Car hire Montenegro: Tivat, Podgorica and the Bay of Kotor

Car hire Montenegro starts at one of two airports: Tivat, on the Bay of Kotor, or Podgorica, the airport of the capital. Airports of Montenegro, which runs both, puts Tivat 88 km and just under two hours by road from Podgorica airport, so the airport you pick decides your first day. At both, Vrooem offers cars from Green Motion, U-Save and EMR, and Green Motion and U-Save hand over the keys at a desk inside the terminal. This guide covers where you collect the car, which card the deposit needs, the paperwork for Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina or Albania, and the road rules Montenegro changed in August 2026.

Every rule below comes from the official sources listed at the end, checked on 30 September and 1 October 2026. Green Motion and U-Save write their Montenegro terms for bookings made on their own websites; for a booking through Vrooem, the conditions on your voucher have the final word.

Tivat or Podgorica: choose by where you will sleep

Land at Tivat for the Bay of Kotor, the Budva Riviera and the Luštica peninsula. The airport’s own drive times:

From Tivat airport (TIV) to	Distance	Drive time
Tivat town	4 km	about 5 minutes
Kotor	8 km	about 12 minutes
Budva	21 km	about 27 minutes
Bar	60 km	about 1 hour 19 minutes

Land at Podgorica for Lake Skadar, Cetinje and the mountains of the north. The airport stands on Aerodromski put in Golubovci, in the municipality of Zeta, and publishes these drive times:

From Podgorica airport (TGD) to	Distance	Drive time
Cetinje	40 km	about 39 minutes
Bar	46 km	about 55 minutes
Nikšić	62 km	about 1 hour
Tivat	88 km	about 1 hour 55 minutes
Žabljak	133 km	about 2 hours 13 minutes

One of the routes Podgorica airport suggests from the coast runs from Sutomore through the Sozina tunnel, 4,185 metres long, and through Lake Skadar National Park; the airport describes Skadar as the largest lake in Montenegro and on the Balkan Peninsula. Tivat airport’s suggested route from the north follows the Morača canyon to Podgorica, then crosses to Budva via Cetinje, near Lovćen National Park and the Njegoš Mausoleum at 1,749 metres.

Planning to land at one airport and fly home from the other? Green Motion’s and U-Save’s location data list each airport as a drop-off point for the other, and both sets of terms add a one-way fee. Confirm it with the branch before you book.

Car hire Montenegro at the airports: desks and companies

Company	Tivat (TIV)	Podgorica (TGD)
Green Motion	Rental desk in Terminal 1	Rental desk in the terminal
U-Save	Rental desk in Terminal 1	Rental desk in the terminal
EMR	Airport office on EMR’s list; check the pickup point on your voucher	Airport office on EMR’s list; check the pickup point on your voucher

Green Motion advises saving the branch number from your confirmation email before you travel. In the branch details both companies supplied to Vrooem (30 September and 1 October 2026), their desks at both airports are listed as open from 00:00 to 23:59 every day, bank holidays included.

Green Motion and U-Save have belonged to the same group since Green Motion acquired U-Save in September 2022, and their Montenegro terms are almost identical. Our comparison of Green Motion and U-Save explains how the two brands work together.

EMR Car Rental describes itself as an international rental company operating in Turkey, Northern Cyprus and Montenegro, with its head office in Podgorica. Its office list names both airports, plus offices in the centres and at the bus stations of Podgorica, Tivat, Budva and Kotor. For EMR, read the rental conditions that come with your offer before you pay.

Away from the airports, Green Motion’s location data lists drop-off points in Podgorica city and at its bus station, at its Tivat Downtown office and Tivat bus station, in Budva, Bečići and Rafailovići, at Petrovac bus station, and at Kotor bus station and port.

Deposit and excess under the Montenegro terms

Green Motion and U-Save sell every car in four packages: Basic, Plus, Premium and Premium Plus. In their Montenegro terms (version 2.9.3, issued August 2026), the deposit for most car groups equals the damage and theft excess, and it is pre-authorised on the main driver’s card. The amount depends on the package and on the car group printed on your voucher:

Package	Excess and deposit, highest group in the table	Example: groups A, B, C and D	Glass and tyres
Basic	4,500 euros	1,000 euros	not covered
Plus	2,250 euros	500 euros	not covered
Premium	600 euros	100 euros	not covered
Premium Plus	no excess; a deposit of up to 500 euros for some groups	no excess, no deposit	covered

The package summary in the same terms gives lower ceilings for Plus and Premium (1,250 and 500 euros); the amount for your car group on the voucher is what counts.

The terms also list damage that stays outside the excess unless stated otherwise, such as windows, mirrors, wheels, tyres, the undercarriage, the clutch, the interior and lost keys; Premium Plus is the package that adds cover for glass and tyres.

The card rules are the same for both brands:

• Accepted for the deposit: a Visa or Mastercard credit card in the main driver’s name, with the card number and expiry date visible.
• Not accepted for the deposit: American Express, Diners and prepaid cards. A debit card is accepted only with Premium Plus, for the car groups listed in the terms.
• Expiry: the card must remain valid for at least 3 months after the return date.
• Release: the block is usually lifted after 5 to 15 days, longer for some cards and countries of issue.

Bought excess insurance elsewhere? The terms call these reimbursement policies: you still leave the deposit for your package at the desk, pay for any damage and then claim the money back from your insurer. Our guide to deposit and excess on a hire car explains the difference between the two amounts, and the Green Motion guide describes each package.

Crossing into Croatia, Bosnia and Albania

Green Motion and U-Save allow trips abroad from Montenegro under the same conditions:

1. Ask in advance. Cross-border travel is on request only and must be asked for at least 24 hours before you need it.
2. Pay per country. The fee is charged for each country you enter. Both companies charge twice the fee when you did not buy it at the counter and only ask during the rental, and U-Save then adds an administration fee.
3. Stay on the list. Albania, Bosnia, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia are allowed, as are most EU countries, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey. Any country not listed is not allowed.
4. Get it in writing. Crossing without written permission in the contract carries a penalty on top of the fee.

With EMR, ask before you book whether your car may leave Montenegro.

On insurance papers: since 2 August 2021, cars registered in Montenegro need no green card at the borders of the countries in the Council of Bureaux’ Multilateral Agreement, which include Croatia, as an EU member, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to the Swiss National Bureau of Insurance and Bulgaria’s Financial Supervision Commission. Albania was not among the parties named in 2021, so ask the branch which insurance document travels with the car there.

Croatia is in the Schengen area. GOV.UK warns that the EU’s Entry/Exit System can add waiting time at Schengen borders, and that border crossings, like coastal roads, get congested in summer. On the other side, our guides to Croatia and car hire at Tirana airport take over.

Road rules in Montenegro, and what changed in August 2026

Montenegro drives on the right and pays in euros, as Green Motion’s Tivat page notes. The main rules from the Law on Road Traffic Safety:

• Speed limits: 50 km/h in built-up areas, where signs may allow up to 80 km/h; 80 km/h on other roads outside them; 100 km/h on expressways; 130 km/h on motorways. In school zones, 30 km/h in built-up areas between 06:30 and 20:30, unless signs say otherwise.
• Alcohol: above 0.3 g/kg counts as driving under the influence.
• Young and new drivers: since a 2014 amendment, drivers up to 24 and drivers with less than 12 months’ experience may not exceed 70 km/h, or 100 km/h on motorways, nor drive with any alcohol in their body.
• Lights: dipped headlights or daytime running lights must be on during the day too.
• Phones: no hand-held phone while driving; hands-free use is allowed.
• In the car: a reflective vest, which you wear whenever you stand on the carriageway, and a first-aid kit. If you stop on the road, set out the warning triangle and switch on the hazard lights.
• Children: no child under 12 in the front seat, except a child up to 3 in a rear-facing seat with the airbag off, and children up to 5 in a child seat. Green Motion and U-Save supply seats on request, but you fit them yourself.

Two changes in the amending law published in the Official Gazette (no. 111/2026), in force since 7 August 2026, matter for visitors:

• Average speed counts. Speed limits now apply both to the speed measured at one point and to the average speed over a stretch.
• Drivers under 21 may not drive between 00:00 and 05:00, nor drive a car with an engine of more than 80 kW unless supervised by a passenger who has held a car licence for at least 5 years.

GOV.UK adds that police can fine you for exceeding the limit by 10 km/h, and that a fine may have to be paid at a bank or post office within 8 days or before you leave the country. For a small accident, GOV.UK says drivers who agree can fill in a European accident report instead of calling the police. With a hire car, call them anyway: Green Motion’s terms require a police report, the other driver’s insurance details and photos, or the zero excess cover may be invalidated. U-Save provides a replacement car only when a third party caused the accident and a car is available.

The Bay of Kotor, Lovćen and the roads north

The national tourism organisation calls the Bay of Kotor the southernmost fjord in Europe, and the Old Town of Kotor is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Its panoramic road “The Sea and Heights”, signposted with the number 3, runs from Herceg Novi around the bay and over Lovćen to Bar: 283 km, or 453 km with all the side routes.

• The Lepetane to Kamenari ferry crosses the bay at its narrowest point and shortens the drive around it. Both companies permit their cars on ferries, and Green Motion’s terms add that ferries within Montenegro carry no extra rental fee.
• The old road from Kotor to Njeguši climbs the slope of Lovćen in serpentines; the tourism organisation asks drivers to take particular care there. The panoramic road peaks at 1,550 metres, below the mausoleum on Lovćen. The organisation recommends May to October and warns of snow outside that season and of rockfall after heavy rain.
• Inland and north: GOV.UK describes the roads as fair, worse in rural areas in winter and after bad weather, and says the two-lane Morača canyon road can be dangerous when conditions are poor. For roadside help and road closures, the Auto-Moto Association of Montenegro answers on +382 19807, in English too.
• Winter: from 15 November to 1 April, the road traffic law requires winter tyres with at least 4 mm of tread on all four wheels during snowfall or when there is snow or ice on the road, and the ministry can require them on some roads regardless. Both companies offer winter tyres, snow chains and a winter package as extras and ask you to check with the branch which regions need them.
• Gravel tracks: off-road driving carries a penalty with both companies, for every car category, 4x4 and AWD included.

Monteput collects tolls on the Sozina tunnel and on the Bar to Boljare motorway, where the toll points are Smokovac, Pelev Brijeg, Veruša and Mateševo. You pay at the booth in cash or by bank card, or with an electronic tag. More on tolls in our guide to tolls and vignettes.

Licence, age and documents at the desk

Green Motion and U-Save ask for the same documents:

• Licence: the original card, held for at least 2 years; digital licences are not accepted.
• Alphabet: a licence that is not in English or the Latin alphabet needs an international driving permit alongside it.
• ID: a valid passport or national ID card.

GOV.UK lists Montenegro under the 1968 international driving permit, with no photocard exemption, so UK drivers should carry one. See our guide to documents for renting abroad.

The minimum age depends on the car group on your voucher:

Car group in the terms	Minimum age at Green Motion and U-Save
Many groups, including A, B, C, E and H	18
Groups such as D, K, N, O, S, T and V	21
L groups	24

The terms set no maximum age. A daily young driver surcharge applies from 18 to 25, and a senior driver surcharge from 70 to 95. EMR’s cars in our search required a driver of 22 or 23, depending on the car. More in our guide to the young driver fee.

Late arrivals, returns and the fuel rule

• Flight delays: Green Motion and U-Save hold a reservation for 2 hours after the booked time. The flight number on your booking is for information only, so phone the branch yourself if you will be later.
• Out of hours: both sets of terms treat service outside opening hours as on request, at an extra charge, and Green Motion’s give 08:00 to 20:00 as the usual schedule at most locations. The airport desks are listed as open around the clock, but confirm a night arrival with the branch.
• Returns: the grace period is 59 minutes with Green Motion and 30 minutes with U-Save; an optional late return waiver extends it to 4 hours. Tivat airport asks passengers to arrive at least 2 hours before departure, and its check-in counters close 30 minutes before.
• Fuel: like for like in every package. Return the car with the level you received, or the missing fuel is charged per litre plus a refuelling fee; a prepaid full tank is optional. Our fuel policy guide explains the options.
• Mileage: unlimited kilometres in all four packages.
• Hotel delivery: both companies can deliver to a hotel on request, at a charge.

Booking car hire in Montenegro on Vrooem

At Tivat and Podgorica airports, Vrooem offers Green Motion, U-Save and EMR. In our search for 4 to 11 November 2026, Tivat (searched 30 September) showed 159 cars: 74 from Green Motion, 69 from U-Save and 16 from EMR. Podgorica (searched 1 October) showed 163: 74 from Green Motion, 68 from U-Save and 21 from EMR. Of those, 84 and 87 were automatics. Green Motion and U-Save also listed 7 seaters, 9 seat Renault Trafic minibuses and Dacia Duster 4x4 hybrids at both. Torn between gearboxes for the Lovćen bends? Read automatic or manual.

For Green Motion and U-Save, Vrooem shows the packages before you pay, so you choose your excess and deposit at home rather than at the desk. Each booking also includes a free travel eSIM, so you have data on landing to call the branch or plan the drive around the bay.

Sources

Checked on 30 September and 1 October 2026: Green Motion Montenegro terms, U-Save Montenegro terms, Green Motion location data for Tivat airport and Podgorica airport, U-Save location data for Tivat airport and Podgorica airport, Green Motion Tivat airport, Green Motion’s acquisition of U-Save, EMR offices, about EMR, Airports of Montenegro on reaching Tivat airport, Tivat airport procedures and Podgorica airport parking and transport, the amendments to the Law on Road Traffic Safety (Official Gazette of Montenegro 111/2026), the Law on Road Traffic Safety (Official Gazette 33/2012) and its amendments of 2014 (58/2014) and 2019 (66/2019), the Montenegro National Tourist Organisation’s Sea and Heights panoramic road, Monteput on toll payment, the Sozina tunnel and the Bar to Boljare motorway, the Swiss National Bureau of Insurance on Montenegro and the green card, Bulgaria’s Financial Supervision Commission on cars from Montenegro, GOV.UK travel advice for Montenegro, safety and security in Montenegro and international driving permits. Desk opening hours and the car mix: as supplied on Vrooem on 30 September (Tivat) and 1 October 2026 (Podgorica).