Where to Stay in Montenegro

The coast is small enough that you can see most of it from any base. What changes is your evenings and your mornings. Decide whether you'd rather wake up to the calm water of the bay or walk to a beach, and the choice gets easy.

Kotor Old Town puts you inside the walls, close to the fortress path, and lets you see the lanes before and after the cruise crowds. Rooms are in old stone buildings, often up stairs, and sound carries at night. Not ideal with a car.

Dobrota and Prčanj are villages strung along the bay just outside Kotor. Quieter, with swimming from concrete platforms and jetties rather than beaches, and an easy walk or bus into town. Our pick on the bay side.

Perast is the romantic choice. Very quiet once the boats leave, few rooms, and you'll depend on buses, boats or a car for everything else. Read our Perast guide before you commit.

Budva has the most beaches, restaurants and bus connections, and the most noise. The old town is lovely in the evening; the newer town around it is a sprawl of apartment blocks. Fine for nightlife, less so if you want peace.

Bečići and Rafailovići, just east of Budva, are a long sandy beach lined with hotels. Practical for families, short on character.

Pržno and Sveti Stefan suit a quieter stay, and in August 2024 we stayed on the coast near Sveti Stefan. You get the best beaches on this stretch, the coastal path through the pines, and terraces looking at the sea at sunset. Budva is close for supplies or an evening out, and Kotor and Lake Skadar are both manageable day trips by car. Prices are higher than Budva, and you'll need a car or buses for anything beyond the beach. See our Sveti Stefan guide for what's around you.

Petrovac, further south, is a small, relaxed beach town that suits families and anyone who wants Budva's sea without Budva.

In July and August, check for air conditioning and parking before you book.