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Car rental in Budva is the way to step beyond the resort façade. In summer the town lives by night, and by day a car opens up everything people actually come for — Sveti Stefan, Petrovac, Kotor, Tivat, the climb to Lovćen. Budva itself has no airport: the closest one is Tivat, 22 km away, and most suppliers will deliver the car straight to your hotel.
A guest landing at TIV at 23:50 in August signed for a Yaris in the arrivals lane and drove straight to Bečići. The taxi queue outside was twenty minutes deep.
In peak season the town is full. The coastal road queues at rush hour, the parking near the Old Town fills early, and taxi and Bolt fares climb fast. A car becomes less a luxury than a way to escape the dependency on schedules and queues.
What sets Budva apart
Widest choice, highest demand
Budva concentrates more hire cars than any other coastal town: the broadest selection of classes and gearboxes, but in July and August early booking is essential. Peak prices can nearly double, and the better cars go 3–6 weeks ahead.
A family from Manchester left their booking until mid-June for an early-August pickup. Every automatic crossover was gone; they ended up paying €70/day for a manual estate they didn't want.
Old Town is car-free
You can't drive inside the Old Town walls. Parking is on the outside only: the underground Pearl garage near the centre, the open lots by Dukley, and the bays along Slovenska obala. In winter there's plenty of room; in summer it's only before 10am or after 9pm.
Nightlife and 0.3‰
Top Hill, Trocadero and the seafront clubs are the main summer draw. The blood-alcohol limit is 0.3‰ — effectively zero for drivers under 24 — and police run spot checks at night near the entertainment districts.
In the evening, leave the car at the hotel and take a Bolt to the clubs — €3–6 each way. Cheaper than a fine, and far cheaper than losing your licence.
Peugeot 3008 in Montenegro
Renting a car was easy. The car was brought to us at the airport and when we left we left the car in the airport parking lot. Everything worked well. I can highly recommend it!
Toyota Yaris in Montenegro
Everything went great 👌 The car was provided on time, communication was on watsap, the car is in good condition. Thank you.
Peugeot 3008 in Montenegro
everything was fine.
Peugeot 3008 in Montenegro
Everything went great! I will contact you again!
Mercedes-Benz Vito in Montenegro
The right window does not work. The wipers are broken, and on high-speed roads the car goes very slowly uphill, it was very problematic
Audi A3 Sedan in Montenegro
I really liked your company for renting a car in Montenegro! I had been looking for rental sites for a long time and only on yours was it possible to make a prepayment in advance with a Russian card and book a car. It is very convenient and relevant in our difficult time of sanctions. The site is very convenient and understandable. I was quickly contacted and everything was explained. In Montenegro I was brought the car exactly at the appointed time without delays. The car was in perfect condition and I loved it! It was brought to me by your employee Mirko, a very kind and helpful person. He explained and showed me everything, was very friendly and quickly answered my questions on WhatsApp when I was already using the car. Picked up the car on time as well. I am very happy that I found your company and will recommend to my friends and clients. Thank you very much! Love Montenegro)
Skoda Fabia in Montenegro
Everything is super Thank you
Volkswagen Touran in Montenegro
Everything is great.
Volkswagen Polo in Montenegro
Everything is fine. Another car came, skoda fabia, but essentially the same thing. The car is in very good condition, there were no problems on the road.
Skoda Fabia in Montenegro
Everything went great, thanks! Convenient ordering, timely delivery and return, the car is in excellent condition.
Renault Fluence in Montenegro
Everything went well. I was given a a Renault Fluence, but I was ok. Check in was super fast. This car also broke down in the mountains, but the guys called a tow truck and found another car. I can say that everything was prompt and adequate. I recommended the company to my friends.
Skoda Fabia in Montenegro
Everything is super! I really liked it, the service was decent, there were no problems. The car is in good condition.
Peugeot 307cc in Montenegro
The car broke down, the gearbox worked poorly, barely drove it to the city, as a result they took it in the evening, and not in the afternoon the next day, there was no compensation for the faulty car as well as for the frustrated plans for the evening.
Where to drive from Budva
Sveti Stefan, Pržno, Petrovac
The southern coast is a half-day by car. The Hajduk viewpoint above Sveti Stefan is 7 km out, Pržno the same 10 minutes, Petrovac about 20. Sveti Stefan island itself is a private Aman resort: you can't go in without a hotel booking, but the shot from Hajduk makes up for it.
Sveti Stefan is beautiful only from the outside. For an actual swim, go on to Pržno or down to Petrovac — calmer parking, better water.
The Bay of Kotor
Kotor is 30–40 minutes via Tivat. The road is scenic, but in summer it's narrow and slow. A useful trick: come back through the Kamenari–Lepetane ferry — it saves up to an hour during the August peak.
Lovćen, Cetinje, Lake Skadar
The 25-hairpin road from Kotor up to Lovćen starts beyond the bay and fills a full day: the Njegoš mausoleum, the rope park, lunch in Cetinje. Lake Skadar is further out, about 1.5 hours.
The back road from Budva to Cetinje over the pass is worth a try too — shorter, but narrow, and oncoming coaches can hold things up on the hairpins in summer.
Reaching Budva and collecting the car
Budva has no airport of its own. The closest is Tivat, 22 km away — about 30–35 minutes along the coastal road, with no toll sections. Podgorica is further out at 65 km, around an hour through the Sozina tunnel (€2.50). Hire from Podgorica is usually 10–20% cheaper, and it works well if your route runs via Lake Skadar.
Most suppliers serving Budva deliver the car to your hotel for free. Instead of a taxi from the airport, you arrive in town on your own wheels — no airport scrum, no transfer to organise.
A couple from Edinburgh landed at TIV at 01:20, took a Bolt to Bečići for €27, and had the keys handed over at the breakfast terrace at 9 the next morning. No half-asleep driving on the coastal road.
Delivery typically covers Budva, Bečići, Rafailovići, Sveti Stefan, Pržno and Petrovac — essentially the full coastal strip south of the bay. On TakeCars the pickup point and time appear in the listing, so no day-of WhatsApp negotiations.
For travellers landing in Podgorica, the choice is either pick-up at the airport or delivery to Budva — most local suppliers handle both.
Rates in Budva vary throughout the year depending on the season and the rental length.
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How expensive is renting a car in Budva: average daily rates for a one-week car rental, across all car classes.
Why travellers choose TakeCars in Budva
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Free hotel delivery across the Riviera
The car is brought to reception in Budva, Bečići, Rafailovići, Pržno or Petrovac.
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No-deposit options on the listing page
Selected cars in Budva 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 Budva.
Parking and Budva's quirks
Pearl underground
The main 24/7 garage in the centre, beneath the Pearl shopping centre — €1.50–2 per hour, €15–20 a day in season. In winter there's space all day; in summer arrive before 10am, with frequent queues at the entrance from late morning.
Slovenska obala, Mogren
The main resort strip, Slovenska obala, is fully metered in summer: €2–4 per hour with a time limit. Street bays between Budva and Mogren beach are typically paid too, though cheaper at €1–1.50.
For a walk in the Old Town it's easier to leave the car at Pearl or Dukley and stroll five to seven minutes. You can't drive inside the walls anyway.
Rush hour
The coastal road towards Tivat and Kotor slows in summer from 11am to 1pm and from 5pm to 7pm. To head into Kotor or Tivat, leave before 10 or after 7. The same logic works on the way back.
Frequent Questions
You can't drive inside the walls. The choices are the Pearl underground garage (€1.50–2 per hour), the surface lots at Dukley, or the bays along Slovenska obala. Free spaces within 500 metres of the walls are gone all season. In winter parking is rarely an issue; in summer it's only before 10am.
Pearl is the main 24/7 garage in the centre — €1.50–2 per hour, €15–20 a day at peak season. You take a ticket on entry and pay by card or cash before you leave. The lift goes straight up into the shopping centre, and the Old Town is a 5–7 minute walk. Queues at the entrance are common between 11am and 5pm in August.
The resort strip is fully metered in summer: €2–4 per hour with a time limit. Pay at the meter by card or coins, or buy a paper ticket from a duvan kiosk. There are no free spaces on Slovenska obala itself — you'll need to step off into the side streets or use a paid garage.
Yes — a paid lot runs along the access road, €1–1.50 per hour, around 50 spaces. It fills by 10am. The alternative is to leave the car at Pearl or Dukley and walk in 10–15 minutes along the seafront. The beach itself is pedestrian-only.
22 km, 30–35 minutes along the coastal road with no toll sections. In the August morning peak (7:30–9am) allow an extra 10–15 minutes for the bottleneck near Tivat. Most suppliers offer a meet-and-greet by flight number — you can pick up directly at the airport.
The island is a private Aman resort: you can't enter without an in-house booking, and they don't take one-night stays. The best view is the Hajduk viewpoint on the road just before the descent to Sveti Stefan. Parking at Hajduk is free but small — arrive before 10am or for sunset.
From Budva it's 7–8 km along the coastal road towards Bar. The turn-off to Hajduk is signposted just before the descent into Sveti Stefan. The lay-by holds about 10 cars. From here you get the postcard view of the island, especially good at sunset.
Bolt around Budva and to Sveti Stefan is genuinely cheap — €5–10 each way. But for two or more days of radial trips (Kotor, Lovćen, Lake Skadar, Petrovac), a hire car is cheaper and easier on time. For one or two beach days inside the town, Bolt is fine.
The blood-alcohol limit is 0.3‰, effectively zero for drivers under 24. At night the police run spot checks near the exits of the entertainment districts. The safer move is to leave the car at the hotel and Bolt to the clubs — €3–6 each way.
By licensed-taxi meter, €25–35; through Bolt or CarGo, €20–30. With the rank taxis it's worth agreeing a fixed fare before you set off. If you're hiring for five days or more, having the car at your hotel that morning often works out better value.
Two to three months ahead is a sensible minimum. By June only inflated tariffs or awkward classes are left. At the peak of season (mid-July to late August) prices can nearly double, and automatics and crossovers run out first.
For most routes it doesn't matter. An automatic is more comfortable in summer city traffic and on the Budva–Cetinje–Lovćen hairpins. A manual is €5–10 a day cheaper and better represented in the economy class. If you're the only driver and tired, take the automatic.
30–40 minutes via Tivat along the coastal road. In August allow an hour because of the narrow road and the ferry. The best windows: out before 9am, back after 7pm. Useful trick: return through the Kamenari–Lepetane ferry, which saves up to an hour at peak times.
Yes if your focus is the coast and the Bay of Kotor. Tivat is 30 minutes, Kotor 40, Sveti Stefan 10. Lovćen and Cetinje sit at an hour. For frequent trips to Bar and Ulcinj, base further south; for Durmitor and Žabljak, base in the north.
Yes. Suppliers work two ways: either a meet-and-greet by flight number at Tivat with immediate pick-up, or delivery to the hotel the following morning. The second option is easier if you land after midnight and don't fancy driving tired.