Driving in Montenegro, what to know before you set off

Driving in Montenegro isn’t complicated, but coming from the UK there are a few things to get straight before day one. The rules are familiar European ones, the difference is right-hand traffic, the terrain and the local driving style. Below is the official advice from London and Madrid, and my own approach.

Documents and ID

The Foreign Office points to the RAC’s Montenegro guide on documents and road rules, and to its UK sticker advice for anyone driving their own car out. Always carry photo ID, a photocard licence or your passport, because the police can fine you if you don’t. If you’re hiring, the contract details are in car hire in Montenegro.

Fines, alcohol and speed

This is the bit to commit to memory. According to gov.uk, police can fine you from 10 km/h over the limit, and excessive speeding or dangerous overtaking means automatic confiscation of your licence. The drink-drive limit is less than half the one in England and Wales, so I simply wouldn’t drink at all. Fines range from €20 to €6,000, or even prison, and are paid at a bank or post office within eight days or before you leave the country. Unpaid fines for foreign nationals are recorded. None of my sources give the exact speed limits, so follow the signs.

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Mountain roads and the coast

The Foreign Office rates the roads as fair, but worse out in the country, particularly in winter and after storms. Spain’s foreign ministry adds that main roads are generally in good condition but many secondary ones aren’t, and that local driving can be aggressive at junctions and roundabouts, which is exactly where a British driver is most likely to hesitate. In summer the coast and border crossings clog up, and the odd protest can block roads for hours. The stretch both would have you think twice about is the two-lane Morača canyon road in poor conditions, covered in the Morača canyon. And from April to October, wildfires are common, so stub cigarettes out properly.

Tolls and electronic tags

The state company Monteput runs both tolled sections. On the Bar-Boljare motorway, the tolled stretch runs from Smokovac to Mateševo, with exits at Pelev Brijeg and Veruša, and a car pays €3.50 for the full length. The Sozina tunnel, on the road between Podgorica and the Bar coast, is €2.50. You can pay in cash, by card or with an electronic tag, which has its own lanes.

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If something goes wrong

After an accident, call the police and leave the car where it is until they’ve recorded the scene; Spain’s foreign ministry warns that otherwise you may be blamed. After a small collision you can pay €50 for a police report or, if the other driver agrees, use the European accident report form for your insurers. For breakdowns, the AMSCG takes calls on +382 19807, in English too. The emergency numbers are 112 and 122 for the police.

Pedestrians in town

One detail worth knowing behind the wheel. When the pedestrian light turns green, cars may still turn right across the crossing, so walkers have to be careful and so do you when turning. Pedestrians who cross away from a crossing within 100 metres of one can be fined. For longer journeys, see a Montenegro road trip and distances in Montenegro.

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