Car & Van Hire - Podgorica

Tourist attractions in Montenegro’s capital are located in two main areas: Stara Varos (Old Town) and Nova Varos (New Town).

In Podgorica’s Old Town, the main landmarks are the National History Museum, the 17th-century clock tower, Depedogen Castle, and Ljubovic Park, where you can get a bird’s eye view of the city.

The New Town starts north of Depedogen Castle, past King’s Park and the bridge over the Ribnica River. At the heart of the New Town is Independence Square, a large public square framed by government buildings, the city’s main art gallery and Montenegro’s National Library. Other sites of interest include Podgorica’s Museum and the riverside beach next to the Millennium Bridge.

Podgorica’s New Town continues west of the bridge. Here you can visit the impressive Orthodox cathedral, known for its elaborate interior and frescoes, or take a free guided tour of the art gallery in Petrovic Castle, a former royal residence situated among beautifully landscaped gardens.

Podgorica’s central location makes it an ideal base for driving tours and day trips around this compact country. A 30-minute drive takes you to Skadar Lake, a popular weekend getaway for locals and a great place to discover Montenegro’s natural heritage. The area surrounding the lake is dotted with old monasteries, vast forested areas, lakeside beaches and scenic viewpoints.

If you’re travelling with the family, you can arrange a spacious car or van hire in Podgorica and go on day trips to Montenegro’s most famous coastal towns. Bar, Budva and Kotor are all within a 1.5-hour drive from Podgorica. Don’t forget to include Lovcen National Park in your itinerary. You’ll be rewarded with breathtaking panoramic views of the Adriatic Sea.

Montenegro has a strong cafe culture, and there’s nowhere better than its capital city to experience it first-hand. There’s a good selection of cafes and restaurants near Independence Square.

Slobode and Njegoseva streets are the city’s prime shopping area, and if you don’t find what you’re looking for here, you’ll find it in Podgorica’s largest shopping centres, Big City, Mall of Montenegro and City Mall.

In terms of cultural events, regular concerts and theatre performances are held at Montenegro’s National Theatre and at the Musical Centre of Montenegro.

Road conditions are good in Podgorica. For the most part, signs are in the local language and English, so it’s easy to find your way around. This may be different once you leave the city and head into rural areas.

Some general traffic rules to be aware of include the requirement to have low beams or dipped headlights on at all times and the prohibition on travelling with children under the age of 12 in the passenger seat.

You should also know that road markings aren’t always well maintained, so pay special attention to busy junctions and slip roads to ensure you don’t inadvertently get in the way of other drivers. In addition, roads that start with a P are panoramic routes, which are excellent for road trips, but be aware that you’ll share the road with cyclists and motorbike drivers.

Montenegro is a mountainous country, so if you venture outside of Podgorica, you’re likely to end up driving on mountain roads. Some of these roads are the only way to get goods across from port towns into the country’s capital, so expect to find lorries on relatively narrow mountain roads. There may be some sections with three lanes, in which case you must be cautious as the outer lane is designated for overtaking in both directions. Outside of the city, it’s also common to find livestock and heavy farm machinery on the roads.

Drinking and driving laws are strictly enforced in Montenegro. The maximum blood alcohol content is 0.03% (barely the equivalent of a small glass of beer), and police will stop anyone suspected to be driving under the influence. Fines for drunk driving can amount to thousands of euros, and prison sentences are also a possibility.

Speed limits are 50 km/h or lower in urban areas and 80 km/h on other roads. On Montenegro’s only motorway, the speed limit is 100 km/h. Fines for speeding can also be costly.

Toll roads are rare in Montenegro, but there’s a toll booth in Smokovac, on the northern access road to Podgorica, and another one in the Sozina tunnel, which you’ll drive on if you plan on visiting the coast south of Budva.