# Driving Uk car from Igoumenista to Dubrovnik



## John34000 (Oct 25, 2010)

Hello,

I will be driving my UK car up to Croatia in June 2014 as part of a bigger trip and can't seem to find up to date info regarding border formalities specifically how to get Car Insurance that covers the route through Albania plus Bosnia and Herzegovina.

I will be leaving Greece from Igoumenista, destination Dubrovnik, and will be simply transiting both countries, spending the night in Tirane, and would like to use a coastal route, but this ideal may have to be foregone if the roads are too clogged with traffic. I will then have to consider the main routes.

So, if anyone has carried out this trip recently, I am anxious to hear of issues that you found challenging along the way. 

The main topic though, is that my current insurance excludes AL and BIH and they have told me that they will not allow any exceptions, even for the 2 days. Therefore, I need up to date info for what my options will be at each frontier please.

Thanks in advance,

John


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## John34000 (Oct 25, 2010)

Hello, This corrects my original post which should not have included BIH, it ought to have been Montenegro instead. This part of my route seems to be excluded under Serbia which is not covered.

So to be precise, I need information about car insurance to cover the route between Igoumenista and Dubrovnic, transiting Albania and Montenegro.

Sorry for the error!

John


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## ashkevron (May 1, 2012)

We've driven to Montenegro last year, and it's a LONG trip. However, we drove mostly through Croatian mainland, avoiding Bosnia (at one very small point on the map, Bosnia seems to cut through Croatian coast, so I am not sure if the entire trip can be done along Croatian coast, without entering Bosnia). When we drove from Dubrovnic to Montenegro, we hardly saw any sea, apart from stunning views around Dubrovnic itself, the road was through the country side.

Montenegro is a stunning country, they have amazing coastal roads. There is this old coastal road (difficult to find unless you are looking for it on the sat nav, locals told us about it, beteen Kotor and Tivat, which I think has the best scenery I've ever seen. It goes around Kotor Bay and the only thing between this tiny road and the sea is a small stone wall. People normally take the new road, which we took on our way back and it can't compare at all. 

For Montenegro, we were asked for the "green card" for our car and since we didn't have it, were asked to pay for the car insurance at the border, it was something like 15 euros (and it had to be paid in euros, in cash) for 10 days. I don't know if you can pay less for just a few days. Make sure to have your lights turned on at all times in Montenegro, during day and night, and to wear the seat belt (this goes for Croatia as well), otherwise the police will stop you and fine you. They had a LOT of police along the main roads in both Croatia and Montenegro, with radars, and they were stopping people. 

If you do get a chance, stop at Dubrovnic and Kotor, they are both well worth the visit. We haven't at any point entered Albania or Bosnia, so I don't know about their car insurance, but it's possible they operate a similar system.


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## John34000 (Oct 25, 2010)

Thanks ashkevron for telling of your experiences, I've noted the route between Kotor and Tivat and can see no reason why we can't check it out! We realise it's a long trip, but we're coming up from Crete, having arrived there via Italy, and our furthest point to head for is going to be Vera in Almeria Spain!
It still remains that no-one has yet commented on transiting Albania, but perhaps someone will be inspired to comment now the thread had been bumped up the list again.
Once again, thanks for your comments, we'll be happy enough to pay €15 for the cover mentioned in your reply !!
John


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## ashkevron (May 1, 2012)

John34000 said:


> Thanks ashkevron for telling of your experiences, I've noted the route between Kotor and Tivat and can see no reason why we can't check it out! We realise it's a long trip, but we're coming up from Crete, having arrived there via Italy, and our furthest point to head for is going to be Vera in Almeria Spain!
> It still remains that no-one has yet commented on transiting Albania, but perhaps someone will be inspired to comment now the thread had been bumped up the list again.
> Once again, thanks for your comments, we'll be happy enough to pay €15 for the cover mentioned in your reply !!
> John


I can try and contact the family home/hotel in Montenegro in which we stayed and ask them about transiting Albania, if you like. They were very friendly and the owner has a Facebook page  I remember he mentioned that he's been to Albania a few times, but I don't remember him saying anything about the car insurance.

Long car trips are amazing, especially if you can afford the time and money to explore the route and what's worth seeing on the route and can take a break every now and then and stay in some hotel for a couple fo days and just go and visit all the things really worth seeing in the area!


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## John34000 (Oct 25, 2010)

Hi again,

Thank you for your continued thoughts!

Please don't go to a lot of trouble, from chatting to people it seems that you can buy car insurance at the border control, but how it happens isn't clear. Hey, if they turn us away, we'll just go round! 

We're off in 10 days time, and will be back home around early November. Should be a pretty good trip. 

John


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## aliland (Jul 19, 2013)

Can you tell us how it went after too? We generally travel France / Italy then over on the ferry simply through fear of the unknown. Its more to do with technicalities than culture. Have a nice trip!


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## John34000 (Oct 25, 2010)

Hi aliland,

We'll be leaving Crete on the 16th June and will be in Rovinj (Croatia) on the 21st June.

If you ask again after the 22nd June, on this forum, same thread, I ought to be able to give you an account of how it went. Simply, this leg of the trip will be to transit between the 2 points, over 5 days.

John


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## John34000 (Oct 25, 2010)

Hello,
If you've been following this thread, here's how it went! We left Igoumenista (Greece) and took the road north into Albania. We had to pay €50 for car insurance before they would let us enter Albania, and this was carried our in a small office at the frontier with a sign reading "Karton Jesil Siguracion"
You will be asked to produce the car registration document and some of the info from this will be used to complete the insurance document. The minimum duration was for 15 days. You will be paying the €50 in cash. They had a quick look in the back of the car as I had blacked out all the windows to the rear of the front seats, but didn't ask me to remove anything. Some cars were getting a thorough going over, but I couldn't see the plates to identify where they were from. We went through several armed vehicle checkpoints along the route towards Tirane, and were stopped at one. No probs, but our car didn't display a GB plate on the front No. Plate and all they wanted to know was where we had come from. 

On leaving Albania, they asked for the car registration document and seemed to "log it off" the system. 

On entering Montenegro, once again, we had to produce the Rego document, and had to buy car insurwhile there and then. They kept our passports and showed us to a small office at the checkpoint and the minimum duration cover cost €15 cash. When exiting Montenegro, you show your Rego document again. 

We didn't have any issues with driving through either country, although some of the roads and bridges in Albania leave a lot to be desired. some of the speed limits seem ridiculously slow, but once you've hit some of the potholes, you'll see why! The roads into and out of towns along the way are selling wheels, tyres and road springs for trucks. I think they must make a good living.

On spending the night in Tirane, the capital, we were hassled by beggars at all the traffic lights, some kids clinging on to the roof-bars. Occasionally, some of the sharp eyed kids will spot the RHD motor and make a bee-line for the driver's door. No a problem if you keep the window up and the doors locked.

After Montenegro, we passed briefly through Bosnia before entering Croatia. Customs formalities were minimal, simply a quick glance at the passports.

So, in summary, looking back, the trip up from Greece was the most interesting journey of our trip so far. Our dash-cam recorded some events that were surprising, but there was nothing sinister at all. If you give it a go, pay particular attention to the road surface and be prepared to meet cars and bikes coming down one-way streets against the traffic flow. Be also aware that if you see a row of cars coming over on "your" side of the road for no apparent reason, it'll be down to a huge hole on their side! Also watch out for missing man-hole covers!!
It's probably advisable to drive during daylight so you can see this type of thing and take avoiding measures. 

No problems stopping for lunch at roadside tavernas, just pick one with a car-parking facility or where you can see your car if you feel overly concerned. 

I'd have no hesitation in doing the trip again. (our car is an 18 month old citroen estate)

Hope this helps swing a decision for others and good luck if you go for it!!!

John


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