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This is rich coming from someone who is always keen to get to Italy whenever he gets the chance for a little sun and his beloved pistacchio gelato at that stone jetty, but I’m not sure if you’ve been following the news lately, but Europe is going crazy with their EES rules.
The (now) infamous Entry/Exit system that the European Union has imposed on newcomers, including those from America, leads to major delays at airports, including Waiting times from 3 to 6 hours at some border posts.
Portugal, we’re looking at you.
That’s because, instead of just going through routine passport checks when landing in a new country, Travelers must now register their fingerprints and undergo a facial scan as soon as they landand this extra step has created significant bottlenecks at some access points.
Italy is no exception; airports like Milan Bergamo and Rome Fiumicino all see snaking lines and in some cases planes depart while leaving dozens of passengers behind.
I can’t do anything about this mess when all I want is some relaxing quality time by the Mediterranean. That’s why I’m making the conscious choice this summer to skip Italy – and the entire EU as a whole going anywhere, none of this mess applies:
Is Montenegro the Italy 2.0 we were all looking for?
Montenegro, a small country sandwiched between the much better-known Croatia and the increasingly trendy Albania, has slowly emerged from the shadows as Italy’s perfect dupe in recent years for a number of reasons.
For starters, the Montenegrin coastline was effectively under the control of the Maritime Republic of Venice for much of medieval history, and the numerous city fortresses that stretch across this particular stretch of the Adriatic Sea essentially feel like an extension of the floating city…
Minus the canals and hefty price tags. But don’t worry, we’ll find out soon enough.
Secondly, there is the fact that Montenegro is not part of the European Union… yet. There is still great emphasis on the euro, but it is being used, and adoption of the euro is accelerating in the near future. For the time being, however, it remains partly outside the Brussels sphere of influence.
This means none of those pesky Schengen rules, which require you to stay in 29 member states for only 90 days of a 180-day period, and now no fingerprints or mandatory registration on arrival.
Most people are welcome visa-free in Montenegro, including US passport holders, and they can stay for 90 days regardless of time spent in other European countries.
The entry rules for Montenegro are quite simple: Just bring your US passport, make sure that there are at least a few blank pages left for the entry and exit stamps, and that it is still valid for 6 months beyond the period of your stay.
Either way, if you’re traveling to Europe this summer, chances are you’ll be hopping around the country like it’s nobody’s business. We get it, small countries, scenic train routes and smooth cross-border travel like going from California to Arizona.
In this case, we strongly recommend that you check the relevant travel rules for each destination on the Entry Requirements Check page, as these can vary drastically.
The Mini Dubrovnik also doubles as the perfect Italy dupe
Back to Montenegro, there are few places that have left such a lasting impression on me as Kotor.
Some call it the mini-Dubrovnik, but for me it really is the perfect Italy dupe:
Think of a fortified port town on the inside of a winding bay that looks almost fjord-like, completely surrounded by sturdy walls and reinforced by drawbridges over turquoise lagoons, stone ramparts and ancient gates with the Venetian winged lion.
Kotor used to be one of the most powerful ports under Venice, and although its loyalties clearly changed, the… The Italian heritage is still strong:
The whole town is a maze of cobbled streets lined with typical Mediterranean ocher buildings and classic weathered shutters, and everywhere you turn seems to lead to a small piazzetta anchored by incredibly picturesque Romanesque chapels and family-run trattorias.
If we compare Kotor to Italy as a whole, it is not dramatically cheaper. at least not anymore.
The cost of living for locals may be lower, groceries are about 30 to 35% cheaper, but generally you’ll pay about $3 for an americano and a pastry at a local pasticceria, and about $15-$17 for a ‘budget’ restaurant meal.
Kotor has postcard value, but it’s also the place where your tourist dollars will stretch the least. That does not mean that this is the case elsewhere in Montenegro:
Coastal happiness found on Herceg Novi
One of my favorite coastal getaways in Montenegro is the up-and-coming seaside resort of Herceg Novi: think a lively promenade lined with cafes and seafood restaurants, rows of palm trees and a more local atmosphere than Kotor.
Locals go here instead of tourist-dominated Kotor.
A casual lunch at a waterfront eatery can be as cheap as $14, while seafood dinners in town will set you back more than $40 in an average Italian city. range from $22 to $24.
You don’t have to completely rein in the hotel budget either: an entire oceanfront apartment, often right on the boardwalk, or just a few blocks away, costs between $70 and $130 per night.
Unlike Italy, where there are beautiful buildings with an outdated interior that has not been renovated for decades, and usually barely functioning air conditioning, Herceg Novi has an atmosphere of renovated, modern, bright apartments… about the same price, if not less.
Montenegro is currently one of the safest destinations in Europe
But my favorite thing about beach hopping in Montenegro? This is without a doubt one of the safest destinations for Eurosummer at the moment virtually no violent crimes that tourists suffer from, and virtually none of the pickpockets and bag snatchers that now plague much of Italy.
Italy is officially a Level 2 destination, according to the U.S. government travel advisory, meaning Americans should exercise greater caution when visiting. Montenegro is at a completely safe level 1. In other words, you can take the normal precautions.
Additionally, Montenegro scores 90/100 on the Traveler Safety Index, based on reports from actual visitors and recent travelers on site who have actually been there in recent months.
From Herceg Novi… to the bar
This was a bit of a surprise on my drive from Albania to Montenegro, but the modern work town of Bar ended up being one of my favorite beach getaways in the entire Adriatic.
It is less touristy, people live here all year round, it has a large marina with a row of restaurants, lots of shopping streets and an exceptionally long waterfront.
I’ve had some of the best pasta under $12 at Coccopazzo, a 10-minute walk inland from the water.
Bar has some of the best beaches in all of Montenegro, and admittedly it’s not the soft golden Florida sand you might be used to, but if you don’t mind small pebbles and a bit of gravel, the seas are just as crystal clear, and thanks to the sheer length of coastline it never really feels too crowded.
I must say that Bar is not as medieval beautiful as Kotor.
It acts as a practical base and a stopover on the beach between Albania and the Bay, if you are taking a road trip through the Balkans, but if the atmosphere of the open-air museum whatever you go for, Stari Bari is only 4 km inland.
This fortified hilltop settlement has old stone streets, Ottoman-era buildings, olive oil shops selling farm-to-table produce, and mountain views for days. It’s a bit of a local secret, so don’t talk about it on TikTok.
Budva is all the Adriatic fairytale you need
If you not If you’re really concerned about the occasional cruise crowds, and you’re here mainly for the cheap food and coastal charm that overcrowded Amalfi can no longer offer, then Budva is the place for you.
It’s the trendiest place in Montenegro right now, I’d say even more so than Kotor: it’s got full summer energy, a dozen different beach clubs to choose from, and if you’re actively looking for Old World allure, a compact medieval town located right next to modern resorts.
To sum it up, it is the combination party + beach + postcard of the country, ticking all those boxes, and then some, without ever making a huge dent in your wallet.
A casual meal in the Venice-fortified Old Town, located on a small rocky peninsula surrounded by the turquoise Adriatic Sea, costs between $12 and $20, a cheeky cocktail at a beach club costs an average of $8–$10, and a budget studio within walking distance of Slovenska, the city’s main beach, costs about $80 per night.
But hey, maybe not the best city if you are extremely negative about the crowd.
