingly, Budva itself may not be remembered in the name of the flight, if it is not the final destination, but a passing bus could have thrown you to the place.
At the same time, the only options for the final destination that do not exactly suit you are Kotor, Herce Novi and Igalo.
It should be noted also commercial shuttles, similar to the bus, but distinguished for the better by the level of comfort provided. The advantage of such a shuttle is increased speed due to fewer stops, there is plenty of space in the cabin, and the seats are comfortable. However, there are many disadvantages to such a decision - it will take a half hour to stomp on foot to their station from the airport;
Taxi
This is another very popular option that allows you to get to your destination as soon as possible, because there will be no intermediate stops on the route. Practice shows that for large companies ordering a car will not cost much more than traveling by bus, besides This option is good if the booked hotel is off the route of public transport.
There are a lot of taxi services here, and some of them are so focused on foreign tourists that they take orders even in popular messengers, thanks to which you can pre-book a transfer from the airport without having even left home. For example, you can pay attention to the following companies:
- Terrae taxi It is considered one of the cheapest options, because even during the peak season you will be thrown into Budva for about 15 euros, and out of season the trip will cost another couple of euros less;
- Intui Travel known as the operator of the middle class of comfort - these will ask for a transfer of a good 20 euros, but they themselves have better cars and even have free Wi-Fi in their cars;
- KiwiTaxi more expensive than most competitors, there the price for a trip to Budva can cost up to 25 euros, but the fleet is also the best, and drivers arrive almost instantly, whereas on average, the waiting time for a taxi just called is 10 minutes.
By the way, many good hotels in Budva, even at the stage of booking a room, offer to include a transfer from the airport in the price. It is difficult to say how profitable it is (it all depends on the conditions of a particular hotel), but what is convenient is definitely: by the arrival of the plane, a person with a name sign is waiting for you at the airport to pick up and take guests directly to the address, and you don’t have to pay anything.
Moreover, many hotels a priori include the service in the room rate, so you can fool yourself by rejecting the opportunity.
What experienced travelers pay attention to is that Free taxis are already unprofitable. These drivers use the ignorance of arrivals, and for a trip to Budva during the peak season, you can easily give up 60 euros. Instead, you should order a taxi through the official websites (each local carrier has them) - then the price will be modest and fixed, and you can choose various options, such as cabin capacity (for a large company), air conditioning and other characteristics.
Rented cars
If you are a very independent traveler, it may be worthwhile to rent a car. Thanks to her, you can see any, even the most remote sights at any time convenient for you. As in the case of a taxi, this service can be ordered in advance using the website of a company, but the issue can also be resolved on the spot, since the corresponding service is provided even by the Tivat airport itself.
On some sites you can see quite reasonable prices for compact cars that start literally from 9 euros per day, but you should always take a closer look at the conditions.For example, some owners require an additional charge for the delivery of a car to the airport; it may also be specially paid that at the end you leave the transport not where it was taken. In short, it is better to focus on the price range of 25-30 euros - it also allows you to consider the most comfortable and convenient car models.
Even taking into account the payment for fuel, this option can be quite good for a family or a company of young people who want to see everything - you will save about the same money by paying for excursions.
Documents are drawn up relatively simply and quickly - local people understand that it is important for a tourist to solve all the issues of moving urgently, and not to lose half of his vacation in bureaucratic delays. Representatives of car rental companies usually have already prepared a package of documents so that neither of the parties has any additional questions and the paper can be signed almost immediately.
The important point is that even for a simple rented car you pay, because if you take it, you should use it intensively.. For this reason, it makes no sense to take a car in order to just drive from Tivat to Budva and back during the week of vacation. There is an excellent bus service between these two cities, and Tivat itself is located in a corner, so it often makes sense to rent a car in Budva itself, which can also be reached by public transport.
Budva itself is much closer to the center of the country, which is why it’s wiser to start sightseeing tours in different parts of Montenegro.
On the road from Tivat to Budva, see the following video.