Montenegro Infrastructure

Physical Infrastructure

Montenegro's transport system includes 7,353 km of roads, of which 4,274 km are paved. The quality of the road network is below European standards because the economic crisis of the 1990s and the Yugoslav wars restricted the availability of finance for maintenance and expansion of the road network. As a result of the poor condition of Montenegrin roads, driving in the winter and in the evening can be dangerous in the mountainous regions. That said, significant improvements have been made in recent years, helped by aid from the EU's Community Assistance for Reconstruction, Development and Stabilisation (CARDS) programme. In particular, the connections between Podgorica and the coastal towns are markedly better, journey times have become shorter and routes safer. The two major roads in Montenegro are the Adriatic motorway from Igalo to Ulcinj and the motorway linking the north and the south, from Pertovac to Bijelo Polje via Podgorica and Kolasin. The country also has reasonable road connections with neighbouring countries such as Croatia and Serbia.

The country has 250km of railway, all of which is standard gauge. While the railway system is reliable and inexpensive, services are quite limited and neither fast nor modern. Nevertheless, since independence in 2006, significant efforts have been made to reconstruct and improve the railway network. Montenegro's key railway line runs from Bar-Podgorica-Belgrade, and then connects to the European network. The Podgorica-Niki (Albania) railway is currently used solely for freight traffic, however reconstruction is under way and passenger traffic will start on the line in 2011.

Montenegro's communications network is modern by emerging Europe standards and offers good coverage of the country. As of 2006, 353,000 main line telephones were in use. The mobile telephone network offers excellent national coverage, and has the highest penetration of GSM telephony in Europe at 175.6%, with 1,089,140 telephones in use as of February 2010. Internet and email use are popular, with services available in all major cities and towns and even in some remote areas, as of 2006 Montenegro had a total of 266,000 internet users.

Airports & Ports

Montenegro's main airport is Podgorica Airport, located 15 minutes outside the capital city. A new terminal has recently been built at the airport, which has helped to improve travel conditions. Flights are available from Podgorica to major European cities including Budapest, Frankfurt, Zurich and London, the frequency of flights increases in the summer months. Another international airport is located at Tivat, the airport is mainly used by charter flights to the northern coastal resorts as it is close to the key tourist destinations of Kotor and Budva. The airport was extensively refurbished in 2006. In addition to Montenegro Airlines, a number of international carriers service both airports. Low cost carriers are now in discussions with Montenegrin authorities to service these airports in the near future, such as Ryanair. Dubrovnik airport, is circa 90 minutes from Budva and involves passing through the Montenegrin and Croation border controls. Many flights operate to the UK and the rest of Europe from Dubrovnik via a number of carriers including BA and EasyJet.

The port of Bar is the largest port in Montenegro. It is both a cargo and passenger port; it represents a very important transport connection of Montenegro with the world. Kotor Harbour is located in boka Kotorska Bay at the very walls of the old city of Kotor. In the summer season, a large number of elite passenger cruise ships visit this harbour. MC Marina Budva is close to Old City Budva, with good service for yachts and boats. Marina Prcanj is a smaller marina, situated in Prcanj-Glavati. Zelenika Harbour, Lustica, Meljine marina and Risan are also located in Boka Kotorska bay

The most notable and impressive of the ports is that of Porto Montenegro, Tivat, which is c. 15 minutes from Budva. The principals behind the recent development have taken advantage of the overwhelming demand for yacht berths around the Mediterranean and have created a world-class marina that will satisfy the growing shortage of berths.

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