Car Rental in Perast, Bay of Kotor

Perast is a compact stone village, so the car arrives at your hotel doorstep with parking arranged a short walk from the boat jetty for Our Lady of the Rocks.

Perast car rental from €22/day

Drive from Perast and you reach the islands boat jetty in 90 seconds, the Risan mosaics in 10 minutes, Kotor old town in 18 minutes, and the south coast within an hour. Six vehicle classes are available, from the compact Yaris and Fiat 500 through to family SUVs, with prices fixed at the moment you book.

Perast, Hidden Gem on the Bay

The little village of Perast is located just a short drive, less than 20 minutes, from Kotor. Tourists who rent a car for their tour of Montenegro will certainly want to make the drive up the E65/E80 motorway to spend time in this lovely fishing village.

Although home to only around 850 people, the long and colourful history of Perast certainly outweighs its small size. From 1420 to 1797, the town belonged to the Republic of Venice and was known for its master shipbuilders and sailors. Perast has many gorgeous reminders of the past and some excellent examples of Baroque architecture.

From Perast the short bay stretches reward a small car: 5 km north to Risan and the Roman mosaics, 12 km south through Orahovac to Kotor old town, and 22 km west across the Kamenari ferry to Tivat Airport for outbound flights. Pickup is also free in the village itself for stays inside Perast.

Travellers booking a Kotor car rental for the wider Bay of Kotor itinerary often add Perast as the must-stop on the inner bay road. The boat jetty for Our Lady of the Rocks is a 90-second walk from the village car park; the village is small enough that the rental car spends most of its time waiting for the next leg.

The Islands

St. George Island

A natural island just off the coast in the Bay of Kotor, home to the St. George Benedictine Monastery, built in the 12th century. Small boats from the harbour will take visitors there for a few Euros.

Our Lady of the Rocks

A man-made island holding the church of the same name. The island was created by sailors from the town throwing rocks and sinking old boats and ships over centuries. Every year this tradition continues, and on July 22nd tourists can watch as locals fill their boats with rocks to help keep the island intact.

Historic Sites

The town boasts numerous palaces, cathedrals, and several guard towers which once protected the city. For those interested in learning about Perast's history in detail, the Museum of Perast contains many artefacts, archives, paintings, sculptures, and town records. The museum is located in the old Palata Buiovich, which many consider the most beautiful building on the Montenegrin coast.

Banja Monastery

Located just north of Perast on the road to Risan, the Banja Monastery features many ancient religious pieces from Russian, Greek, and Boka dynasties. To reach the monastery, continue north on the E65/E80 for just a few kilometres.

Parking in Perast

Perast has one road through the village, between the bay shore and the cliffside above. The largest free parking sits at the eastern end of the village by the school, a 7-minute walk to the Our Lady of the Rocks boat jetty. Two smaller paid lots closer to the centre charge around €1.50 per hour at card-only meters, marked by blue lines.

Free spaces are realistic before 09:00 and after 18:00 in July and August, and anytime in shoulder season. At peak times the village fills with bay daytrippers from Kotor; arriving by 10:00 secures a central spot, otherwise the school car park is the reliable fallback. Overnight street parking outside hotels is generally tolerated for guests on the village access road.

The village rewards a small car

The single access road through Perast narrows to around 3 metres at the historic quay turn, where 18th-century walls sit close to both sides. A Toyota Yaris or Fiat 500 squeezes through without thinking; a Renault Kadjar or wider SUV needs the wing mirrors folded and a deliberate slow approach. For most visitors, an Economy or Mini class is the right call for Perast specifically, with the bonus of being the cheapest option for the rest of the bay too.

Perast as a base, or just a stop?

Perast works as an overnight base for 1 to 2 nights if your priority is the quieter end of the bay and the closest access to the islands boat trip. Kotor is the better base for 3+ night stays where the old town evening restaurants, the late-night atmosphere, and direct walking access to St John Fortress matter. Many visitors collect a rental car at Tivat Airport, spend the first night in Perast for the islands, then move 12 km south to Kotor for the rest of the stay.

If your itinerary skips the islands, Perast is fine as a 2-hour stop rather than an overnight; a rental car parked at the eastern free lot keeps the visit short and easy. For travellers based further out in Tivat or Budva, Perast is best treated as the longest stop on a half-day bay drive rather than a dedicated destination.

What car insurance do I need for Perast?

The free Minimum tier covers third-party liability on every booking; beyond that, three paid upgrades shrink or clear the roughly €100 cash deposit held at pickup. Basic adds collision-damage cover with a capped excess for about €8 a day, Full lowers your liability further at around €10, and Full Plus removes the deposit entirely with zero excess for about €25. In Perast the deciding factor is usually how often you squeeze along the quay road and whether the trip reaches the Risan and Kotor switchbacks.

Perast itself is short and slow-speed, with most parking happening within a 90-second walk of the village quay; mid-tier cover is normally enough unless you are combining Perast with Lovćen, the Cetinje serpentine, or the longer inland routes. The insurance and deposit guide sets out the excess on each tier, the paperwork needed at pickup, and the exclusions worth reading before you sign.

Driving Perast: the practical version

Perast is a compact stop on the inner bay, not a base for long drives. The car earns its keep by reaching the islands boat jetty, the Roman mosaics 5 km north, and the wider Bay of Kotor without depending on the local minibus schedule. For most visitors the village is a half-day or full-day stop combined with Kotor; for others it is the quieter overnight choice.

Perast car hire FAQs

Perast is small enough that delivery to your accommodation works for almost every booking, but the choice of pickup point, the quay parking situation, and the timing of the Kamenari ferry come up regularly. The questions below cover what travellers tend to ask before they confirm.