A short flight away is the relatively undiscovered country of Montenegro, just 2 hours 35 minutes from Manchester Airports elderly looking Terminal 1 via Easyjet.
Departure
Parking at Manchester Airport is relatively straight forward, with number plate recognition making entry to the car parks a simple drive up to the barrier and enter. This time we elected to park in Jetparks 3 due to the terminal we where flying from.
Arriving in the departure hall, the Easyjet luggage drop off was quickly located. As is the way with everything these days, it’s a self service approach. Case on the machine, boarding card scanned, label printed and successfully attached to the case. A short step or two to place the case on the conveyor followed by the pleasurable exit of it into the bowels of the terminal. This event always makes you think, “will I ever see it again?”
Due to the time of year we thought that the Fastrak security option would be beneficial. It would have been if the queues had been longer, so although we didn’t really need it on this trip, it is something I will always considering future.
With a fairly quick and stress free passage through security, with the usual procedure of unpacking everything you have neatly packed in your carry on luggage, which is regularly followed by the question “is that a camera? Can you take it out?”
“Yes it it is, and yes I can.” However it always baffles me that different airports around the world and even around the UK do this differently. Even the same airport can requested this or not on different occasions. Surely if this needs to happen, it should always happen!
Manchester Terminal 1 is not the greatest I’ve passed through. Although there seemed to be quite a number of places available to eat and drink, nothing seem to be open at the time we where traveling about 6am.
Finally we found a bar/restaurant that was bubbling with people already to head off to their destination of choice. This would be or holding area and so though breakfast would be in order.
The delightful prospect of been able to order your culinary desires at the table to avoid the queue seem to be a sensible choice. This was going to be the start of the problems.
- Reading the QR code to activate the system was problematic due to the lack of Wi-Fi availability and mobile phone network surpassing design of the building.
- With a very poor mobile internet connection, the application loaded. Only to be told that the kitchen was not open. A fact I seriously doubted due to the number of other people eating already, and I could clearly set it!
- Now I joined the queue, which was growing longer by the minute. Two of Manchesters finest behind the bar, made my rapid progress through this chaos to the front in a mere matter of 25 minutes! Perhaps the management could consider more or at least quicker employees.
- Food order placed, a with only one of the two drinks thrown over the counter missing me due to my cat like reflexes and a swift step to the right. I finally headed back to the table some £28 lighter.
- It was only a short wait before what has to be the most disappointing breakfasts I think it has ever been my misfortune to have appeared. Even my camera refused to take a picture of it.
So, where is Montenegro?
This was a question that numerous people asked.
Montenegro is nestled between Croatia to the north, and Albania to the south sharing borders with the Adriatic. The border is also shared with Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia and Kosovo. All, unsurprisingly, on my list of countries to visit.
Where did we stay?
The decision was made to stay in Budva, a 21km car journey from Tivat Airport. We had selected a suitably nice looking AirBNB apartment on XVIII St, with sea and mountain views across the town. The apartment was a great base to work from. Equiped with a fully functioning kitchen with all the mod cons you would expect, although it was never the intention to really cook, its nice to know its an option. The two other essentials for me where parking and Wi-Fi. We had our own parking space in the underground carpark of the block with a short elevator ride to the sixth floor. Wi-Fi was available throughout the apartment with good speed.
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Video roundup
Here’s a little video based round up of our recent trip to Montenegro.
Would I visit again…. YES.