Pick up a full tank, bring back a full tank — that is the whole of our fuel policy in one line. No deposit held against fuel, no per-litre markups, no mystery "refuelling fee" on your final bill. Here is exactly how it works and how to hand the car back with zero fuel charges.
Full-to-full, explained
Every Montrent car leaves us with a full tank, and we ask only that you return it full. You pay for the fuel you actually burn and nothing more — we never sell you the tank or add a refuelling surcharge.
A few honest details worth knowing:
- We note the fuel level (and mileage) with you at handover, so there is no dispute later. Snap a quick photo of the gauge yourself if you like — we are happy for you to.
- Keep your last fuel receipt until the car is back. If a station near the airport is closed, that receipt shows you topped up in good faith.
- "Full" means the pump clicks off — you do not need to round up to a suspiciously round number.
If a car is ever handed to you below full for any reason, that gets recorded at pickup, so you are never asked to replace fuel you did not use. When in doubt the rule is simple: return it the way you received it.
Where to refuel before the airport
Both Tivat (TIV) and Podgorica (TGD) have stations close enough to fill up just before drop-off, but they are not at the terminal door — plan a few minutes for it.
| Airport | Refuel before you reach the terminal |
|---|---|
| Tivat (TIV) | Fill in Tivat town or on the approach road; the last handy stations are a short drive out, not at arrivals. |
| Podgorica (TGD) | Fill on the Podgorica ring / airport road; stations are easy to spot on the way in. |
A safe habit: top up the evening before or on your final morning, while you still have time and are not watching the clock for a flight. Stations are plentiful on the coast and main roads, most are attended, and you can usually pay by card — just say "full" (puno) to the attendant.
Diesel, petrol or electric — know your car
Montenegro sells both petrol (benzin, 95/98) and diesel (dizel), and putting the wrong one in is an expensive mistake no policy can undo. So before your first fill:
- Check the fuel-cap label — it states petrol or diesel, and your handover sheet says the same.
- Diesel cars usually go further per litre, which is handy if you are touring inland.
- EV or hybrid? If you booked an electric car, "full-to-full" simply becomes charged-to-charged — return it at roughly the state of charge you received. Public chargers exist along the coast and in the bigger towns but are sparser inland, so plan longer legs around a charge and ask us about the specific car before you set off. There is no invented "recharge fee"; the principle is identical to fuel.
Late returns, grace and how to avoid fees
Life happens — a long lunch in Kotor, a queue at the border. We build in a short grace period rather than charging the moment you are a minute late, and the exact window is confirmed on your agreement, so check it there.
To keep a late return painless:
- Message us early. A quick heads-up by phone or WhatsApp almost always sorts it, and may let us shuffle the next booking.
- Around the Bay of Kotor, leave yourself buffer. You can take the scenic shoreline road or the quicker Vrmac tunnel — but note the Vrmac tunnel has seen intermittent works and single-tube running through 2026, so check before you rely on it and keep a Plan B.
- Beyond the grace window, a late return is normally billed as extra rental time, not a penalty plucked from the air — and we tell you the rate up front.
The honest summary: communicate, leave buffer, and there is rarely anything to pay beyond the time you genuinely used.
Avoiding refuel fees — the short version
- Return the tank as full as you got it; let the pump click off.
- Fill before the airport, ideally the night before, not at the last minute.
- Keep your final receipt until the keys are handed back.
- Confirm petrol vs diesel at the cap before your first stop.
- Running late or low on charge? Tell us early — that is what fixes it.
That is genuinely the whole policy: pay for what you use, hand it back as you found it, and ask if anything is unclear. Browse the full fleet to pick a diesel cruiser, a city petrol runabout or an EV for your route — and for the running costs of actually driving here, see our guide to fuel, tolls and parking in Montenegro or the quick answers on our FAQ page.