Places We Love: Herceg-Novi, Montenegro

Over the last two years we’ve visited more than 20 countries and stayed in more than 40 locations. We’ve loved (almost) all of them for one reason or another, but every now and then we come across a place that truly steals our hearts.

Herceg-Novi was one of them.

If you’re looking for a destination with all the charm and culture that the Balkans have to offer, but far from the Game of Thrones fans and cruise ship crowds, then Herceg-Novi is for you.

Where Is It?

Herceg-Novi is a small town in Montenegro. It’s located on the Bay or Kotor, close to the Croatian border.

Who Will Love It?

If you like Old Towns, boats, cobbled streets and a relaxed atmosphere then you’ll love it here.

Best Bit?

We loved the relaxed atmosphere and the stunning views across the Bay of Kotor.

Worst Bit?

It’s a small town so there are only small supermarkets. We found the quality of the fresh produce was pretty poor, but we found this in Montenegro in general. Plenty of restaurants though!

Cost of Living?

Our accomodation cost us £27 per night for a small 2 bedroom apartment in the Old Town. Food and drink is cheap, at around £25-30 for four of us to eat out, one course plus drinks.

How To Get There?

The closest airport is Dubrovnik in Croatia. We were backpacking through Montenegro so we travelled by bus to the Bay of Kotor, then caught a ferry to the other side, before catching a taxi into Heceg-Novi.

Our original itinerary didn’t include Herceg-Novi as a location. We were supposed to spend a week in Budva, before heading on to Dubrovnik. But Budva wasn’t quite what we hoped.

We’d connected with another travelling family online, as we often do. They were spending some time in Herceg-Novi and it looked amazing. Cute cobbled streets, an adorable Old Town and crystal clear water.

We absolutely love to meet other families who travel like us, so we packed our bags back up and made our way to Heceg-Novi.

Our stay was short, but wonderful. Every morning we ambled down to the coast and enjoyed breakfast with our new friends, the Alvarez’s in a beach front cafe. We played in the sea, soaked up the sun and enjoyed the stunning views. We explored the Old Town and visited the castle.

Meeting other world schoolers is always a huge highlight for us. We’re content on the road alone but it’s wonderful to meet other families who really get it.

There is something special about the friendships we make on the road.

When we met Derek & Monique Alvarez and their adorable boys we just clicked. We met them every morning for breakfast and enjoyed several afternoons on the beach together. They really made our stay in Herceg-Novi special. We’ve stayed in touch ever since and I hope we’ll cross paths again in future!

The Alvarez’s are a full time travel family like us and they’re such an inspiration. They left America when their boys were babies and have been travelling all over Europe ever since. They fund their travels working online like we do. Monique offers business strategy coaching to entrepreneurs looking to hit 6 figures (www.adrianamoniquealvarez.com) and Derek is an artist who sells his absolutely stunning prints online (www.derekalvarezart.com).