Ferry to Montenegro: Bari & Ancona to Bar

There is one sea gateway to Montenegro: the Port of Bar, on the southern coast, reached by ferry from Bari or Ancona in Italy. Both routes are seasonal (mostly summer) and change from year to year, so you have to check the current schedule before you plan around them. Crossings are long - roughly 8-11 hours from Bari and 12-13 hours overnight from Ancona - and the main reason to take one is bringing your own car; if you’re travelling without a vehicle, flying is almost always faster and often cheaper. Here’s how each route works, what it costs, and what to expect when you dock at Bar.

Should you take the ferry at all?

Be honest about why you’re considering it. A ferry from Italy makes sense in two cases: you want to bring a car (or a motorhome, or a motorbike) to Montenegro without the long drive round the head of the Adriatic through Croatia, or the slow sea crossing is part of the trip for you. For everyone else, a flight to Tivat (TIV) or Podgorica (TGD) is quicker and usually the better deal, and you can pick up a hire car on arrival instead. These ferries are a car-ferry service first and a passenger route second.

The other thing to accept upfront: this is not a year-round, turn-up-and-go connection. Both routes run mainly in the summer window, sailings can be as sparse as one a week, and operators and timetables shift between seasons - one aggregator we checked even showed no current Bari-Bar sailings at all. Treat every detail below as a starting point and confirm the live schedule with the operator for your dates.

Ancona to Bar: the bigger, overnight route

The Ancona-Bar line is the more substantial of the two. It’s run by Adria Ferries, an Italian company, on a large ship - recent seasons have used the AF Mia, which carries about 1,500 passengers (1,528) and has around 200 cabins. Because the crossing takes roughly 12h 30m to 13 hours, it’s an overnight sailing: you typically board in the evening, sleep aboard, and arrive the next morning.

Frequency runs to about two to four departures a week depending on the month and direction (one listing put it at three crossings a week in high season). The season is a summer one - broadly July to September, though the exact start and end shift year to year, so check current dates.

On fares, treat these as summer “from” prices that move with the season and how early you book:

• Foot passenger: from around €78-83 each way.
• Small car with two adults: a package from around €279-284 each way.

A cabin is worth booking on an overnight run; a reclining seat is included in the base fare, but 13 hours is a long time to sleep upright. Ancona is the more northerly Italian port, which suits you if you’re driving down from northern Italy or beyond.

Bari to Bar: the shorter, more seasonal route

The Bari-Bar crossing is shorter and much lighter. It’s operated by Jadrolinija, the Croatian national ferry company (the ship on the run has varied by season, so check which vessel is sailing). The crossing is quicker - one current timetable showed a daytime sailing departing Bari at 11:00 and reaching Bar around 19:00, roughly 8 hours, though other sources quote 10-11 hours, so allow for a long day either way.

This is the thinner, more seasonal of the two routes: expect roughly one sailing a week, concentrated in high summer (often just August, sometimes from July). It genuinely may not run outside that window - so if Bari is your plan, confirm it’s sailing before you build a trip around it.

Fares, again as “from” prices to confirm:

• Foot passenger: from around €78 each way.
• Car: from around €101 each way.

Bari suits travellers already in southern Italy (Puglia), and the shorter, often-daytime crossing means you can arrive without paying for a cabin.

The two routes at a glance

	Ancona → Bar	Bari → Bar
Operator	Adria Ferries	Jadrolinija
Crossing	~12h30-13h, overnight	~8-11h, often daytime
Frequency	~2-4 / week	~1 / week
Season	~July-September	mainly August (check)
From, foot	~€78-83	~€78
From, car	~€279-284 (car + 2 adults)	~€101

All figures are summer “from” prices and season-dependent - confirm the live schedule and fare for your dates.

Bringing a car: what to check

If the whole point is your car, sort the paperwork before you sail. Montenegro isn’t in the EU, so driving in on your own vehicle means checking your insurance is valid there - you may need a Green Card extension - along with the usual registration and licence documents. Our guide to Montenegro entry requirements covers what you and your passengers need to enter, and driving in Montenegro covers the roads, tolls and rules once you’re ashore. Book vehicle space ahead in summer; car deck capacity is limited and the peak sailings fill.

Arriving at Bar: what’s there and where next

Bar is a working commercial and ferry port rather than a resort, so don’t expect to step off into a postcard old town. The passenger terminal sits about 1.5-2 km from the modern town centre - a 20-minute walk along the marina or a short shuttle or taxi. It’s a functional arrival, but Bar is well connected, so you won’t be stuck.

From Bar you have real options for getting on:

• By car: you’re already mobile. The coast road runs north to Budva (about 40 km) and on to Kotor (about 60 km); the Sozina tunnel on the inland road to Podgorica costs about €2.50 and saves a mountain detour.
• By bus: intercity buses run along the coast to Budva, Kotor and beyond, and inland to Podgorica. The full picture - routes, rough fares and quirks - is in getting around Montenegro, and if you’re not renting, Montenegro without a car shows how far buses and the train get you.
• By train: Bar is the coastal terminus of the scenic railway up to Podgorica, Kolašin and on to Belgrade - cheap and beautiful, if slow.

If you’re heading for the honeypots, our Kotor and Budva guides pick up from there, and where to stay in Montenegro helps you pick the right base once you’re off the boat.

A note on “ferries” you might confuse with this

Two other boats get lumped in with “ferry to Montenegro,” and neither is a car ferry from Italy. There’s a small car ferry across the Bay of Kotor (Kamenari-Lepetane) that shortcuts the inner bay - useful once you’re in the country, covered in getting around Montenegro - and seasonal passenger boats and catamarans from Dubrovnik in Croatia down to Kotor. If you specifically want to bring a vehicle from Italy, the Bar routes above are the only game in town.

Practical notes

Montenegro uses the euro (€), even outside the EU, so no currency change if you’re coming from Italy; cards work in town, but carry some cash for the terminal, buses and small stops. Book ahead for summer, especially with a car - the sailings are few and the peak ones sell out. And once more, because it matters: verify the current season, timetable and operator directly before you commit, since these routes shift year to year.

Weighing the ferry against simply flying and renting on arrival? Compare current flight prices and hire cars in the boxes below.

Nearby / read also

• Getting around Montenegro - buses, taxis, car, the bay ferry and trains.
• Montenegro without a car - how far buses and the train get you.
• Driving in Montenegro - roads, tolls, fuel and parking for your own car.
• Montenegro entry requirements - documents to enter and to bring a vehicle.
• Kotor - the walled old town and the Bay of Kotor.
• Budva - beaches, the old town and the coast’s nightlife.
• Where to stay in Montenegro - pick your base by trip type once you land at Bar.