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Car hire in Ulcinj is the most direct way into Albania anywhere on the Montenegrin coast, and at the same time your gateway to the 13-kilometre Velika Plaža sandy beach and the river island of Ada Bojana. The town sits at the southernmost point of the country, only 5 km from the Albanian border, an hour from Shkodër and 2.5 hours from Tirana.
Ulcinj is the other coast: minarets, fish restaurants on stilts over the river, and a rhythm that leans toward Shkodër rather than Budva.
Without wheels the town feels cut off — bus links are thin, and the interesting points (Velika Plaža, Ada Bojana, Valdanos, the salt pans with their flamingos) are awkward to reach without a car. With one, Ulcinj turns into a proper base for the south of the country and for cross-border days into Albania.
What sets Ulcinj apart
The shortest road into Albania
The Sukobin (Muriqan) crossing sits 5 km from town — no run into Albania is shorter anywhere in the country. Shkodër in an hour, Tirana in 2.5. Ulcinj works as a base for two countries at once: morning coffee by the sea, lunch by the Rozafa fortress, dinner back on Ada Bojana.
A guest in mid-July left Ulcinj at 8am, hit Shkodër for breakfast, drove the Albanian Lake Skadar loop, and was back for sunset on the river. One tank, two countries.
Velika Plaža — 13 km of sand
Montenegro's longest sand beach, from Cape Đeran down to the mouth of the Bojana. Fine sand, gentle entry, easy with children. Cars park free at the blue "P" lots along the road — spaces are open before 10am and gone by midday.
Ada Bojana — a river island
Twelve kilometres from the centre: an island with naturist beaches, kitesurfing schools and fish restaurants on wooden stilts over the water. The way in is paved but narrow. Ignore the GPS short-cuts over gravel — they almost always end at private land or a locked gate.
Map app sent a couple through farm tracks and dumped them at a padlocked barrier 200 metres from the bridge. They reversed for ten minutes. Locals stay on the asphalt for a reason.
The asphalt route adds five minutes at most, and a punctured tyre on private gravel is almost never an insurance event.
Renault Megane in Montenegro
The rental went well; the car was not new, but it was fully serviceable. There were some minor difficulties in communication, but nothing serious.
Mercedes-Benz A180 cdi in Montenegro
They were not serious at all. When I had an accident, I didn’t get any help, and it really wasn’t good. Almost no one there spoke English, which made things even worse. Best regards, Benjamin
Renault Clio 3 in Montenegro
to be honest, we were a bit shocked that we didn’t receive the car that we rented, but a different one. Not to mention that it was supposed to be manual shift and the Hyundai was an automatic 😄
Citroen DS3 in Montenegro
The process of renting a car was smooth and very fast. The car was delivered to the hotel at the agreed time and the return was no problem either. Attractive price, no deposit and full insurance.
Fiat 500 in Montenegro
Everything went really well with the car rental. Very positive experience, everything was easy, the rental procedure, and We got the car delivered to our location nicely, everything was really easy and smooth.
Fiat 500 in Montenegro
Everything was great! Punctual and reliable. Thank you!
Citroen C4 in Montenegro
Excellent car, better than we expected. I drove with my Family for 7 days. Car in automatic, great working air conditioning. Highly recommend
Citroen C4 in Montenegro
I rented a car for 2 weeks. Very satisfied with the service. The car was delivered on time, it was clean and in good condition. 5 stars!
Peugeot 208 in Montenegro
I get Clio 3 instead of Peugeot 208 😉 but generally everything was great
Citroen C4 in Montenegro
everything went well with the car thank you
Toyota Yaris in Montenegro
Generally it was ok, only 2 problems (1) there weren't kids seats as we booked, the guy provided them, but it took extra 2-3 hours (2) the car was in a bad condition from outside - i mean, it was skretched in many places, one element (front left) almost torn of. The driving was ok though. Oh, and one front light stopped working on the last day.
Toyota Yaris in Montenegro
Our car rental experience was over and above what we would have expected. They picked us up at our hotel in ulcinj and the car was immaculate and there was a car seat as requested in pristine condition. The people we rented from came to pick us up at our house rental in Tivat and drove us to the Croatia border where we were spend the next portion of our trip. Unfortunately, with coronavirus we weren’t allowed to cross into Croatia until the day of our flight to go home. The car rental people drove us back to Tivat and allowed us to keep the car a few days longer. A couple days later on the day our flight was to fly out of Dubrovnik home the car rental guy picked us up at 1am and was able to convince the border crossing guards to drive us all the way to the Croatia border so we didn’t have to walk the 2km between borders on foot at night with our luggage and baby. The husband and wife car rental team went over and above to help us out. I highly recommend them and when we return one day to visit Montenegro again we will definitely be renting from them again. You won’t be disappointed. The best service we could have hoped for.
Skoda Rapid in Montenegro
Thank you super
Where to drive from Ulcinj
Shkodër and Tirana
Shkodër sits an hour away by road: the lake, the historic centre, the turquoise Bistrica nearby. Tirana is 2.5 hours — the capital, a different pace and noticeably lower prices. Shkodër works as a day trip; Tirana is better with one night.
Lake Skadar and Valdanos
The southern shore of Lake Skadar is 45 minutes north; the Albanian half another hour once you add the border. Valdanos is 15 minutes west — an olive grove and a pebble beach in a former pirate cove, quiet and uncrowded.
The southern shore holds far fewer visitors than the Virpazar end. People come for the birds and the silence: around 270 species, including Dalmatian pelicans.
Old Bar and Bar
Bar is 30 minutes along the coast; medieval Old Bar another 15 minutes uphill. A useful half-day loop, especially once Ulcinj itself has worn in. An early start helps — by 11am Velika Plaža gets busy with arrivals, while the smaller beaches around Bar are still calm.
Why travellers choose TakeCars in Ulcinj
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Delivery to your hotel and to Ada Bojana
The car is brought to Ulcinj town, Velika Plaža, the Albatros complex or directly to Ada Bojana — no run to a town-centre office.
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No-deposit options on the listing page
Selected cars in Ulcinj 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 Ulcinj.
Parking, cross-border and Ulcinj quirks
Parking at Velika Plaža
Marked free lots along the road carry blue "P" signs — legal parking, no fines or tow trucks. Spaces are open before 10am, gone by midday. Paid lots at the beach entrances run €1–2 per hour, often with a sun lounger and umbrella included in the price.
The Old Town and the centre
Driving inside the Old Town is restricted; paid parking on the lower square below the fortress runs €0.50–1 per hour. In summer arrive before 10am, otherwise you'll be parking 300–400 metres further down and walking up.
Cross-border and Albania insurance
The Albanian border is 5 km away. To cross, three things are required: a Green Card (€30 for a year), a written cross-border letter from the supplier, and 24 hours' notice. The supplier supplement runs €50–100. The Green Card is checked physically at the border — make sure the paper is in your hands, not "with the owner somewhere".
A documented case at the Sukobin crossing: a renter with a confirmed booking was told there was no insurance and offered to settle on the spot for €50. The Green Card hadn't been handed over — always confirm the document at pickup.
Frequent Questions
About 5 km and 10 minutes by road. It's the country's closest border crossing. Shkodër in Albania is another 25 minutes from the border. The alternative is the Bozaj crossing at Lake Skadar — 45 minutes by road, often quieter than Sukobin in summer.
Along the 13 km of beach there are free lots marked with blue "P" signs — legal parking, no fines. Spaces are open before 10am, gone by midday. The alternative is the paid lots at the beach entrances at €1–2 per hour, often including a sun lounger and umbrella in the price.
Yes — the river island sits 12 km from Ulcinj and is reached by a paved road through a bridge. Entry to the island for a car with passengers costs around €5 per day. Naturist beaches, a kitesurfing school and fish restaurants over the water. Use the asphalt route only — GPS short-cuts run through private gates.
Two practical options. Sukobin (Muriqan) — the main one, 5 km from Ulcinj, with summer queues of 1–2 hours during the day. Bozaj at Lake Skadar — the alternative, 45 minutes by road, normally quieter. The third, Hani Hotit near Podgorica, is a detour from Ulcinj.
Podgorica — and clearly so. 80 km and 1h15 via the Sozina tunnel (€2.50). Tivat is 120 km and 2 hours in summer because of coastal-road queues. Podgorica wins on hire-car rates and on time, particularly if your route runs through Lake Skadar or into Albania.
Yes — it's 45 minutes north via Vladimir. Less touristy than the Virpazar end, closer to the Albanian half, with around 270 bird species including Dalmatian pelicans. Boat tours on the southern side often run cheaper than at Virpazar.
Three essentials: a Green Card (€30 for a year), a written cross-border letter from the supplier, and 24 hours' notice. The supplier supplement runs €50–100. The Green Card is physically checked at the border — confirm the paper document is in your hands at car collection, not "with the owner somewhere".
GPS on short routes tends to send you through farm tracks, private plots and locked gates. Locals stay on the asphalt via the bridge — five to seven minutes longer, but no punctures or surprise dead-ends. Insurance on gravel and off-road typically doesn't apply.
Among the lowest on the coast. Local economy hires run €13–25 per day in low season and €30–50 at peak. A mid-range crossover with an automatic is €40–60 in season. Monthly rates fall 30–50%, and many operators work without a deposit.
Driving inside the Old Town itself is restricted. The paid lower square below the fortress runs €0.50–1 per hour, around 30 spaces, full by 10am in season. Beyond that, you'll be parking 300–400 metres further down and walking up. For a quick photo stop, the southern entrance is easier.
Yes, and that sets Ulcinj apart from Budva and Tivat. Most local family-run operators work without a deposit and without a mandatory credit card: a passport, a licence with 1–2 years' experience, and a debit card or cash are enough. The 15–20% prepayment goes online, the balance on collection.
15 minutes west of Ulcinj along the coastal road. A former pirate cove, now an olive grove and a pebble beach in a sheltered bay. Free parking for around 30–40 cars, full by 11am in August. A few simple fish restaurants with terraces over the water sit nearby.
Shkodër is an hour, around 50 km via the Sukobin crossing. A neat day trip — the lake, the historic centre, the turquoise Bistrica nearby. Tirana is 2.5 hours, better as an overnight. Coming back, a circuit via Bozaj and Lake Skadar makes a complete loop.
A roughly 70% Albanian community, 26 mosques, sandy rather than pebble beaches, a cuisine closer to Balkan-Turkish, and prices 20–30% lower than the northern resorts of the coast. The atmosphere stands apart — this isn't Budva. For travellers after difference, nature and direct Albania access, Ulcinj works.
Yes. Velika Plaža is the country's longest sandy beach with a gentle entry and no rocks. Accommodation runs cheaper than the rest of the coast. Restaurants are mostly over the water, the pace is calm. The downside is the distance from the airport, so picking up the car in Podgorica or at the hotel on arrival day is worth planning.