Bar travel guide

Bar is a major port for Montenegro.

The oldest olive tree in the world, in Bar (Photo: Кокан, CC0)

Understand

The Old Town of Bar, 4 km far from the coast, is the most significant among the numerous cultural-historical monuments of this town, a witness to its turbulent history. These old bricks are deaf witnesses of numerous conquerors and different cultures.

Bar is the main port city of Montenegro. Unlike other cities along the coastline, Bar is not only tourist-focused, and the most majority of restaurants, bars and shops are open year-around for the local population. The tourist centres and tour companies usually only operate during the May - September summer season.

Get in

By plane

For the airports in Podgorica or Tivat take a bus or a Taxi, from Podgorica you can also take the train, and then continue a local taxi to the airport.

Alternatively, take a one-hour drive by a car. It is possible to reach Podgorica airport through a taxi service. A transfer should cost €30 for a vehicle up to four passengers, and €60 for a minivan up to eight passengers.

By train

One day train ("Tara") and one night train ("Lovcen") take eleven hours from Belgrade via Rakovica (for Belgrade suburban lines), Bijelo Poljea, Prijepolje, Podgorica and a dozen other stops; they're chronically an hour late. Scheduled arrival is 7:23 AM. For 2024 the day service runs only between mid-June and mid-September and requires a simple change between Serbian and Montenegrin local trains at the border station of Bijelo Polje. In Belgrade for some years these trains departed from Topcider, the dreary motorail terminal in the southern burbs, but they now run from Centar station.

See rail travel in Montenegro for fare prices and timetable info.

• Bar railway station (Željeznička stanica).

By boat

• Ship terminal. Daily ferries operated by Montengro Lines to/from Bari, Italy departing at 22:00 and arriving at 7:00 (from €56). The company also operates bi-weekly ferries to/from Ancona, Italy.

By bus

• Autobuska stanica (Bus station) (2 km from centre, 300 m from train station), ☏ +382 30 346 141. Frequent buses operate along the coast to Budva, Tivat (for the airport) and Kotor. The journey to Podgorica takes a little over an hour, journeys to Ulcinj take about 30 minutes and journeys north to Budva and Kotor take one hour and just under two hours respectively. If you're heading to Bar's beaches in Susanj, you can ask to be let off the buses (for those coming from Podgorica, Budva and Kotor) in Susanj rather than having to walk all the way back from the bus station. Cash only.

Get around

By bus

During the summer months, there is a local bus service running between Sutomare (about 5 km north along the coast) and Bar. Services are hourly.

On foot

Bar is a relatively small city, and most central areas can be explored on foot. The walk between central Bar and the beaches in Šušanj takes around 30 minutes.

Taxi

• MonteGO. 24h. Ride-hailing service available through the MonteGO app. Passengers can request licensed taxis and see the estimated fare and trip details in the app before travelling.

Car rentals
Car rental services are available in Bar and can also be arranged at Montenegro's main airports.

See

The wall of Stari Bar (Photo: Dudva, CC BY-SA 3.0)

• Stari Bar (Bar Old Town). A great set of ruins of churches and mosques, a few km from the current Bar. A taxi from the city center to Stari Bar shouldn't cost more than €4. An hourly bus operated by Mediteran Expres goes to Stari Bar (1 euro). Use wikiroutes to find the bus stops or ask locals. It is free to walk around the old town but you have to pay to enter the fortress. €5 (discounts for children).
• Bar Fortress.
• Stara Maslina (Стара маслина). One of the world's oldest olive trees, estimated to be between 2000 and 2500 years old. 1EUR.
• Bar Royal Palace. Houses the city museum of Bar.
• Port of Bar. not really fancy but you can see some great ships, beautiful yachts and small fishing boats.
• Beaches in Susanj. Cleaner water and more space a short walk along the promenade north of the city centre.

Churches and monasteries

There are numerous of historic churches and monasteries in and around Bar.

• Church of St. Jovan Vladimir.

Do

• Football: FK Mornar play in First League, the top tier. Their home ground Stadion Topolica (capacity 2500) is on the coast north side of town; it's also used by lower-tier teams.

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Eat

Budget

• Pizzeria Pulena, Robna kuca Izbor, Ul. Vladimira Rolovića, ☏ +382 67 335 334. Lots of pizza and fried goodies.
• Sunce, nacionalna kuc'a, ul. Rista Lekic'a, ☏ +382 67 511 783. 8:00 - 21:00. Home made national food.
• Banjalučki ćevap, Požarevačka ulica.
• Sidro Plus, Željeznicka Stanica Bar.

Mid-range

• Gradski Restoran, 41 Ulica Jovana Tomasevica, ☏ +382 85 312 025. Partly inside, partly on a terrace with amazing mountain views. Popular with locals.
• Gurman, 2 Maršala Tita.
• Pascucci, G10, Bulevar Revolucije.
• Soho Pizza Bar, Булевар Револуције.

Drink

• Le Petit Chateau Restoran. Cafe/restaurant on boardwalk.
• La Esquina, 17 Vladimira Rolovica II.

Outside of town

• Montenegro Tower, Tower Works Doo, Ravanj 128, 85356 Pečurice (in Dubrava, a 15-minute drive south from the city centre, via the M2.4), info@montenegrotower.com. Bar open 16:00-22:00, Fri/Sat. Bar and co-working space in a 17th-century Ottoman watchtower with pretty views.

Sleep

Budget

• Villa Kovacevic, Topolica 3, ☏ +382 68 551 236. It's sort of a penthouse homestay with grand views over the Bar municipality and seafront. $26.

Splurge

• Hotel Princess, ☏ +382 85 300 100, reservations@htpkorali.com. 4-star hotel directly facing the Adriatic and the boardwalk. Parking, fitness centre and other amenities. Single: €72-87; Double: €94-154.

Connect

As of Sept 2021, Bar has 4G from all Montenegro carriers. 5G has not rolled out in Montenegro.

Go next

• Podgorica, capital of Montenegro, 1 hour away by car, also by train (€2.40) at 9:23AM, 11:32AM, 2:13 PM, 5:03 PM and the last one at 8:38 PM
• Budva, 50 min by car on a coastal road trip
• Kotor and Bay of Kotor €6.50 by bus.
• Ulcinj, most southern coastal town, 30 min away by car, close to Albania border
• Shkodra, 1 hour away by car in Albania
• Dubrovnik, most popular coastal city in Croatia
• Belgrade, Nis, and Novi Sad in Serbia

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