Croatia 2018
By Croatia will again in 2018 be the holiday destination for around 10-12.000.000 tourist from all over the world, if you are one of them, you might want to read our small Croatia 2018 guide, where you among other can find information about, How to get to Croatia, where to find accommodation, what to see during your stay, what to avoid, and of course information about events in Croatia in 2018.
Table of Contents
Getting to Croatia
Well obviously there is 4 main ways of accessing Croatia, by plane, by car, by bus or by ferry.
By Plane – During the last 5 years an increasing number of airline companies have set up routes to Croatia, here is a few airlines you might want to check, germanwings, ryanair, Wizzair and of course Croatia Airlines
As arrival destination in Croatia, you have Zagreb, Pula, Rijeka, Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik from the Airports you have and Airport bus going to the centre of the cities, alternative you have taxi or can pre order an airport transfer.
By Car – Main part of the roads and especially the new Motorway is in excellent condition, so you should have no worries going around by car, avoid speeding as police are controlling frequently in the main season.
On the Croatian Motorways toll fees apply, so please check out our post about the Croatian Motorway, for budget planning you should also remember the cost for the Vignette in Slovenia, if you access Croatia via the Slovenian Motorway.
By Bus – Companies like Eurolines have daily departures to Croatia, as bus is the preferred form of public transportation, you have an excellent inter Croatian bus network, buses are relatively cheap and quit reliable.
All major cities have a good local bus service, it is cheap and available from early morning till around midnight. Here you can read more about buses in Croatia
By Ferry – If you access Croatia from Italy, you could to do it by the ferry, there is e.g. a whole year service between Ancona and Split, in the summer season you will have several ferry and catamarans from Bari, Pescara, Venice and of Ancona, on the Croatia side they have landing point in 6 Istrian cities, Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik.
If you are heading for the Croatian island, you have large number of local ferries, some operate whole year and some operate only in main season, here you can find more information about Ferries in Croatia.
Where to stay and where to find accommodation
Where to Stay:
Well, Croatia basically offers everything from a cheap hostel to a five star luxury hotels, so I would personally start out by checking potential spots in relation to what I would like to do in my holiday, is the priority, beaches, sight and daytrips, Nature or national parks or maybe the nightlife. As Expats living here, we have meanwhile visited quite a few places here in Croatia, so you might find some inspiration, if you browse around on the blog, or use our search function in the top right corner.
Fell free to post of comment if you have any question or need reply help with the holiday planning.
Where to find accommodation:
The easiest way to find accommodation is on the internet, for private accommodation and smaller hotels, you generally have two ways to book.
- Through local travel agency, this has been typical way of booking in the last decade.
- Second option is to book direct, as only a few accommodation owners has their own webpage, and those who have more or less are invisible on the internet, the best option is to find accommodation portal, which offers direct contact to house owner.
Here can see large selection of apartments, hotels and Hostels in Croatia:
Be aware that you often cannot book online, but only make an inquiry, reason for this is that most owners have their accommodation, placed on several pages, where they are not updating the availability calendar.
Once you find accommodation you like, see if you can find a name of it, and then Google the name to see if you can find and recommendations on the internet, if there is lots of good comments you should have no worries.
Camping
Croatia is a popular camping destination, no wonder, here you really have a large selection of camps in all categories to choose between, I personally can recommend Camp Oliva in Rabac and Camp Galeb in Omis.
From a price perspective camps are not much cheaper then in e.g. Italy, but if you are not looking for 5 star facilities, you can find camps which are gentle to your budget.
What to see in Croatia
Depending of region of your stay, you have wide selection of sight to see like e.g. the Diocletian palace in Split or the National park Plitvice Lakes, as we have seen quite a few of the sights to see here in Croatia, you should be able to get some inspiration from browsing our blog, as example I can mention our guide through Istria and our Split Guide.
What to Avoid
If you are on a budget I have the following recommendation
- Don’t take taxis if you don’t have to, compared to general price level they are quite expensive.
- Buy your daily goods at LIDL, if you have one close to where you are staying, they have the best prices / quality relation. – check out prices in Croatia.
- Limit cell phone usage, and AVOID usage of mobile data connection, that could ruin your holiday.
- Avoid staying in the sun around noon, you can get seriously burned.
- In several towns you some have night clubs, which you should avoid visiting, as it can get quite expensive, check out where to go like e.g. here in this Guide to the Nightlife in Split.
In generally Croatia’s is a secure place to walk around, this of course does not been that there is no bad guys here, so to be on the safe side, don’t run around waving with your money.
Don’t go hiking or sailing with our checking local weather forecast, and remember to bring number to the local rescue service (by hiking).
Event in Croatia 2018
Local tourist board and other Croatian organizations offer and a large variety of event during the summer months, some of them are one time events, but the majority are recurring events which are enhanced from year to year, the programm for local events are usually availble around first of April. the programm for global events, like the Histria festival, the motuvon Filmfestival, and the noumerous music festival is normally announced at the beginning of the year
Feel free to leave a comment if you have any question about holiday in Croatia
Recommended articles:
Hi,
My fiance and I are looking to go to Croatia for 9 or 10 nights at the end of August/beginning Septembe – our main dirver is to visit Plitvice Lakes and grab some relaxation time in the sun.
We are looking to fly into Zadar, spend a night there before heading up to stay in Plitvice for a couple of nights, then wish to head back south to Split and Hvar for relaxation.
Is anyone able to suggest a workable itinerary for us? We would be looking to hire a car for some or all of the holiday and are happy to fly out from Split or Dubrovnik on the return leg. Also, any idea of driving times between these areas?
Also, any idea what we should budget for this length of time, car hire and accom?
All ideas welcome!
Thanks
Vicki 🙂
Hi Vicki,
I would suggest the following 1 night by Plitvice from there you head to Split, maybe you stop at Krka NP on the way, then you have see two of our beatiful National parks. Stay in Split for 3 night, visit Trogir on a day trip. Spend 4-5 days in Hvar and eventually one extra night in Split depending on how Catamaran and departure of your plane match. If you fly out from Dubrovnik you should schedule one night there for sure.
If you do like this you would only need a car from Zadar – Plitvice – Split (2-3 days). I would guess you can rent car for about 50-60 Euro a day (Smaller car)
Driving times – Zadar – Plitivce 2-2.5 hours – Plitvice – Split app. 3.5 hours.
Rest of trip you can get around by ferries / catamaran and Bus, if you wish to explore Hvar it is cheaper to rent car or scooters for one day on the island, instead of bringing car from mainland.
Wish you a nice trip
Morten
Hi Mr Morten
I am Pakistani National living Karachi and planning a holiday trip to Croatia with my family, there is no visa consul or embassy in Pakistan, please suggest me solution of this, can we apply for visa from Dubai ?
Thank & Regards
Qayyum
Oh, and also any tips on hotels or where to stay would also be appreciated!
Thanks,
Vicki
When i go to Hvar i stay by my friends at there place here more photos from my last visit to Hvar you can see here on my FB account
best, Morten
Hi, me and two/three friends are planning a week in east europe in june or july. we’ll be travelling from budapest and are wanting to go to a really good ‘party beach’. I heard that Pag/Novalja has a good reputation, are there others which are any better? or dates in the summer that are recommended?
Am just generally asking for any tips for hostels or hotels and beaches to stay at!
Hi Beth, in month number 7 and 8 Novalja is for sure the place to be if you wish to Party, another place which is also great for Parties is Makarska. For Hotels and Hostels you will have to search the way trough the jungle on the internet 🙂
Best, Morten
Hi there,
My friends and I are wanting to visit the island of Pag in June after we finish Uni and were wondering how to get from Split (where we would fly to) to Pag over the course of a week. Ideally, we were hoping to go via a couple of islands so would it be advisable to get a coach straight to Pag and then ‘island hop’ a few around there?
Any help/advice would be super..
Thanks!
Hi Jess,
the easist way is to go by bus, first from Split to Zadar and then Zadar to Pag. You dont really have any ferries going to Island Pag except for the one to the mainland, so Island hopping is a bit difficult, in the evening you have small ship from the peak of the island to Island Rab. from Zadar you have connection to several Islands, but you will have to go back to Zadar to continue to Island Pag
Regards,
Morten
We are coming in June via cruiseship and we have two questions:
1.What is close to port to see
2.We have U.K. passports and we were told we need a visa, if so how do we get one and how much is it.
Thank you in advance
Hi Diana
at which port do you arrive?
Ask the cruise company regarding the Visa, if you need it they would normally take care of it, for all passangers
Best,
Morten
We are coming to Dudrovnik.
I did some further checking and I contacted the Croatian Embassy in London and they say we do not need a Visa but the ship says we do need one and it would be approximately $100.
So we are still confused, actually more so.
Thanks
Diana
Ship is greedy = UK citizens travel within and to Croatia like in UK – no restrictions Visa was never required for Croatia and even before for Yugoslavia – do not waste 100 $ for nothing / have a good time, kind regards Mladen
Hi,
I live in the UK, and will be visiting Dubrovnik for my honeymoon at the end of March, and was wondering how much spending money to bring. I already have the cost for where we’ll be staying. Basically, we’re looking at taking a trip on the cable car, taking the ferry to one or two of the islands, and then money for food, including eating at a few restaurants. How much would you recommend I change into HKR? or would it be better to change my money to Euro’s?
Thanks,
Matt
Hi Matt,
if you calculate with about 100 Euro a day for both of you, i think you should be fine.
Morten
Hi,
My daughter is camping in Split for a week over Easter, and needs to take money for food & travel (buses) whilst there.
Could you give me an idea as to prices of fast food over there, so I have an idea of how much money to send her with?! I don’t want to give her too much money that she’ll waste, but I need to know she has enough money to eat all week!!
A rough idea on bus fares would be helpful too!
Many thanks,
Karen
Hi Karen, if she will be eating stuff like pizza, and other fast food, she would need rougly 20-25 Euro a day to cover lunch and dinner including drinks, whit this daily amoung she should also have enough for bus tickets from camp site to split centre.
Best,
Morten
Hi,
We are thinking about taking a weekend trip to Croatia in late May. If we wanted better beaches, should we fly in to Zadar, Split, or Dubrovnik? Thanks for the help!
Michael
Hi Michael, depeding on how you define better beaches, i would say that all 3 cities would do fine 🙂
Best,
Morten
Hi Morten,
I’m travelling through Croatia with my girlfriend and will be stopping on the island of Hvar for 3 nights in September. For quiet beaches where would you recommend us to stay?
Kind regards,
Sam
Hi Sam, in september i think you should find appartment in Hvar town, the beaches should not be to growded at this time of year
Best,
Morten
Hello there from sunny South Africa!
My friend and i are 5th year medical students and are trying to plan a working holiday in Croatia. Unfortunately, the time scheduled in our academic year is July/August, as i understand, your busiest time of year! It seems we are going to be working in Zagreb. I was wondering if anyone could give us ome useful tips about where to stay (that is close to Zagreb Unvisersity of Medicine) that is cheap? Also, there is so much to do in croata, how does one decide? If anyone can give some useful hints as to what we should definitely see and what we can save for a next time (obviously we are on a students budget and can unfortunately not visit all teh attractions, but we are keen to explore as much of croatia as possible. I was also wondering if it is a viable option to travel to italy by ferry for the weekend? I’m sure this is a very expensive outing, but i was hoping there might be a way to cut costs?
It would be great if someone could get back to me regarding these questions!
Lindi, Croatian enthusiast
Hi,
Excellent information, thank you.
I am travelling to Croatia this year 2012 towing a small caravan.
Can you tell me if it is possible to use the ferry to Hvar from Drvenik with a caravan?
And are the roads through Sucuraj and along the Island suitable for same?
Regards,
Peter P
Hi Peter,
if it is same ferry as i used be, you should be able to bring caravan, i have seen the ferry take trucks before.
Last time i went in the area of Sucuraj, the roads was not to perfect, but if you drive slow i think you should be ok.
Best,
Morten
Hi there,
I would be grateful for your advice on Zadar. I have booked a flight to Zadar in mid August as it is a good deal and it arrives in Zadar at 9pm.
I would like to visit Plitvice Lakes National Park, Split and Dubrovnik but not sure to where to stay. Is there any public transport to anywhere other than Zadar at this time? Which of those areas including Zadar is the cheapest to stay in?
Many thanks,
Jemma
Hi Jemma, at the time of day, i think your online options is Zadar, at least if you would like to use public transport from the airport, in zadar there is accommodation in all price ranges, starting from hostel beds at about 15 euro.
Brgds
Morten
Hello,
We will fly into Split and have 2 nights at Marmontova Luxury Rooms before driving to Lake Plitvice for 2 nights. Upon returning we have booked 3 nights at Le Meridien Lav Split in Podstrana – Is this good location?
Would it be better to spend a night in Hvar or would a day trip to Hvar be suffice?
If either of these hotels are not ok please let me know and also, if 2 nights stay at Lake Plitvice is too long.
Thanks in advance.
Hi Oliver, i dont know the Marmontova Luxury Rooms, but location is good so i think you would be ok their, alternativly i can highly recommend Hotel Luxe in Split. Le Meridien Lav is a great Hotel, but it is situated about 8 km outside of the city center, so if you you plan to spend most of your time in the city, you should maybe reconsider this Hotel, if you are looking to relaxe the hotel is excellent.
If you wish to see Hvar you will have to stay there for at least one night, do to ferry and Catamaran schedules it is hardly possible to make a real day trip to Hvar. Considering you already spend 2 night in Split before going to plitvice, my personal choise would be to spend at least one of the 3 remaining days on Hvar.
2 night stay at Lake Plitvice to long? well depends, you will need about a whole day to see the park, so depending on arrival and departure 2 nights is maybe not so bad an idea.
Cheers,
Morten
Hello,
I am traveling to Croatia in June with my husband and 9 year old. We fly in and out of Dubrovnik and we are interested in going to a few of the islands. Maybe Vis, Hvar, and Korcula? We love good food and great scenery, we don’t need any party night life. We looked into chartering a sailboat, but it’s very expensive and we can’t find any that will go for only 5 days. We will be there for a full week, but would like a day or so in Dubrovnik. We would love any recommendations you have for us, like which islands to go to, and what is the best way to get there.
Thanks so much
Brenda
Hi Brenda, the easist Island to reach from Dubrovnik is Korcula, that one you should for sure see, getting to Hvar is also possible but, ferry departures are not that frequent so is a bit more tricky (Unless you drive to Split and take ferry from there). you could also consider Island Mljet, whcih is easy to reach from Dubrovnik.
Best,
Morten
Hi Morten,
Thank you so much for your help. We are very interested in Vis as well. It seems that the only way to get there is from Split, is that correct? Would it be possible to go from Dubrovnik to Korcula for 2 days. Korcula to Split. Split to Vis for 2 days. Then Vis to Split and bus back to Dubrovnik ? Seems like we would have to skip Hvar ;( It looks like such a great island. We arrive in Dubrovnik Sunday at 2 pm and depart one week later, on a Sunday at 2:30 out of Dubrovnik. Any help navigating these islands would be great. Thank you so much.
Brenda
Brenda,
glad if i can help. Vis is a beatiful island, you will for sure not regret visiting. I think your plan is duable but you of course will have quite a bit of traveling time. From Dubrovnik you have a Catamaran to Korcula (town), and from Korcula town or Vela Luka you have katamaran Split, from Split you have an afternoon catamaran to Vis. Here you can find all ferry schdules https://www.croatia-expert.com/ferries-in-croatia/ (From all ferry companies). With a tight schedule it would be possible to take one day on Hvar and one on Vis :-). Bus to Dubrovnik, yes that is for sure no problem there is plenty of daily departures, the fast buses (Via Highway) takes about 4 hours.
Regards,
Morten
Hi , can I enter coartia by shingen visa ?
Am from kuwait and I will travel to Spain and Coartia .
hello,
My friend and I are travelling to croatia for 6 nights, 7 days in june. we are arriving in zagreb in the afternoon and are hoping to catch a bus to the plitvice lakes probably arriving around 9 that night, staying over night and visiting the lakes the next morning. we are then planning on taking the bus to split after seeing the lakes. we will arrive there mon evening and are flying home from split sat morn. we’re not sure how long to stay in split as we would like to see all the sights spend some time on the beach and possibly like to visit one of the islands. at the moment we’re planning on visiting hvar. also we would like to factor in nightlife. we still havent booked our accommodation so help with that would be great.
Thanks
Hi Aoife
if i understand you correctly you will have about 5 days and 6 night in Split, i think that should be enough for you to see all the main sights and also spend a bit of time on the beach 🙂 Visiting Hvar is a bit tricky as the ferry / Catamarans will not enable you to do that with out staying overnight. but as you havent booked any accommodation i would for sure reccommend you to spend one day and night in Hvar. Accommodation, well you have pretty much the whole range in all 3 places, you can check our our page here https://www.croatia-expert.com/apartments/ or any of the many other pages on the internet, i am sure you will find something suitable.
Have a nice trip,
Morten
Hi Morten ,
I hope do not forget Me 🙂
can I inter croatia by Schengen Visa ?
Am from Kuwait
Regards ,,
Hi there
Coming to Tucepi in 3 weeks and staying there for 2 weeks. Does anyone know how long it takes to get to Dubrovnik for the day and can we take a local bus? How much in kuna should we allow for lunch/evening meals, drinks and maybe three day trips which are Dubrovnik, Hvar and Brac. Someone mentioned using mobiles is expensive and recommended buying a sim card and getting a croatian number, once we have done this, do we then put money on via the kiosks?
Thanks
Hi Diane, Mobile (Roaming) can be very expensive, you can buy sim cards in kiosk or mobile stores and also top up you can buy at the kiosk.
Morten
Hi Morten,
We will be travelling from South Africa, although we’ve heard so much about beautiful Croatia and are dying to get there, I cannot find ANYONE to give us any sort of useful advice. We should be flying into Munich on about the 23rd June 2012, and then into Croatia (where is the best airport to fly into?) We have 12 – 14 days to spend in Croatia. We are 2 adults and 2 teenage boys (17 and 16 years) I thought maybe booking a guided coach tour so that we get to know Croatian history and culture and where some of fun places are – Maybe do that for 7 days and then get onto a boat/yacht for another 6 – 7 days and see the islands and just take in the sun and relax, hopefully with a bit of activities for the boys?
Any advice/guidance/tips/info would be grateful.
With many thanks
Nela
Hi Nela
well the easist might be that you fly into Zagreb, from here you can than take croatia tour or you can rent a car and make your “own” tour. if you cant find any tours let me know, what you would specifically like to see, then i can help you with an itinerary for the first 7 days. Chartering a boat, great ida, you will for sure not regret, i can recommend the guys from http://www.ultra-sailing.hr (Have boats in Trogir, Split and Dubronvik)
Best,
Morten
hello,
My chid will participate to ESDU dance competision in Porec. How are the price there, they will stay in Delfin Hotel, and they willl have to eat lunch in particular. Some persons told me that the price are very high, so i ask you about 2 persons buget for lunch in a restaurant in that aria.
Thank you.
Hi Cristina, Porec are fore sure at the higher end of the croatian pricing scale, but depending of location you can find lunch from about 50 kuna / person and up. the top spot locations in oldtown are the most expencive, but even at those place you can still find meals like spagetti or pizza for resonable price.
Morten
Hi Morten,
Not many people know (atleast in my country – India) that there is Heaven on earth at Plitvice nationak park.
We are 5 Adults and 2 Small Kids (age 3 & 6) from India, planning to visit Plitvice Lakes National Park in 3rd Week of Oct. Querries :
1. Weather & Sunlight details. Clothes to bring in.
2. We are coming from Italy. Best way to reach Zagreb from Venice/Milan. Suggestions Pls !!!
3. We intend to will do a day-trip from Zagreb. Pls suggest if Car hire is possible in Oct and whats the cost.
4. Suggested Hotels at Zagreb.
Thanx. Kind Regards
Anand
Hi Anand,
1. In October you should bring warm clothes and good walking shoes, if you catch a sunny day, you should have sun from about 9 am 6 pm (My guess)
2. I never drove from Italy to Zagreb so i can’t say for sure, but meanwhile you should have highway more or less the whole way so it should be straight forward.
3. Day trip from Zagreb to Park is possible. Rent a car? just browse the internet, you should be able to find plenty of good offers for that time a year.
4. Hotel in Zagreb, well it is really hard to suggest something without knowing more details, like lenght of stay, special wishes and budget.
Brgds,
Morten
HOW WOULD YOU COMPARE ZRCE TO MYKONOS OR IBIZA? WE ARE LOOKING TO PARTY…AND ARE PLANNING A VISIT THE FIRST 10 DAYS OF AUGUST.
Hi SG,
as i haven’t been to neighter Mykonos or Ibiza, i can really say if Zrce is on the same level, but as Zrce is also round the clock party, i am sury you will have a great party time there.
M
Hi
We are staying in Tucepi from friday 25th may-june 8th and are reading on the net that the weather is not going to be so good. Does anybody know how accurate these forecasts are? Seems like a lot of rain is predicted.
Thanks
Hi Diana, well the weather hasent been to good the last couple of days, but end of this week, friday or saturday, the good weather should be back, so i think you have just the right timing 🙂
Best,
Morten
Hi there,
My husband and I are planning to go to Croatia in September and are thinking of following a suggested itinerary in the Lonely Planet from Zagreb down the coast to Dubrovnik.
What would be the pros and cons of hiring a car to travelling by bus from place to place. And, what is the best way to find accommodation. When we go away, we often book as ‘we go’ when we are in the country- will that be possible to do or do we need to book up accommodation before we get there.
Any info or help would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Katie
Hi Katie, well travling with car of course gives you a much higher flexibility, i am not aware of how the suggeste itinerary is so i can really tell you if bus would be ok also.
In September you should be able to find accommodation as “you go”, only if you plan late arrival i would advice you to book up front.
Best,
Morten
HI,
My G/F and I are flying into Zagreb on 7/11 and then hopping on a flight that night to Dubrovnik. We have ten full days in Croatia and then need to be back in Zagreb on the 22nd for a 13:00 flight back to the US. We definitely want to see Dubrovnik, Split, the plitvice lakes, and at least one day in Zagreb. Do you have an itinerary that you suggest (basically, how many days should we spend in each place?) Additionally, are there any towns/cities that you would recommend over the ones that I have listed. We obviously need to travel from place to place in order to make it back to Zagreb. Do you recommend renting a car, or should we take buses/trains/ferries?
Where do you suggest that we stay for the night(s) that we are at the Plitvice Lakes. We are traveling on a budget and typically prefer private homes/apartments over hostels. Cheaper hotels are an option as well.
This will be my first time in Croatia. Do you have any additional advice that would be helpful? Thank you very much.
Hi Brian
You didnt mention how many of the days you plan to spend in Dubrovnik, but assuming you would spend half there, it leaves you with the days from the 17 to the 22 to travel back to Zagreb, i would suggest that the first stop would be in Split (take bus from Dubronvik to Split). In Split you stay one or two nights and then rent a car and spend the rest of days traveling in direction Plitvice, on the way you could stop at the following cities / Places. Trogir, Nationalpark Krka, Primosten, Zadar. Hostels you can book in most of this cities here. In Plitvice we once stayed in a great place in San Korana (6km from the Park), here you can find Photos and infos about that.
Hope this helps you a bit, if you need more infos just let me know
Best, Morten
Morten,
Thanks for your response.
I did a little research yesterday and here is what I plan on doing. Let me know if this looks okay.
– We fly into Dubrovnik late on 7/11 (day 1) and we will stay in Dubrovnik that night.
– 7/12 (day 2) we will explore Dubrovnik all day. Stay in Dubrovnik that night.
– 7/13 (day 3) we will take a bus or ferry (in the morning) to either Korcula or Vera Luka – which one do you suggest?) and we will spend the afternoon exploring that city and spend the night there.
– 7/14 (day 4) take ferry from Vera Luka to Hvar. Spend all afternoon in Hvar. Spend the night in Hvar.
– 7/15 (day 5) spend all day in Hvar or go to a nearby island for a day trip (any suggestions?). Spend night in Hvar.
– 7/16 (day 6) take ferry to Split and spend all afternoon in Split.
– 7/17 (day 7) spend all day in Split or take a day trip (Trogir? any other suggestions?) Spend night in Split.
– 7/18 (day 8) Take a bus (or rent a car and drive) to Zadar and spend all day in Zadar. Spend the night in Zadar.
– 7/19 (day 9) spending morning in Zadar and then take Bus (or drive rental car) to Plitvice Lakes. Spend afternoon in Plitvice Lakes and Spend the night in Plitvice Lakes.
– 7/20 (day 10) spend all day at Plitvice Lakes. In the evening take bus (or drive rental car) to Zagreb. Spend night in Zagreb.
– 7/21 (day 11) spend all day in Zagreb. Spend the night in Zagreb.
– 7/22 (day 12) -fly home from Zagreb.
Let me know if you think that my plan/timing looks doable. I know that are packing in a lot of places, but I have been told that you don’t need more than 1 day – 1.5 days in Dubrovnik or in the Plitvice Lakes. We would like to see as much as possible. Also, all of these plans are contingent upon the bus/train/ferry schedules.
Thanks
Hi Brian
here are my remarks, i think your itinerary is generally doable, but a bit stressfull for my taste 🙂
First two days looks ok
7/13 you have catamaran to Korcula departure 9:15 arrival 10:50, you can also choose to go by bus, but that will take longer time.
7/14 Catamaran departure is 08:00 from Vela Luka, bare in mind you have to cross the island to get from Korcula town to Vela Luka, which means you have to leave Korcula at about 6:30, and will arrive in Vela Luka 07:45, that is a bit tight schedule, but I guess doable.
7/15 Considering you are only staying one day, I would stay in Hvar, you will love the place, but you also have option to spend the day on the beach at the Pakleni Islands (boats leave from Riva in Hvar) if you prefer that.
7/18 take to boat from Split Riva (Bora line) to Trogir, see the old town in Trogir and then continue from there by bus to Zadar.
Plitvice, there are NOT that many bus connections, so I would rent a car (with return in Zagreb) for this part of the trip, this also makes is easier if you stay in the place I suggested in San korana.
Best, Morten
Hello,
Just wanted to run my itinerary by you to see if there’s a way to fit in a trip to Hvar.
June 19th arrive SPLIT 2 nights in SPIT then renting car the morning of June 21 and driving to LAKE PLITVICE for 2 nights stay.
Driving back to SPLIT for arrival in PODSTRANA on June 23rd for 3 nights stay.
QUESTION: We really want to make it to HVAR and were planning to try and go Sunday June 24th for early morning departure, spend Sun/Monday in Hvar, heading back to PODSTRANA for our last nights stay before departing from SPLIT back to Berlin.
Is the day/night trip to Hvar worth the expense of losing a night that’s non refundable at our hotel in Podstrana?
Any info would be great!
Thnks!
Hi Oliver,
You should for sure do the day/night trip to Hvar, you could go with this catamaran, which would give you most of the day in Hvar, returing catamaran is early in the morrning.
Best, Morten
Hi, i am from India and planning a trip to Croatia with my husband. we want to go to Plitvice, Split, Korcula and Dubrovnik and would love to visit the islands in and around these places. Due to work committments, we unfortunately cant go in September (as planned) and are having to schedule this for 1-10 october. wanted to know a few things:-
1. will it be too chilly to swim at the dalmatian coast?
2. will travel by bus or ferries be very problematic or is it just that i will need to plan a little carefully? would some islands (day trips from Dubrovnik- like Mjlet), become totally inaccessible?
3. will restaurants and hotels shut down?
i really dont want to go there and be in a spot of bother so would appreciate any help you can give us. thanks! your site has been very very useful so far.
Hi Shruti,
here you have my reply to your question.
1. normally it would be possible to swim at the beginning of October.
2. Both buses and ferries are quite reliable, so if you plan your trip around with a reasonable buffer, you should not have any problems. I am not sure if Dubrovnik – Mljet still runs in October, but my guess would be yes, as Dubrovnik also have lots of visitors in October.
3. No
Kindest regards,
Morten
Hi is there a good mobile phone service on the island of pag
Thanks
Hi Mo, last time (this may) when i was on Pag, i had no problems with mobile connectivity.
Best,
Morten
Hi,
We are going to rent a car from Zagreb and are debating whether to pick it up at the airport or wait a couple of days, see the sights in Zagreb and then rent the car from downtown before driving on. My husband is concerned there are sights to see in and around zagreb that we will needs a car for.
Hope that makes sense!
Thanks
Katie
Hi Katie, there are some sights in the area of Zagreb, old castles, cities like Samobor etc, but nothing that you must see to my opinion, so i think it would make sence to wait renting the car, the majority of the sights in Zagreb you can see using the well functioning tram system, of course it is not as plesent as having a car at your disposal, but it will get you around.
Best,
Morten
Thank you Morten for your response and help. From reading your replies to others we are now thinking that we’ll rent a car until Split and get the bus to Dubrovnik. We have 2 weeks in Croatia- how much time would you recommend spending between split and Dubrovnik and then time in Dubrovnik itself (so we can work out when to drop off the car in Split)
Many thanks
Katie
Hi Katie,
I am not sure i understand this “how much time would you recommend spending between split and Dubrovnik” do you mean where you should stop over on the way from Split to Dubrovnik? or do you mean how many days Split and how many days Dubrovnik?
If the later, then i would say you should take most of the days in Split, there is simply more to see as the city is bigger, and you have option for a lot of nice day trips where you dont even need the car. Only trips where the car would make sense, is if you plan a visit to National park Krka, and to Mostar in Bosnia.
Hope my reply makes sense, otherwise let me know.
Best,
Morten
Thank you Morten for your reply and sorry I was not clear in my question. I was trying to ask, ‘how many days in total do you think we need to allow for Split, getting to Dubrovnik and staying in Dubrovnik’.
I hope that is a bit clearer!
Many thanks
Katie
Hi Katie,
no problem, i assume that was what you ment, hope my answer was ok
Best,
Morten
Hello – my husband and are are currently in Lucca, Italy and are planning a 5-6 stay in Croatia in mid August. We have a car and can drive to a ferry terminal in Ancona or Pescara. our plan is to ferry to Split. What do we do with our car, as it is a rental and cannot bring it to Croatia. Is there long term parking provided at the ferry terminal? Please advise!
Hi Coral, i really have no clue, what options there are for long time parking in those ferry ports, my advise would be to call them and ask.
Brgds,
Morten
Ok. Thank you.
Hi Coral,
I hope you are great!
My fiance and I are going to be coming from Toronto to the Coast for a honeymoon mid September. We are thinking of Flying into Dubrovnik and leaving from Zagreb. We are spending a few days with his family in Slovenia and Zagreb. So, we have approx. 2 1/2 weeks on our own to visit the coast. We’d like to visit romantic locations, some beach and some activity. Can you please recommend where to visit as we go up the coast? There are so many islands and not sure which ones are a must. Also, we were going to book a hotel in Dubrovnik and leave the rest of the trip open to book hotels as we go up the coast. Is that a good idea or should we book before we leave home?
Thank you!
Faye
Hi Faye
i would suggest the following
Stay 2-3 nights in Dubrovnik, make a day trip from Dubrovnik to Island Mljet
Travel to Korcula with Katamaran, stay one night.
Continue to Hvar stay two nights
from Hvar go to Split, stay 2-3 night, make daytrip to see Trogir
In Split, rent a car go direction Zadar early in the morning, follow coastal road to Sibenik, stop at the National park Krka, spend a day there.
Stay 1-2 nights in Zadar.
Continue from Zadar to Plitvice lakes, stay 1-2 night in the beatiful nature.
This is of course only a rough planning, you can add stops in between. All the place i have mention are really nice and romantic places, not all have great beaches, but you i am sure you will love the places.
As you are travelling in September i would suggest that you book hotels as you go, just book on the internet a day or two prior to your arrival in the respective cities.
Have a nice trip,
Best, Morten
Hi, I have Schengen Visa End date 5 of September Can I enter Croatia and out before this date ?
from kuwait
Hello Morton,
My girlfriend and I want to spend 3-4 weeks in Croatia and are looking for suggestions on how many and which places to stay and for how long at each place. Where should we go and what should see…at a very casual pace…we do not feel rushed and want to enjoy each place.
We are interested in the historic sites, beaches, biking, some night life and maybe spend a couple days in Italy and we will be traveling by car.
Thanks and you site is great!
Richard
Hi Richard,
considering it is september i would suggest the following
You didntr mention where you enter Croatia, so i haven’t listed the places as a tour, if you need help making the tour i please let me know where your tour starts.
Plitvice Lakes – 1 day (overnight stay)
Istria, cities like Rovinj, Porec, Motovun, Groznjan and Pula, a total of 5 nights, you can stay in e.g. Porec and then visit the other cities as daytrips. (Lots of biking options in Istria)
Zadar 1 or 2 overnight stays, ok beaches, some nightlfe, and quite a few historic sights.
From Zadar go to Sibenik, see the old town, maybe stay overnight and continue next day to National park Krka Waterfalls.
Stay 3-5 days in Split, here you have nightlife, beaches, old town with Diocletian palace. – make a day trip to Trogir and see the old town.
while in Split, you could leave the car here, and then go to Hvar for one day, you will love it. (overnight stay recommmended)
From Split, take the coastal road to Dubronvik, stay 3-5 nights. In Dubronvik you find, a bit of nightlift, beaches, and beatiful old town with the historic walls. use one of the days to visit NP Mljet, and you should also consider visiting Korcula.
I hope this give you a few ideas
Kindest regards,
Morten
Thanks for all the great information. Sorry I did not mention we would be entering Slovenia and were thinking of staying one night up top to divide the 16 hour drive and to start the “tour” in a place that was best during the remainder of the season…Dubrovnik seemed like the logical choice. Also, it appears this late in the season it would be ok to book our lodging as we go in case we want to stay longer than planned at one of the stops. Do you agree with our thinking. Also, do you have any recomendations for lodging along the way. We dont need anything fancy, as long as the host are nice and the place is clean, has internet, parking and in a good location.
thanks againfor all you help,
Richard
Hi Richard,
if you enter from Slovenia, you will enter either in direction Zagreb or dom irection Rijeka, in any case i would suggest you start your tour with Plitvice Lakes and then move south e.g. to Split, and continue down to Dubrovnik, on the way back you will then take Zadar and continue to Istria, in that way you can easily continue to Italy once you have seen Istria.
I would recommend you to book as you go, as you have quite a few days for the trip, there is no reason for hectic traveling to reach one of the towns on a specific date.
It is always difficult for me to recommend lodging, as the perception of a specific accommodaiton can vary from person to person, so i would recommend you have a look at the internet the day before you, ravel to the next location, here on this page , you can find hotels, apartment, studies in all price ranges in the cities i suggested.
Other alternative, is that you find something when you get to the next city, you can also visit a local tourist agency.
Kindest regards,
Morten
Hello again
Thanks for the site and help!!
If you take a ferry from Porec to venice, is there a place for us to leave our car, if so how much is it?
Also, it is the end of “the season”. Does this need to be considered? Are there any places you listed to see or avoid during this time?
Hi Richard, did you check schedules for the catamaran from Porec to Venice, is it still running when you are here?
Regarding parking, there are several paid parkings around the center of Porec, i would guess the daily price is something between 10-20 Euro, you can also find free parking spaces in the suburbs, or if you plan to stay in Hotel when you return to Porec, you could maybe leave it at the hotel?.
We are now into low season, not the end, but you have much less tourist compared to July and August. I can not think of any of the thinks which i listed that you should avoid.
Best,
Morten
Oh, forgot to mention we want to come the beginning of September 2012.
Hello, my parents and I will visit Croatia next week and we were trying to figure out which would be better, train or bus, to go from Zagreb to Split.
Thanks!
Hi Diego,
i would say bus, you have much more bus connection between Zagreb and Split.
Best,
Morten
Hello there!
I am writing to you because my partner and I are traveling to your beautiful adopted country from 25th September to the 6th October. We plan to fly in to Dubrovnik and stay for 2 nights in the old town, then hire a car and travel around a bit. We would like to stay for 3 nights on Korkula an 3 nights on Hvar Island. At this time of year, would this be possible with ferries? The plan would either be to stay in Korkula on 27th, 28th and 29th of September, then Hvar on the 30th, 1st and 2nd of October. Or the other way around. Would this be possible? Do the car ferries still run at this time and on these days is it possible?
We have tried to find this information online but the facts are conflicting.
Can you foresee any potential problems with this plan?
Any help you could give would be greatly appreciated.
Best regards,
Jacalyn Moffat
Hi Jacalyn,
for going to Korcula and to Hvar i would not recommend you renting a car, first of all several car rental companies do not allow you to take rented cars on the ferry, secondly, having a car means you can NOT go with the Katamaran.
From Dubrovnik to Korcula: As i understood it, you will leave on Thursday the 27th, which is great as this is one of the two weekdays where you have a car ferry ferry to Korcula (COASTAL line), alternativly you can also go by bus. If you wish to go around on Kurcula, you can rent a car in the centre of town.
From Korcula to Hvar: here you have two options, either the Katamaran (travel time 1h 15) which leaves at 6 am or alternativly you can take the coastal line which leaves sunday at 1 pm (Travel time 3.5-4hours), please note that the early catamaran will take you directly to town Hvar, the car ferry will take you to Stari Grad on Hvar, from there you have bus departure for hvar town upon arrival of the ferry. In Hvar you have several local companies in the center where you can rent a car.
Kindest regards,
Morten
Hi,
I am heading to Split tomorrow arrving about 10am, We havent book any accomodation yet as i cant decided how to plan between the islands/ferries..we are wanting to spend most of our time on Hvar and Vis, We have 4 nights would we recommend 2/2 or 1Vis/3Hvar? Also will we be OK ferry-wise this time of year going from Hvar to Vis or visa versa?
Thanks
Anna
Hi Anna,
Sorry for late reply, i aussume you have already made your schedule for the days in the Split area. I case not i would recommend most days on Hvar, at Vis you will not find much happening at this time a year.
Ferry/Catamaran vise, Vis is anyway going to be a challange 🙂
Best, Morten
Hello,
I am enjoying reading your blog and have found it very helpful in planning our trip. My family (husband, 4 year old, and 15 month old) will be traveling to Croatia from May 11 to Aug 9, 2013. We are both teachers so we have a tight budget. I was thinking of staying one month in three different cities. What cities would you recommend? We will not have a car and would like to use public transit, we have to have internet as we both teach online, and we need to have a lower cost of living. There are so many beautiful places that I am having a hard time deciding which is the best route for us to take. Also any suggestions for traveling with small children in Croatia would also be appreciated! 🙂
Thanks so much!
Kelly
Hi Kelly, sorry for late reply!
anyway could you please let me know to where you fly in Croatia? then it would be easier for me to suggest cities to stay.
Best,
Morten
Hello Sir 🙂
I am From Bahrain and I am planing to ship my car to croaitia to spend September there .. is there any problem ( Model year) or it should be not older than 5 years .. I preciate your help.
Hi Faisal,
i really don’t know if there is any restrictions in relation to bringing a car here, i would assume there is non, as we have all kinds of cars registred here in Croatia. My advice would be that you contact a local croatian ambassey, to see what they have to say about it.
Brgds, Morten
Thank you a lot 🙂
Hello,
We are spending New Year in Split this year. We have accommodation and diner in our Hotel booked but wondered where local goes for a great new year’s party? We are mobile and have also rented a car.
Thank you for your tips,
Ulrike
HI Ulrike,
sorry for late reply, the biggest new years celebration takes place at the Riva (Sea sidepromenade in Split), also some of the larger hotels has farily large new years parties.
Brgds,
Morten
Hello,
I and my son are planning to go to Split via ferry from Ancona on 29 June 2013 and return 4 July 2013. I am making my bookings via Blue Line. Do you suggest to book online in advance or just go to the port in Ancona and book a ferry? Does it get full during the summer? My reason for this is because these are tentative dates for us.
Also, is it easy to find day tours to Hvar during the summer? Do we need to book in advance with online tours?
How far is Split to Zadar by bus if we want to visit for a day?
Thank you very much.
Hi Mitz,
considering you are travelling fairly close to the absolut main season, it can happend that the ferries are sold out, but i dont think you need to book now, if you just keep an eye with avalibility from time to time you should be fine.
Splittours normally have a catamaran from Split to Hvar, i assume that would also be the case this year, if not you will have to go to Hvar with Catamaran and the return with the car ferry from Starigrad to Split.
Split to Zadar by bus takes about 3 hours, but it is a beatiful trip if you catch a bus travelling along the coast.
Brgds, Morten
Hi
I am trying to put together an itinerary for a 2 week trip to Croatia this August and would like some help picking where to base ourselves.
We start in Venice and will finish in Split. We enjoy looking at sites, a bit of nature, a bit of beach, good local food is quite high on the list. As we only want to have 2 bases and not spend hours travelling, where would you suggest. Without ferry times and schedules it’s a bit tricky to work out but I was thinking perhaps of Mali Losinj,Zadar or Krk for the 1st week and Vodice, Zadar or Sibenik for the 2nd week. Any views?
We would also be interested in a bit of golf and river fishing if possible.
Any advice you have would be really helpful.
Hi Jaq.
I can highly recommend Mail Losinj, which would be my pick for week one. You have bus from Venice to Pula, and from Pula you have 3 or 4 weekly catamaran departures to Mali Losinj.
For the second week i most proberly would pick Zadar as base, from here you have plenty of opportunities to do daytrips to varius sights. River fishing should also be possible in the are of Zadar.
Golf will be problematic, as far as i know the closest you will get to a golf course would be Pula (18 hole course on Brijuni Islands) and in Split, where you have a 5 or 6 whole golf course.
If you need any more details, let me know
Brgds, Morten
Hi Morten
Thanks for the suggestions. I am now thinking of cutting Venice out of the trip as none of us fancies 6 hours on a bus.
Plan B is to fly to Zadar and spend a week either at Zadar, Mali Losinj or Rab? A day trip to Plitvice would be nice. Do Rab and Losinj have plenty of restaurants? Would a week be too long?
Then week 2 to spend closer to Split. Trogir sounds like a good possibility. Any views? Hvar also sounds nice but I have read that it’s a clubbing island in August. Does that mean it will be like Ibiza?
My aim is to find 2 base towns which have a good choice of inexpensive restaurants (serving local Croatian food) in the evening and have some interesting things to see/do during the day. Access to day trips as well of course.
There are so many nice sounding place, your views would be appreciated.
Thanks for your time!
Hi Jaq.
If Plitvice is a must, I would pick Zadar, from Rab, daytrip to Plitvice is doable, from Mali Losinj it is not easy to manage in one day.
I still haven’t managed to visit Rab, so I can’t say for sure in relation to the restaurants, but knowing it is a very popular island, I think you should have plenty of restaurants serving local food. In Losinj you have a great selection and in Zadar you have lots of restaurants not only in the old town.
Trogir is excellent pick for week two. From here you can easily visit split, national park Krka and even some of the islands. I would not say that Hvar is like Ibiza, but it is usually quit full in August, and in the centre of town there are some very popular party places, but it should not be a problem to find accommodation in a quite neighbourhood.
Kindest regards,
Morten
Hi,
We have booked flights into Split and out of Dubrovnik in June. We have 4 nights booked at Split and 5 nights in Dubrovnik, but we have 3 nights between, we cant decide whether to get a ferry from Split to Korcula (vela Luka) and spend 3 nights on Korcula before getting the ferry from Korcula to Dubrovnik, or hire a car for the whole holiday and drive down the coast from Split and spend the 3 nights in Baska Voda (Makarska Riviera). Any guidance would be appreciated.
Hi Dave,
Well that is not an easy choise, both Korcula and Baska Voda (Or Brela) are very nice spots.
For beaches i would pick – Baska Voda / Brela
For Old Town flair pick – Korcula
Other options: Did you consider, renting the car and the go from Split to Baska / Brela early in the morning, spend two nights here and then continue to Orebic where you leave the car, and take the small passanger boat to Korcula and stay there for one night before continuing to Dubrovnik? – this trip maybe gives you 3 hours of extra driving but you will end up seeing both places and the beatiful dalmatian coastal line?
Brgds, Morten
Dear morten
Just decided to spend 2 weeks this summer in croatia. 2 adults, 4 adolescent boys. August. Live in south of france but dont really fancy the drive. But maybe this is the best solution as hiring a large vehicle might be expensive? Could we manage on public transport if we flew in?
As is it difficult and tiring to move everyone all the time i thought about either 2 or 3 centre destination or few days on boat. I think we need to find a mixture of culture, beach, hiking and fun.
Ay ideas, thoughts advice much appreciated. Great site by the way!
Thanks
Fiona
Hi Fiona,
if you pick some of the larger towns like, Zadar, Pula, Split etc, You could for sure manage on public transport, from smaller towns it is also possible, but you might have to change bus a few more times.
Other options is that you do one-way rentals the days where you move location?
Let me know where you plan to fly to, then i will make you a suggestion for an itinerary.
Best, Morten
Hi Morten,
Fiona was in touch with you a few days ago. We have a better idea of where we like to go inCroatia and we’re hoping you could help with suggestions.
We are thinking of flying into Zadar and would want an inexpensive hotel or B&B for 2 to 3 nights. Can you suggest a good website for reservations?
We were then thinking a 3 day boat charter with skipper. I came across the following website which appears to be a clearing house and it would appear that one can charter a boat for 3 days with accommodation for 6 for around 1000 euro: https://48options.com/en/sailing-offers/weekend-and-short-sailing-trips/croatia-montenegro/page-1/
For the following week we would like to rent a villa in the region of Split but not in Split itself. We would be relying on public transport to get around. Would Trogir be a good choice and can you suggest a website for villa rentals.
We are thinking of ending our holiday with 2 days in Dubrovnik. Again, any suggesting for finding an inexpensive hotel?
Thanks for any help and advice.
Ned
Hi Ned
For Zadar accommodation please have a look here or here.
The 3 days boat charter sounds great, is one of the top things on my to do list for this year.
Picking Trogir for the last week, seams like excellent choise, from here you have option to varius daytrips, also with public transport. the biggest selection of villas and apartments in Trogir you can find on my site here
For Dubrovnik, use the same links as the one for Zadar, just pick Dubrovnik as destination.
Kindest regards,
Morten
Morten,
Thanks for the useful websites and suggestions. We are moving things forward.
Ned
Hi Ned and Fiona,
Glad to here that, i am sure you manage to get a great itinerary together.
Best, Morten
Dear Morton.
Myself and my husband are planning to visit Croatia for the 1st time in August this year. We are not confidant to hire a car. we would like to visit plivice.Could you also recomend the best things to see and do, as 10 days will allow. we also want to visit the islands. we dont want to do any overnight stays. Would you say it’s possible to travel each day on buses,ferrys ect to see these places ?? If yes…could you recomend the best location to stay in ?? Thank you so much for your help and advice for people like me and all the other people that you have so kindly helped.
Hi Rachel
You should not worry about hiring a car, driving here is quite easy and safe.
Anyway, if you prefer mainly to use public transportation, from one base, I would recommend you stay in Split from here you can e.g. reach the following places.
1. Trogir (Easy with public transport)
2. Plitvice lakes (Organized daytrip or rented car)
3. Krka national park (Possible with public transport)
4. Island Brac (45 minutes with ferry)
5. Island Hvar (Doable, Catamaran going there, car ferry returning)
6. Dubrovnik (Organized daytrip or rented car)
Alternative to Split, you could pick Zadar as base, from here you have easier access to Plitvice lakes and National park Krka, but, Dubrovnik, Trogir and the mentioned island would be harder to reach.
Brgds, Morten
Hello, Morten!
I´d like to go to Croatia and Slovenia( including Medjugorje) in September for about 12 nights. I have been looking for a travel agency in Zagreb to book this kind of tour, but I was unable to find it.
Do you happen to know the names of some tour agencies I can contact to have this kind of trip? I live in Brazil.
Thank you very much.
Denise
Hi Denise
Unfortunately I have never worked with any of the Croatian travel agency providing such service, so can’t recommend you one.
Did you consider planning the trip on your own?
Brgds, Morten
Hi Morten
Wonder if you can help. We are planning or summer holiday to Croatia in July (2 adults and two girls 16 & 13). We intend to fly into Zadar and rent a car and stay in a villa for two weeks. we like beaches, sights,bars and restaurants. I cannot decide between the Maskara area, Dubrovnikc area or Brac or Hvar. Any help would be appreciated.
Very Informative site – thanks.
Best wishes
Ruth UK
Hi Ruth
I can understand why you have a hard time deciding on where to stay, the four spots you picked are all great, so it is not an easy choose to make.
Makarska (Brela is great) area is great in terms of nightlife / bars, restaurants and beaches, sights are limited.
Dubrovnik, well the city has basically all of it, but personally I would not pick it for a familyholiday in July. (To full)
Brac: if you pick a spot like Bol, you have more or less everything on your list, but the place is much smaller than Dubrovnik and Makarska.
Hvar, well have a look here
Kindest regards
Morten