Car hire

Car Hire in Kotor

Park beneath 4.5 km of fortress walls and explore twelve centuries of history on foot.

Pickup at Kotor
From €50/day
Pickup10:00
Drop-off10:00
Free cancellation availableInstant confirmationNo-deposit options
Kotor Old Town viewed from the fortress steps

Twelve Centuries Behind the Walls

Fortifications first rose above Kotor in the 6th century, but the town's documented history stretches further, Roman settlement, Byzantine rule, nearly four hundred years under Venice. UNESCO inscribed the entire Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor in 1979, recognising not just the walled Old Town but the surrounding bay landscape as a single cultural entity. Walk through the Sea Gate (Vrata od Mora), built in 1555, and you step into a medieval street plan that has barely shifted since.

Parking options line the approach from Tivat Airport, 8 km and roughly fifteen minutes away. The largest lot sits below the walls near the River Gate; a second, less crowded option is the Dobrota strip heading north. On days when cruise liners are in port, sometimes three or four at once between May and October, arrive before 07:30 or expect a scramble for spaces.

Neighbouring Tivat is twenty minutes away; visitors can rent a car in Tivat for collection at Porto Montenegro's marina.

Inside the Walls and Above Them

The Fortress of San Giovanni

Precisely 1,355 steps lead from the Old Town's northern edge to the fortress summit at 280 metres. Venetian engineers reinforced the 4.5 km curtain wall between the 15th and 18th centuries, stitching together earlier Byzantine stonework with their own bastions. Bring water, wear proper shoes, and budget forty-five minutes upward. The view from the top, the inner bay splitting into two channels around the Vrmac peninsula, is worth every step. Outside July and August, entry is free.

Cathedral of St Tryphon (1166)

A church has stood on this site since 809 AD, but the present Romanesque structure dates from 1166, making it one of two Roman Catholic cathedrals in Montenegro. The twin bell towers, rebuilt after the 1667 earthquake, define Kotor's skyline. Inside, a ciborium over the main altar shelters 14th-century frescoes, and the reliquary treasury holds gold and silver pieces spanning five centuries. St Tryphon, the city's patron, is celebrated each 3 February with processions through the squares.

Thirty minutes south through the tunnel, car hire Budva opens up the riviera's 21 km of sand.

Kotor fortress walls climbing the mountain above the Old Town

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Beyond the Walls: Day Drives

Fifteen minutes north along the bay road, Perast sits in silence compared to Kotor's bustle. Leave the car on the waterfront, board a skiff to Our Lady of the Rocks, the island locals have been enlarging with thrown stones since 1452, and return for coffee at a harbourside palazzo. The drive itself is one of the finest short stretches of road in the country, curving along the waterline beneath karst cliffs. Drive to Perast , 15 minutes along the bay, with boat trips to Our Lady of the Rocks.

An hour of switchbacks through Lovcen National Park deposits you in Cetinje, Montenegro's old royal capital. The monastery shelters relics said to include the hand of John the Baptist. Continue upward to the Njegos Mausoleum, perched at 1,657 metres, where four countries are visible on a clear morning.

Also in Cetinje, the 1871 Royal Court, once the palace of King Nikola I, preserves paintings, weapons, and photographs from the brief era of Montenegrin monarchy. It stands beside the monastery on a tree-lined boulevard in the former capital.

Plan longer routes with our driving in Montenegro guide, covering roads, rules and realistic drive times.

Pickup point map

Every current pickup point across Kotor, Dobrota and Tivat Airport is pinned on the map below. Click any pin to see the exact address and type of handover on offer at that location.

FAQ

Common Questions

Everything you need to know before you book.

Tivat Airport is the closest at around 15 to 20 minutes from Kotor along the bay, which makes it the easiest choice for most visitors. Podgorica Airport is about 90 minutes inland and Dubrovnik Airport in Croatia is roughly two hours away including the border. You can collect the car at any of the three, or in Kotor town itself.

For a Kotor town collection we meet you at the Tabačina car park by the Old Town Sea Gate, or deliver to your hotel or apartment if it has road access, free within Kotor, Dobrota and Muo. As the Old Town is car-free, a delivery inside the walls is made to the nearest point a car can reach. You get the exact spot and your agent phone number by email once booked.

The walled Old Town is pedestrian, so you park just outside it. The lots by the Sea Gate and along the Škurda river are closest but fill early on summer mornings; quieter, cheaper spaces sit a few minutes further out. Off season, parking around the walls is easy and often free.

Yes if you want an automatic in July or August. The automatic fleet is smaller than the manual one and books out first in peak season, so reserving a few weeks ahead is wise. Manual cars are easier to find last minute, and prices for both tend to rise the closer you book to your pickup date.

Yes, one-way rentals are available, for example collecting in Kotor and returning at Tivat or Podgorica airport, or in another Montenegrin town. Set the pickup and a different drop-off in the booking form; a one-way fee may apply depending on the two points and is shown before you confirm. Drop-offs outside Montenegro are limited.

For the coastal bay road any car in the fleet is comfortable. For the tight serpentine climbs to Lovćen or Cetinje, a small hatchback such as a Polo or Yaris is easiest to place on the hairpins and to park in the villages, so it is the popular pick for drivers planning the mountain routes.

Rates are lowest outside the summer peak, roughly November through March, and climb through spring to their highest in July and August when demand is greatest. Booking a few weeks ahead usually beats last-minute rates in any season, since prices tend to rise as your pickup date nears and the cheaper cars go first. The exact total, including any extras, is shown at checkout before you confirm.

Yes, the old road up to Lovćen climbs a series of tight hairpins with sweeping views back over the bay, and it is one of the most memorable drives in the country. Take it slowly, use the pull-ins to let faster traffic by, and allow a full day if you carry on to Cetinje or the Njegoš Mausoleum. Any car in the fleet can manage it, though a smaller one is easier to place on the narrow bends.

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