Matilda on Tour — 6 weeks on the road

Matilda on Tour — 6 weeks on the road 🚐

Six weeks into the trip, this stretch through Bosnia and Montenegro has taught us quite a lot.

Top of the list — Richard’s driving has been tested to the limit.
Top marks 🥳🎺

Bosnia & Montenegro — first impressions:

• Bosnia and Montenegro feel different — not in the EU, less polished 🌍
• Not a wealthy feel, but full of contrast
• Smart houses beside unfinished ones
• Builds started and not completed
• Roads that shift from perfect to stony tracks 🛣️
• Montenegro uses Euros, Bosnia uses BAM — roughly 2:1 for BAM at the moment 💶
• Bosnia is cheap to stay, Montenegro less so
• Eating out can be good value — especially in Bosnia 🍽️
• Not much English spoken
• Kotor is full-on tourist — busy, crowded, a different feel 🏖️
• Feels more real elsewhere, less touristy
• Border crossings can be slow — very slow at times ⏳
• Scenery is stunning — mountains, coastline, constantly changing 🌄
• Hospitality has been warm and genuine 💛

Travel & planning lessons:

• No data roaming is fine… until it isn’t 📶
• No Wi-Fi means no Google Maps, unless you’ve downloaded beforehand — and no easy way to check where you’re going. Not good 🧭
• Don’t wing it — get a SIM
• Don’t just trust the plan — check campsites yourself, even the ones suggested by the Satnav.😄
• Campsites aren’t always open, even when you think they are
• I’ve learnt how to send a pin on WhatsApp — so we can always find our way back 📍We do this when we arrive at the site - its has been really useful.

Good to know:

• A 30-mile journey can take 7 hours — be ready for that 🚐
• Driving can be more demanding than expected and take an awful lot longer.
• Have a backup plan
• Arrive earlier if you can
• Always carry drinking water 💧
• Carry spare hoses for water and waste — ours are currently held together with gaffer tape… yet to be tested 😅

And somehow, even with all that, we’ve felt really enjoyed it.

The harder days often turn out to be the ones you remember.