Holiday with children in Montenegro

Montenegro attracts Russian tourists with children, because this country in the west of the Balkan Peninsula is famous for its friendliness, beautiful natural landscapes, gentle by sea and a warm non-aggressive summer sun. Every year tens of thousands of Russians rush with kids and schoolchildren, because this small Eastern European country is interesting for people of all ages. In this article we will describe how to organize a vacation in Montenegro, so that it will be a pleasure and memorable for a long time.

Like in any other country, Montenegro has its pluses and minuses, which you should learn about beforehand, before going there to avoid unpleasant surprises. Nature generously bestowed Montenegro: the Adriatic Sea is transparent, the lakes are sky blue, the mountains are majestic. Almost the entire territory of the country is given under national reserves, and you can really admire the beauty here indefinitely. Connoisseurs of history and sightseeing rest will like architectural “pearls” of the country, its castles, fortresses and ancient streets.

There are no linguistic difficulties for Russians here, since the Serbian, spoken by the local population, is very similar to our language, and the people of Montenegro have learned quite well the sufficient vocabulary of the Russian language in order to communicate without any problems over the years.

National cuisine is very tasty, it has a lot of vegetables and fruits, fish, seafood, meat - everything a growing children's organism needs.

Another advantage, which was appreciated by the Russians, is the cost of rest in Montenegro. Prices are fairly affordable, and most Russian families can afford to make such a trip at least once a year. In addition, there are a lot of tourist offers in this direction, and there are always last minute trips that will cost even less than a vacation in Turkey or on the Russian Black Sea coast.

But from this plus several important minuses follow. The main one is the rising prices of real estate and services. Recently, transport has risen in price greatly in the country, the cost of food is growing, housing rent has become much more expensive. At the height of the season, the beaches are overcrowded, and spontaneous garbage dumps appear on the streets, as crowds of tourists are not too puzzled by the preservation of cleanliness while away.

The climate of Montenegro determines the proximity of the Adriatic Sea. In the summer it is dry and hot here - on average, the daily temperature is around 30 degrees. In winter, thermometers rarely fall below 0, the average air temperature is + 4-6 degrees. By the sea, where the most popular resorts are located, the climate is Mediterranean. On the plains, a little farther from the Adriatic Sea, the climate is temperate continental, and in the mountains - alpine.

The most courageous begin to open the swimming season at the end of May, when the water temperature is already approaching + 19-20 degrees. In June, the waters of the Adriatic Sea warm up to +23 degrees, in July and August - up to +26 degrees at an air temperature of + 30-32 degrees. The velvet season starts in September - the sea remains warm (up to +23 degrees) and ends in October, when the Adriatic water cools down to 21.

With small children it is better to rest not at the height of the high season, but before it starts and after it ends. Periods from late May to mid-June and September-October are ideal.

In winter, fans of mountain skiing, lovers of winter mountain landscapes, rush to Montenegro. The snow cover in the mountains is steady, and there is no strong frost. Spring and autumn are well suited for excursion holidays, and in the off-season, prices for vouchers to the country are significantly reduced.

The main feature of the beaches of Montenegro (and there are more than 110 of them in a relatively small territory of the country!) Is that they are rocky and pebble at 80%. Public beaches often have concrete pavement. If you try, you can find a swimming spot with sand stripes. Here are just a few beaches that deserve your attention:

• Great beach. It is located near Ulcinj, covered with fine sand. Nearby there are hotels that literally drown in flowering alleys.
• Royal Beach The bathing site is located north of Ulcinj. To get to this paradise can only be by sea, since on three sides the beach is surrounded by rocks.
• Golden beach. Located in the Bar district. The sand here is not only small and soft, but also has a rich golden color, which gave the name to the place of rest. Next - cypress groves and the mass of hotels.
• Mogren I and II. These beaches are located in the area of ​​Budva Riviera and are considered to be among the best in Montenegro. Nearby there are hotel complexes.
• Becici. The length of this sandy beach is almost 2 kilometers, it is perfectly equipped, hotels are located nearby.

Montenegro, if desired, you can drive around the whole one day. But in such a small area there are dozens of small, but very picturesque resorts, which are united in the regions. Most suitable for joint recreation with children:

• Budva Riviera. This region is the heart of the tourist center of the country. The main resort city is Budva. This part of Montenegro is very popular among Russians. In addition to Budva, the resort includes such resort towns as Petrovac, Becici, and Rafailovici. Since the region is very popular with tourists, the rest here is the most comfortable, but at the same time, the most expensive in the country.

• Herceg Nova Riviera. This is the second most popular region of the country, it is designed for those who travel not only for a beach holiday, but also for treatment. Due to the fact that this part of Montenegro is visited less frequently than the Budva Riviera, the prices here are also slightly lower. The most famous cities in the region are Herceg Novi, Risan, Tivat, the village of Zelenika and Perast.

• Ulcin Riviera. Along with the resorts located in the very south of the country (Bar, Sutomore), the Ultsin region is considered the cheapest in terms of the cost of vouchers, entertainment and excursions. The tourist infrastructure here is less developed than in the center of the country; hotels that are ideal for children's recreation are few, but the beaches are almost everywhere sandy, and nature is fascinating with its grandeur.

Traveling "savages" with children is not too convenient. The younger the child, the more comfort it requires. Montenegro is ready to provide a variety of tours, including accommodation in hotels with a developed "children's" infrastructure, which includes swimming pools with slides, children's clubs with children's and sports grounds, animation. Here are just a few of them, about which Russian traveling parents left positive feedback:

• Monte Casa Spa & Wellness 4 *. This hotel is located in the city of Petrovac in the prestigious region of the Budva Riviera. The beach is sandy, well maintained. There is a club for children in which they can attend rhythmic and aerobic classes. Not far from the hotel built a large and amusing playground. The “all inclusive” food system, which is popular among Russian tourists, is absent here, there are two options - full board and incomplete board.

• Vile Oliva 4 *. This hotel in Petrovac is cheaper than staying at most other hotels in the Budva Riviera.However, the price here is fully consistent with the quality, and sometimes the quality exceeds the cost. The hotel has a game room, there are playgrounds. It is possible to buy a voucher with the "all inclusive".

• Splendid Conference & SPA Resort 5 *. The hotel, which can be rightfully classified as luxurious, is located on a sandy beach in the very center of Becici. The beach itself is the property of the hotel, well looked after. Several food options offer more than five restaurants within the hotel complex. Children will not be bored - for kids from 3 years old there is a kids club, for all children there is a special heated pool.

• Iberostar Bellevue 4 *. This hotel is located in Becici. Everything is provided in it for families with children - there is a mini-club and children's animators who will entertain the child from morning to evening. There is a children's pool with slides, playground. Perhaps the power on the system "all inclusive".

• Hotel Mediteran Conference & Spa Resort & Aqua Park 4 *. Four-star hotel, which is not a pity to give, and five stars, because there is not only a developed network of children's clubs, animation and playgrounds, but also a water park. Meals means only breakfast, you have to pay for the rest separately, but you can buy a ticket with other types of food.

• Hotel RR 4 *. It is a budget family hotel in Herzog Novi. There is a substantial discount for children. Baby cots are free. There is no separate children's menu in the restaurant, but most of the dishes are excellent for children older than a year.

Apartments in Montenegro increased in price in 2017, and now apartments on the first coastline for rent cost from 2500 to 6000 rubles per day. The choice of housing on the Internet is quite large, although if the vacation is scheduled for mid-summer and August, then it is better to book apartments and villas in advance.

In Montenegro, there are dozens every summer children's campswhich offer thematic and general recreation. The most famous in the presentation do not need:

• "Igalo Institute" - sports camp in Igalo.
• SUNNY CAMP - a camp for children and teenagers on the sea in Budva.
• Arkona is a themed international camp in Tivat.
• Citrus is a children's recreation camp in Podgorica.
• "Visiting Mary Poppins" - language camp in the bar. For kids from 3 to 7 years.

When sending a child to the camp, do not forget to issue him, regardless of age, his own international passport, a notarized power of attorney to travel outside of Russia from both parents, an extract from a medical card and a vaccination card.

Being in Montenegro, you should definitely find time to travel around this amazingly beautiful country. If you plan your excursions yourself, be sure to visit with as a child these places:

• Kotor Bay;
• Fortress of St. John;
• Canyon on the river Tara;
• Altstadt fortress in Budva;
• Monument to Vladimir Vysotsky;
• Fortress "Old Bar";
• Monastery Ostrog.

Excursions between different Montenegrin cities and natural excursions are very popular. To appreciate the beauty of nature, be sure to visit the park "Durmitor" in the mainland.

With older children, you can venture on an active holiday, to which you can safely relate rafting on the Tara River. To overcome the mountain thresholds of the river allow children from 7 years accompanied by adults. From any resort town or village, you can go on a sea voyage along the coast, it will give the opportunity to see islands, bays, ancient architectural monuments.

You can have fun with children of any age in the water park in Becici, and Budva will be interesting for tourists who love history and always strive to visit museums. In this city, many of them.

Do not be afraid of strong acclimatization.Even small children up to a year old, as well as one-year-old kids, are mostly well tolerated by a short flight to the country and the first days in new conditions.

Before traveling in high season, when the beaches are crowded, it is advisable to be vaccinated against rotavirus infection. It is not included in the list of mandatory, but because it can be made on the territory of Russia for a fee in any private or public clinic.

If you are going to go on excursions to monasteries and sacred places, be sure to take strict and modest clothing. Montenegrins are very sensitive to religion, do not insult their feelings with short shorts and bold tops.

Be sure to provide a reserve of money for the rental of beach equipment. All umbrellas and sun beds are rented, and cost from 5 to 25 euros per set.

Excursions in Montenegro are cheaper if you order them from private guides. Excursion bureaus take more expensive and do not make any discounts for children or order several trips at once. With private owners you can always agree. You should not look for them, they will surely find you themselves, because they offer excursions in the area of ​​hotels and at the airport.

Montenegro can be proud of its road surface. Everything is European, but with the organization of the movement a lot of questions arise. And therefore in this country it is better not to rent a car, if there is not much driving experience - local roads, intersections and junctions are too complicated.

Independent rest in Montenegro is, of course, possible. But even by approximate calculations, it turns out to be several times more expensive than buying a tour.

There is no good European shopping in Montenegro. Here, tourists can easily buy Chinese fake, but to find a truly branded thing is quite difficult, and it is very expensive. Another paradox of the country's pricing lies in the fact that products and sweets in the markets are more expensive than in stores. It is unusual for Russians.

Looking for reviews about the rest in Montenegro, it is important to discard all records that were published before 2015. From that moment, the country began to change a lot, and reviews, where “everything is cheap and super! "Have already lost their relevance.

You should also not take into account reviews that begin with the words: "I want to tell you about my beautiful (wonderful, unforgettable, wonderful, etc.) vacation in Montenegro." These are, as a rule, “registered” paid reviews, which are sometimes written by people who have never been to a country.

A more or less objective assessment of the rest in Montenegro is 4 out of 5. Most tourists appreciate the natural beauty of the country, but every third says that the service in hotels leaves much to be desired and is clearly not worth the money paid for it. The sanitary condition of the beaches does not satisfy every fourth or fifth tourist, young mothers complain about the poor development of infrastructure for children in bathing places.

Every second Russian who visited Montenegro in the 2016-2017 year complains about the rapidly growing prices and rising prices for products. Nevertheless, the charm of this small but beautiful country is so great that 94% of the tourists who have voted on the Internet recommends rest with children.