Car Hire in Perast

Renting a car in Perast

Perast is fifteen buildings wide and half a kilometre long, and no cars go inside the village. Pickup and drop-off happen at either the Istočni or Zapadni village parking lot on the E65 above the shore, then you walk down. From Budva the run is thirty-seven kilometres around the bay via Kotor, about forty-five minutes outside summer.

Perast for drivers

Perast sits on the north shore of the inner Bay of Kotor, facing the two small islands of Our Lady of the Rocks and Sveti Đorđe. Sixteen baroque churches line the seafront strip; several palaces, all shuttered in winter, look out over the water. A rental in Perast is really a base for exploring the fjord road up and down the bay.

For most of the year, a small hatch is right. The shore road narrows past the village and there is nowhere to turn once you commit; a compact car makes the manoeuvres easy. The push over to Herceg Novi and the Croatian side is the longest drive from Perast at just under an hour.

Where to pick up in Perast

Pickup is at one of the two village lots, or at your hotel by prior arrangement. A handful of the hillside villas above the shore road have their own parking; the supplier will confirm the exact spot when you book.

• Istočni parking (eastern village lot on the E65)
• Zapadni parking (western village lot on the E65)
• Hotel Conte on the seafront
• Heritage Grand Perast at the eastern end
• Boat pier for Our Lady of the Rocks
• Roadside handover on the E65 above the village

The village itself is a strict pedestrian zone. Once you have the keys, driving is easy: the road either goes back east to Kotor, or west along the fjord to Risan and the Roman mosaics.

Getting there and driving

Most Perast pickups start from Kotor or from Tivat Airport. From the airport, the drive round the bay is twenty-eight kilometres and about forty-five minutes; the shorter of the two options is the Vrmac tunnel then a straight run along the north shore. From Budva, thirty-seven kilometres brings you round the bay in forty-five minutes outside summer.

The E65 fjord road is narrow through Prčanj and Muo where the shore squeezes between water and rock; there are pull-outs every hundred metres for photos. Fuel stations sit at Kotor and at Kamenari for the ferry crossing; Perast itself has none.

Parking in Perast

Both village lots operate on the same tariff, paid at the machine or in cash to the attendant. They fill on cruise-ship days between ten and one; anyone arriving inside that window should aim for the eastern lot which turns over faster.

Hotel guests along the seafront can arrange for the block to hold a bay for the night; ask when you book. Anyone parked overnight in a village lot should watch the tariff board for the seasonal switch.

Scenic drives and day trips

The classic day out from Perast is the fjord loop: west to Risan for the Roman mosaics, on to Herceg Novi at the mouth of the bay, back through Kotor on the south shore. Two hours of driving, half a day with stops, and every corner opens onto water.

Inland, the mountain climb to Cetinje starts from Kotor and adds three hours to the round trip. The reward is the road itself: twenty-five hairpins with the whole bay laid out below. In summer the queue at the last passing point on the way up will teach patience.

Insurance and deposit

Every booking on the platform includes free third-party liability cover with a small refundable deposit at pickup. The Perast shore road is easy driving and rarely tests the base level; the risk is on the Cetinje climb inland if that is on the plan.

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, the pick for anyone driving across to Croatia. Tiers and rules are on the insurance page.

For a Perast pickup a compact hatch is easiest, and the Fiat 500 is the natural pick: small enough for the shore road turnouts, cheap on the fuel bill on the run round the bay, and easy to slot into either village lot when you come back.

Pick up the keys and drive

Choose a car, agree a slot at the village lot, and start the run round the bay. Free cancellation on most cars keeps the plan flexible if the day shifts.

Perast car rental FAQ

Renter questions about a Perast pickup: which of the two lots to aim for, what the drive from Budva feels like in summer, and whether the boat trip is included in the day.