How to get to Montenegro: Everything you need to know

NOW READING •

This summer UKF will be teaming up with Exit Festival and TheSoundYouNeed to bring you the ultimate beach-and-beast bounty: Sea Dance Festival

Last month we revealed the date: July 15 – 18

Last week we revealed the stunning location: Budva & Jaz Beach, Montenegro

This week we’ve announced the first of many killer acts: Rudimental, Sigma and Wilkinson

Over the coming weeks we’ll be confirming stacks more incredible artists and DJs who’ll be joining us. But right now, here’s more practical information that’s essential to know if you’re joining us: airports and other, perhaps less obvious, travel options.

If you’ve already booked your ticket, bookmark this page – we’ve gone into some serious details to make sure your experience is as smooth as every international festival mission should be.

If you’re still thinking about joining us, bookmark this page – these details may help you make the educated decision on whether to come or not!

.

Airports

Flights to Montenegro can be as short as two hours from the UK and northern Europe, approximately 12 hours from US east coast and around 19 hours from US west coast.

Your route provider will influence this, but these are the five main airports UKF and Sea Dance will be operating transfers from:

Tivat

25km/30 minute drive away from Budva: Tivat is where it’s at. The following airlines operate to/from Tivat Airport: Air Serbia (Belgrade), Montenegro Airlines (Belgrade, Copenhagen, London-Gatwick, Moscow-Domodedovo, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Pristina, Rome-Fiumicino, Skopje, St Petersburg).

Podgorica

65km and about one and a half hours drive away from Budva. Podgorica has regular direct connections with London and other major European capitals: Frankfurt, Rome, Zurich, Paris, Moscow, Istanbul. During the summer there are additional flights from London operated by RyanAir.

Dubrovnik

80km and approximately two and a half hours from Budva. Many more airlines fly into Dubrovnik, south Croatia, including EasyJet, Norwegian Airlines, British Airways, Jet2 and Monarch. If you are flying from any other UK airport besides Gatwick you will need to fly into Dubrovnik.

Split

350km from Budva. Split hosts a large list of direct flight operators including EasyJet, British Airways, Air Berlin, Austrian Airlines, Aeroflot, Lufthansa, Thompson Airways, Thomas Cook and Wizz Air

Zadar

450km from Budva. Zadar may be the furthest airport from the action but its relationship with Ryanair means it shouldn’t be overlooked in your travel plan. Other direct flight operators include Germanwings, Lufthansa and Vueling.

On Arrival

For the easiest possible journey, we are offering bus transfer packages to and from all of the above airports. See here for our prices.

Car rental

Fancy driving when you land in one of the further airports? Most rental companies allow cars to be taken to Montenegro, but make sure you’ve been provided with the necessary insurance and paperwork before taking the car over the border. The main border crossing on the coastal road suffers major delays during the summer but there is a smaller border crossing with minimal or no wait times on the road from Molunat to Montenegro. It’s worth leaving the main road to avoid the traffic: just follow the signs for Molunat and the Prevlaka National Park, then take a left when you reach the sea.

Why not cycle?

Just to give you that extra sense of achievement, if you’ve packed light enough then a bike ride from Dubrovnik is highly recommended.

Bikes can be hired from Dubrovnik in advance from Meriden Ten

The entire journey is 60km via Herceg Novi via a ferry across Boka Bay (which costs €5) Depending on your fitness this will take between 2-5 hours and is one of the most beautiful ways to enter Montenegro and experience the stunning coastal setting you’ll be partying in.

Travel By Train

If you’re travelling from Europe (or travelling from further afield and flying into Europe) a cross continental train trip will add an extra sense of adventure and extend the four day festival into a proper holiday.

Shop wisely and in advance, and train tickets will cost around the same price as a European flight but will give you a chance to soak up the Europe’s views in the company of your best friends as you cruise through France, Germany, Austria, Hungary and Serbia before changing to the scenic Belgrade-Bar route.

The entire trip will take two days (with a sleeper carriage) and full details can be found on these third party travel sites Seat61 / Trainline

Top tips: Book a seat on the right hand side of the carriage en route to Budva for the best views. And stock up on great wine and food when changing in Paris!

Road trip?

If you’re travelling in a party of two or more, driving all the way to Montenegro isn’t as absurd as it may seem at first.

Firstly, it’s by far the cheapest option. The 2400km journey from London may seem long, but the actual driving time is around 24 hours and the petrol cost – based on an average 2litre engine – will be no more than £300. With fuel prices the way they are, arguably a fair whack less.

Secondly, what an adventure! Take your time and explore the likes of Germany, Austria, Slovenia and Croatia as you earn your stripes as king of the European roads. If you’re all licence holders and share rooms in travel hotels en route, both the price and responsibilities can be shared evenly. A great website to help you calculate costs and plot your journey can be found here.

Remember: Sea Dance may only last four days, but, unlike regular festivals that kick you off the site first thing Monday morning, you don’t have to leave Budva until you’re ready to make the journey back home.

However you travel… Make this trip a holiday you’ll never forget!

Now you know how to get there… Join us!