It all depends on what each town on the coast has to offer; the decision of where to stay in Montenegro. We have already taken hundreds of travellers to the Bay of Kotor region of Montenegro, and the question of Tivat, Kotor or Budva always arises. All are within 30-40 minutes of one another, yet the ambience, cost, and experience are entirely different. Choose the wrong one, and your trip will be one filled with more regrets than one you could have known.
It depends on the type of base you need when planning Montenegro holidays, whether to visit beaches, take a cultural holiday or simply to get away. It is not one of those all-great guides. We are deconstructing the very people who are to remain in what places, depending on what truly counts: budget, quality of the beach, nightlife, access to day trips, etc. Where to stay in Montenegro is a question whose real answers will be found when you know what you are optimising.
Kotor: History Buffs and Culture Seekers
When they enquire about where to stay in Montenegro, and they refer to the medieval towns and the UNESCO sites, we refer them to Kotor. The streets, the Venetian, the cats, so many cats, of Old Town, with their maze of limestone. The town is placed at the terminus of the bay with mountains rising directly above it. The walk up there to San Giovanni, 1,350 steps (850 feet) is worth the cardio you get back.
Kotor’s strengths
- Atmosphere – Old Town also provides that European medieval atmosphere. Strolling along the small streets of the city at night through the restaurants in the old buildings of stone strikes a chord with non-slap-on beach resorts.
- Day trip central – Kotor has everything at hand. The island churches and Perast are within 15 minutes. Lovcen National Park is above the town. Dubrovnik, Croatia, is within 90 minutes to the north.
- Walkability – When you are staying in Old Town, you do not need to have a car. Everything’s compact. Within a 10-minute walking distance, there are restaurants, shops, attractions, and so on.
- Budget options – Old Town contains hostels and budget apartments. It is even cheaper to remain outside the walls, but so close that one can walk.
Kotor’s weaknesses
- No actual beach – that of Kotor at the end of a bay, not an open coast. It has a little gravelly beach but no beach to speak of. This is important to you as long as swimming is your priority.
- Crowds of cruise lines – When cruise liners (ships) arrive, Old Town is overwhelmed. Day-trippers regularly invaded June through September.
- Limited nightlife – Not many bars and clubs as in Budva. It is pretty early and quiet except on peak summer weekends.
In Low Cost Vibes, we inform the clients that Kotor is a better place when you are interested in more culture and trips than beaches and nightlife. It is the option of those individuals who would prefer to go sightseeing in old towns rather than spending the day lying on the sand.
Budva: Nightlife and Beach Life
When tourists come and enquire about where to stay in Montenegro, and they talk of beaches and parties, then Budva is the answer. This is the capital of tourism in Montenegro – the most advanced, the most thronged, the most active. The Riviera is a coastal stretch having sandy as well as pebble beaches. The smaller than Kotor Old Town also has that Venetian architecture and medieval walls thing.
Budva’s strengths
- Real beaches – Slovenska Beach, which is located directly in town, and another beach called Mogren Beach, which is a 10-minute walk away and Jaz Beach, which is an alternative when it is too busy. You have a choice between swimming and sunbathing.
- Nightlife – clubs, beach bars, live music. In case you are interested in partying during your Montenegro holidays, it happens in Budva.
- Restaurant diversity – Much more than Kotor or Tivat. Foreign food, seafood restaurants, pizza, all of that.
- Young, social environment – More old-fashioned travellers and younger. Greater ease in meeting when alone.
Budva’s weaknesses
- Overload of tourists – Summer at its best? Budva’s absolutely mobbed. Full-to-capacity beaches, full-to-capacity restaurants, and overcharged.
- More costly – Accommodation and food are more expensive than in Kotor or Tivat. Tourism development is also associated with tourism pricing.
- Less genuine – It is tourist-oriented. It is a beach resort in Montenegro and not local Montenegro.
- Noise – You can hear it well when you are close to the action. The beach clubs play loud music, and individuals partake in nighttime revelry.
Low Cost Vibes take: Budva is the place to be when one wants to have a classic beach holiday with nightlife. This is your place if you are less than 35 years old, such as meeting other travellers, and desire to have fun. You just have to know that you are losing budget and authenticity.
Tivat: The Middle Ground
Tivat is the solution for where to stay in Montenegro when you do not want to be crowded. It has a bay position, such as Kotor and better access to the beach. More civilised than Kotor, less uproarish than Budva. The luxury marina development, Montenegro came with finances and infrastructure. The town is rather low profile.
Tivat’s strengths
- Central location – Literally between Budva and Kotor. Being close to the airport, it is easy to get there. Best location to hang around the entire coast.
- Better value – It is cheaper than Budva and has more access to the beach than Kotor. It is expected that the middle-ground pricing will be effective with the low-end travellers on the Montenegro holidays.
- Less vibrant atmosphere – Fewer tourists in comparison to the other two. You enjoy a little more locality without the utter loss of convenience.
- Good beaches – Plavi Horizonti and Donja Lastva provide real beaches. Not as well-developed as the beaches of Budva, but not so full of people.
Tivat’s weaknesses
- There is nothing special – It does not have the old town as in Kotor or the nightlife of Budva. The other towns do better in case you want something particular.
- Small Old Town – It has a small historic centre, but not much like Kotor. In the case of medieval feeling, it will be a letdown.
- Montenegro confusion – The luxury marina is a gorgeous but costly one. Produces this odd division between the luxury of yacht owners and the normal, cheap tourism.
Tivat is the suggestion of Low Cost Vibes when people need flexibility. You are not devoting your life to one mood. Want culture? Drive 20 minutes to Kotor. Want a beach party? Budva’s 30 minutes away. It is the risk-free option that leaves alternatives.
Montenegro, often called the “Land of Black Mountain,” is much more than its beaches and nightlife. Curious to learn more about why Montenegro is called the “Land of Black Mountain” and what makes it such a unique destination? Check out our full guide here for all the highlights and insider tips before you plan your trip.
The Practical Comparison
When customers booking Montenegro holidays ask about where to stay in Montenegro, we walk them through these practical considerations:
Budget:
- Cheapest: Kotor (especially outside Old Town walls)
- Middle: Tivat
- Priciest: Budva (especially near beaches)
Beaches:
- Best: Budva (most options, best infrastructure)
- Decent: Tivat (fewer but less crowded)
- Minimal: Kotor (bay location means limited swimming)
Culture/History:
- Best: Kotor (UNESCO Old Town, fortress, museums), officially recognised on the UNESCO World Heritage List
- Decent: Budva (smaller Old Town, less impressive)
- Cheapest: Tivat (minimal historic sites)
Nightlife:
- Best: Budva (clubs, beach bars, party scene)
- Moderate: Tivat (some bars, quieter vibe)
- Minimal: Kotor (few options, early closing)
Day Trip Access:
- Best: Tivat (central to everything)
- Good: Kotor (north end but well-connected)
- Fine: Budva (south coast, slightly farther from bay attractions)
Our Honest Recommendation
The real answer to where to stay in Montenegro depends entirely on your priorities. We’ve laid out the facts. Now here’s what we actually tell Low Cost Vibes customers based on traveller types:
Choose Kotor if you’re more into history and culture over beaches. You don’t mind crowds during the day but want things quieter at night. The budget’s tight. You’re doing lots of day trips and want a central base with character.
Choose Budva if beach time’s your priority. You want nightlife and a social scene. Meeting other travellers matters. You don’t mind paying more for convenience and atmosphere. You’re under 35 or travelling with a group that wants to party.
Choose Tivat if you want flexibility to experience both Kotor and Budva without committing. Budget matters, but you want some beach access. You prefer a quieter atmosphere. You’re renting a car and exploring the whole coast.
Honestly? If doing Montenegro for more than a few days, consider splitting time between locations. Three nights in Kotor, three nights in Budva give you both experiences without feeling like you missed out. They’re close enough that moving isn’t a huge hassle. This approach to where to stay in Montenegro lets you experience the diversity instead of committing to one vibe.
What we see at Low Cost Vibes, people who match their accommodation to their travel style have way better trips. Booking Budva when you wanted quiet culture, or Kotor when you wanted beaches, that’s how you end up disappointed. Take the time to figure out what you actually want from your Montenegro holidays, then pick accordingly. All three towns are great. But they’re great for different reasons.
FAQs About Where to Stay in Montenegro
Yeah, they’re all within 30-40 minutes of each other by car or bus. Tivat sits between Kotor and Budva, making it the best single base if you want to day-trip everywhere. Bus service connects all three regularly for about €3-5. Having a rental car gives you the most flexibility. At Low Cost Vibes, we find people who pick one base and day-trip do fine, but splitting your stay between two towns gives you a better feel for Montenegro’s variety.
For a week in Montenegro, we suggest 3 nights in Kotor, 3 nights in Budva, and 1 night wherever you’d better. Two weeks lets you add Tivat or other coastal towns like Perast. Less than a week? Pick one base – Kotor for culture focus, Budva for beach focus, Tivat for flexibility. The question of where to stay in Montenegro matters less if you’re only there 3-4 days total, since you’ll spend time exploring regardless.
July and August? Yeah, especially in Budva. Book ahead, like 2-3 months ahead for summer. Prices spike and availability drops. Kotor and Tivat have more options, but still fill up. Shoulder season (May-June, September), you can show up and find places, but why risk it? Winter sees lots of closures; Montenegro’s very seasonal. Our Montenegro holiday customers who book early get better prices and more choice.
Buses work fine for the main coastal towns, Kotor, Tivat, Budva, and even up to Croatia. Cheap, reliable, and frequent during tourist season. A car opens up smaller villages, mountain roads, and gives you flexibility for beach hopping. Parking in Kotor Old Town is terrible, though – you’d park outside and walk anyway. At Low Cost Vibes, we usually say: staying in one of the three main towns? Buses are fine. Exploring the whole coast and mountains? Car’s worth it.
They’re all great but less practical as main bases. Perast is tiny and gorgeous, but you’d get bored after a day. Herceg Novi’s up near Croatia, farther from the action. Petrovac is quieter than Budva, with decent beaches but limited accommodation and restaurants. These work better as day trips or if you’re specifically seeking quiet. When people ask where to stay in Montenegro and want convenience plus variety, we stick with recommending the big three: Kotor, Tivat, or Budva. They’ve got the infrastructure tourists need.
