Kotor is 70 km from Dubrovnik Airport, with one border on the way. No direct bus leaves from the airport, so here is what each option really involves, what it costs and how long it takes.
Dubrovnik Airport lies south-east of the city, on the Montenegro side, so you do not go back through Dubrovnik at all. From the airport the Croatian border post at Karasovići is close, Debeli Brijeg on the Montenegrin side follows straight after it, and the road then runs along the Bay of Kotor to the walled old town. Allow about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours by car, including an ordinary border crossing.
Is there a direct bus?
Not from the airport. You first take the airport shuttle to the main bus station in Gruž, about 30 minutes, then a coach to Kotor. Coaches are scheduled at 2 to 2.5 hours and tickets are sold at very different prices depending on the operator and the seller, roughly 10 to 30 euros per person. There are only a few departures a day and they do not wait for flights, so door to door the trip usually takes 3.5 hours or more. It works if you are alone, light and not in a hurry. Coaches stop at the bus station in Škaljari, a walk of about 10 minutes from the old town.
Taxi from the airport
A taxi can do the trip, but it is a long cross-border ride rather than a normal fare. Quotes of around 240 euros are common. Agree the price before you get in and check that the driver is willing to cross the border.
Rental car
Possible, and useful if you plan to tour Montenegro. Tell the rental company in advance: taking the car out of Croatia needs its permission and the Green Card insurance, usually at an extra fee, and returning the car in another country costs considerably more. In summer, parking in Kotor is the other problem, because the old town is closed to cars.
Private transfer
With Galaxy Transfer the Dubrovnik Airport to Kotor transfer costs 250 euros for a car with up to 3 passengers and 340 euros for a van with up to 8. The price is per vehicle, so four people in a van pay 85 euros each. The driver waits in arrivals with your name on a sign, tracks the flight, and the first 60 minutes of waiting after landing are free. We stop at the Sea Gate, a minute from the main square, or at your accommodation if a car can reach it.
You can also add a stop while booking. Perast is about 15 minutes before Kotor and its two tiny islands are the classic view of the bay. The Kotor cable car is the other stop guests add.
The border: what to expect
- Montenegro is outside the EU and Schengen, so every passenger needs a passport. EU citizens can use a national ID card.
- Off season the crossing usually takes about ten minutes. In July and August it can take 30 to 60 minutes in the morning and again in the late afternoon.
- Since April 2026 the EU's Entry/Exit System registers non-EU travellers on leaving and re-entering Schengen with a photo and fingerprints, instead of passport stamps. The first registration takes a little longer.
- Montenegro uses the euro, but EU mobile roaming does not apply there.
Which one should you take?
- Alone with a backpack and a free day: the coach from Gruž.
- Two or more people, or children, or a late flight: a private transfer. It costs about the same as a taxi and the price is fixed in advance.
- Touring Montenegro for a week: a rental car, picked up in Croatia with the border papers arranged.
Good to know
- From Dubrovnik Old Town the same trip is 92 km and about 2 hours 10 minutes, also 250 euros.
- The ferry between Kamenari and Lepetane is the shortcut to Tivat and Budva. For Kotor the road around the bay is the scenic and usual way.
- Flying out of Tivat instead? Tivat Airport is about 12 km from Kotor, and a transfer from Dubrovnik Old Town costs 220 euros.
- Not staying? The private Montenegro day trip takes about 10 hours and costs 470 euros per vehicle.