00316427469 21info@montenegro4x4adventures.com
All you need to know
Our aim is to take advantage of the scarce population density and benefit from the lack of infrastructure in Montenegros highlands. And the Lada Niva is just perfect for this. Wehere the asphalt ends your adventure begins!
With a mix of self drive programs, rentals only and guided tours we aim to make this incredible adventure accessible for everyone.
Lada Niva is more then just a 4x4. It’s an icon of an era gone by. Since the launch of the first Lada Niva in the Russian city of Toljatti, the car hardly changed in appearance. Bourgeois elements like seat heating, airco and a rearviewmirror have been added throughout the years, but the design remained untouched.
Lada Niva, with its vintage looks and spartan feel, appeals to sense of adventure that you will not find anymore in modern and fully computerized western SUV's.
The car is weighs just under 1200kg making it very easy to handle. Even if you never drove a 4x4 before, you will feel comfortabel in your Lada after the first few kilometers. And once you leave the asphalt you will soon fall in love with it.
The 3-door Lada Niva is ideal for 2 persons. You will need the back seat for your luggage too. If you aim to travel with more then 2 persons in a vehicle, we recommend to opt for the 5-door Lada Niva.
The roof tent fits 2 persons + 1 child. If you decide to share the car with more persons, we provide a side tent with airbed, sleeping bad & pillow for the 3rd (& 4th) person.
In any case we recommend travelling with small bags or suitcases. You are welcome to leave your main luggage at our depot in Podgorica while on the trip.
The contract is between YUGO Travel, operating under the name "Montenegrop 4x4 Adventures", further refered to as "us", and the customer, further refered to as "you", being any person travelling or intending to travel on a trip operated by us including any person who is added or substituted after booking.
By making a booking for one of our "fixed itineraries" or "rentals only" options, the first named person on the booking agrees on behalf of all persons detailed on the booking that:
1. he/she has read these Booking Conditions and has the authority to and does agree to be bound by them;
2. he/she consents to our use of information in accordance with our Privacy Policy;
3. he/she is over 23 years of age and where placing an order for services with age restrictions declares that he/she and all members of the party are of the appropriate age to purchase those services;
4. he/she accepts financial responsibility for payment of the booking on behalf of all persons detailed on the booking.
5. by submitting the form on our website this is considered as a binding booking request, that can only be cancelled under the conditions mentionned in our cancellation policy.
After submitting the booking form we process the booking wihtin 72 hours and will reconfirm the trip with an invoice. See the deposits section for invoice & payments details.
We hold the right to alter the booking once it is submitted. In the unlikely event of non-availability of our vehicles and / or of the campings spots included in the program booked, we will propose the nearest possible dates on which we can confirm the booking. The client holds the right to refuse the proposed alternative travel date and therewith the right to cancel the booking at no costs.
We recommend not to book your flights or connecting travel arrangements until you have received your travel confirmation and invoice.
The booking procedure for a guided tour is slightly different, since we only provide estimated prices for this type of tour. In practice, for each guided tour we outline the itinerary together with clients until we have reached an agreement on the itinerary, the price and on what is included and excluded. Client accepts the offer by a written confirmation (by e-mail).
We both agree that Dutch law (and no other) will apply to your contract and to any dispute, claim or other matter of any description which arises between us (except as set out below). We both also agree that any dispute, claim or other matter of any description (and whether or not involving any personal injury) which arises between us must be dealt with by the Court of the Netherlands only. No employee of the Company other than a director has authority to vary or omit any of these terms. No promise of a discount or refund will be binding on us unless confirmed by us in writing.
- You will receive your booking invoice upon confirmation. We require a 30% deposit payment. If we do not receive the deposit payment within 14 days after booking your trip, we hold the right to cancel your reservation.Should you wish to cancel, cancellation charges will be imposed. These are calculated from the day written notification is received by us as a percentage of the total trip price per person cancelling, excluding any amendment charges. Find below the cancellation charges we apply:
a) 60 and more days before trip start date – loss of deposit
b) 59-42 days before trip start date – 40% or loss of deposit if higher
c) 41-28 days before trip start date – 60%
d) 27-14 days before trip start date – 90%
e) Less than 14 days before trip start date – 100%Amendment charges are not refundable if you cancel your booking. We strongly recommend that comprehensive travel insurance is taken out which includes cover against cancellation charges. Depending on the reason for the cancellation, you may be able to reclaim the cancellation charges (less any applicable excess) under the terms of your insurance policy. In the event of the cancellation of a booking where you are liable to pay to us cancellation charges in excess of the amount already paid to us at the time of cancellation, you cannot transfer or add these charges to another booking or use any amounts paid to us in relation to the cancelled booking by way of part payment for another booking. Part cancellation of a booking may result in additional costs being payable by the remaining members of your party.
Cancellation by You due to Unavoidable & Extraordinary Circumstances:
You have the right to cancel your confirmed holiday before departure without paying a cancellation charge in the event of “unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances” occurring at your holiday destination or its immediate vicinity and significantly affecting the performance of the holiday or significant affecting the transport arrangements to the destination. In these circumstances, we shall provide you with a full refund of the monies you have paid but we will not be liable to pay you any additional compensation. Please note that your right to cancel in these circumstances will only apply where the ministry of foreign affairs of your country of residence advises against travel to your destination or its immediate vicinity. For the purposes of this clause, “unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances” means warfare, acts of terrorism, significant risks to human health such as the outbreak of serious disease at the travel destination or natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes or weather conditions which make it impossible to travel safely to the travel destination. Montenegro 4x4 Adventures is a brand of YUGO Travel. YUGO Travel is a Holland based travel agency that complies with all European standards regarding travellers guarantees. YUGO Travel is a member of VVKR as well as they STO guarantee fund.
The combination of travel services offered to you is a package within the meaning of the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations. Therefore, you will benefit from all EU rights applying to packages. YUGO Travel, operating under the label of Montenegro 4x4 Adventures will be fully responsible for the proper performance of the package as a whole. Additionally, as required by law, Montenegro 4x4 Adventures has protection in place to refund your payments and, where transport is included in the package, to ensure your repatriation in the event that it becomes/they become insolvent.
In practice this means that you will pay your booking to the STO Garant account, follwing the instructions you rceive via e-mail. The sum will be released to YUGO Travel the day after the booking agreement ends. STO Garant holds the right and responsibility to take over the financial control of your booking in case of insolvency.
The booker pays €12,00 per booking as a fixed fee to STO Garant in return for the guarantees provided.
Prices on the website include a full casco insurance. This means clients are covered for damage clients cause to others while driving our vehicle and for damage caused by others to our vehicle during your rental period.
We distinguish 3 types of damage:
1. Damage caused by clients (misuse or abuse of the vehicle and/or by irresponsible and/or incautious driving)
2. Technical / mechanical damage inherent to the (status of the) vehicle (damage that is not a result of misuse or abuse of the vehicle and/or by irresponsible and/or incautious driving)
3. Damage caused by others
In cases 2 and 3 we take full responsibility for solving the matter and will cover all costs involved in towing and repairing the car. We will get you back on the move again as soon as possible.
In case 1, clients are responsible for any repair- and towing costs, up to a maximim damage penalty (in case of a total loss situation) of €8000,00 per vehicle. Please find a list of the most occuring damages under the 'On damage and how to avoid it" section. Here you will also find a price list of the repair costs for these most occuring damages. These prices are fair and in line with the local standards. Furthermore they are fixed and non-negotiable. Only in case the garage bill turns out the be higher then the amount charged, we hold the right to invoice the surcharge to the client.
We do offer additional insurance for €10 per vehicle per day, to be paid upon check in. With this additional insurance your own risk in case of damage caused by yourself is lowered to a maximim fofr € 300 per event. The own risk applies to the damage on the car only. If damage inflicted by the driver forces to make extra costs for accomodation, meals or other non car-related services, these costs are on behalf of the customer.
In addition to this information, please read our "damage protocol" page carefully to learn how to prevent damage and how we deal with damage in case it occurs.
Renting out Lada Niva's and sending our clients over bad roads into remote terrain, holds a certain risk. Damage upon the cars is easily inflicted as a result of ignorance or over-enthousiastic driving. Apart from the fact that customers pay for damage caused by abuse or misuse of the vehicle, repairing the damage is also time consuming and will effect your trip planning.
We put a strong focus on prevention when it comes to damage, and emphasize you read the safety instructions & technical basics below.
Speed Most of the damage is caused by rocks hitting the bottom of the car and this is always a result of over-enthousiastic driving. Roads with lot of loose rocks require carefull driving. Respect this.
Tyres The same is te be said for the tyres. Flat tyres are rare, but uncontrolled driving on rocky roads might scratch the tyres to such extend that they start to deflate. Again, this can be avoided ba safe driving. Know that the sides of the tyres are weaker then the profile and therefore more easily teared by scratching rocks.
Clutch Always get your right foot off the clutch when you do not need it. Even if it does not feel that way, you always impose a certain pressure on the clutch. This might cause problems.
Suspension This is perhaps the most occuring damage we have had so far and it is always a cause of rocks hitting the car from underneath. Rocks can be launched by the tyres in case of driving faster then the terrain allows.
Overheating The engine of a Lada Niva is air-cooled. Long sections of slow climbing might trigger overheating of the engine. The protocol in this case is very simple. Just stop the car and wait for the temperature to go down.
Battery We have replaced the original batteries, that turned out to be really unfit, by proper batteries so problems with this part are not to be expected. However, leaving the lights on (they don't switch of automatically) might empty out the battery. In wet conditions the contact to start the engine might be effected and this might cause slight malfunctioning of the iginition. In any case, always park your car with the nose in a direction that you can push it forward for a jumpstart.
Meters The meters that indicate the fuel level and the engine temperature are among the least reliable parts of the car. Don't always take for granted what they indicate.
Scratches Since we sent you on remote not-so-good roads we will not mind a scratch or two when you return your Lada back to the base. But deep scratches or wretched bodywork will be subject to compensation.
Drowning the engine River crossing is common practice especially on the wilder itineraries we offer. All river crossings included in our regular tours are possible with Lada Niva, under normal and even slightly extreme conditions. However, driving into deep water might drown the engine, which is instantly fatal for the car. never drive through water deeper van 40 cm to avoid this.
Low gearing / High gearing We will show you at the check in how to switch from low gearing to high gearing and vice versa. Basically, as soon as you leave the asphalt you switch to low box. This enables you to drive slow without loosing power.On the asphalt, always switch back to high box. Never use the neutral. never drive fast on low box. This might inflict damage to the engine.
Differential lock Lada Niva has a differential lock but we recommend not to use this. It is hard to get it back off. And it is only usefull in situations we hope you will not end up in (for instance of you are stuck with 1 or 2 tyres not touching the ground). With the differential lock divides the power equally to both axes, however, that does not mean that each tyre receives 25% of the power. The power goes to the tyres that experience most traction. If you end up in a situation that you need to use this, make sure the car stands still, press the clutch to the maximum and switch on the differential lock. A light on the dashboard indicates when it's on. If you don't get it off (it feels like it's stuck sometimes) then let the car rol (or push it) forward a little bit and try again.
Interior We hope you return the car dirty to Podgorica. At least, from the outside. There is no better proof that you enjoyed the trip. Regarding the interior however, we have a different approach and we expect the receive it in a good conditions. This means you have tidied up your garbage and swiped out the mor esuperficial dirt from the car. If you messed gulasch on the seats or return the car with an otherwise dirty interior, and additional cleaning is necessary, we will charge extra for this.
Smoking Even though all Lada's are equiped with ashtrays, smoking inside the vehicle is strictly prohibited. If smoking is detected upon return of the vehicle, additional deep cleaning costs will be charged to the customer.
Stage 1: Prevention by Instruction
We cannot stress enough the importance of safe and carefull driving. Always be aware you are in remote terrain. At each check in we provide a detailed instruction course on how to drive a Lada Niva. Since the driving is very easy, this is mostly about "how to avoid damage". Find a summary of this instruction in this page. Each Lada is equipped with a basic tool set, so you are capable to solve simple matters yourself.
Stage 2: If damage occurs
Any damage needs to be reported immediatley by phone to our headquarers in Podgorica. Our first step will be to see what we can do by providing instructions through the phone.
2a) In case of damage, but the car still drives, and the damage cannot be solved over the phone, we will instruct you to which garage to go to get things fixed.
2b) In case of damage and the car cannot drive anymore, we will sent road assistance. We will need your exact location in that case. Road assistants will appear within maximum 4 hours, but usually much sooner, all depending on your location. They will first of all try to get you moving again and might be possible that you have to go to a nearby garage after all. In case the road assistant cannot get the car moving he will tow you to the nearest garage.
2c) The aim is, whether through the phone, through road assistance or ultimately in a garage, to get the car moving as soon as possible. In the process we combine the info we received from you with the expertise of the road assistant and / or the garage and we will develop a short report in which we define what the damage is and if the damage is caused by the client, by mechanical failure or by a third party. This is important in the financial settlement of the case. See the Insurance & Liability section for details on this topic.
Stage 3: Moving on
In case of damage our aim, and we presume our clients wish too, is to get you moving as soon as possible. Therefore we promise to stick to the protocol below.
3a) Upon arriving in a garage, the first question to answer is, can the damage be solved withing 24 hours after arriving in the garage. If the answer is yes, then we will push the garage to fix it as soon as possible, so you can move on and continue your travel.
3b) Costs involved in modification of the accomodation- and mealplan are for the clients account in case the damage was caused by them, and in case it was caused by others or due to mechanical failure, we will provide and pay for a solution.
3c) In case the damage cannot be solved within 24 hrs from arriving in the garage, and it concerns a damage caused by others or due to mechanical failure, we will provide you with a replacement 4x4 vehicle. We always have 1 Lada available for emergency situations. In the very unlikely event that was have 2 similtanouous cases of damage in which replacement of the vehicle is required, we will provide an alternative 4x4 vehicle, depending on availability and possibilities.
3d) In case the damage cannot be solved within 24 hrs from arriving in the garage, and it concerns a damage caused by clients, we will offer 2 options including a price tag. Since the clients in this case pays for replacement vehicle, we consider it fair to provide an offer for a regular car (cheaper) and a 4x4 (more expensive) and leave it up to the client to accept either of these options.
3e) A replacement vehicle will be delivered with the shortest possible delay. However, we cannot make any promises about the exact timing of the delivery, since this depends on many factors such as availability and traffic. Please not that for a replacement vehicle we cannot guarantee a roof tent. Our roof tents do not fit on any type of vehicle and the stock is limited. In case we can not provide a roof tent, we will provide a tent to put next to the car, including all that is needed to sleep comfortably.
We stronlgy recommend to ensure you have a valid cancellation insurance and a valid travel insurance that covers off road driving too. Many travel insurances offer and outdoor sports supplement in which amongst others skiing, mountainering and / or rafting are covered. But off-road driving often needs to be insured seperately from this. It usually costs a few euro extra and it is certainly worth to add this.
Since we require a 30% non-refundable deposit to confirm your booking, it is recommended to make sure you have a cancellation insurance.
Our fixed itineraries are restricted to a certain travel period Before these dates chances of snow blocking the road or potential bad weather are considered to high. After these dates nights turned to cold to go camping in the mountains. Of course this does not come down to a few days and an early start of the summer might make the mountain tours accessible from late may onwards. But we rather advice a safe range.
When you arrive in Podgorica your Lada Niva will be waiting for you, packed & checked. A standard set for 2 persons includes he following items:
Sleeping bag 2 Rooftent 1 Matras cover 1 Pillow incl cover 2 Oil light or solar light 1 Alu plate 2 Alu cup 2 Fork 4 Knife 4 Battery light 1 Camping chair 2 Camping table 1 Tripod 1 Stew kettle 1 Gas stove incl gas 1 Ax 1 BBQ tools 1 BBQ iron 1 Colander 1 Wok and pan set 1 Set kitchen knives 1 Wooden cutting board 1 Cooking pot 1 Espresso maker 1 Spare tyre 1 Reservoir for feul 1 Reservoir for water 1 Cool box incl 3 cool elements 1 Lighter 2 Solar shower bag 1 Spade 1 Road plate 2 Start cable set 1 Bottle opener 1 Fire lighters wood 1 Duct tape 1 Rope 1 First aid kit 1 If you travel with 3 or 4 persons in a car, then we add the following items:
Sleeping bag 1 pp Side tent 1 Cutlery & plates st 1 pp Pillow incl cover 1 pp In case you booked the Katun Roads - Home stay variant, all meals are included and we therefor provide a rather limited kitchen gear (coffee maker, cups, cutlery etc will be included but not the pots and other. kitchen utenslils).
Lada drives on unleaded euro 95, which is widely available and rather cheap in Montenegro. It is not the most economic car in terms of consumption (1l on 7 km on the average off road trip).
All cars are delivered full and need to be returned full. In the road books we carefully indicate where you can stop to fill up.
Montenegro 4x4 Adventures takes your privacy extremely seriously. We are committed to doing everything we can to protect any personal information provided to us when you enquire about or book a holiday or another travel service with us, when you visit our website, or when you engage with us by other means. Please find below the full tekst of our privacy statement:
We collect a considerable amount of data about you and this statement sets out how seriously we take your data privacy and security. We are committed to safeguarding your personal information and this statement outlines our commitment to you;
• we will be transparent about the information we collect and what we will do with it;
• we will use the information you give us only for the purposes of the booking;
• we will use the information to help understand your needs and provide more relevant offers;
• if you tell us to cease marketing messages, we will stop sending them (albeit we will continue to send important information relating to a product or service you have purchased to keep you informed about your booking and travel itinerary);
• we will put in place measures to protect your information and keep it secure;
• we will respect your data protection rights and aim to give you control over your own information.
We are too small to appoint a Data Privacy Manager, but should you feel your privacy has not be dealt with satisfactorily please do inform us by e-mail and we will take your input extremely seriously.The car can be picked up between 11:00 and 14:00 on the day that your rental starts. We do not recommend to check in later since there is in any of our tours, driving involved on day 1 and you do not want to end up finding your way in pitch darkness. If your flight arrives after 13:00, we recommend to book a hotel for the first night, enjoy Podgorica nightlife & colect your Lada the next day after breakfast.
To find our depot: Take a taxi from the airport or any other point in Podgorica and instruct them to drop you at the parking of Trend Market, Ivangradska street, Tolisi. Call or text Bojan (00382 69 501 785) to announce your arrival at least 30 minutes prior to arriving. A taxi to/from the airport should not cost more then €12, while to/from the city centre comes down to maximum €5.
At check-in you will pay your €300 cash deposit and leave us a copy of your passport or ID. After that we will
- check the car together and take photo's of scratches if needed. We are obliged to point out any deficiencies known at the time of check in to you,
- give you a detailed briefing on how to drive the car safely and how to avoid damage,
- hand over an inventory list, to be checked & signed on the spot
- provide a copy of the rental contract, to be checked & signed on the spot
- and eventually, hand over the key and the green card
Your car will be packed according to the inventory list provided on the website and the fuel level will be 100% full. All you have to do is buy your groceries at nearby Voli Market and then simply hit the road.
The car needs to be returned to our depot in Podgorica before 11:00, not before 08:00, on the final day of the tour, with the fuel reservoir filled and the interior tidy (see the "on damage and how to avodi it" section). This time we take very strictly because we need a full day to prepare the car for the next guests (normally arriving the next day). Please announce your exact time of arrival to Bojan, preferably the night before.
Together we will check the visible and invisible condition of the vehicle. Clients are obliged to declare any deficiencies experienced on the vehicle.
Secondly we check the inventory list. If anything went missing or broke down during your trip, you are obliged to report this.
If all is fine you will receive your proof of warranty and your cash deposit. Damage or missing items will be charged from the deposit according to the price list provided. In case the chargeable amount exceeds €300, the surcharge will be invoiced afterwards.
When the formal part is done we'd be happy to hear your stories over a coffee!
Call 112 for mountain rescue, ambulance, police or firebrigade. If you can't find your way there, please activate our emergency contact, Bojan Galic (00382 69 501 785).
You are free to take your dog on your Montenegro 4x4 Adventure, only at prior notice. There is not extra charge for a dog. Please bring a cloth for the dog to lie on, to keep the seats clean.
