Explorer Annie

If you who want to see the world YOUR WAY, listen up!
👂
For years people have asked me how I create the awesome trips they see me sharing on social media.
📷
After thirteen years of indie travel, I'm ready to share what I've learned so you can have the experiences you want too -- all without big bus tours, cruise ships, or all-inclusive resorts!
🙌
You want something different. You don't want to do what everyone else is doing, right?
💯
Then this is for YOU! I'd love to have you nerd out with us about travel!
🤓
Check it out and hit me up with any questions you have!

Travel Course: How to Plan an International Trip - Into the Bold This online travel course will teach you how to plan an international trip without big bus tours, cruise ships, or all-inclusive resorts.

Want to create more unique, fun, and memorable travel experiences?

Before you start planning, ask yourself these five questions!

5 Questions That Will Help You Plan An International Trip - Into the Bold Learn how to plan an international trip with more ease! Start with these five questions to build the foundation for your experience.

Are you a tourist or a traveler?
🤔
What's the difference? It all comes down to mindset.
💯
The way we approach going out into the world affects the type of experience we have.
🌍
The traditional travel industry pushes travel as a product to be consumed, a commodity, rather than an experience to be lived.
❌
There is a better way!

https://intothebold.com/tourist-vs-traveler/

Tourist vs Traveler: 5 Big Differences in How They Travel - Into the Bold Tourist vs Traveler: 5 ways to tell the difference between them. Which one are you? Spoiler: it’s all about mindset!

Great news, friends!
🎉
Where will you go first?!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2022/06/10/covid-testing-requirement-ends/

U.S. to lift coronavirus testing requirement for flyers returning to the country An administration official said science and data show the requirement is no longer necessary. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will reassess the decision in 90 days and would reinstate the requirement if necessary, officials said.

11 years ago, Team Stannie made it official and tied the knot in the most non-traditional fashion.
💍
Inappropriate t-shirts, a pre-ceremony mud run, free-flowing kegs, and child-free debauchery ensued while surrounded by our favorite humans.
🍻
In all my life I could never have imagined a partner this perfect for me.
💖
He loves my wild spirit and fierce independence. He never questions my need for exploration or daily naps.
💯
He loves me even when I'm hangry and always has a snack on hand, just in case.
🐷
We've had many a grand adventure together -- from camping in the wilds of Iceland to winding our way through the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.
🌍
Every single day, I'm grateful that I've found my match.
👫
I love you ! Here's to the next 11!

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀!
🎉
There are lots of new faces around here so I'll reintroduce myself so we can get to know each other better!
👋
𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 -- 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘯!
👇
I’m Annie and indie travel is my jam. I’m the founder of Into the Bold and I’m on a mission to help you get all the information, resources, and knowledge you need to plan your own international trips with the time and money you have to spend!
💰
𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙪𝙥 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 -- connecting with the locals, getting off main tourist track, supporting the economy by choosing local businesses, and learning from your experience rather than just checking off a list of sights to see.
💯
𝗢𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿:
💸 Tips for maximizing the time and money you have to spend on travel
💎 How to find the unique and interesting places in your trip
📍 Incredible destinations and tips for visiting
📚 Lots of other info all getting the most from your indie travels
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝗜 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗳𝗳? After my first trip to Europe in 2008, I knew I could create more authentic and awesome experiences for WAY less. Since then, I’ve devoured everything I can about ways to save money without sacrificing the good stuff that makes an awesome and impactful.
𝗠𝘆 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀:
✈ Saving hundreds on international flights without travel hacking
🕵️‍♀️ Finding the coolest things a destination has to offer
🤝 Finding opportunities to meet locals
🤓 Mapping out itineraries and figuring out logistics
💚 Learning about life and myself through my travels
On the blog, you’ll find a ton of free resources to help you plan your own trips and guides to visiting some of my favorite destinations -- mostly the Balkans now but more of Europe is in the works. Go check it out! (link in bio)
🔗
Sometimes I share about domenstic travels and you’ll see pics of my little dog Lizzy and adventure partner
😊
So, tell me, what do we have in common?

𝘖𝘬𝘢𝘺, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘵, 𝘋𝘶𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘯𝘪𝘬 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘱?
🤷‍♀️
𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗻-𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝘂𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗻𝗶𝗸:
👉 Dubrovnik (3 nights) ➡️ Mostar (2 nights) ➡️ Split (2 nights) ➡️ Markaska (2 nights) ➡️ Dubrovnik (1 night)
👉 Dubrovnik (3 nights) ➡️ Split (2 nights) ➡️ Plitvice Lakes NP (2 nights) ➡️ Zagreb (3 nights)
👉 Dubrovnik (3 nights) ➡️ Split (3 nights) ➡️ Sarajevo (4 nights)
👉 Dubrovnik (3 nights) ➡️ Kotor (2 nights) ➡️ Skadar Lake (2 nights) ➡️ Tirana (3 nights)
🗺
Any of these can be adjusted to fit your personal travel style and they all begin and end in cities that have flights from around Europe.
✈
𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙬𝙚𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪?!
🤔
In case you didn’t know, helping indie travelers figure out European itineraries they’ll love a service I offer! (check out the website) There’s also a whole guide to planning your trip to the Balkans on the blog.
🙌
𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘀, 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘂𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿! (link in bio) It comes out every Tuesday and I don’t think you want to miss tomorrow’s! 📩

𝗧𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻! 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂?
🐷
𝘓𝘦𝘵’𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘋𝘶𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘯𝘪𝘬!
🎉
Now, this city has no shortage of restaurants. As is typical with popular places, it can be really hit or miss though.
💯
Finding awesome eats is one of my superpowers. No really. My process is one part research, one part intuition, and a little bit of magic too.
💫
𝗧𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:
💬 Ask the locals (at your accommodation, your guide on a walking tour, etc.) where they like to eat. Not where they think you should go but where THEY go.
🧭 Wander at least two blocks off the main tourist thoroughfare. The food is usually much better and cheaper!
🤓 Research! Read blogs and check out menus using Google Maps. Bookmark the places that look awesome so you can find them easily as you’re out and about!
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝘂𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗻𝗶𝗸?
🍒 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩 𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵 - you can find some good stuff at the Old Town Market square. The cherries are my favorite!
🤤 𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘬 - this is a Balkan staple! You can grab a walking around snack at Bosančica or Holy Burek.
🐟 𝘚𝘦𝘢𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥 - there’s some incredible seafood in the city! Barba was on my list but we didn’t make it there. For a nicer dinner out, Segreto Pasta & Grill was delightful.
🍽 𝘛𝘢𝘫 𝘔𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘭 (pic #3) is great Bosnian food (the name is very confusing for that!), if you’re not going to make it across the border.
🍽 𝘐𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘢 was a place I’d heard multiple people mention and it was pretty good, if you’re looking for something a little different.
𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁?!
🤔
If you want more indie travel inspiration and resources, sign up for the newsletter (link in bio) and get the goods right to your inbox!

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂? Are you budget all the way or are you willing to spend more for comfort and amenities?
🤷‍♀️
𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵! That means you spend on the things that matter to you and save on the rest.
💯
My travel style is slightly more comfort and amenities than your typical backpacker.
🎒
Dubrovnik is BY FAR the most expensive place I’ve visited in the Balkans, but still a fraction of what you’ll pay in Western Europe, making it easy to travel the way I like without breaking the bank.
🙌
𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝘂𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗻𝗶𝗸:
🛏 𝘈𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴: $30 - $50 per night for an apartment in the hills above the Old Town.
🍴 𝘍𝘰𝘰𝘥: $20 - $40 per person for a restaurant meal. $5 - $10 per person for burek street food or stuff from the market.
👀 𝘚𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨: $15 - $30 per day per person for things like the Old City Walls or the Cable Car. Everything else is cheaper.
🚕 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: $20 - $50 for a taxi from the airport or bus station. Otherwise, everything is walkable.

𝗪𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: 💰
🛏 𝘈𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴: there are plenty of hostels and guesthouses where you can get a bed for closer to $25 per night.
🍴 𝘍𝘰𝘰𝘥: Grab stuff from the market for breakfast and picnics on the beach or in the park. Eating out just once a day will help you save a ton!
👀 𝘚𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨: Check out the Dubrovnik City Card which bundles many popular attractions together for one price that’s lower than paying for each individually.
🚌 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: if you really want to skip the cab fare, there are buses from the main bus station into the city (a bus from the airport will get you there).
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸? 𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲?

𝗢𝗸𝗮𝘆, 𝗼𝗸𝗮𝘆, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘁. 𝗗𝘂𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗻𝗶𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗼𝘂𝘀! 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗾𝘂𝗼𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀?
🤩
I’m glad you asked. Let’s check it out!
🗺
𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘭𝘥 𝘊𝘪𝘵𝘺. You’ll discover all sorts of surprises! Next, check out some of the iconic spots.
🧭
𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀 & 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘂𝗺𝘀 -- the entire Old Town is FULL of history, but here are some of my favorite spots. The free walking tour is a great way to get an overview of the city’s past!
🚶‍♀️ 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘭𝘥 𝘊𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 - the views are incredible and you can see how well the city was protected
👀 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘳𝘪𝘫𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘤 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 - it’s outside the Old Town but included with the Walls. You’ll find awesome views back to the city too.
🏰 𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳’𝘴 𝘗𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 - full of interesting pieces from the city’s history.
⛪ 𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘶𝘮 - this includes artifacts from the first ever commercial pharmacy. Super interesting!
📷 𝘞𝘢𝘳 𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰 𝘓𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘺 - this is a “must see”, in my opinion. Incredible displays of photojournalism from humanitarian crisis and the fall of Yugoslavia. Somber but necessary!
💰 𝙏𝙞𝙥 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 - get the Dubrovnik City Card that bundles a bunch of these sites together for one price.
𝗢𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗢𝗹𝗱 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗻
🚤 Take a trip over to Lokrum island for nature and gorgeous views. You can take a boat from the docks for about €10.
🏖 Visit one of the many beaches outside the city walls to soak up the sun.
🚡 Take the cable car to the top of the mountain for epic views of the city and sea below.
𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴! There are many more museums, parks, and places to get away from the crowds in tucked away corners.
💯
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂? Tell me in the comments and tag someone you want to go exploring with!

𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝘂𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗻𝗶𝗸, 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁?!
🏝
I love these little peeks through flowers and windows!
🤩
𝘈𝘭𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘴𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘋𝘶𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘯𝘪𝘬 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘺. 𝘓𝘦𝘵’𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴.
📍
𝗙𝗹𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝘂𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗻𝗶𝗸 ✈
Direct flights from all over Europe
There are also direct flights from Newark, NJ and Dubai to Dubrovnik
𝘎𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘪𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘖𝘭𝘥 𝘛𝘰𝘸𝘯
🚕Taxi or transfer service from the airport into town are the easiest options. (about €40)
🚌 A bus will take you to the main bus station where you can catch another bus to the Old Town
𝗚𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝘂𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗻𝗶𝗸 𝗯𝘆 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻🚆
❌ Sorry, not an option!
🤷‍♀️
𝗚𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝘂𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗻𝗶𝗸 𝗯𝘆 𝗕𝘂𝘀 🚌
💰 If you already in Croatia or a neighboring country, this is the easiest and cheapest option.
🗺 Buses run regularly from multiple cities.
💻 is the best place I’ve found to buy bus tickets in the Balkans.
🎟 You may be able to purchase your ticket at the station, but I recommend pre-booking if you can.
💶 My bus from Kotor, Montenegro to Dubrovnik cost about €15, plus another €1 for my luggage.
𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝘂𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗻𝗶𝗸 🚗
💯 Renting a car offers the ulitmate flexibility!
🅿 Outside of Old Town Dubrovnik, everything is hills without a lot of parking.
🛏 Make sure to ask about parking when booking your accommodation, if you’re driving.
𝙉𝙤𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙖𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙨𝙤 𝙙𝙤 𝙞𝙩!!
🙌
If you want any assistance putting together the details of your trip to Dubrovnik or anywhere else in the Balkans (or Europe!), I offer consulting specifically for indie travelers -- I won’t take over your trip, just give you the help and info you want!
🎉
𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘣𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦 (𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘪𝘰) 𝘰𝘳 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘋𝘔 𝘮𝘦!

𝗔𝗹𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁, 𝗹𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗗𝘂𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗻𝗶𝗸 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱!!
🎉
The city lies at the southern end of Croatia right on the Adriatic Sea, near the border with Montenegro.
🌊
The red-tiled roofs contrasted with the turquoise water make it a gorgeous place to soak up the sun for a few days.
☀
Have you thought about Dubrovnik as a destination?
📍
𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗗𝘂𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗻𝗶𝗸:
👉 City was founded by Roman refugees around 614.
💊 Claims the world’s first commercial pharmacy, which opened in 1317. You can visit the museum, it’s super interesting!
🚫 It was the first country to banish slavery in 1416.
🐈 Cats were introduced in the 14th century to help fight the plague. You’ll see their descendants all around the city where they seem to be well-fed and cared for.
𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗗𝘂𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗻𝗶𝗸 𝗯𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁?
⛲ There's a reason it's popular. It's gorgeous! You get a Mediterranean vibe for much less than you’ll spend in a place like Venice.
🤓 So many historical sights to explore in a condensed area!
🏖 Gorgeous blue waters and lovely beaches for relaxing.
🌳 Get up close to nature with a hike or a trip to Lokrum island.
🎬 If you’re a Game of Thrones fan, this is where much of King’s Landing was filmed.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄?
🛏 Proof of accommodation (they never checked mine but say it’s a requirement).
📑 Complete the entry declaration form.
✅ No covid testing or proof of vaccination is currently required -- obviously this can change at any time!
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗽?
💸 Dubrovnik is more expensive than most places in the Balkans, but still very affordable compared to Western Europe.
💶 Croatia is not yet using the Euro. You can get local currency at ATMs in the airport, bus station, and around the city.
💳 Most places take credit cards, unlike many places in the Balkans.
🛳 It gets BUSY during the summer and when there are cruise ships in port. Travel during shoulder season for the best experience.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄?

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗿𝗲𝗯𝗲𝗹𝘀?
🤘
𝘐’𝘮 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 “𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥”, 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭!
🙋‍♀️
Whether you’re a loud, in-your-face rebel or one who lets everyone think you’re a follower while quietly doing whatever the f**k you want, I see you.
👀
𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗯𝗲𝗹. Once you step outside the boxes of everyone elses expectations, you just can’t bring yourself to go back in. The liberation just feels too damn good, am I right?!
💯
𝙊𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙛𝙪𝙣 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 “𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙢”, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨.
🙌
It begins to permeate every area of your life, including travel. Suddenly those the generic experiences are no longer satisfying. You want more authenticity, wonder, and depth!
💥
One of the other fun things about being a rebel -- you know when you meet another. We can spot each other across a room in an instant! We recognize each each other and stick together.
👋
𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴, 𝘐 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘳𝘦𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦. (link in bio) It’s where we gather to share stories, find resources, learn to travel smarter, and encourage each other to get out and explore!
🌍
𝗦𝗼 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗲, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗯𝗲𝗹?
📷: Hopscotching my way through Copenhagen, Denmark. One of my favorite ways to rebel is by having FUN instead of giving into the drudgery and seriousness of the grown-ups around me. Photo credit:

Wow, there are a lot of new faces around here! I’m SO excited to be connected with all of you incredible humans!
💚
𝗟𝗲𝘁'𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻! (Tell me in the comments)
👋
𝘐’𝘮 𝘈𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘫𝘢𝘮! I love helping people create the authentic travel experiences they’ve always wanted without big box group tours, cruises, all-inclusive resorts, or generic vacation packages.
🌍
Life has sent me back to Europe for the last 13 years. It’s my specialty, particularly the Balkans!
📍
𝙄 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 -- when you're not watching the clock or following someone else’s agenda.
⌚
𝗔 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗲:
📚 I’m a multipotentialite. I have a ton of different interests and a funky mashup of work and life experiences.
🤓 Other interests: food, mindfulness, astrology, social psychology, philosophy, and history just for starters!
✅ I love a good personality test -- Myers-Briggs ENFP, Enneagram 8 wing 7, in Human Design I’m a Mental Projector, and I could g on and on!
🌳 Trees are basically my favorite living things on the planet and have a ridiculous amount of tree pics on my phone.
🖕 I’m a rebel. I say “f**k” a lot and never have (or will) fit into the boxes society says I “should”, which is one of the many reasons why indie travel is the only way for me!
💯
𝘈 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘕𝘌𝘝𝘌𝘙 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘐 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘴 so I’ve spent the last 13+ years learning how do it myself -- from finding off-the-beaten-path spots to creating opportunities to meet and learn from locals.
🧭
I'm guessing you’re a rebel too. You don’t quite fit into those boxes either. That’s why we’re friends!
🤗
𝗦𝗼 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗲, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻? 𝗜’𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄!

Who wants to road trip around Europe this summer?!
🚗
Creating an awesome road trip on the continent is one of the things I help my clients with most often.
🗺
I put together a guide that will answer the most common questions I get and show you how to set up an epic adventure!

https://intothebold.com/planning-a-european-road-trip/

Planning A European Road Trip? 4 Steps to an Epic Adventure - Into the Bold Planning a European road trip? Learn how to put it together in four simple steps plus answers to all your questions in this guide!

It’s about time to wrap up the content for Mongenegro, but not before we talk about all the awesome things there are to do in Kotor! Ready?!
🙌
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗞𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗿?
👉 2 days is enough to explore the old town and see the highlights.
👉 3 days will give you a day to spend lounging on the beach after all the exploring!
👉 4 days is enough time to explore more around Kotor Bay with a boat tour and visit the islands near Perast.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝗞𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗿?
🏰 Hike up to the ruined fort on the hill for epic views of the area! Stop at the Church of Our Lady of Remedy to catch your breath and admire the frescoes inside.
🚶‍♀️ Stroll along the walls of the old town for a different perspective on the winding alleyways and squares below.
⛪ Visit the Cathedral of St. Tryphon, built in 1166 and home to religious relics and frescoes.
☕ Have a coffee or beer and watch the world go by in one of the many cafes scattered throughout the old town.
🍇 Hit up the open-air market just outside the city walls that has tons of fresh produce and delicacies just waiting for you to enjoy!
😺 Cat lovers won’t want to miss the Kotor Cats Museum full of cat themed memorabilia and artwork. I love a funky, offbeat museum!
⚓ For those who want to get down with the history, the Maritime Museum showcases model ships, furniture, etc.
🏖 Catch some rays at Kotor Beach and relax after all that sightseeing!
𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂? Tell me in the comments!

𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗳𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗿! Let's do this!
🙌
Kotor is probably the most popular tourist spot in Montenegro, which means it gets crowded. If you’re like me, this is not your favorite!
😑
𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘚𝘦𝘢 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘺 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵.
🛳
The old town, which is what most people come to see, is really small. You can wander through all the little alleys in just a couple of hours.
⏳
𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗞𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗿?
🗓 Visit outside of summer. October was perfect! The weather was nice and only one cruise ship docked during the three days I was there.
⛰ Hike to the ruined fortress and get outside the city walls while the cruise ship is in port.
🍺 Avoid the main squares. The back alleys will still have quiet cafes.
🌅 Enjoy the city in the evening when the ships have gone. It’s just the locals and other indie travelers!
𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗞𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗿?
🏙 A𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴: I found a little studio just inside the city walls for €23 per night. It was perfect!
🛏 𝘏𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘴: there are at least two that I saw during my wanderings, if you really want to save!
🏨 𝘏𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘴: if you want more luxury, you still won’t break the bank. There are plenty of lovely little boutique hotels where you can get a room for less than $100 per night.
𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗞𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗿?
🍇 The open-air market just outside the city walls is gorgeous and full of delicious things!
🍽 Restaurants are plentiful in the old town. Get out of the main squares for better food and prices.
⛱ Outside the city walls you’ll find plenty of dining spots along the waterfront.
💎 Wander into the side streets outside the old city to find some hidden gems.
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗽 𝘆𝗲𝘁? Stay tuned, still more Kotor to share!

Is Montenegro on your bucket list?
✅
If it's not, you may want to add it after reading this one!

https://intothebold.com/why-visit-montenegro/

Why Visit Montenegro? 5 Reasons You'll Love This Country - Into the Bold Why visit Montenegro? This country in the Balkans has something for everyone. Discover five reasons why it should be on your bucket list!

𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗞𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁?
🙋‍♀️
This little town is nestled at the very end of the Bay of Kotor, an inlet from the Adriatic Sea, and it’s gorgeous!
🤩
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘒𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘣𝘶𝘴. The old town is pedestrian-only so if you have a rental you’ll have to park outside the city walls.
🗺
𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗮 𝗯𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗞𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘁𝘆 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗼, 𝗽𝗹𝘂𝘀 𝗔𝗹𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗮.
🚌
If you come from another country, you’ll go through passport control at the border which is pretty quick and super easy! Everyone piles off the bus, lines up for passport control, walks across the border, and gets back on the bus.
🛂
Basically, every bus in the Balkans is run by a different company rather than a central bus line. makes it super easy to buy your tickets for anywhere in the Balkans.
💯
When you get to the bus station all you have to do is match the logo on your ticket to the logo on the bus!
😊
The route will be posted in the window. Sometimes your destination will be somewhere between the beginning and end point so look at all the stops.
👀
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘗𝘰𝘥𝘨𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢 𝘵𝘰 𝘒𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 €10 and it took me less than 10 minutes to walk from the station to my apartment inside the old city walls.
🎉
𝗞𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁. The closest is in Tivat, but it’s tiny and more expensive. If you’re on a budget, flying into Podgorica or Dubrovnik and taking a bus is the cheapest option.
✈
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗞𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗿? 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼 𝘆𝗲𝘁?!

𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗼 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆!
📍
Okay, I just made that up, but we're continuing with more about this lovely country.
😬
𝙏𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮, 𝙬𝙚 𝙜𝙤 𝙩𝙤 𝙋𝙤𝙙𝙜𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡. It’s been called “the most boring capital city in Europe”. I can’t say that I disagree. Perfect for a Monday, right?
😂
I’m sure there are plenty of wonderful things I didn’t find, but with so many other incredible places to visit in Montenegro, it’s not the destination of choice.
🤷‍♀️
𝘗𝘰𝘥𝘨𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺’𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘳, 𝘴𝘰 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦.
💯
After my time in the mountains, I dropped off my rental car in the capital, spent the day exploring, then took the bus to Kotor the following morning.
🚌
𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗴𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
👉 Monuments and statues
👉 Old Ribnica River Bridge
👉 Beautiful parks around the city
👉 Cafes galore
👉 Traditional Balkan food
A day in Podgorica before heading out to see more of the country is just right. Tomorrow, Kotor!
🤩
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝘂𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸?

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆!! 𝗪𝗵𝗼’𝘀 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗿𝘆?!
🙋‍♀️
𝘍𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.
🐷
You can learn SO much about a place by the types of cuisines they offer, the ingredients they have available, and the cooking methods they use.
💯
Montenegro, and the Balkans in general, have been a crossroads for empires over the millennia and you can totally see this reflected in the food!
🍽
You can get pizza and pasta that’s as good as most I’ve had in Italy, fresh Greek salad, Hungarian goulash, Turkish dishes reminiscent of the Ottoman empire, and their own local specialties.
🤤
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗼?
🍕 𝘗𝘪𝘻𝘻𝘢 & 𝘗𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘢: It’s pretty much everywhere and so better than most I can find at home.
🌽 𝘒𝘢č𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘬: a traditional porridge made from corn flour, potatoes, butter, and cheese. This is NOT a light meal, but worth a try! Seriously, I could only eat about a quarter of the serving!
🐟 𝘚𝘦𝘢𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘴𝘵: It’s super fresh and delicious!
🍷 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘦: Montenegro has incredible local wine! At most restaurants you can simply order the house wine and they’ll bring you a carafe or grab a bottle at the grocery store for less than $5. The Vranac is my favorite.
𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂? Tell me in the comments!

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆?
🚗
There are places I haven’t visited yet that I’d be nervous about driving, but I LOVE road tripping in Europe!
🎉
𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘐 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘌𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘚. 𝘌𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘴!
💯
While in Montenegro, I rented a car for the time I was going to be in the mountains so I could get to all the nature spots like this easily!
🏞
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗼?
⏱ Even if the distance is short, the drive will probably take a while since you have to go through the mountains.
😆 For the same reason, the roads are winding and have plenty of hairpin turns. It’s an adventure!
🤚 Most roads are only two lanes and speed limits rarely exceed 60 MPH and are usually much lower.
🤷‍♀️ For locals, turning on the flashers basically means you can park anywhere, including partially blocking a lane. Just watch for them!
👀
Honestly, driving in Montenegro was wonderful! I loved winding my way through the dense forest and bumping my way along the dirt roads to find the hidden lakes.
💚
𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵! 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰. 𝘔𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘵 €15 𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘢𝘺!
💶
𝗦𝗼, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸? 𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗼?

𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗴𝗼 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗼! Have you been before or is it on your current list? Tell me in the comments!
✈
It’s time to share the rest of the awesome stuff from my recent Balkan trip and we’re starting with this little gem of a country.
💎
In October, I spent a week in Montenegro and can’t wait to go back again! It’s so gorgeous and super affordable!
🎉
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄?
👉 Nothing! Montenegro is open and ready to welcome visitors. Currently, there are no restrictions. Yep, that means no vaccination card or PCR test required!
😲
Well, that was easy.
𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗯𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁?
⛰ Insane mountain landscapes -- it’s one of the most mountainous countries in Europe!
🏖 Gorgeous beaches too! Just like Croatia, its coast is on the Adriatic Sea.
🏰 Historical sites and old towns. This little country is home to four UNESCO sites and plenty of other interesting spots
🐷 The food! It’s just across the water from Italy so you can find great pizza and pasta. There’s tons of fresh seafood and plenty of traditional Balkan cuisine too.
💰 It’s super affordable so your travel dollars will go far here!
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁?
💶 Montenegro uses the Euro, unlike all of its neighboring countries.
🚌 Bus is the best option for public transportation. They go everywhere!
🧳 The climate varies A LOT in the short distance from the beaches to the mountains. Pack layers!
🚗 Renting a car is pretty affordable (I paid about €15 per day) and a great way to get off the beaten path here.
𝗪𝗵𝗼'𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄?!
🙋‍♀️
📸: Pics of the places you’ll hear more about -- Kotor, Podgorica, Durmitor National Park, and Žabljak.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂?
👀
Are you living the double backpack life as you walk to the bus station or showing up in style with your rolling bag and taxi?
🤔
There’s no right answer! That’s one of my favorite things about indie travel.
🙌
𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘌𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦, 𝘐 𝘶𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘬 -- 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 40 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘈𝘕𝘋 𝘳𝘶𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴!
💯
Here I was headed to the bus station to catch a ride from Albania to Montenegro!
📍
When I’m traveling in the US, I might choose the rolling back and cab. It all depends.
🤷‍♀️
I’m back from the Pacific Northwest and have a few weeks until I hit the road again so it’s time for me to share more from my recent Balkan adventures!
🎥
𝗨𝗽 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁: 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗼!
🤩
𝘐𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺? 𝘛𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴!