Car hire

Tivat Airport Car Hire

Land between mountains and bay. Keys in hand before your luggage cools.

Pickup at Tivat Airport
From €50/day
Pickup10:00
Drop-off10:00
Unlimited mileageCash, card or cryptoFree third-party cover
Tivat Airport runway

Tivat Airport (TIV): Eight Kilometres to the Fortress Walls

Pilots know Tivat for its approach: aircraft descend between Mount Lovćen and the Vrmac ridge, bank over the bay, and touch down on a runway that practically ends at the waterline. For passengers, the spectacle is the first hint that ordinary geography does not apply here. The terminal (IATA code TIV) sits 4 km from Tivat town centre and 8 km from Kotor's Sea Gate, one of the shortest airport-to-historic-centre distances in southern Europe.

Year-round flights connect to Belgrade, with seasonal charters multiplying the schedule between May and October. Budget carriers have expanded routes in recent years, adding cities like London, Vienna, and Moscow to the summer timetable. A modernised international departures terminal handles the summer surge, though the airport retains the compact feel of a regional hub.

Town-centre pickups are also available; see car hire Tivat for collection at the marina or your hotel.

Drive Times from the Terminal

  • Kotor Old Town: 8 km, roughly 15 minutes along the bay road
  • Perast waterfront: about 25 minutes, continuing north past Kotor
  • Budva riviera: around 20 minutes south through the mountain tunnel
  • Herceg Novi: approximately 40 minutes via the bay's northern shore

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Inside the Terminal

Expect a cafe, a small duty-free section, souvenir stands, and an ATM. Bus connections exist to Herceg Novi and Budva, but they are infrequent and slow. Taxis queue outside arrivals. Far simpler: have a rental car waiting in the car park, keys handed to you at the gate.

Most visitors drive straight to Kotor's Old Town, fifteen minutes along the bay road.

Why Collect Your Car Here?

Tivat is the only airport where Kotor is a fifteen-minute drive. From the moment you leave the terminal, four distinct trips branch outward. North along the bay road to Perast and its man-made island. South through the tunnel to Budva's beaches. Upward on the serpentine to Lovćen National Park's 25 hairpin bends. Or straight ahead, through the outer suburbs of Dobrota, to the car parks beneath Kotor's fortress walls. No shuttle transfers, no waiting for a bus that may or may not appear. Budva's beaches and Old Town are 30 minutes south via the tunnel.

Our driver waits in the arrivals hall, your name on a board. The car is parked directly outside. From wheels down on the runway to wheels rolling toward Kotor: about fifteen minutes.

FAQ

Common Questions

Everything you need to know before you book.

Yes. Tivat Airport (TIV) is the main rental hub for the Bay of Kotor, and you can book a car for collection right at the airport. Your agent meets you in the arrivals hall and the car is waiting in the parking directly outside the terminal, so there is no shuttle to a separate depot.

After you clear passport control and collect your bags, walk into the arrivals hall and look for your agent holding a sign with your name. They hand over the car in the parking area a few steps outside the terminal and run through the paperwork there. Having your booking reference, licence and passport ready speeds it up.

Yes, out-of-hours drop-off at Tivat Airport can be arranged. Because the airport handles early and late flights, agree the return time when you book so an agent is there to meet you and check the car. A small out-of-hours fee can apply for collections or returns outside normal times.

Tivat Airport sits between the two. Kotor is about 15 to 20 minutes north along the bay road, and Budva is roughly 20 to 25 minutes south over the Tivat hill. Herceg Novi is around 45 minutes west using the Lepetane ferry, and Podgorica is about 90 minutes inland.

In summer, yes. Tivat is a small airport with a busy July and August, and the cheaper cars and all the automatics go first, so booking a few weeks ahead gives the best choice and rate. Outside peak season you have more flexibility closer to your arrival date.

Yes. A common one-way is collecting at Tivat Airport and returning in Kotor, Budva or at Podgorica Airport. Choose the airport as your pickup and a different drop-off in the booking form; any one-way fee depends on the two points and is shown before you confirm.

Your meet-and-greet still goes ahead. The agent tracks your flight number, so if you land late or ahead of schedule they adjust and wait for you in the arrivals hall. Just add your flight details to the booking so any change is picked up, and there is normally no extra charge for a short delay.

Yes. Child and booster seats, GPS and an additional driver can all be added when you book, and they are fitted or handed over with the car at the airport. Request child seats in advance so the right size is ready for your arrival, and the extras are confirmed with your booking before you travel.

Ready to Explore the Bay of Kotor?

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