Car hire

Dubrovnik Airport Car Hire

Land in Croatia, reach Kotor's walls in two hours via one of Europe's great coastal roads.

Pickup at Dubrovnik Airport
From €27/day
Pickup10:00
Drop-off10:00
Most cars without credit cardFree cancellation availableInstant confirmation
Dubrovnik aerial view

Dubrovnik Airport (DBV): The Cross-Border Option

Dubrovnik's flight network dwarfs both Montenegrin airports combined. Direct routes reach most major European cities year-round, with low-cost carriers adding dozens more in summer. The catch: Dubrovnik is in Croatia, and Kotor is in Montenegro. The reward: the two-hour drive between them follows the E65 along one of the most celebrated coastlines in the Mediterranean.

After collecting your car at DBV, the road heads south-east through the Croatian Konavle valley before reaching the border checkpoint at Debeli Brijeg. Once through, the highway descends into Herceg Novi, crosses the entrance to the Bay of Kotor, and traces the northern shoreline past Perast all the way to Kotor's walls. It is not a fast road, it is an experience in itself.

A Green Card (international motor insurance certificate) is arranged by the rental agent when you tick the destination country at booking. Tick every country you plan to enter when you book, adding one mid-trip may not be possible at the border.

Continuing past Kotor, Budva and its riviera beaches are roughly two and a half hours from the airport.

The Debeli Brijeg Queue

In July and August, expect waits of one to two hours at the Croatia-Montenegro border on the coastal E65. Weekday mornings before 08:00 and late evenings after 20:00 are the lightest periods. If your flight arrives mid-afternoon in peak season, factor the delay into your plans. An alternative: the inland crossing at Konfin near Trebinje, which is quieter but adds driving time. See our rental car border crossing guide for documentation and wait times.

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About the Airport

The terminal sits in Čilipi, roughly 25 minutes south-east of Dubrovnik's Old Town. A single runway handles everything from budget turbo-props to wide-body charters. Parking fills quickly in high season; pre-booking a space saves both time and money.

Inside: a bureau de change, bank, post office, duty-free store, several cafes, and a newsstand. Outside: taxi ranks, an Atlas bus connection to the city, and rows of rental car company desks. The airport is functional rather than luxurious, designed to process summer volumes efficiently.

Dubrovnik historic harbour

The Drive to Kotor

Allow two hours from the airport to Kotor, plus whatever the border adds. The E65 descends from the Croatian plateau to the coast at Herceg Novi, then follows the bay's northern arm eastward. At Kamenari, a short car ferry crosses the strait (saving a long loop around the inner bay via Tivat), or you can continue on the road through Perast and approach Kotor from the north.

For collection in Montenegro's first coastal town, car hire Herceg Novi has pickups from the town centre.

Whichever route you take, the final approach to Kotor is unforgettable. Mountains rise vertically from the water, the bay narrows to a channel, and the fortress walls appear clinging to the cliff face ahead. There is no grander way to arrive.

FAQ

Common Questions

Everything you need to know before you book.

Yes, and it is a popular way into the Bay of Kotor. Dubrovnik Airport sits close to the border, so you can collect there and drive south, as long as the booking includes cross-border cover and the Green Card.

The scenic coast route is about 95 km and takes roughly two hours including the border crossing. The airport itself is only around 30 minutes from the Debeli Brijeg crossing into Montenegro.

Tell the agent at booking that you are crossing into Montenegro so the cross-border permit is added and the Green Card and car papers are prepared. You carry those documents to show at the border.

One-way rentals from Croatia into Montenegro are offered by some suppliers, for example Dubrovnik Airport to Kotor. Availability is narrower than a domestic one-way and any fee is shown before you confirm.

The coastal Debeli Brijeg crossing can queue at peak summer times, especially midday. Allowing extra time, or using it earlier or later in the day, makes the drive from Dubrovnik much smoother.

Any car handles the coastal road comfortably. A smaller car is easiest once you reach the narrow bay lanes and the parking around Kotor's Old Town, so it is the simple choice for this route.

Tivat is closest to Kotor and the bay, Podgorica suits an inland or southern route, and Dubrovnik works if you are combining Croatia and Montenegro. You can pick up at one and drop at another on a one-way booking.

Both work well and the better choice depends on your plans. Renting in Dubrovnik and driving over is simplest for a single trip, though a cross-border permit and any one-way fee apply, while taking a transfer or bus into Montenegro first and collecting a local car in Kotor can keep the rental itself simpler and avoid the border paperwork on your booking. If most of your driving is around the Bay of Kotor, a car picked up in Kotor is often the easier fit, and we can arrange either option.

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