How to get from Tivat airport to Budva?

When it's time for holidays everything has to be perfectly organised. Here is one important topic for those landing to Tivat airport and going to Budva municipality.

There are no many options how to reach Budva from Tivat airport. The best is if you have a friend in Montenegro and ask him to meet you. ) Otherways transportation planing is a must. Luckily Budva is very close to Tivat airport and decision will be very easy.

Tivat airport is the most popular airport in Montenegro and Budva is the main turistic destination in Montenegro, so about 80% of turists need a ride between these two. Tivat airport is still small airport with no night flights. There are only 3 options to reach your resort in Budva if you are landing at Tivat airport. Distance is 21km if you are staying in Budva city center, 24km to Becici, up to 29km if you stay in Sveti Stefan.

 

1. Bus - 2€ per person, 45 minutes waiting, 40 minutes ride
2. Bus organised by tour operator - included in arrangement, 60 minutes waiting, 40 - 60 minutes ride
3. Taxi - 15€, 0 minutes waiting, 20-25 minutes ride 

1. Traveling with bus in Montenegro is something Montenegrins don't recomended. According to latest news, 90% of public busses are not technicaly ok but they are still operating. Also many of them doesn't have air condition as they are too old, and that is a big problem in summer season. Surely it's the cheapest option to get from Tivat to Budva, but it's the most complicated.

- Firstly because Tivat bus station is 1.4km away from Tivat airport.

- Secondly because you can get Tivat bus station only on foot, as there is no taxi that will accept such short ride (or they will ask unacceptable price). Also there is no walking path so you must walk on the main road what is not secure at all, and it takes about 20-25 minutes. With luggage everything becomes more difficult...

- Thirdly because busses are not too frequent. Waiting
time is depending just how lucky you are. Average time of waiting is 45 minutes in high season up to 1:30h out of summer season. 

- Fourthly because the bus will drive you to Budva bus station, not to your accomodation door. Finding your accomodation on foot will be very very difficult if you don't have internet access for GPS navigation. Also if you don't pay attention when taking the taxi in Budva you may get charged double or more then standard price of 1€ for start and 1€ per kilometer.

- fifthly because the trip of 21km from Tivat to Budva takes about 40 minutes. If you are staying in Becici, Rafailovici or Sveti Stefan you could find many more difficulites as many busses are not going through this places but turn up to mountines to Cetinje and Podgorica. The only benefit from this type of transportation is ticket price. It costs about 2€ per person. Don't forget othere expences such taxi ride from Budva bus station to your accomodation. 

2. If you are traveling to Montenegro with tour operator or travel agency you should have organised bus transportation to your accomodation. Usually it's included in the price of full arrangement, but it may not be, so pay attention. It must be mentioned that hese busses are modern and totaly different from public busses. But also they are reserved for travel agencies and their guests, so if you didn't book with that travel agency you can't get in. This organised bus ride is very acceptable but it has some weaknesses too. 

 

- First is long waiting time at the airport. Tour operators usually organise charter flights and there are many people to be served at the same time. So everybody who is on the list for the plane must be double checked to be in the bus too. All that takes a lot of time, because you have to pass passport controll, customs controll, wait for luggage (paperwork because of lost luggage), confusions with meeting the agent, smoke stop, toilet stop... So if just one person has some issues, everybody waits... 

- Second is that you may not be driven to the door of your accomodation in Budva. It's because buses can't get all areas of the town and because of narrow streets. 

- Third is that trip takes about 40 minutes up to 1:30 hours. Every passenger choose and book preferable accomodation, so you may have to pass many different locations till yours. Everything is the same for travel agencies as they are just subagents of tour operators. You should pay attention if you are offered individual/private transfer in Montenegro by your tour operator because their prices are too high, as all travel agencies work for commision and charge double or more from standard price. Also pay attention if it's shared ride or private ride. 

3. Taxi is definitely the best option for trip from Tivat airport to Budva. The only weakness is that it cost more then others. But taxi is still more then affordable, and we can also say cheap. Don't take airport taxi at all!! They are something that everybody in Montenegro turism are ashamed of. They are very pushy, unfriendly, unkind, unpolite, driving mostly with very old cars and still very very expenive. For standard ride of 15-20€ they ask 30-40€. So taxi is good choice only if you pre-book your car in advance and have agreed fixed price written in voucher.

 

 

 

With taxi from Tivat airport to Budva you save precious holiday time because time of the ride is only 20 minutes, what's double less in comparation to bus. There is no waiting at the airport, you just meet your driver and go stright to the car. You get help with your luggage too. Enjoy comfortable ride and free WiFi in the car, your prefered music or short stops for sightseeing during the ride. You will be driven stright to the door of your accomodation (except if you are in Budva old town).