Car Rental in Podgorica
Overview
Podgorica is not the Montenegro you see on Instagram. There are no medieval walls, no bay-of-Kotor panoramas, no turquoise coves. What Podgorica has is an international airport with the best rental prices in the country, a central location within two hours of almost everywhere worth visiting, and the kind of flat, straightforward roads that make it a stress-free place to start a driving trip.
We picked up a car at Podgorica Airport on a Tuesday in May and paid 14 EUR per day for a Renault Clio with CDW included. The same car at Tivat Airport was quoted at 22 EUR. That price gap is typical — Podgorica is a business city, not a resort, and agencies price accordingly. The airport itself is small enough that you can see the entire terminal from the arrivals door. Rental desks are immediately to your left as you exit baggage claim. During off-season, we were the only people at the counter.
The agency mix is decent. Meridian Rent A Car and Sixt both have proper airport desks. Enterprise and Europcar operate through local partners with meet-and-greet service. A few budget locals offer older Renaults and Peugeots at rock-bottom rates — fine for a coast-to-coast drive, less ideal if you plan to take the mountain roads up to Durmitor. For mountain driving, we would spend the extra 3-5 EUR per day and get something with a bit more ground clearance and power. The roads to Zabljak and Durmitor involve sustained uphill stretches where a 1.0-liter city car will struggle.
Driving tips
Podgorica sits in the Zeta Plain, which means the driving in and around the city is flat and unremarkable. The main roads radiating out are two-lane national highways in reasonable condition. The E65 north toward Kolasin and eventually Serbia is the most scenic — it follows the Moraca Canyon, a gorge so deep and narrow that the road is literally carved into the cliff face for long stretches. This is a spectacular drive but not a fast one. Expect 60-70 km/h averages.
Heading to the coast, you have two options. The Sozina tunnel (3.50 EUR toll) takes you to Bar and Petrovac in about 40 minutes — fast, boring, effective. The old road over the mountains via Cetinje adds an hour but gives you views over Lake Skadar and a proper mountain pass experience. We always take the Cetinje route at least once per trip.
Speed cameras are present on the approaches to Podgorica and along the E65. The police also run mobile radar checks — they tend to park just after blind curves on national roads. The fine for exceeding the limit by 20 km/h is about 40 EUR, paid on the spot in cash or at a bank within 8 days.
One genuine hazard: driving at night on rural roads. Street lighting is non-existent outside cities, and you will encounter unlit vehicles, pedestrians, and the occasional animal. We avoid night driving on mountain roads entirely.
Parking
Parking in Podgorica is straightforward by Balkan capital standards. The city center has metered street parking at 0.50-1.00 EUR per hour. Machines take coins and cards. Outside the commercial core around Bulevar Revolucije, free spots are easy to find. The Delta City mall on the city’s south side has a large free garage.
Most hotels include parking. Podgorica is not a tourist hotspot, so hotels price rooms to include the lot. If your accommodation does not have parking, check for nearby residential streets — Podgorica is not a city where you will circle for 30 minutes looking for a space.
Border crossings
Podgorica is the crossroads of Montenegro, which makes it a natural launching point for cross-border trips. The Albanian border at Hani i Hotit is 75 km south — about 90 minutes including the border wait, which is usually short. The road passes along the western shore of Lake Skadar before reaching the crossing. On the Albanian side, expect a quality drop — the road to Shkoder is being improved but remains rough in sections.
Serbia is reachable via the E65 north through Bijelo Polje. The border at Gostun rarely has significant queues. Most agencies include Serbia in the rental agreement at no extra charge, which makes Belgrade a viable long-weekend road trip at 6-7 hours each way.
The Croatian border is more complex. From Podgorica you drive to the coast (1.5 hours), then follow the Adriatic highway north through Budva and past Kotor to the Debeli Brijeg crossing. In July and August, expect 30-60 minute waits at the border. Cross-border permission for Croatia costs 30-50 EUR and must be arranged in advance. Some agencies restrict Croatian travel to specific vehicle categories — clarify this at booking, not at the counter.
