Croatia VS Montenegro: where to go on vacation?

Where to stay in Croatia?

There are standard, middle-class hotels, as well as luxury, boutique hotels at the service of vacationers. Due to the fact that Croatia is a member of the European Union, it has focused its entire resort arsenal on serving guests from Europe. Service there is at a rather high level. And prices also correspond to this level. The cost of accommodation in a 3-star hotel - from €100 (for two people). Vacation in a 5-star category - from €330.

You can book a hotel in Croatia with a discount of up to -60% on the website.

There are not many options for budget travelers in Croatia - hostels or modest apartments in guest houses. Double accommodation in them starts from €70.

In Montenegro, the private sector is more actively "harnessed" in the fight for vacationers, and here the more popular option for overnight stays are private villas. You can live with the owners, who will take care of your meals, or on your own. The cost of accommodation in private apartments of 3-star level - from €70.

Hotels in Montenegro are cheaper than in Croatia, for example, a room for two in a 3-star hotel will cost €55 or more. However, the service is unlikely to be fully adequate. At the same time there are high-class hotels with familiar names (Radisson, Hilton), prices start from €250.

Prices in Croatia and Montenegro

Of course, prices in Croatia and Montenegro are different. Montenegro is not a large, independent, Slavic state, the main flow of tourists is made up of citizens of CIS countries. Croatia is many times larger, and in addition is a member of the EU, which indicates a higher standard of living, and, accordingly, more tourists from European countries come here.

Beaches

All beaches of the Adriatic Sea are pleasant with their cleanliness and warmth. It is worth mentioning that both in Croatia and Montenegro the beaches are free, you will have to pay only for beach accessories (umbrellas, sun beds, etc.) if necessary.

Both Croatia and Montenegro have Blue Flag beaches, which guarantees exceptional cleanliness and safety of the coast. However, vacationers still like Montenegro's beaches more, as almost all of them are sandy. In Croatia, most beaches are pebble (Central Dalmatia) or even with concrete platforms (Istria). Pebble coast contributes to the purity of the sea water, but it is not very comfortable to be on it, and experienced travelers recommend to take rubber shoes. Sandy coasts can be found only in Southern Dalmatia.

Sights of Croatia

Many travelers who once or twice flew to Croatia exclusively to swim and sunbathe, very mistakenly believe that the country is not so rich in attractions. This is not true at all. After all, Croatia is quite large, and all its treasures are evenly "scattered" throughout the territory: rivers, waterfalls, canyons, ancient cities, mountains, palaces and caves, national parks and many picturesque islands. It will take more than one vacation to see all the incredible natural beauties of Croatia, as well as its small towns.

Attractions in Montenegro

Montenegro wins due to its compactness. The country is small, and it is much more convenient and faster to travel and get acquainted with all its main beauties. Montenegro also has a large stock of natural attractions: mountain canyons, picturesque bays, rivers, waterfalls, lakes. It is impossible not to mention picturesque small towns and ancient orthodox shrines.

What to see in Croatia?

There are at least 3 places that everyone should visit Croatia at least once: Plitvice Lakes - a true natural treasure of Croatia and one of the most visited national parks in Europe, where you will find incredible azure lakes, waterfalls, mountains and gardens; Diocletian's Palace - one of the oldest architectural monuments protected by UNESCO, dating back to the Roman Empire and perfectly preserved to this day; Amphitheater in Pula - a majestic ancient amphitheater, the sixth largest in the world, which still hosts performances.

What to see in Montenegro?

Traveling to Montenegro is always a great idea. Here you should definitely see: Tara River Canyon - one of the largest and greenest canyons in Europe, as if descended from pictures; Mount Lovcen - a real symbol of the country, on the top of which is the mausoleum of Petar Negus, the main thinker of the country; Ostrog Monastery - the most famous shrine of Montenegro, an ancient monastery built into the rock, giving it even more grandeur.

Mores and customs

As we have already mentioned many times, Croatia is a member state of the EU, and therefore here the streets are cleaner, and beggars will not meet, and the order is carefully monitored. The comfort of vacationers here is in the first place, as tourism is one of the main sources of income for the country. And the Croats themselves are more "western" people, along with law-abidingness they have a certain closedness, so you should not expect a special hospitality.

Montenegro is somewhat behind in this respect. It cannot be said that the country is drowning in dirt, but the locals may well leave garbage in the wrong place.

Montenegrins also have an open heart. Here you will be glad to be guided and helped, even if you didn't ask for it. And if you stay in a guest house, in a villa of Montenegrins, you can really know what is local hospitality.

So, the conclusion is self-evident: those who are looking for European comfortable and relaxing vacation and is not going to save money on it - more suitable for Croatia. If you dream of a good beach, want to save money and do not worry about the non-ideal cleanliness of the streets - choose Montenegro. And you will have enough sights and impressions in each country.