One of the most cost effective ways to travel through the Balkans is by bus. We took the bus from Tivat, Montenegro to Dubrovnik, Croatia. Here’s everything you need to know!
BOOKING TICKETS
In the Balkans, it’s fairly common to buy tickets in person at the bus station. However, we opted to book online in advance here, using GetByBus. Our bus operator was Blue Line.
The summer months are the busiest season, so make sure you book your tickets in advance if you’re on a tighter schedule.
COST
The bus cost 23 euros per person, including baggage cost. We did not have to pay any extra fees to store our bags under the bus.
WHAT TO EXPECT
The bus journey departs from Tivat Bus Station. It’s walking distance from the airport and city centre, and the station serves as the departure point for buses heading out of Tivat. There’s also a full supermarket attached to the bus station for any last minute snacks!
The ride took about 4.5 hours and there was no bathroom on board, but we made one stop at the border where we were able to use the restroom.
Our bus had basic amenities such as air conditioning and window shades, but did not offer extras like wifi or charging ports.
Our ticket said that the trip would take about 3 hours, but it ended up being closer to 5. Make sure you keep this in mind if you have any plans scheduled for the day you arrive.
BORDER CROSSING
As Montenegro is not in the EU, you’ll need to stop at the Montenegro-Croatia border for passport inspection. Make sure you’re prepared with your travel documents/visas required for the border crossing.
This particular border crossing is notoriously super slow and inefficient. It took us almost 2 hours waiting in a long line of cars before it was finally our turn to be inspected.
Once we finally got to the immigration kiosk, the passport inspection process on our bus was pretty quick. Everybody was expected to leave their bags on the bus and disembark (unless you had mobility issues). We lined up one by one to get stamped in by immigration, and waited on the other side of the immigration kiosk until the entire bus had been checked. A border patrol officer checked the bus luggage storage compartment to make sure nobody was smuggled in, and the bus was waved through the checkpoint. We got back on the bus, drove ~10 metres to the Croatian side, and repeated the process to be stamped into Croatia.
There is one port-a-potty available for use on the Montenegrin side of the border crossing, and another port-a-potty available on the Croatian side. The border crossing was the only time we stopped, so keep that in mind if you need to use the facilities!
CROATIAN COAST
After the border crossing, the remaining drive to Dubrovnik is only about 45 minutes. The bus will drop you off at the Dubrovnik Bus Terminal in Dubrovnik. From there, you can easily access local buses, or take a short Uber ride to the city centre/your accomodation.
To check out our full Dubrovnik gallery, click here!