One of the best things about having a car in Montenegro is the freedom to drop into a town for a few hours. But finding a car park can be really difficult – it’s the one thing I hated about self-driving.
Technically you can park your car anywhere for free as long as you’re not blocking traffic there is no paid or no parking sign. This is great in rural areas and in the mountains where traffic is sparse (and in quiet Podgorica, too!).
But on the coast and the bay, it’s much more challenging. In summer, you can forget about finding a street park in Kotor or Budva. For day trips, I recommend focusing on smaller towns such as Sveti Stefan, Perast and Rise. But even then, finding a free park can be tricky.
In the bigger towns and cities you will probably have to pay for parking. There is a mix of car parks with boom barriers and metered street parking in Montenegro. The system is fairly easy to navigate: For lots, take a ticket from the operator. For meters, you can either use coins to pay and display the ticket on your windshield, or you can pay by SMS by sending your license plate to the phone number specified (in this case, the fee for one hour’s worth of parking will be debited from your phone balance).
Hourly fees typically range from €1-2.50 in paces such as Tivat and Budva, while prices are a little lower in Bar, Kotor and Herceg Novi (max €1 per hour).
Tow trucks certainly earn their keep, especially during summer, so always pay your way and be careful not to accidentally park illegally.
In Kotor, Budva and Herceg Novi, it’s absolutely imperative to choose accommodation with on-site parking spaces. Otherwise, you might get stuck having to feed a meter.