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Car rental in Bar is the short cut from a medieval hill fort to the wine villages of Lake Skadar, and from the 12-kilometre Velika Plaža beach to a ferry across the Adriatic. Bar is the only Montenegrin port with seasonal sailings to Bari and Ancona, and the southern terminus of the Belgrade–Bar railway. That mix turns it into a useful hub, where a car stitches scattered places into a single trip.
About 270 clear days a year give Bar its reputation as Montenegro's sunniest town — the sea stays swimmable well into May and back through October.
Compared with Budva, prices in Bar are noticeably softer: accommodation, dinner and the car itself. The town sits a little apart from the coastal crowds — less noise, fewer queues, while everything tourists usually drive to is right next door: Stari Bar, the ancient olive tree at Mirovica, Sutomore, Ulcinj and the Albanian border.
What makes Bar different
Italy ferry from Bar
In summer, Jadrolinija sails from the Port of Bar to Bari (about 8 hours) and Ancona (about 13 hours). A passenger ticket costs around €78–80, taking a car across runs about €100. No other Montenegrin city offers this option.
A couple combined Apulia and Montenegro in one trip — picked the car up at the Jadrolinija quay at 6am after the overnight crossing, drove straight to Stari Bar before the heat. Saved a return flight and a day of logistics.
Stari Bar — open-air UNESCO
Five km uphill from the modern town stands Stari Bar, an archaeological site with 240 stone buildings from the 6th century, abandoned after the 1979 earthquake. Entry is a few euros, parking at the lower gate is free. Allow 1.5–2 hours.
Stara Maslina olive tree
A 2,000-year-old olive tree with a trunk of about 10 metres stands in Mirovica, 5 km from Bar. Entry around €1. Pairs naturally with a Stari Bar visit on the same loop.
Accommodation, coffee and car hire in Bar run roughly 30% below Budva. That gap is the reason travellers pick the town as a quiet base for trips around the south.
Skoda Fabia Combi in Montenegro
car was mostly fine. Couple of times it seemed like automatic trasmission glitched a little bit, but it happenned only once or twice, and usb port in the front was not working- would be great if it could work. Everything else was ok.
Peugeot 207 in Montenegro
Thank you for asking feedback. I appreciate that! As soon as I rented the car and paid a part, someone contacted me to give me information about the car. So that was good. The pick-up was supposed to be easy; at a parking at the airport in Tivat. I rented the car for 15 days. From August 8 until August 22. Pick-up for me at the airport was supposed to be at 9:30 am on August 8. Someone needed to come to arrange the paperwork, drivers license check, give me the key,…. But the person arrived at 11:10 am. So I needed to wait almost 2 hours. (Because of traffick they said. So if that was the reason, they couldn’t do anything about it. At least I hope they left on time. If they are locals they should now the traffic a little bit haha.) But okay. I was drinking something at a terrace, so luckily, I could wait with a fresh drink in the heat. That was not a big big problem. It’s not nice you know, but that happens sometimes. But now about the rental process; The guy was already going to be crazy late to drop off the key but there was also suddenly a problem. The car that I booked online was not available on August 8, only from August 9. So he asked me (when I landed in Tivat - so super last minute and before I even needed to wait 2 hours) if I wanted to come back to thr airport on August 9 to return the ‘better’ car for the other one that I booked online. But I was going to the mountains, which was far. And I didn’t want to come back. I had a planning and I didn’t want to waste hours and gasoline money to come back just because the car was not available suddenly. It was not my fault and for me, the company should fix a situation like that. I booked the car for August 8 until august 22. Not from August 9. Luckily, because the car guy was a lot late, the guy told me that I could keep the better car and not needed to change anymore. But I didn’t want to do that in the first place because they expected me to meet up far from where I was staying haha. (And also, because the car guy came super late, he asked me if they needed to clean the car first before they gave it to me, because it was a little bit dirty, not too much. But I waited already such a long time so I was like no it’s okay. And I left ;p ) The guy who came to fill in paperwork didn’t speak English, so we used google translate and signals haha. But that guy was very kind and helpful. He showed me everything I needed to know and then we left the parking together. He first in his car, and then me. When I left the parking, I needed to pay €16. So that was not right. Maybe I needed to pay because the car was there for a long time? But that was a surprise cost. They should at least say that to the customer that we have a small additional cost. The return was easy because I dropped it off at the parking and I left the key on the tire. There were no hidden costs or charges, so that’s really nice. Overall very happy. Especially when I could keep the better car. 😄
Volkswagen Touran in Montenegro
it was pretty good actually
Peugeot 208 in Montenegro
I get Clio 3 instead of Peugeot 208 😉 but generally everything was great
Mercedes-Benz A180 cdi in Montenegro
It was good overall.
Toyota Yaris in Montenegro
Everything was fine... They where on time at the meeting point; the price was as expected and the owner (Goran) gave us helpfull tourist info about the country
Skoda Fabia Combi in Montenegro
In general it was ok, Some points: I asked to deliver to different place, and they could manage to do that. However the manager tried to insist to pay additional day, but finally he could deliver car 2 hours later than agreed , and I declined to pay. There was no child seats in the car, so I declined to pay that part as well. And my children were less secure during travel. There was nobody to receive the car at the airport, they just sent instructions to leave the key on the wheel. And I had no complaints from them about the state of the car. Would I use the service again - Probably, Not. The car itself was ok. The same class as was requested- Citroen picasso
Peugeot 107 in Montenegro
Thank you very much, everything went very well. Courteous staff, good car, reasonable price
Renault Megane in Montenegro
everything was fine 👍 A car and service too
Peugeot 207 in Montenegro
I liked everything, no complaints, thank you
Skoda Fabia Combi in Montenegro
Everything went well. The car was in good condition, the owner of the car brought it on time and there were no problems with the delivery of the car
Citroen C4 Grand Picasso in Montenegro
Thanks for the good service. Everything went perfectly. The car was provided better than we originally booked (that was not available). There were no problems. The car was clean and serviceable. In general, I liked everything, we will recommend your website for car rental in Montenegro
Renault Clio 3 in Montenegro
It went well, was very easy and the guy who rented the car was very flexible. I picked up the car in podgorica and dropped of in dobrota, was very convenient:) Car was good, just i wish they cleaned the inside before giving to, but maybe didnt have time, i dont know 😂
Where to drive from Bar
Lake Skadar and Godinje
Thirty kilometres north sits the largest lake in the Balkans, ringed by family wineries. The village of Godinje, known for its Vranac, isn't reachable by public transport — only by car.
A family from Manchester drove out to Godinje on a Tuesday in August. Wine and smoked carp arrived on a long table in the courtyard; the host called ahead the day before. Worth doing on a weekday.
Velika Plaža and Ulcinj
Thirty to forty minutes south lies the longest sandy beach on the Adriatic — 12 kilometres of shallow-entry sand. Beyond it, Ulcinj keeps its Ottoman atmosphere; another half hour brings you to the Albanian border. Shkodër sits roughly an hour from Bar via the Sukobin crossing.
Sutomore and Sveti Stefan
The closest beach neighbour is Sutomore, 6–7 km away. Sveti Stefan is about half an hour along the coastal road. A useful half-day loop: a swim, a coffee, then back for dinner in Bar.
The hairpins between Bar and Budva look more dramatic on the map than on the road — the asphalt is good, the bends are predictable, and there are overtaking pockets on most of the climb.
How to get to Bar
Bar doesn't have its own airport, but three arrival points work well. Podgorica is the closest at 32–50 km, around 40 minutes by road, with one paid stretch — the Sozina tunnel at €2.50, which saves about 20 minutes. Tivat is further out at 47–60 km and 1–1.5 hours, but a sensible choice if your trip starts via Budva.
A guest landed in Podgorica at 23:40, met the host outside arrivals, signed the contract under the awning. In Bar by 00:30, suitcase in the apartment in Šušanj. Cheaper than a one-way transfer and no stress on the hairpins.
The third option is the Belgrade–Bar railway. Bar is the southern terminus of that famous line through Serbia and Montenegro's mountains, and suppliers will drop the car off at the station. The same goes for arriving by ferry from Italy — delivery to the port quay is a standard service.
If your accommodation sits in Šušanj or closer to Stari Bar, door delivery is usually free. On TakeCars the pickup point and the time appear in the listing, so there are no surprises on collection.
Rates in Bar vary throughout the year depending on the season and the rental length.
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How expensive is renting a car in Bar: average daily rates for a one-week car rental, across all car classes.
Why TakeCars in Bar
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Delivery to the port, the railway or your door
Keys can be handed over at the Jadrolinija quay, the Belgrade–Bar station or your apartment in Šušanj.
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No-deposit options on the listing page
Selected cars in Bar carry a tariff with zero excess on the body, so you don't have to freeze a deposit on a card.
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Real reviews on the specific car
Not just an overall supplier rating, but feedback from guests who hired the very same Octavia or Yaris in Bar.
Parking, Sozina and rush hour
Parking in the centre
Central Bar charges €0.50–1.50 per hour — noticeably cheaper than Budva or Kotor. Paid bays line the seafront and the area by the fish market. Parking at Stari Bar is free, but in summer arrive before 11am or the lower lot fills up.
The Sozina tunnel
The single paid stretch on the Bar–Podgorica road, €2.50 for cars. It saves about 20 minutes versus the old mountain route through Virpazar. Pay by card or cash at the booth and keep the receipt.
The Jadranska Magistrala is predictable about traffic: 7:30–9am and 4:30–6pm. In peak season the short 7 km through Sutomore can stretch to half an hour inside that window.
Parking at the port
If you're catching the Italy ferry, the Jadrolinija terminal has a guarded car park at around €5–7 a day. Free spaces near the entrance fill up first thing on departure days.
Frequent Questions
Most suppliers in Bar block this by default — taking the vehicle out of Montenegro on a ferry has to be agreed in advance. A small number of tariffs allow it: a €100–150 cross-border supplement plus a Green Card. The car itself rides the Bar–Bari ferry for around €100 one way.
A passenger ticket to Bari is around €78 (8 hours), Ancona around €80 (13 hours). A car costs about €100. The line runs mainly July to September, with Jadrolinija schedules shifting week by week — check before you book and arrive 2–3 hours before departure.
The Jadrolinija terminal has a guarded car park at roughly €5–7 a day. Free spaces near the entrance are gone early on departure days. If you're only popping in for a ticket, park along the seafront and walk in 5–7 minutes.
It's 5 km uphill from modern Bar, 10–15 minutes by road. Parking at the lower entrance is free and almost always available outside the summer peak. In high season, arrive before 11am — later you'll have to park further down and walk 200–300 metres.
Around €3–5 per adult, children under 7 free. Inside, 240 stone buildings on four hectares of open ground. Wear sturdy shoes — the stonework is uneven. Allow an hour and a half to two, ideally in the morning before it heats up.
Stara Maslina sits in Mirovica, 5 km from Bar on the road towards Stari Bar. Parking is right at the entrance and usually free. Entry is around €1. Most travellers combine it with Stari Bar in one short loop, with about two hours total for both.
Yes. Bar is the southern terminus of the line from Serbia, and local suppliers routinely deliver to the station. On TakeCars the pickup point and time are shown in the listing. It's the simplest option if you're arriving by train and don't fancy hailing a taxi with bags.
32–50 km and around 40 minutes via the Sozina tunnel (€2.50). Podgorica is generally cheaper than Tivat, and for routes Bar–south–Lake Skadar it's the more sensible choice. Tivat makes sense only if your holiday is built around Budva and the Bay of Kotor.
On the coastal road and through the centre, peak hours are 7:30–9am and 4:30–6pm. Summer weekends add the flow towards Velika Plaža. Drive before 8am or after 7pm if you can, especially through Sutomore.
The Sukobin crossing is 30–40 km and roughly 40 minutes from Bar. It usually moves faster than the summer crossings near Lake Skadar. From the border, Shkodër is another 25 minutes. Albania is visa-free for most European nationalities.
Yes — Godinje is about 35–40 km via Virpazar and a short stretch of mountain road. There's no public transport to the village, so the wineries are essentially car-only. Tastings are best arranged in advance, particularly in August and September.
Sutomore is closer (6–7 km) with clearer water and a fine-pebble entry. Velika Plaža, 30–40 minutes south, is 12 km of sand with a gentle entry — easy with kids, though water is murkier from the sandy bed. Many travellers do both: morning swim in Sutomore, sunset on Velika Plaža.
Paid zones along the seafront and the fish market run €0.50–1.50 per hour, on average 1.5–2× cheaper than Budva. Pay at the meter by card or coins, or buy a paper ticket from a duvan kiosk. Pay-by-SMS only works on a Montenegrin SIM (+382).
Early November, usually in the first half of the month. It centres on Stara Maslina and the town centre — an oil market, tastings and local wines. During the festival the parking near Stari Bar fills early, so plan to walk in from Šušanj.
Yes. In Bar the standard meet-and-greet works by flight number at Podgorica or Tivat, by Belgrade–Bar train arrival, and by Jadrolinija ferry timetable. A 30–60 minute waiting buffer for late arrivals is built into the standard tariff.