Day 38: Dubrovnik to Herceg Novi, Montenegro

July 11, 2026

Day 38: Dubrovnik to Herceg Novi, Montenegro

Last night, or rather late afternoon, I went to bed around 6 PM so I can wake up at dawn to get ready for the 33 mile ride to Herceg Novi, Montenegro.

I started my ride just at the time of the sunrise, around 5:20. There were some hills going out of Dubrovnik and I had to carry my bike over a guard rail to get on the main road. The morning traffic was a bit busy because I was coming out of a major city. There were a couple of times when large trucks honked at me from behind so I had to pull to the side to get out of the way.

My favorite part of the ride was cycling by some vineyards on my right hand side with the mountains to my left. There was barely any traffic on that road and the cooler temperature made that section of the route very pleasant.

The border control to Montenegro was slow. When it was finally my turn, the guard waved me through without stamping my passport. I told him that I will return to the Schengen zone in Greece so I need him to stamp or scan my passport. He reluctantly scanned it and was kind of annoyed at me. I hope when I enter Greece in about a month everything will be fine.

Finally, I had left Schengen and entered Montenegro. The last four miles to my guesthouse was on the Pet Danica Seaside Promenade. People were hanging out on the beaches and shops began to open. I had to be careful not to run into the pedestrians. A little after 9 AM, I arrived at Zemunella Guest House in Herceg Novi.

After checking in, I had a seafood pasta for lunch on the promenade. Then I went to find a beach spot to dip my feet into the water.

On one of the beaches, I saw a bicycle loaded with panniers. Sure enough, there was a guy sunbathing. I asked him if he’s bicycle touring. Unfortunately, he didn’t speak English, only Czech. We communicated via Google Translate and he told me that he doesn’t stay in hostels or hotels, only camping. That’s not my way of bike touring. Since he didn’t speak English, I ditched the idea of seeking him as a bike touring companion.

I walked back to the guesthouse and took a shower. I will eat dinner soon before sleeping early again.

Tomorrow, I will ride 27 miles to Budva and stick to the coastal route from Organic Maps. My Warmshowers host in Shkodër, Albania, warned me about the traffic and provided me with a GPX route that goes inland. But that route has hills and it will take me a day longer to get to Shkodër. I decided that if I cycle early in the morning there will be less traffic. Let’s hope for the best.