Stay in Trebinje, Visit Dubrovnik: Day Trips to Croatia and Montenegro

Can you sleep in Trebinje and spend your days in Dubrovnik? You can, and it is one of the smartest ways to see the south of Herzegovina, Dubrovnik and the Bay of Kotor. If you want to stay in Trebinje and visit Dubrovnik, this guide comes from our experience with guests who travel exactly like that: they sleep in Trebinje, get in the car in the morning and are in Dubrovnik in about 45 minutes.

Below you will find how long the drive takes, when to leave to avoid queues at the border, what to expect when you enter Croatia, where to leave the car in Dubrovnik, and where else guests from Trebinje go on day trips.

Why guests choose Trebinje over Dubrovnik

Almost all of our guests who come for Dubrovnik stay in Trebinje and travel from there to Dubrovnik, to the beaches and to Montenegro. The reasons are simple:

• Accommodation costs less. In our experience, a stay in Trebinje is roughly 30 to 50 percent cheaper than in Dubrovnik, and for that price you often get a nicer, better-kept apartment than you would on the coast.
• Food and drink cost less. Dinner in Trebinje is cheaper, and the food is excellent.
• It is quieter. After a day in the crowds of the Old Town, you come back in the evening to a calm town without the tourist rush.
• Parking is easy. In Trebinje it is easy to leave the car by the apartment, while parking in Dubrovnik is often a problem and expensive.
• One base, three countries. From Trebinje you are close to Croatia and Montenegro, and the rest of Bosnia and Herzegovina is within easy reach.
• Trebinje is worth it on its own. The Old Town, the plane trees, the Trebišnjica river, the monasteries, great food and people who make you welcome.

That is why it makes sense to stay in Trebinje and explore the area from there. Dubrovnik and Herceg Novi in Montenegro are each a 45-minute to one-hour drive away.

How long the drive from Trebinje to Dubrovnik takes

The drive from Trebinje to Dubrovnik takes about 45 minutes, including the border crossing when there is no queue. The road goes through the Ivanica crossing, Gornji Brgat on the Croatian side, and comes down right above Dubrovnik.

Our guests get to Dubrovnik in several ways:

• In their own car, the most common option and the one with the most freedom.
• In a rented car, if they came to Trebinje without their own.
• By transfer or taxi, if they would rather not drive and look for parking in Dubrovnik.
• On an organised tour, if they prefer someone else to plan the day.

The usual rhythm is simple: leave early in the morning, come back to Trebinje in the evening for dinner.

When to leave to avoid queues at the border

A lot of people from Trebinje work in Dubrovnik, so the border can be full of cars when people are going to work and coming home. So leave early in the morning. If you can’t make an early start, the queues usually ease once the shift is over, often after 4 pm.

What to expect at the Croatian border

Croatia is in the European Union and the Schengen area, so entering Dubrovnik means entering the EU. Since October 2025, the EU’s borders use a new Entry/Exit System (EES), which replaced passport stamps.

If you travel on a Bosnia and Herzegovina passport, or on any other passport from outside the European Union, the border officers take your photo and fingerprints the first time you enter. Children under 12 don’t give fingerprints. On later crossings a face check is usually enough. EU citizens cross as before, with an ID card or passport.

Check the rules before you travel on the EU’s official EES page and in the Croatian Ministry of the Interior’s answers, because border procedures can change. Montenegro is not in the EU, so this system does not apply when you enter Montenegro.

What to bring

• A passport or ID card, depending on what applies to your nationality.
• The car’s registration papers and a green card, the proof that the car’s insurance is valid in Croatia and Montenegro.
• If you drive a rented car, the rental company’s permission to cross the border. Ask the company in advance whether the car may leave the country and what you need for it.

Money: euros, marks and cards

• Croatia and Montenegro use the euro; Trebinje uses the convertible mark (KM).
• Cards are accepted almost everywhere.
• Euros are often accepted in Trebinje too, but don’t count on it everywhere.
• You pay for a stay booked through Trebistan to the owner, in cash, in KM, on arrival, so bring marks for that.

Where to park in Dubrovnik

Parking in Dubrovnik can be a problem, and it is expensive. You have two choices: leave the car further from the centre and walk to the Old Town, or pay for a garage near the Old Town and save time. If you’d rather not think about parking at all, take a transfer or a taxi.

What to do in Dubrovnik in a day

This is what our guests usually do in Dubrovnik:

• The Old Town and Stradun: a walk along the main street and the stone lanes.
• The city walls: a walk along the walls with views over the roofs and the sea.
• The cable car up Srđ: a view over the whole city and the islands.
• The beach: in summer, the city and the sea fit into the same day.
• A boat to Lokrum or the Elafiti islands: the islands just off Dubrovnik.
• Cavtat and the nearby coast: a quieter version of a day by the sea.

More day trips from Trebinje: Herceg Novi, Kotor and Kravica

Once you have seen Dubrovnik, Trebinje makes it easy to go further:

• Herceg Novi: the nearest Montenegrin coast, a 45-minute to one-hour drive.
• Kotor and the Bay of Kotor: further than Herceg Novi, so plan a longer day and an early start.
• Kravica waterfalls: a trip in the other direction, inside Bosnia and Herzegovina, with no border to cross.

Which apartment in Trebinje to choose for day trips

Guests who explore Dubrovnik and Montenegro usually stay 3 to 5 nights. For a stay like that, look for three things:

• Close to the centre. When you get back in the evening, it is nice to walk to the Old Town for dinner without driving again. See the apartments in Trebinje city centre.
• Air conditioning. Summers in Trebinje are hot, and after a day in the sun air conditioning makes a big difference.
• Flexible check-in and check-out. If you leave early and come back late, agree the times with the owner. On Trebistan you can message the owner in the chat before you arrive.

The best time for this plan

Trebinje works as a base for Dubrovnik all year round. Summer is for beaches and swimming, while late spring and early autumn are pleasant for exploring towns and long walks.

Our most important tip

If you are going to Dubrovnik, leave early in the morning. A lot of people from Trebinje work in Dubrovnik and drive to work in the morning, so there are many cars on the road and at the border. An early start means less waiting, easier parking and a longer day in Dubrovnik.

How to book accommodation in Trebinje

On Trebistan you search accommodation in Trebinje and send your booking request straight to the owner. There is no booking fee, you pay nothing online, and you pay the owner in cash on arrival. Cancellation is free up to 3 days before arrival, and you don’t need an account.

If you have a free day between trips, see the things to do in Trebinje or our weekend plan for Trebinje. For questions, call us on +387 66 905 801 or write to info@trebistan.com, and you will find answers to common questions on our Help page.