Eastern and Central Europe (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

538 SOUTH EASTERN EUROPE

Practical & Travel Information

With the years of Communism and the recent Yugoslav

Wars firmly behind it, tourism has picked up in
Montenegro. There are plenty of tourist information
centres across the country, although the staff may
not be fluent in English. Public transport is good with
frequent bus services connecting most towns, and
additional minibus shut tles operating along the coast
during sum mer. The country’s only passen ger railway
line runs from Bar to Podgorica, from where it continues
north to Belgrade. Those intent on exploring the more
remote interior regions and the beautiful countryside
are best advised to rent a vehicle.

THE CLIMATE OF

MONTENEGRO

The coast of Montenegro

enjoys a Mediterranean

climate with long, hot

summers and short, wet

winters. Summer tempera-

tures average 28° C

(82° F) and drop to around

8° C (46° F) in winter.

Inland, the mount ainous

regions average 22° C

(72° F) in summer and

-3° C (27° F) in winter,

with heavy snowfall.

PODGORICA

29 /84

19 /66^21 /70

monthAprJul Oct Jan

9 /48

7

hrs

11

hrs

6

hrs

4

hrs

98

mm

38

mm

230

mm

163

mm

9 /48

21 /70

12 /54

3 /37

VISITOR INFORMATION

The National Tourism

Organization of Montenegro

is quite helpful, and there

are several informative

tourist websites, as well as

Podgorica’s free In Your Pocket

guide, which also has its own

website. There are tourist

offices in all the main towns.

These offer free maps and

brochures and can provide

information on hotels and

local attractions, although

not all staff members speak

English. Smaller towns also

have good sources of informa-

tion, but again, not necessarily

in English. There is, however,

a 24-hour tourist information

helpline in English.

BANKING AND CURRENCY

The euro has been the

country’s official currency

since 2002. ATMs can be found

in all but the smallest towns.

Credit cards are accepted in

many large hotels, restaurants,

shops and petrol stations.

Banks are usually open from

8am to 5pm Monday to

Saturday, and will exchange

cash and traveller’s cheques.

DOCUMENTATION

Citizens of the European
Union (EU), Switzerland,
Norway, Iceland, Israel,
the US, Cyprus, Croatia,
Canada, Korea, Singapore,
Australia and New Zealand
can enter Montenegro with
a valid pass port for up to
90 days without a visa.
Those needing visas should
apply directly to the
Montenegrin Embassy in
their respective country.
Visitors are required to
register with the police within
24 hours of their arrival;
this is usually arranged by
the hotel soon after arrival.

HEALTH AND SECURITY

Visitors are advised to carry

any medical prescription

and essential medicines

with them when travelling to

Montenegro. They also need

to be vacci nated against

diphtheria, teta nus and polio

prior to travel. Generally,

WHEN TO VISIT

A good time to visit the
country is during spring
and autumn: late March
to late June, and between
September and October.
July and August are the best
months for those seeking
sunshine and crowds, how-
ever this is high season, so
room prices can be high.

public clinics are not open to

visitors and it is better to go

to private hospitals where the

stan dard of care is high and

the doc tors speak English.

Private clinics and hospitals

expect cash payment even

for minor treat ment; visitors

are advised to have their

own health insur ance. Well-

known hospitals in the capital

include As Mediph and Kbc.

Pharma cists sell over-the-

counter medicines and can

advise on minor ail ments.

People need to be wary of tick

bites, espe cially when camping

or hiking, and seek immediate

medi cal assistance if bitten.

Montenegro has a low crime

rate and travellers are unlikely

to encounter any thing more

serious than pick pocketing and

petty theft. It is safe for women

travellers to walk alone at

night, but they should exercise

caution in lonely spots.

COMMUNICATIONS

Public payphones are very

rare in Montenegro, so it is

best to head to a post office

to make a call. Phone cards,

such as MonteCards, for use

in phone booths, can be pur-

chased in post offices as

well as newspaper kiosks.

How ever, these are usually

FACILITIES FOR

THE DISABLED

There is little public awareness

of the needs of the disabled

in Montenegro although

upmar ket hotels and popular

beach resorts may cater for

travellers with disabilities. In

Podgorica, most pedestrian

crossings have sloped kerbs

and the main crossings

are equipped with sound

signalling systems.

° C/F

0°C

32°F