Tips for a 20-day Montenegro and Croatia itinerary

hello I’m looking for advice for a last-minute trip—about 3 weeks (half Montenegro, half Croatia). I’m traveling solo, backpacker style (low budget, hostels). I’m 40 and love exploring cool spots—cities, beaches, mountains, sports activities, you name it.

I’m torn between renting a car or just going with the flow using buses once I’m there. A car would definitely be more convenient, but it might be pricier—plus, parking (is it paid?) and having to return it to the same place. My plan is to start in Montenegro (flying into Podgorica or Albania) and finish in Croatia, so I’d either need to do short-term rentals per country or one-way.

In Montenegro, here are the spots I’ve noted: - Ulcinj and Velika Plaža beach - A side trip to Lake Skadar and Virpazar - Budva, Sveti Stefan, and Petrovac - Cetinje and Lovćen National Park - Kotor / Perast - Žabljak and Durmitor National Park + rafting in the Tara Canyon Is 8–10 days enough?

And in Croatia, I’ve got: - Dubrovnik - Korčula - Hvar - Split + Trogir and Krka National Park - Zadar - Plitvice Lakes National Park - Croatian Istria / Rovinj / Pula - Zagreb Around 10–12 days.

Any tips on the stops (adding or cutting some from my list) or transportation options?

Thanks in advance!

I suggest booking a low-cost flight to Tirana (Albania...) and then taking a bus to the Albanian Alps (Theth). After that, you can cross the border into Montenegro. Albania is a friendlier country (human connections) and cheaper than Montenegro. PS: There are also daily buses from Tirana to Podgorica.

I don’t think a 20-day itinerary of this scale is realistic using public transport, especially if the idea is to spend time in cities, at the beach, in the mountains, and doing sports. Even by car for the Croatia portion, 12 days feels tight.

My first suggestion would be to drop Istria for this trip and combine that region with Slovenia and the Kvarner islands (Cres/Lošinj, Krk, Rab) on another trip.

It all depends on your travel habits, though: personally, I’d rather spend time looking for parking than figuring out the next mode of transport and its schedule. I prefer the flexibility of a car, which lets you stop anywhere, anytime. But of course, it’s more expensive. You could rent a car in Montenegro, then take a bus to Dubrovnik, a catamaran to Split via the islands, and then rent another car for the rest (dropping it off in Zagreb).

As for destinations, in Montenegro, there’s also the Ostrog Monastery. In Croatia, one island is enough if you’re short on time, though Mljet is great if you like hiking/nature. Šibenik is worth a day, more so than Zadar in my opinion.

My first suggestion would be to skip Istria for this trip and combine that region with Slovenia and the Kvarner islands (Cres/Losinj, Krk, Rab) on another trip.

I agree.

It’s better to stick to Montenegro. If you really want, you could do Tirana, Shkodër/Theth and then enter Montenegro. You could also combine Montenegro with a detour into Bosnia—I liked it (back in Yugoslavia days). Save Croatia and its islands + Slovenia for another trip.

Thanks for your feedback! I’ve already been to Albania and Slovenia on other trips, so I know them well already ;) Yes, the plan is to land in Tirana (direct flight from Nice, unlike Podgorica) and cross the border quickly. For the return trip, I’d noted ending in Zagreb (overnight bus to Nice), since there are no direct flights from Croatia to Nice either.

I’ve taken note of your suggestions—cutting Istria and the other stops to add/remove. My list is still a first draft, and yeah, I definitely need to refine it!