Without a doubt, Montenegro is best explored by car, but if you still prefer using public transport, there is a website for the bus schedule and tickets: www.busticket4.me/EN. Keep in mind that tickets purchased online are 0,50-1 euro cheaper than those purchased at the bus station. Also, the schedule is very flexible, so don’t be surprised by last minute changes and be sure to ask about the time of arrival/departure of your bus at the Infodesk.
A ticket from Tivat to Kotor or vice versa will cost you 1,5-1,80 euro plus the station service charge, and the trip normally takes 20 minutes. But, in the season, the travel time is unpredictable. Yesterday, for example, I spent half a day to visit my hairdresser in Kotor just because of urgent construction works on the way to the Lustica peninsula which blocked the way from Tivat. If you travel by public transport, there is always an option to go in the opposite direction with the local blue bus which arrives normally every hour and goes around the bay.
You can get on Blue line bus at any bus stop in the Tivat area (not bus station), and the ticket is 2 euro and purchased onboard. This is the best way to get to the villages of the Kotor bay such as Prcanj and Stoliv. But be ready for a very slow drive on a narrow village road and tell the driver in advance where you need to get out. Coming back from Kotor, you can catch the Blue line in front of the post office in Skaljari, 100m from the circular motion point (don’t get confused by no bus signs around – it’s an improvised bus stop).
Traveling by bus between the cities in Montenegro, keep in mind that the bus will take you to the station, not to the city, so you’ll need to walk to for sightseeing and to downtown additionally.
If you’re lucky to drive a car in Montenegro, you can avoid traffic jams in half of these cases by using village roads. Google maps most likely will not offer you this option, but here is my route yesterday from Tivat to Kotor and back, through Kavac and Skaljari. This is not only faster (20 min instead of 1,5h) but also unbelievably beautiful because of the view from the Skaljari heights over the Kotor bay. Drive carefully, don’t rush and enjoy your trip.
