Dubrovnik Transportation

If you are flying into Dubrovnik Cilipi Airport with the intention of travelling onwards to neighbouring Montenegro, the following account of our airport transfer to Herceg Novi may be useful. The company that we used travel further into Montenegro (for example to Kotor, Tivat, Budva and Podgorica), but you may find it cost effective to use the transfer service as far as Herceg Novi and then take a local bus to other Montenegrin cities.

We flew into Dubrovnik's Cilipi Airport when we visited Herceg Novi in Montenegro in May 2012.

Plenty of pre-trip research online had convinced me that taking a bus from the airport to Herceg Novi was not a viable option for us on this occasion. We arrived in the evening and the next bus from Dubrovnik to Herceg Novi wasn't until the next morning. This wouldn't have made any sense, particularly as the airport is located between Dubrovnik and Herceg Novi and we'd have been travelling 25-30km in the wrong direction, just to travel back again the following morning.

So, what other options did we have? We could either arrange a transfer in advance or we could throw ourselves at the mercy of the waiting taxi drivers.

I searched the Internet and read various forums and in the end I couldn't find anybody offering a transfer for less than the 40 Euros each way that was quoted by www.intravelmontenegro.net. The price was for all passengers (up to 3), not per person, and was to any address in Herceg Novi, so at least we'd be getting door-to-door service in a city that we weren't familiar with.

I filled in an enquiry form on their website and received an automated email reply informing me that I'd get a response within 24 hours. A mere 2 hours later, there was an email in my inbox requesting further details of our transfer requirements. I sent back details of the passenger names, flight number, arrival time and destination (Apartments Milicevic in Herceg Novi) and everything was confirmed. I was told that the driver would be waiting for us outside the arrivals gate with a card showing our names.

I emailed back a day later to ascertain how payment would be made. Should I provide debit card details or would we pay the driver? Another quick reply arrived stating that I should pay the driver in cash at the end of the journey.

All of the pre-trip communication was prompt and efficient.

Dubrovnik Cilipi Airport – Apartments Milicevic, Herceg Novi

Sure enough, when we passed through arrivals we found the driver waiting for us with a sign bearing our names. He took our luggage and guided us to a waiting mini-bus.

We had been expecting a private transfer, but this vehicle would comfortably seat around 10 passengers. There were only 3 of us on board; Emma and I, and another English lady. We sat around for 10 minutes or so, unsure as to whether anybody else would be joining us. In the event, there were still just the 3 of us on board when we set off.

We were a little confused now. We had been quoted 40 Euros for a private transfer of up to 3 people. Our fellow passenger had also been quoted 40 Euros for her transfer, but also had an email stating that the cost would be less if there were more people. Would we be charged 40 Euros each, or 40 Euros in total? The driver asked for 80 Euros in total (40 Euros from us and 40 Euros from the other lady). The other passenger queried this, and the driver made a phone call to his boss. Following a brief conversation, it was decided that the total cost would be 60 Euros; we'd still pay 40 Euros for our transfer, while hers would be reduced to 20 Euros. This seemed to placate our fellow passenger, but Emma insisted on nagging me for a couple of days about how we shouldn't have had to pay 40 Euros for a shared transfer!

The journey time was around 45-50 minutes, including a pretty quick border crossing that took no more than 5 minutes. Instead of joining the queue of private cars at the border, our driver drove to an empty channel with no queue. I can only assume that there is a special express channel for transfer vehicles/buses.

We were dropped off right outside our apartment and we paid the agreed cash sum to the driver. We also arranged for him to pick us up in the same spot at 5pm for our return journey 5 days later. This was confirmed by him in an email a few days later.

Apartments Milicevic, Herceg Novi - Dubrovnik Cilipi Airport

We again shared our return journey to the airport with the same passenger that we had done when we arrived. The driver picked her up first and so arrived a little late (5:10pm) at our apartment. We weren't unduly bothered; the rain had stopped and we had plenty of time to get to the airport for our 8:25pm flight.

Then the journey got eventful!

Just a few minutes after picking us up, we were involved in a crash. Our driver stopped at a pedestrian crossing and another driver slammed into the back of our minibus. Our driver was completely blameless; the other driver seemingly hadn't been paying attention and we didn't even hear the sound of brakes as she crashed into us. We were all a little shaken but, apart from the driver nursing a sore neck, thankfully none of us were hurt.

Fortunately, the accident happened on the main road through Herceg Novi, close to the transfer company's offices, so another car and driver were with us in just a few minutes and we were able to continue our journey with little delay. As we set off again, our original driver was remonstrating with the driver who had crashed into us in front of a watching police officer. Luckily, we didn't need to hang around and give witness statements.

When we arrived at the Montenegro-Croatia border, our driver again ignored the long queue of private cars (and it was a fairly long queue that would have delayed us significantly) and drove up to a kiosk on an empty lane. The lady at the counter appeared to be telling him to turn back and join the queue, while our driver was resolutely thrusting our passports towards her. This continued for a couple of minutes. I'm not entirely sure what all the fuss was about, but I suspect it was due to the fact that our replacement car didn't have company logos on that marked it out as being a transfer company vehicle, so the border guard was telling the driver to join the line of private cars. She soon relented though and let us through.

At the Croatian border, another official stopped the car and asked the driver a few questions. One of which was our nationalities (I know this, because he borrowed my passport to check!) and another was “where were we going?”. I heard the driver tell him that we were going to Cilipi (i.e. the airport) and the border guard seemed to loosen up at that point and wave us through with little concern.

We arrived at the airport at 6:15pm; just an hour after the crash had taken place, and in plenty of time for our 8:25pm flight.

As before, we paid 40 Euros for our transfer and our fellow passenger paid 20 Euros for hers.

If we were ever in the position of needing transport from Dubrovnik Airport to Montenegro again, we would be happy to use InTravelMontenegro. I must stress that our driver was completely blameless for the road accident and I wouldn't want anybody to be put off from using the company because of it. The efficiency with which a replacement vehicle was provided and our journey re-started with minimum delay was very impressive.

The company also arranges transfers to other cities throughout Montenegro, as well as airport transfers to and from Tivat airport. A full list of prices can be found on their website.

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You can book ConnectoTransfers taxi service on a fixed rate and convenient prices to get to your accommodation as easy as possible. Besides great prices with no additional charges, ConnectoTransfers offers you a complete service, since you won't have to wait for your transfer on the crowded airport Dubrovnik. Professional driver will already be there even before you land. You can also book in advance your transfer from Airport Dubrovnik to your accommodation no matter the destination in Croatia, and you will be able to enjoy in completely relaxed holidays.
You can visit nearby Cavtat in just a few minutes, and the famous city of Dubrovnik is approximately a 20-minute drive from the airport. Dubrovnik itselfs doesn't require much of a presentation since it is definitely one of the most popular tourist destinations in Croatia and this part of Europe. Its city walls, palaces, fortresses and towers are recognizable world wide so if you have decide to enjoy in the beauties of Dubrovnik, make it a completely stress-free experience.

Ferries between Bari in Italy and Dubrovnik take between eight and nine hours. There are two companies which currently offer services between these cities, Jadrolinija and the Azzurra Line. Basic passage will cost about 49 Euros each way. Sleeping cabins are extra. These boats also transport vehicles.

Before planning a trip to Dubrovnik, make sure there are ferry connections. Travel options drop off dramatically after October and do not pick up again until May.

If your time is limited, you might want to consider flying to Dubrovnik. For non-Europeans, the best place for discount airfares is Europebyair.com. Each flight cost $99, which does not include taxes. There are no penalties for flying one way. To get to Dubrovnik, you will have to change planes in Zagreb. By doing this, you double the price as it will require two flight vouchers. Aer Lingus offers cheap nonstop flights between Dubrovnik and Dublin.

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The stunningly beautiful Bay of Kotor, across the border in Montenegro and just 80km south of Dubrovnik is, justifiably, a popular day trip from the city. Don't think you can do it by public transport though. There's only one bus a day in each direction. The bus from Dubrovnik leaves at 11am, the one from Kotor to Dubrovnik leaves at 1.15pm - so unless you're planning to stay the night, you simply cannot do it this way.

Yopur options are to either drive yourself, as we did, or take a tour. Atlas Tours in Dubrovnik offer a day trip for about US$60.

You can take a hire car into Montenegro without any extra formalities and this summer (2006) we found the border procedures very straightforward, simply showing our passports and hire car documents for a quick stamp and a wave through. No doubt the break with Serbia has had something to do with that! We took the narrow, twisting road all the way around the Bay to Kotor through Perast; the scenery is magnificent and on a Sunday in June, the road was all but deserted. Leaving the walls of Kotor behind us after our visit, we then continued on around the bay to Leperane where a car ferry operates around the clock to take you back to the northern side of the bay, which reduces the travelling time considerably and lets you see more of the bay at the same time rather than simply retracing your steps.

Look for a direct flight to anywhere in Croatia and you could be quoted prices anywhere up to £600 return. For the budget traveller it makes more sense to travel to Bari in Southern Italy with Ryanair and catch an overnight Jadrolignia Ferry to Dubrovnik. Bear in mind that there isn't much to do in Bari and that it is impossible to find a restaurant open for a quick dinner before the ferry departs.

Also, prepare for the biggest crush ever trying to get through Bari ferry terminal! The ferries themselves are comfortable enough, have a bar where you can get cheap Croatian wine, and a characterless restaurant for dinner and breakfast. Costs around £50 one way.

Cilipi Airport is located 22 kilometers outside of Dubrovnik in the village of Cilipi. The airport is small and very easy to navigate with a coffee shop, a small shop in the domestic departure area and a duty free shop in the international departure area. There is also a post office, bank, currency exchange and the Atlas tourist agency as well as a general airport information booth.

Flights within Croatia are fairly cheap especially if purchased from within the country. If you purchase ahead online, you'll pay MUCH more. Also, the earliest flights are often significantly cheaper than the later flights.

To get into town, just jump on the Croatia Airlines bus that leaves every 30 minutes and will be waiting out front. The bus takes around 25 minutes to get to the main bus station in town. As of February of 2004, the cost was 30 kunas each way. A taxi will probably cost more than most flights (around 250kn)!!

Traveling by plane is a convinient and comfortable way to visit Dubrovnik. Many European companies have regular flights to Zagreb and from there the Croatian national carrier, Croatian Airlines, provides regular flights to Dubrovnik. The airport is called Cilipi airport and it is located about 18 km from the city center.
If you are arriving on a regular flight, there are regular buses departing from the airport to Dubrovnik. Travel time is around 20 minutes. For those preferring to take a taxi to Dubrovnik, there are taxi-cars waiting throughout the entire day (just outside the airport hall). You will probably be offered a price in advance, or you can demand that the price be determined by the taximeter.
When traveling from Dubrovnik, the departures of the regular buses from the main bus terminal are 90 minutes before the estimated takeoff time.