How to get to Montenegro: flights, Dubrovnik, rail and ferry
From the UK you reach Montenegro by air. On the winter 2026-27 timetable, Wizz Air UK flies Gatwick to Podgorica and Ryanair UK flies Stansted to Podgorica, while Tivat, 8 km from Kotor, has easyJet from Gatwick into early November and from Manchester in March 2027. The alternatives are Dubrovnik, 71 km from Kotor, the daily train from Belgrade and the ferries from Italy.
In 30 seconds
Full read: 3 min
Montenegro has two airports, Podgorica and Tivat.
This winter, Podgorica has direct flights from Gatwick and Stansted.
Dubrovnik, 71 km from Kotor, is the usual alternative.
A daily train runs from Belgrade to Bar.
I'd pick the airport by where you're sleeping, not by the fare. A cheap seat into Podgorica isn't cheap if your hotel is in Herceg Novi, and Dubrovnik means a border queue in summer that can eat half a morning.
Sergio LeponeMy advice
Before you go
What I would keep in mind
01 Getting there
Gatwick and Stansted to Podgorica all winter
The airport's winter 2026-27 table lists Wizz Air UK from Gatwick on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and Ryanair UK from Stansted four days a week, through to late March 2027.
Tivat is 8 km from Kotor and 21 km from Budva; Podgorica is 46 km from Bar and 40 km from Cetinje, according to the operator. Bay of Kotor, Tivat; Lake Skadar and the north, Podgorica.
Kotor's tourism board puts Dubrovnik airport 71 km away. You cross at Debeli brijeg or Kobila, with a full passport check because Montenegro isn't in Schengen.
ZPCG charges €23.80 in second class from Belgrade to Bar on its 04-10-2026 timetable. It takes 10 h 58 min, over the Mala Rijeka viaduct and through the whole country.
In 2024, 111,844 visitors from the UK arrived, staying about 5.1 nights each according to MONSTAT. A package with flights from an ATOL holder protects you if the company fails.
Getting to Montenegro from the UK is almost always a flight, but which airport you pick matters more than people expect. Tivat and Podgorica are a good hour and a half apart over mountain roads, and Dubrovnik, the popular shortcut, sits in another country with a Schengen border in between. Here are the four routes in, with the operators’ own figures, and which one I’d choose depending on where you’re staying.
Flying, the way nearly everyone arrives
Both international airports are run by Airports of Montenegro. Podgorica (TGD) is at Golubovci, about 12 km from the capital, and Tivat (TIV) lies beside the water in the Bay of Kotor. On the winter 2026-27 seasonal table, Podgorica has Wizz Air UK from Gatwick on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (plus Sundays from 20 December) and Ryanair UK from Stansted on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, running until late March 2027. Tivat’s winter table shows easyJet from Gatwick only until 1 November 2026 and from Manchester in March 2027. Airlines and routes are in flights to Montenegro.
Tivat’s own figures put over 80% of its passengers in the summer months, so the picture in July looks nothing like January. When I checked in October 2026 there was nothing yet for summer 2027, which is worth knowing before you plan a long way ahead.
Which airport suits you
This is the decision that shapes the trip. Airports of Montenegro puts Tivat 8 km and 12 minutes from Kotor, with Budva 21 km away and Bar 60 km. Podgorica is nearer the interior, with Cetinje 40 km away and Žabljak 133 km, while Kotor is 79 to 88 km off according to its tourist board. My rule of thumb is simple. Staying on the bay or in Budva, fly to Tivat; heading for Lake Skadar, the capital or the mountains, fly to Podgorica. The full comparison is in Montenegro’s airports.
Dubrovnik is the classic back door, especially if you fancy a few days in Croatia too. Kotor’s tourism board puts its airport 71 km from Kotor. You cross at Debeli brijeg or Kobila, and it’s a proper check, since Montenegro is outside Schengen. The Foreign Office warns of summer border jams and of the EU’s Entry/Exit System slowing your return to Croatia. Car, bus and transfer options are in Dubrovnik to Kotor.
From the airport to your bed
At Podgorica, the bus stop is right in front of the terminal, with three companies (BTC Zeta, MS Tours and Zejdin) running to the central bus station and Zejdin carrying on to Ulcinj. The airport lists two authorised taxi companies, and gov.uk points out that not every taxi company is allowed to pick up there, so use the rank or check before you book. Both airports have car hire desks in the terminal. If you land late, I’d sleep nearby and do the mountain road in daylight, especially if driving on the right is new to you.
On a wider Balkans trip the railway is a treat. ZPCG’s daily overnight train takes just under eleven hours from Belgrade to Bar and costs less than €24 in second class. It calls at Bijelo Polje and Podgorica and crosses the Mala Rijeka viaduct on the way down. It’s no use as a way in from London, but as a leg of a Serbia and Montenegro trip I rate it highly. More in Belgrade to Montenegro.
By ferry from Italy
The direct ferry to Bar has all but disappeared. Jadrolinija linked Bari and Bar once a week from 1 July to 27 August 2025, but has no 2026 timetable, and Barska plovidba only shows its 2024 Ancona-Bar calendar. The option with an official timetable is Jadrolinija’s Bari to Dubrovnik route, sailing until 21 October 2026, then a coach or car to Kotor. It makes sense if you’re driving your own car down through Italy, and Bar is an official sea border crossing.
According to gov.uk, a passport less than a decade old with three months to run after departure gets you 90 days in 180 without a visa. Time spent in Montenegro is kept apart from your Schengen tally. Your GHIC only works once you’ve got a certificate from Montenegro’s Health Insurance Fund, so buy travel insurance. You also have to be registered within a day of arrival, a job hotels handle for you. The details are in Montenegro entry requirements, and every road crossing is listed in Montenegro’s border crossings.
The runway of Tivat Airport beside the bay, seen from high on the mountain, with the Luštica peninsula beyond
The Mala Rijeka railway viaduct, its steel deck carried on very tall piers across a mountain valley
The ferry crossing the Verige strait between Kamenari and Lepetane in the Bay of Kotor, with the shore behind
Ways to reach Montenegro
Route
Official figure
Best for
Fly to Podgorica
Gatwick (Wizz Air UK) and Stansted (Ryanair UK), winter 2026-27
Lake Skadar, the centre and north
Fly to Tivat
8 km from Kotor, 21 km from Budva
Bay of Kotor and Budva
Fly to Dubrovnik
71 km from Kotor
A two-centre trip with Croatia
Train from Belgrade
10 h 58 min, €23.80 in second class
A Balkans route
Ferry from Italy
Bari-Dubrovnik (Jadrolinija, until 21-10-2026); no Bari-Bar timetable in 2026
Bringing your own car
Airports of Montenegro (winter 2026-27 seasonal tables and access page, checked 10-10-2026), Kotor Tourism Organisation, ZPCG (04-10-2026) and Barska plovidba.
Test yourself
True or false?
0/3Pick before you peek.
British visitors need a visa for a fortnight in Montenegro.
See the answer
False. gov.uk says you can visit without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
Tivat is the closest airport to Kotor.
See the answer
True. It's 8 km away according to Airports of Montenegro. Podgorica is 79 to 88 km and Dubrovnik 71 km.
Days spent in Montenegro count towards your Schengen allowance.
See the answer
False. Montenegro isn't in Schengen, and gov.uk confirms your days there don't count towards the Schengen 90.
By air. On the winter 2026-27 timetable, Podgorica has Wizz Air UK from Gatwick and Ryanair UK from Stansted, and Tivat has easyJet from Gatwick until early November 2026 and from Manchester in March 2027. Summer 2027 schedules weren't out on 10 October 2026.
Do I need a visa for Montenegro from the UK?
No, not for up to 90 days in any 180, according to gov.uk. Your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before you arrive and be valid for at least 3 months after you leave.
How do I get to Kotor?
Fly to Tivat, which the airport operator puts 8 km and about 12 minutes from Kotor. Podgorica is 79 to 88 km away depending on the road, and Dubrovnik 71 km, with a border in between.
Can you drive to Montenegro?
Yes, through Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo or Albania, and you'll keep right throughout. gov.uk warns of summer congestion at border crossings and says crossings can close at short notice.
Can you get to Montenegro by train?
Only from Serbia. ZPCG runs one train a day from Belgrade to Bar, 10 h 58 min, calling at Bijelo Polje and Podgorica. You'd need to get to Belgrade first.
Is there a ferry to Montenegro?
Not directly in 2026. Jadrolinija ran Bari to Bar weekly in summer 2025 but has no 2026 timetable, and Barska plovidba only shows its 2024 Ancona sailings. Jadrolinija's Bari to Dubrovnik route runs until 21 October 2026, and Kotor is a coach ride from there.
Tourism graduate with a master’s in Tourism Management and Planning from the University of Málaga, who has travelled across Europe. He writes every guide from official sources and his own judgement.
