Car Hire in Bar

Renting a car in Bar

Bar is Montenegro's largest port and the far south of the coast rental network. Pickup happens at the seafront hotels, at the port for cruise arrivals or the Bari ferry, at the railway station on the north side, and by free delivery inside town. From Budva the drive is forty-five kilometres through the Sozina bypass, forty-five minutes.

Bar for drivers

Bar splits into two: the modern town at the port and Stari Bar, the ruined medieval town up the hill behind. The rental map covers both, plus the promenade and the railway station. The coast road south to Ulcinj starts here; the mountain road up to Cetinje via Virpazar starts here too.

A compact hatch is the pick. The road up to Stari Bar is a switchback of narrow stone lanes that punishes anything longer than a Golf. The push over the mountain to Virpazar and Podgorica is the longest drive from Bar at about an hour.

Where to pick up in Bar

Pickup is at your hotel on the seafront for free, at the port for arrivals from Bari or a cruise, or at the railway station on the north edge. If you are heading straight up to Stari Bar, the supplier will meet at the base of the switchback rather than at the top.

• Free delivery to your Bar hotel or apartment
• Hotel Princess on the seafront
• Port of Bar (Bari ferry and cruise arrivals)
• Bar railway station (for the line up to Podgorica)
• Robna Kuca mall car park
• City delivery to any address in Bar commune

From the seafront the coast road runs south twenty-five kilometres to Ulcinj, or north twelve kilometres back to Sutomore. The Virpazar road climbs inland to Skadar Lake in about half an hour.

Getting there and driving

Most Bar rentals arrive from a Budva stay via the coast road, forty-five kilometres through the Sozina bypass in forty-five minutes. From Podgorica Airport the run is sixty-five kilometres over the mountain, about an hour and ten minutes with the Sozina tunnel. Tivat is a full hundred kilometres and takes an hour and a half.

The Bar bypass has three exits: harbour, town centre, and southern beaches. Fuel stations sit at both ends of the bypass and at the Ulcinj turn. The coast road south is smooth tarmac but narrows to single-lane through the small resorts of Čanj and Dobre Vode.

Parking in Bar

The seafront in Bar has a wide paid strip with a daily cap; hotels along the promenade all include parking. The port carries its own paid lot for ferry passengers, and the railway station has free bays outside the station building.

Stari Bar has one paid car park at the entrance to the ruins, small and busy on days when a cruise ship is in town. Arrive before ten to guarantee a space; overflow parking is a five-minute walk down the road.

Scenic drives and day trips

The natural day out from Bar is a coast run south to Ulcinj and the long sand beach. Forty minutes to Ulcinj town, another twenty to the Velika Plaža beach club strip, and back before dinner. Add an hour if you carry on to the Bojana river mouth for a seafood konoba lunch.

Inland, the Virpazar road climbs to Skadar Lake in half an hour. Boat trips run all day from the village pier; the lake spreads across the border into Albania. The onward drive to Cetinje is steep and slow, ninety minutes each way from Bar.

Insurance and deposit

Every booking on the platform includes free third-party liability cover with a small refundable deposit at pickup. Bar's flat coast driving rarely tests the base level; the risk is on the mountain road above Virpazar and the potholes in the shoulder south of Ulcinj.

Full Coverage limits your liability for accident damage and adds glass, lamps and wheel cover on the switchbacks, though the deposit is still held at pickup; Full Coverage Plus removes the deposit entirely, worth it for anyone taking the Bari ferry or crossing to Albania. Tiers and rules are on the insurance page.

For most Bar rentals a mid-size diesel is the right pick, and the Peugeot 308 BlueHDi is the workhorse here: quiet on the Sozina bypass at motorway speed, and comfortable on the ninety-kilometre push down to the Bojana river with a full boot.

Pick up the keys and drive

Choose a car, agree a slot at the seafront or the port, and drive south. Free cancellation on most cars keeps the plan flexible if the Bari ferry moves.

Bar car rental FAQ

Renter questions about a Bar pickup: what the Sozina tunnel drive feels like, how the Bari ferry works, and where to park at the ruins of Stari Bar.