WHY GO Southern Europe is gifted with a plethora of stunning beach locations to give much-needed relief from the scorching temperatures during summer.
Thousands of beach umbrellas are clustered around the trendy cafes and luxury yachts line the pebbly beaches of these former Yugoslav states.As you travel down through Croatia, past the curling sandstone coves and pencil pines, it becomes painfully obvious this is a playground for the rich and famous and not the budget-conscious.
With all the tanned and glamorous tourists flocking to the coast in summer to strut along the sand and play volleyball, the options for places to stay can be limited.
Lying on the southern stretches of Montenegro's coastline, accommodation in the cobbled old-town of Ulcinj can cost up to EUR180 ($335) a night. Staying in the walled city of Dubrovnik can set you back as much as $300 a night as you jostle for a sea-view room with the bundles of tourists pouring out from their cruise ships each afternoon.For canny travellers who want to save some of their hard-earned cash for luxuries such as food and drink, another option is available.
As you step off the ferries and buses that ply the coastal routes of Croatia and Montenegro, you will no doubt be accosted by hordes of hobbling grandmothers waving laminated pictures of apartment blocks from underneath their shawls.Rather than shrugging them off as you head straight to the travel agent, it is worth stopping to look at what they have to offer.
From airy rooms at the back of the family home on the Croatian island of Korcula to clifftop bedsitters in the Montenegrin border town of Herceg Novi, there are numerous options to choose from. The price can vary from about EUR8 for a room to EUR40 a night for a fully equipped apartment.
The longer you are able to settle in, the more you can bargain: EUR40 for one night can easily become EUR25 over a four-night stay.If you want your money to stretch as far as possible, there are always opportunities to sleep on the lounge or in the spare room for a nominal fee. Privacy and comfort might not be at a premium but the savings definitely are.