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Car hire in Herceg Novi folds the most varied stretch of the Adriatic into a single trip: a Venetian-era citadel inside the town, healing mud baths in Igalo, a day across the Croatian border to Dubrovnik, and a boat to the Blue Cave. The town sits at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor, only 12 km from the Debeli Brijeg crossing — the one Montenegrin city where two international airports both make sense.
A morning mud bath in Igalo, an afternoon climb at Forte Mare, and the Kamenari ferry to Budva by dinner — all on the same single tank.
Without a car the town feels larger than the map suggests: it's built on a steep hillside, public transport is limited, and summer taxis quickly outprice a daily rental. A car turns the bay and the border into a single radius.
What sets Herceg Novi apart
Igalo, the only spa town
The neighbouring district of Igalo houses the Dr Simo Milošević Institute, where treatments use the local healing mud — igaljsko blato — and mineral springs. A single procedure costs €20–30, half-day packages from €60. Nothing comparable exists anywhere else on the coast.
A guest from Birmingham booked the 7:30am slot for three mornings running. By 10:00 she was back on the Pet Danica promenade with the rest of the day open — no afternoon queue, no beach rush.
Three fortresses
Inside one walking loop: Forte Mare (1382, sea-facing, entry around €2), Kanli Kula (1539, the "Bloody Tower", with a 1,000-seat summer amphitheatre) and Španjola (16th century, hilltop, free entry).
The Pet Danica promenade
A 6–7 km pedestrian walkway runs from Igalo through the centre of Herceg Novi to Meljine. Almost all of the town's beaches, restaurants and three Blue Flag sites sit along it. The climb up to Španjola is the only long stretch you'll want a taxi for — €5–8 one way; parking at the top is tight.
Skoda Fabia in Montenegro
The car was good. The service was quite satisfying. Forgot to bring a child seat had to go to the office. Once again, better remind them
Citroen C4 in Montenegro
everything went well overall. I received a different car than the one I originally booked — instead of the Citroën C4, I was given a VW Golf 7, which was a similar and suitable replacement. Both pickup and return went smoothly, exactly as agreed with the rental representative. Communication was also quick and helpful. The only thing I’d like to point out is that I returned the car two days earlier than planned, but I didn’t receive any recalculation or refund for the unused days.
Skoda Rapid in Montenegro
There were 5 of us, so we were offered a larger car. All was well, trips, receiving and returning the car went without problems)
Audi A3 Sedan in Montenegro
everything went great
Opel Astra Sedan in Montenegro
Everything was very good. By the time of the minute! The car is great. Transfer to the hotel. We always plan everything in advance. And here they are spontaneously and so happy. Thank you! Very cool service.
Toyota Yaris in Montenegro
Everything was ok, no questions asked. Thanks!
Toyota Yaris in Montenegro
I really ordered a Toyota Yaris car and after ordering I wrote to you whether it is possible to travel abroad in this car. You gave me a list of countries where it is possible. In fact, they gave me another car (this was visible from the registration numbers), and not the fact that in the photo and on it, travel to other countries is not allowed. I argued for a very long time with the men who gave me the car, plus they did not yet know English, which significantly delayed the time, and we were in a hurry. After long negotiations, we were given another Renault Clio car, having previously warned that it was not clean. In the new car, we discovered that the rear left door of the car would not close. I immediately wrote to the manager about this, but I was told that I was not closing it correctly - I had to move far away and not leave the keys in the car. I even filmed several times that the keys were not in the car and I was far from it, and the door still did not close. In this case, my things and the car itself remained in danger. Then I discovered that the rear left headlight was not working. I was assured that this was normal. Then the STOP button lit up on the dashboard and was constantly on. I was also confirmed that this was normal, although this indicates a car malfunction. Then the next day of renting the car, the car began to lose speed while driving. It goes straight or downhill well - it is only possible to go uphill in first gear. The maximum speed from here in this case was 20 km per hour, which, sorry, is not normal. Later, the car did not want to go even straight, it only picked up speed from above. Then, when braking and turning left, I heard the sound of brakes rubbing. I reported all these malfunctions to the manager, to which I was told that I simply do not know how to drive. That I was being followed and the problem was with me, not the car. I kindly ask you to adhere to all the conditions that you have published on the rental website and provide serviceable cars.
Volkswagen Polo in Montenegro
everything went fine, they gave me a different car, but of the same class, there was always a connection with the local provider, there were no problems with the car
Toyota Yaris in Montenegro
We didn't take the car. The car was in a terrible state (not in terms of that old), it was dirty and smoky.
Skoda Fabia in Montenegro
We rented this Skoda in the middle of February. We received it at Podgorica airport and handed it over in Tivat. Everything went without problems, the car is fresh, clean, very satisfied.
Hyundai i30 in Montenegro
Everything is fine
Volkswagen Golf 7 in Montenegro
It was ok
Skoda Scala in Montenegro
We had škoda kamiq, and everything was nice
Where to drive from Herceg Novi
Dubrovnik and Croatia
Dubrovnik is roughly 50–60 km out, around an hour's drive plus the Croatian border. In July and August Debeli Brijeg can swallow 30–60 minutes — leave before 8am or after 7pm. The contract has to allow exit from Montenegro and a Green Card has to be issued.
A couple from Manchester left Herceg Novi at 6:40am and were inside the Pile gate by 8:10. The same run at 11am took them two and a quarter hours — Debeli Brijeg backed up to the petrol station.
Luštica peninsula and the Blue Cave
For Luštica, take the Kamenari–Lepetane ferry. From the far side it's about 25 minutes to Žanjic beach, with Mirište next door, and boats run from there to the Mamula Island fortress and into the Blue Cave (Plava Špilja).
Bay of Kotor
Kotor and Tivat can be reached two ways: the long route around the bay (an hour, narrow, full of oncoming buses) or the short cut via the Kamenari–Lepetane ferry (€4.50, plus 15–20 minutes' wait). The ferry is shorter and calmer in any season. Locals avoid the coastal road around the bay even in low season — narrow, twisty, constant overtaking of coaches.
Why travellers choose TakeCars
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Free hotel delivery across the bay
The car is brought to your door in Herceg Novi, Igalo, Meljine, Zelenika or Kumbor — no run to a town-centre office.
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No-deposit options on the listing page
Selected cars in Herceg Novi 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 Herceg Novi.
Parking, headlights, bay road
Parking in season
The town climbs a steep hillside, parking is limited, and in July and August spaces are scarce — even hotel guests roll out at dawn to keep their place. The most reliable option is a hotel with its own car park; check before booking. Paid lots along the seafront run €1–1.50 per hour.
A guest staying near Forte Mare spent 45 minutes circling for a space on his second morning. After that he left the car at the Igalo hotel lot and took a €6 taxi each way — cheaper than the time lost.
Dipped headlights, year-round
Dipped headlights have to be on at all times, day and night, summer and winter. Most modern hire cars handle this automatically, but on older models — including some Yaris-class economy cars — check before you set off. The fine starts at €30.
The bay road
The coastal road around the bay is widely regarded as the narrowest stretch in the country: hairpins, oncoming buses, frequent slow patches. For trips between Herceg Novi, Tivat and Kotor, the Kamenari–Lepetane ferry is €4.50 well spent — it saves up to an hour and considerable nerves.
Frequent Questions
Tivat is closer and avoids the border — 21–23 km, 40–60 minutes via the Kamenari–Lepetane ferry (€4.50). Dubrovnik is further out at 50–60 km, an hour in good traffic and up to 1.5 hours with the Debeli Brijeg border in summer. Tivat wins on logistics; Dubrovnik often wins on flight choice and price.
Yes, but it's two different scenarios. Either hire in Croatia and drive across the border (cross-border on a Croatian car is expensive). Or take a transfer or taxi to Herceg Novi (€30–50) and pick up the car there. The second is usually better value.
Debeli Brijeg queues for 30 minutes to 1.5 hours during the day in July and August. The clearest windows are before 8am and after 7pm. Allow extra time for the return into Montenegro: officials check the rental papers and the Green Card. In winter the crossing takes 5–10 minutes.
Vehicle access in the historic core is restricted. The car goes in the paid lots along the seafront (€1–1.50 per hour) or the hotel's own car park. From July onwards there are no spaces by mid-morning — a hotel reservation with parking is essential. For the climb up to the fortresses, taxis at €5–8 are the easier choice.
A single procedure at the Dr Simo Milošević Institute costs €20–30; half-day packages start at €60. Igalo is 5 minutes by car from Herceg Novi, or 30–40 minutes' walk along the Pet Danica promenade. The institute has its own car park. Book one or two days ahead.
Forte Mare and Kanli Kula are walking distance from the centre, with about 85 metres of climb between them. Španjola sits on the hill above town: 30–40 minutes uphill on foot, 10 minutes by car, or €5–8 by taxi. Parking up at Španjola is tight — arrive before 10am or after 6pm.
Pet Danica is a 6–7 km pedestrian seafront from Igalo through Herceg Novi to Meljine — the longest coastal promenade in Montenegro. Roadside parking along it is paid, €1–1.50 per hour. In summer it's easier to park in Meljine and walk back into town along the water.
Take the Kamenari–Lepetane ferry, then 25 minutes to Žanjic beach, with Mirište right next door. The roads are narrow and partly unpaved. Beach car parks cost €5–10 a day with limited capacity — arrive before 11am. A 4×4 isn't needed, but a low ride height should be cautious.
About 50–60 km, an hour on the road plus the border. Without a Croatian queue, around 1h15 in total. With a July–August queue, closer to two hours. The Old Town in Dubrovnik is pedestrianised — leave the car at the Pile or Ilijina Glavica car parks at €5–7 per hour. Drive back after 7pm.
Beaches in Herceg Novi are pebble or concrete platforms along Pet Danica. The only sandy beach is in Igalo, in front of the former Tito Villa. For a gentle sandy entry with children, drive across to the Luštica peninsula — Mirište and Žanjic — or further south towards Budva. Swimming in town is fine, with ladders into the water.
Early February, usually in the first half of the month. It's the town's main event: street processions, concerts, tastings. Parking in the centre fills early on festival days — leave the car in Igalo or Zelenika and walk in along Pet Danica.
Technically yes, but it's expensive: €90–150 one-way fee plus the Croatian cross-border supplement and a Green Card. With some suppliers a Dubrovnik one-way is restricted to particular classes. Usually it's cheaper to return the car in Herceg Novi and reach Dubrovnik by taxi or coach.
The ferry, almost always: €4.50, a 10-minute crossing, with 15–20 minutes of waiting. The coastal road around the bay is longer, narrow, with a constant flow of oncoming traffic on hairpins — locals consider it the most demanding stretch in the country. The ferry from Herceg Novi to Tivat takes 40–60 minutes; the road well over an hour.
The Blue Cave (Plava Špilja) sits on the Luštica peninsula. The car won't help: access is by boat from Mirište, Žanjic or directly from Herceg Novi (€15–25 per trip, 1–2 hours). Park at a beach lot or in the marina. The colour is most vivid in the morning, when the light angle hits the water just right.
Yes — dipped headlights have to be on at all times, day or night, summer or winter. Most modern hire cars do this automatically, but check before setting off, especially on older models. The fine starts at €30, and to a supplier it reads as an inattentive driver.