Dubrovnik, Croatia to Kotor, Montenegro by Bus

There is a first time for everything

Riding buses is something new for us on this journey. At first it was scary, and now has become old hat for us.

We bought our tickets a week ago online. €25 per person. We declined to reserve a seat assignment as everyone sits where they want and your seat assignment means nothing. As it turned out, a couple who had reserved seats ended up without seats at all when they boarded last. The bus driver was not helpful and told him everyone can sit where they want. His companion/mother sat in the jump seat up front and he on the floor by the driver.

We arrived at the bus station about 40 minutes early. After checking with a very grumpy woman at information, we learned what number slot our bus would eventually pull up to, and we waited. Once it arrived, we had the opportunity to put our larger bags under the bus at a fee of €2 per bag. Cash only. He wouldn’t take my backpack as I was concerned it wouldn’t fit. He insisted I keep it, so I boarded with my pack and there was not room for it under or above the seat. The storage compartment above the seat opened maybe 8”…way too small…so I ended up shoving them behind the seat by the exit.

We sat on the right side of the bus, looking forward, for the best view of the ocean and cliffs, but it was quite warm due to the morning sun barreling in. Still a small price to pay for the best views.

About an hour into our journey we rolled up to a long line of traffic at the border to Montenegro.

Once at the gate everyone exited the bus. There was no announcement or anything, just people following other people. We all lined up to have our passports stamped and then walked about 100 meters across the border to wait for the bus to pick us up, again with no instructions. We just followed the crowd like sheep. LOL

Our view waiting for the bus to pick us up at the first stop.

Then we drove for another 10 minutes before we came to another unannounced stop and the doors opened so we all got out again and did the same thing. I presumed it was customs. We got our passports stamped, again with no communication whatsoever, and we waited down the street again for the bus to pick us up.

Back on the bus, we rode through some seriously beautiful country on crazy high roads with 1000’ cliffs but somehow I felt safe in the bus even though Johnna had noticed the tires were worn badly. That’s the mechanic in her.

We always seem to make friends traveling and this day was no different. We met Ahmed from Libya, traveling to Budva on our bus.

We made quick friends and when he learned we would be in Kotor for 4 days and he would be back to Kotor in 2 days, he suggested we meet for dinner… 2 days later we were sharing a great meal inside the walls of old town with our new friend Ahmed.

We arrived in Kotor approximately 4 hours after we boarded our bus in Dubrovnik. With the multiple stops it didn’t seem long at all. There were no restroom breaks and the restroom on the bus was locked so I was glad we both made it ok.

The bus station in Kotor was literally maybe 6 to 8 minutes walk to the Old City Kotor with a good sidewalk so walking to the guesthouse inside Old Town was no problem.

We stayed at the Anika Guesthouse on Stari grad street, shown below,and it was amazing. We were on the top floor, the old attic, looking over old town and the bay of Kotor.