corporate-wage-slave

Yes. I'd give it a 75% success rate. Certainly more likely to fail than a diversion to TGD. easyJet also fly to Tivat. That's probably the best aircraft / reliability / location / cost answer. Just buy all the up-sells to make it a more comfortable trip. That can, of course, include buying a middle seat. FRA is probably the most complex and least user friendly airport that I deal with on a regular basis, it is even worse than MAN.

Tiger_lily

It rather depends on where your connection leaves from. If you have a tight connection and you end up on a remote stand and you’re in business, you might get a car transfer to your connection but if you have to negotiate the terminal buildings I’d recommend a pair of Nike Vapourflies

paulaf

Thanks for info think the Frankfurt connection could be quite stressful then. I looked at Easyjet and looks ok apart from the early start 7am! Yes saw all the extras but how do you buy a middle seat surely you don't add a 3rd pax? Can you explain please? Thanks

LiHS

I wouldn't think it unsafe in the slightest, but they stretch their fleet pretty thin in the summer, including running a lot of flights to Russia, and the old F100 is the most likely to have a technical problem. They're not in any alliance (except for some sort of an association with Air Serbia. Air Serbia (JU) is another option for you if their flight is reasonably priced it's not too highly, if markedly less plush in J than it used to be just a few years ago (you might want to avoid the ATRs on the BEG-TIV leg, but I don't mind them for such short flights).

The luggage stands a better chance than you do. However, since Sunday LH flights FRA-TIV leave at 15:20, you could always book a (much) longer connection. I'd rather spent a couple of hours in the lounge with a drink in my hand than spend weeks stressing over the relatively short connection to a 1pw flight.

If you choose BA, you can always stay the first night in Podgorica. Driving to the city from the airport takes minutes. It's not a particularly touristy place, but it'd do for a night. If you plan on taking advantage of the B component of the F&B offering it's easy to take a fixed-fare cab from the airport, stay the night downtown, and pick up a rental the next morning ahead of the scenic drive to Kotor. It'd also give you a bit of an insight into the "true MNE" as opposed to the heavily touristy Russian-dominated coast.

corporate-wage-slave

I know and have seen people just buy the extra seat under the name "Mr. Comfort Seat" but occasionally easyJet overbook their flights so they could want your seat in that scenario. The correct way is to call up easyJet and book the seat there, which should be cheaper since neither Passenger Service Charges nor Air Passenger Duty would be payable. It's easier to do this fully online on Ryanair and Vueling, where they just want the money!

heb999

We also had this dilemma. In the end we chose Montenegro Airlines as we wanted to depart on a Thursday and return on a Sunday. They were the only airline who offered non-stop with decent flight times. I looked into flying to Dubrovnik, Tirana and Podgorica but didn't want to do the transfers. Hopefully, we won't live to regret the decision.

paulaf

Yes its difficult to decide isn't it, none of the options are ideal unfortunately.

paulaf

The luggage stands a better chance than you do. However, since Sunday LH flights FRA-TIV leave at 15:20, you could always book a (much) longer connection. I'd rather spent a couple of hours in the lounge with a drink in my hand than spend weeks stressing over the relatively short connection to a 1pw flight.
I looked at LH and the earliest outbound was 10.30 leaving the connection I mentioned, do you mean take a non connecting flight to get us to Frankfurt earlier e.g. BA?
If you choose BA, you can always stay the first night in Podgorica. Driving to the city from the airport takes minutes. It's not a particularly touristy place, but it'd do for a night. If you plan on taking advantage of the B component of the F&B offering it's easy to take a fixed-fare cab from the airport, stay the night downtown, and pick up a rental the next morning ahead of the scenic drive to Kotor. It'd also give you a bit of an insight into the "true MNE" as opposed to the heavily touristy Russian-dominated coast.[/QUOTE
What do you mean by B component please? Thanks

nancypants

I wouldn’t worry specifically about the F100 being unsafe. If they’re retiring it I’ll expect it to be snapped up within about 5 seconds from the second hand market and I’ll be seeing it at Brisbane soon

corporate-wage-slave

F&B means food and beverage. Therefore if you have too many of the limitless bottles of champagne on the BA service, driving your hire car around Montenegro's hairpin bends may not end very well. So he is suggesting that if you stay one night in Podgorica you don't need to worry about this since you can take a cab to the hotel and drive the next day. There is a well run Hilton in Podgorica.

LiHS

Certainly not a separate flight. The 10:30 departure from LHR is already better as it gives you 2h15min to connect in FRA, which is already a lot more comfortable than 1h15min. I see this is the longest connection lufthansa.com will offer, however you can force a longer connection using either Google Flights or ITA Matrix with Powertools to select flights and feed them to lufthansa.com. There are hourly LH departures starting at 6:30, so you can pick the connection time which best balances your risk appetite and willingness to schlep to Heathrow at an early hour.
Note you can combine LHR-FRA-TIV (LH, Sundays only) on the outbound with either TIV-MUC-LHR (LH, Saturdays only) or TGD-VIE-LHR (OS, any day of the week) on the inbound if you want more date/time flexibility. Both MUC and VIE are much quicker/easier to connect in on the way back. They are also earlier in the day, so there are several later flights to LHR they can rebook you on in case of a misconnect. Thus you can happily book the shortest connection that pops up and not worry about getting home the same day, whereas there are only one or two LH flights leaving FRA after the TIV flight arrives there so a misconnect would mean overnighting in FRA courtesy of LH.

Beverages. Specifically ones with ethanol. If that's your thing of course.

paulaf

Thanks everyone for your help with this so now some choices to make. Yes we normally have some B but very little when collecting a hire car, well husband doesn't anyway and he's in favour of the late arriving BA flight and driving straight there !

TWCLAM

If you're staying in/ near Kotor then TIV is the way to go. It's the other side of a mountain but as mentioned there's a tunnel that takes you through it rather than having to drive in on the mountain roads which can be a bit sketchy in places. From memory it's about 15-20 mins from TIV to central Kotor if you don't get traffic.

Btw Kotor is one of the most beautiful places i've ever visited. Locals are all great and super friendly. If you take a small boat trip around the bay ask nicely and see if the captain will take you into the abandoned Soviet nuclear sub base there( they're not supposed to but we got taken in there once) as it's quite an experience to witness.

TIV can have some interesting landings with either winds or the need to essentially fly at a mountain before banking steeply to avoid the thing but personally I found that a fun bonus. Airport is modern but very small and not a place worth spending any time at. Security is pretty quick

pauldb

Also do consider staying in Perast - was the best thing about our stay. It’s the little Venetian sister to Kotor but much quieter because the cruise ships are rather overwhelming Kotor (see if you are there for at least one no-ship day). Dobrata and the other places around the bay are easier to access but a bit scruffy/soulless.

You have to park at the edge of Perast and walk in (golf carts run by hotels) but it means the village is mostly car free except a few taxis and small buses. A few hotels in converted mansions and enough restaurants for a few days.




We also really liked the beach club at Bajova Kula. Otherwise you have to go to Plavi Horizonti or Jazz (nr Budva) which are much more crowded.