From Sarajevo to Kolasin, Montenegro, we had an adventurous way through narrow valleys, along spectacular lakes, through very basic tunnels and up on high mountains. I booked an Airbnb in Kolasin already 1 day ahead. We came to that mountain village to spend the following day hiking in the Biogradska Gora National Park.

After already having done a few general mistakes in Sarajevo, we continued just like that in Montenegro. The apartment we choose on Airbnb was ok and the host overwhelmingly friendly. We decided to stay for 2 nights, before we noticed that the bed sheets smelled after cigarette smoke, that it is cold and the bathroom has no heater and that the landlord is rather a moneymaker than a host (What we learned: never book a second night, before you spend the first night somewhere). That landlord “helped” us find electricity in the village, where we ended up paying 0,35€ per kWh. That is roughly at least 20 cents (or 130 %) more than the average electricity price in Montenegro. Benedikt brought the car (still charged with about 15%) to some people in the village that owned a little electricity shop. The 11kW outlet charged our Tesla Model S overnight to about 90%.

The following day we had a great time in the national park. Unfortunately, we did not check the weather report for the upcoming days. We should have noticed that it would snow till about 800m above sea-level (Kolasin is at about 1200m) the next day. The 20 to 30 cm of fresh snow posed a major challenge. We left the Airbnb with an angry landlord, after we charged on one of her three-phase outlets for about 30 minutes that morning (remember: electricity prices are “soooo high”). We were frustrated with her ourselves and offered the true 0,50 € for the electricity (they were denied).

That landlord warned us of the police and high fines for driving with summer tires (we found out later, that there was no obligation for winter tires after April 15^th). After ditching the first police control, but totally getting stuck on the first little hill (yes, summer tires just don’t really work to push a 2 tons car through heavy snow), we decided to return to Kolasin. It is fun to tell the story now, but at that point sitting in a car that is totally uncontrollable, I was terribly scared.

We hang out at the Four Points by Sheraton hotel in Kolasin till the snow started melting a bit on the still warm roads in the afternoon. Since a bridge on the main road collapsed, we had to take a detour along a tiny road. I was so happy, when we finally left the snow and reached a “normal” street again. That evening we made it till Shkoder in Albania, where we were greeted by a warm mediterranean breeze.