A little sun, rosé & doing absolutely nothing

I went to Montenegro back in June for a little solo reset, and honestly? I needed it.

I flew into Podgorica, Montenegro’s capital, and then took a coach to Budva, which took around two and a half hours. Budva is where you want to be if you’re after beaches and that proper Mediterranean holiday feeling.

I stayed in a decent, budget-friendly hotel and spent the first day doing absolutely nothing. Pool, wine, sunshine and my own company. Bliss.

The following days were basically beach, rosé, food, reading and repeat. I discovered a few beach clubs, met some lovely people and consumed an entirely reasonable amount of Aperol Spritz. The food was nothing particularly adventurous—I mostly stuck to burgers, chips and beach-club staples but sometimes you don’t need a culinary awakening. Sometimes you just need fries.

One of my favourite days was spending eight hours alone by the hotel pool. I was the only person there. Tanning, drinking and minding my business!

A FEW THINGS TO KNOW

Bring cash. I found cash much easier to use, and withdrawing money from ATMs can come with fees.

Consider hiring a car. Montenegro isn’t particularly well connected by public transport, and there are no trains. If you’re travelling with friends, I’d definitely consider hiring a car from the airport.

And give yourself plenty of time when travelling to catch a flight. Coach schedules aren’t always as predictable as you’d expect, so don’t leave everything until the last minute. I left Budva at around 7am for a 2pm flight because I wasn’t about to let transportation in Montenegro humble me.

Also, June was HOT. Around 31°C in the mornings, so sunscreen is non-negotiable. I would personally choose June over July or August when the summer crowds really arrive.

Overall, Montenegro was beautiful, affordable and incredibly relaxing. The people were lovely, the scenery was gorgeous and nobody bothered me which, on a solo holiday, is sometimes the entire point.

Would I go back?

Absolutely. Maybe next time I’ll combine Montenegro with Italy.

And apparently Montenegrins can be a little standoffish. They were lovely to me.

Maybe it’s my aura.