The Kamenari-Lepetane ferry across the Bay of Kotor

Halfway along the Bay of Kotor sits the Verige strait, and that’s where the ferry from Kamenari to Lepetane crosses. For plenty of visitors it’s the difference between reaching Tivat in no time and driving all the way round the inner bay. Here’s what the operator publishes, which for once includes an official fare table and timetable, and when I’d use it.

Who runs it

The line belongs to Montenegro’s Public Enterprise for Coastal Zone Management, which has run it since a government decision of 15 February 2023 allowed it to carry passengers. Its website describes a fleet of eight ferries with room for 300 vehicles, linking Herceg Novi, on the Kamenari side, with Tivat, on the Lepetane side. It also makes a point of serving people who live around the bay, with cheaper fares for residents of both municipalities.

What it costs

The information here is good. The official PDF tariff from September 2026 sets €5 for a car or pick-up, €2.50 for a motorbike, €7.50 for a passenger van, €10.50 for a car with a trailer or a vehicle with 8+1 to 22+1 seats, and €17.50 for a coach. Bicycles, ambulances, fire engines, the police and the army travel free. Residents of Herceg Novi and Tivat pay €3 per car and €1.50 per motorbike, and there’s a €100 monthly pass covering up to 50 crossings.

Foot passengers aren’t in the PDF, but the operator’s information and prices pages say they cross free, as do disabled passengers and cyclists. So if you’re on foot, don’t expect to pay anything. Tickets are sold online at trajekt.me for a chosen date and time.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Herceg Novi for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.

How often it sails

There are two timetables. The 2026 summer one, from 4 May to 11 October, had sailings every 15 to 20 minutes around the clock. Winter sailings began on 12 October 2026 and continue until 2 May 2027, with a ferry every 20 minutes from 6am to midnight. Through the night it leaves Kamenari on the hour and Lepetane at half past. At that frequency I wouldn’t bother planning around it, except late at night.

When it’s worth it

For me the ferry makes sense when you’re coming from Croatia or Herceg Novi and heading for Tivat, Budva or Tivat airport. Without it you’d be driving round the whole inner bay. If you’re coming in from Dubrovnik, I cover it alongside the rest of the journey in Dubrovnik to Kotor. If Kotor or Perast is where you’re going, though, the shore road runs straight through them and is one of the finest stretches of the Bay of Kotor. I wouldn’t swap that for the boat.

So you do not lose the morning at the ticket office, browse tickets and tours in Herceg Novi on GetYourGuide.

Tips for the crossing

Keep in mind that traffic drives on the right and that gov.uk warns of summer congestion on coastal roads, which is exactly the traffic that backs up at the ferry. My choice would be the first hours of the day or the end of the afternoon. If it’s your first time behind the wheel in Montenegro, the rules and fines are in driving in Montenegro, and how the ferry fits with buses, trains and taxis is in getting around Montenegro. If you’re looking for somewhere to stay on the Kamenari side, start with Herceg Novi, the municipality it belongs to.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Herceg Novi for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.