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 Morten
We are planning to go from Zagreb to Split stopping at Plitvice lakes by public transport. Is this possible in one day? I know there is an early bus from Zagreb but am getting different information on when is the last bus (not overnight)from Plitvice lakes to Split.
Have looked at hiring a car but with one way rental it’s a bit expensive.
Thanks
Steven
Hi Steven,
expect that not all bus schedules are fixed yet, from about end of March, beginning of April the sommer schedules schould be availble. The other years the last bus (Except for a night bus) to Split, was leaving Plitvice around 3 or 4 pm.
Best regards,
Morten
Thanks for the details.
Another question. We are planning a 10 day trip, late June/early July (from Zagreb to Dubrovnik staying at the usual places). Can we rely on sobe accommodation during our trip?
Hi Steven,
if you only are a few people travelling and don’t have special preferences in relation to location, the Sobe solution should work out fine also at that time a year.
Best, Morten
We are making a first visit to Croatia in September staying in Duce.Is this a good choice for a holiday
Hi Patrick,
Duce is a small place, whit some quite nice beaches so it is great place to relax.
In relation to sights and things to do, you have limited options, but if you have a car availble, you can easily go to Omis or Split.
So .. if is is a good choice is hard to say, depens what you like doing during your holiday.
Brgds, Morten
Have you heard it is not allowed to take a hire car or motor bike from other counties by ferry into Croatia?
My son had to return to Italy to collect ownership papers from hire company even though he had copies of these before he could board the ferry. A lot of people with hired cars had their holiday travel messed up by this rule. It was not a problem they struck in any other country.
Hi Chris,
no i was not aware of that, but thanks for the tip, i will investigate the issue.
Best, Morten
I’m Thai working and living in Slovenia Do i need to apply for visa to Croatia ?
Pumpim
Hi Pumpim
i dont know, this question you would have to direct to the Croatian embassey.
Kindest regards, Morten
Hello Morten,
This is a great website!
Myself and 3 friends are looking to go to Croatia for the first time this August.
We want a good balance of relaxing/nightlife and I was thinking of heading over to Split/Hvar area.
If you have the time I would appreciate any answers you can give to the below?
1. How much money would you budget for 7 days staying there?
2. None of us are drivers are we going to find it difficult to work our way around the islands?
3. What are the best beaches to visit in Croatia?
Kind Regards,
Hannah
Hi Hannah,
I think Split and Hvar is a great choise in your case.
here you have my answer to your questions
1. In terms of budget, including all costs (fairly ok accommodation, going out, eating out, transportation etc) i would say that you should calculate with spending around 80-100 Euro / day a person, of course selfcatering in relation to food could lower your daily spending.
2. You should not have anyproblem getting around Hvar, if you stay in Hvar down, you can still visit other spots like Jelsa or Starigrad, you have several daily buses between the cities leaving from the centre of Hvar.
3. Well that is a difficult question to answer, depends how you define “best beach” my personal favorits is those i visit on Island vis and of course this one here in Brela:
Any way, regardless of where you go in Dalmatia, you will always find some nice beaches as they are everywhere.
Kindest regards,
Morten
Hi,
I’m staying in Supetar 2 week in July with 1 other adult and 3 kids (4, 10 and 11).
We’d like to visit the sandy beach in Brela you refer to as your favorite. We don’t have access to a car.
Can you walk me through how we’ll be able to get there the easiest?
Thanks!
Hi Ajay, I would not recommend to travel from Suputar to Brela with 3 kids with out a car, is to much a hassle.
In Supetar you also have a nice beach, and you could maybe also visit the famous beach in Bol on Brac. From Supetar you have buses to Bol, i think it takes about 1 hour to cross the island.
Best regards, Morten
Hi Morten,
I’m looking to visit around late July/early August time with my partner.
We are looking to stay 7-10 days but not quite sure where to go… there’s so much choice!
Can you advise on the best areas to go if we’re looking for somewhere quiet but with plenty of things to go (walking/site seeing)?
Many thanks
Hi Tara,
For me to give you the best advice, you need to be a bit more specific.
With quiet do you mean, a place with few people or a place where you are not disturbed by parties?
What kind of walking are you interested in? nature walking, or options to walk along the sea?
If you could reply me on the that, i should be able to recommend you something.
Kindest regards, Morten
PS: are you travelling with car?
Hi there, i was thinking of going to croatia in May just for a relaxing holiday and to sit on some nice beaches. which area would you suggest for the best beaches?
Hi Shoaib Yousuf, it can recommend to one of the following places. Brela, Korcula, Island Brac, Vis or Krk.
Kindest regards
Morten
Hi Morton,
My husband and i are thinking of spending 3-4 days in Croatia in early July, we will be coming from Venezia and we will not have a car.
We were looking at spending a few relaxing days on the beach-do you have any recommendations?
I like the look of Vis, how difficult is it to get there from Venezia?
Thanks
Manni
Hi Manni,
Vis is maybe not the perfect choise, as you will be spending lots of time gettting there. You will have to go all the way to Split to catch Catamaran / ferry to Vis.
I could suggest you take a look at the Island Cres or Losinj, these are beatiful islands, and easier to reach from Venice, as you have Catamaran from Rijeka to those Islands.
Best, Morten
Thanks for the recommendation Morten, they both look great.
Would you be able to advise me on how to get to Rijeka from Venice in July?
Thanks
Manni
Hi Manni, glad you liked the places 🙂
I think the fastest way to travel, is to take train from Venice to Triest and then Bus from Triest to Rijeka, as far as i can see this should get you to Rijeka by 4 pm, and the Catamaran to the islands (Cres, and Losinj) leaves at 5pm from Rijeka.
Kindest regards,
Morten
Hallo,
We are a family if 3 hoping to visit Croatia this Summer.
We would like beaches, nice town and the possibility of boat trips to islands.
I would be grateful for suggestions,
Jane
Hi, are there any clothing optional beaches within walking distance of Histria Pula? We are staying at the Park Plaza
Hi Mark, not what i am aware of, but at the nature park Kamenjak you have lots of small bays, so i am sure you would be able to find a spot there.
Best, Morten
Hello Morten,
I will be driving from Zagreb airport to Zadar airport mid June 2013. Can you give me approximate distance, time to drive and toll. I assume this would be best via A-1 highway.
Thanks,
Gordon
Hi Gordan
Driving distance is about 300 km, which should be a 2.5 to 3 hours drive. You should follow the highway, where you have to pay a toll of 125kn.
Country road, would take you about 5 hours.
best, Morten
Hi morten
I am planning on going to Dubrovnik in June. How much should I expect to spend on a four day vacation there? Is it really expensive?like eating out and activities there?
Thanks, hope you can help!
Hi Karla, i havent been to Dubrovnik this year so i can not say for sure about the prices, my guess would be that you would need around 50 Euro per days (not including accommodation)
Brgds, Morten
Is it you from south Africa
Hello Morten,
We are planning our first trip to Croatia (Dalmatian coast) in July this year. We are a family of 2 adults, 2 children. As this is peak holiday season, will we need to pre-book accommodation for our family?
Great website, thanks.
Hi Jodi,
Well, there is no conclusive answer to that question, if you don’t mind spending time searching for a accommodation upon your arrival, you will for sure be able to find something, but the quality can vary, if you are lucky you get a last minute booking in a nice apartment, if you are unlucky, you might end up staying in some less attractive accommodation.
Bottom line i can’t tell you for sure what to do 🙂
Best, Morten
Hello Morten,
Wondering if you can tell me about the Croatian currency at the moment please. Is the Kuna still widely accepted now that the country has taken on the Euro? Am I best to have both currencies available to me when travelling? Will it be appreciated more by smaller places that we might be staying / eating to have Kuna or Euro? Thank you for your help.
Jodi
Hi Jodi,
the Kuna is still the only official currency in Croatia. (Talks are that Euro might come sometime after 2015)
When you travel around here, you basically only need Kuna.
Best, Morten
Hello Morten
We are a couple in our 30s flying into zadar at the end of May. We’re not sure where to stay as the hotel we wanted is full! We ideally want a beach and something to do (restaurants, bars?) not sure if there is anything like that around! My searches are fruitless but perhaps it’s that I’m just nt that good t it!
Any ideas?
Thanks in advance,
Sarah x
Hi Sarah,
best option would be to look for somthing in Borik, just google “hotels in Zadar Borik” or similar.
In Borik you have the best beach in Zadar, several restaurants / bars.
Best, Morten
Hi Morten
Reading your article is quiet interesting and since my wife and I are headed to Croatia for 2 weeks this summer we do have lots of questions
!. Is it possible to speak with you by Phone?
2 Our plans, somewhat dictated by airline reservations, is to arrive in Dubrovnik July 21 for three days, and then we have 10 days between Hvar, we think 4 nights and elsewhere. We had some idea to go to Lake Bled, but today saw so much up the Croatian coast in Istrian area and reading about ports, islands and great food and sightseeing we are now confused bow to best use the time
We then need to wind up in Venice August 2nd
So any guidance, suggestions for great resorts is much appreciated
Thank you
Steve
Hi Steve,
Well it would a pity if you only saw Dubrovnik and Hvar, as Croatia have so many other nice places.
But to answer you question about speaking on the phone, well i basically try to collect all answers and question on my site, so that other travellers can benefit from them, without having to ask me questions i already answered.
Anyway in relation to your itinerary, I would suggest the following.(Draft version) 🙂
Arrival Dubrovnik July 21st (Early or late arrival?)
2-3 days Dubrovnik, consider spending one day on seeing Mljet.
1 day. From Dubrovnik you could continue to Korcula (Mini Dubrovnik), lovely place. Pick a Hotels / apartment in the centre for one night:
2-3 days. From Korcula you continue to Hvar, stay in town Hvar, 2 days should be enough here.
1 day: From Hvar go to Split, early morning Catamaran, spend day and night in Split.
1-2 days: a Rent a car in Split, leave early in the morning and go to Trogir (25km), take a stroll in the old town, have lunch here, before you continue up the cost, make a stop in towns like Rogoznica, Primosten, Sibenik, where you could spend the night or continue to Zadar. Plan at least half a day to see Zadar.
1 day from Zadar drive to Plitvice lakes, leave early as you have a 2.5-3 hour drive, stay at Plitvice for the night.
Last days, from Plitvice you continue to Istria, where you set up a base in Rovinj or Porec, once you are finished exploring Istria, you return the rented car, and take the catamaran to Venice.
Let me know what you think about it?
Best, Morten
Hello Morten,
This is my second question as your information is so good. We have now decided to head to Croatia in late September for a three week holiday. We will be flying into Zagreb and then making our way down to Dubrovnik (where we will probably do a sailing trip). Do you think hiring a car for this would be our best option for transport? We are a family of 2 adults and 2 children and will visit the Plitvitz lakes region after leaving Zagreb and then hope to just stop in whatever coastal town takes our fancy. Any advice / information you can give me would be appreciated thanks as well as must see areas for us to stay / visit.
Thanks for your help Morten.
Jodi
Hi Jodi,
considering you have 2 children in your “Group” 🙂 i will for sure recommned hiring a car, at least for parts of the trip. Assuming you have about 10 days to get from Plivice to Dubrovnik, you should (Could) take the following route. First stop would be Zadar, i would plan staying overnight there. In the evening you should take the kids to see the “Greeting to the sun” and generally have a look at the old town. Next day you could continue to Sibenik, following the coastal road. You didn´t mention how old your children are, but if they are same age as mine (9+12) they would proberly like to spend a day at Solaris. Alternativly you can visit the NP Krka If you choose one of the those options, sleeping in Primosten could be a god choise. If neither Solaris or NP Krka is of yourc interest, you just continue to Split, and spend the night there. otherwise you go there the next day.
In Split you could give back the rented car, and spend the next day on seeing Trogir, after second or third night in Split, you should then go to hvar and stay there a few days, from there you go to Korcula where you also stay a few days, before you continue to Dubrovnik.
If you don´t like “hopping” around to much, you should set up a base in Zadar, and later in Split and then do daytrips from there.
Hope this give you a bit of inspiration, if you give me some more information, and some exact dates, i would be happy to work out a more detailed plan.
Kindest regards, Morten
Hi Morten,
Thanks for your information – I will do some researching now! One other question I forgot to ask, will the weather still be hot enough for swimming and lying on the beach in late September – October?
Thanks,
Jodi
Hi Jodi, well it of course all depends on the weather in the fall, but some years we have been swimming till mid october, at least till end of September it should for sure be possible.
Brgds,
Morten
Hi Morten,
We are thinking of doing a sailing trip hopefully from Split to Dubrovnik when we are in Croatia in October and obviously there are a lot of choices on the web for this type of thing. Do you have any ideas on a company that would be good to look at for a family with children aged 10 and 12? We are hoping for something on a smaller boat (possibly under 10 people) and maybe not for a full week as the kids may get a little bored.
Thanks again, Jodi
Hi Jodi,
With a boat for under 10 people do you mean a Sailing boat with skipper or a small Gulet+
If you are looking for sailing boat with skipper you should try http://www.ultra-sailing.hr og http://www.sunlife.hr, boat are very good split based companies.
Best, Morten
Okay…so i really need help cause I’m LOST. I thought I had everything figured out but now I’m confused. Could you help me out with 3 questions:
1: Are there 2 Milna’s? I’m staying in Supetar and would like to travel to Milna in order to have dinner at Restaurant Lambik. The address is Milna 93 | Hvar Croatia, Milna, Hvar Island 21450, Croatia. The info on internet says it’s a 20 – 25 minute bus ride or taxi trip from Supetar to Milna. But how is that possible??? I thought Hvar was quite far away…what am I missing?
2: Traveling with small kids, what is most suitable solution for us to travel from Supetar to Hvar Town for the day? I know it’s easy to get to Split. But the problem starts there because the ferry times don’t really work for us from Split on. We want to do some sight-seeing in the morning at the fortress, and then move to Carpe-Diem at around 12.30 to have lunch. We’ll stay there for a couple of hours and probably head back to Supetar at around 17.00. We don’t have a car, so any suggestion would be welcome.Originally we looked into chartering a motor boat on that particular day, but the fee including fuel is not manageable for us (400 – 600€ approximately)
3: How does one get to STIPANSKA -Hvar from Hvar Town?
Thank you in advance.
Hi AAS,
1. well i know of at least 3 Milna’s, Milna on Hvar, Milna on Brac and Milna on Hvis. The restaurant you want to go to is on Hvar Island, not on Island Brac where you are staying. so getting wo require several ferries, so i think you should find an alternative restaurant on Island Brac.
2. Getting from Supetar to Town Hvar is also not easy if possible at all, so i would look for alternative on mainland or on Island Brac.
3. Same answer.
Brgds, Morten
Hi Morten,
I’m doing the cruise croatia from Split to Split from the 06.07.13 – 13.07.13. We are arriving in Split on the 30.06.13 and would love if you could recommend a beach or town to stay in for a few nights before our cruise? We are looking to party, beach partys, night life… anything crazy and young with beautiful beaches. Can you help?
Regards
Katrina from Queensland Australia
Hi Katrina, if you want the most beatiful beaches you have to go to the island Vis the Makarska – Brela area, nightlife you will not find much of on Vis, but Markarska has some. If you would settle for less beatiful beaches (Still good ones), Split would be your number one choise as you will find the best nigthlife here at that time a year.
Best,
Morten
Hi there,
Could you please help us we are staying in Zagreb 19 -21 and need to be in Venice the evening of 21 to catch a cruise on the 22. We are a group of 3 adults and 3 children, what would our best option be in getting to Venice . Appreciate any ideas regards Kylie
Hi Kylie,
well there is a weekly direct bus, which is driving friday at 8 am or something like that from Zagreb. So if you are travelling in June the 21st is actually a friday, which would be perfect match. other options are bus Zagreb to Triest and then train from there, or Bus Zagreb to Pula, Porec or Rovinj and then Catemaran from there.
If you can find a one way rental that is of course also and option.
There might be other options, this was those which jumped to my mind.
Best, Morten
Hi
Could you please tell me if mid October is an OK time to travel Croatia?
I know the temperatures will be cooler but I’m not looking for a lay on the beach type of trip. I want to be active, exploring, island hopping, a day or two kayaking, and any adventures I can find! I will likely be travelling by bus as this seems to be the better option. I will be there for ~10 days.
Also I will likely be flying into Zagreb and perhaps make my way down to Dubrovnik. Any suggestions on what route to take/places to see on the way I’d greatly appreciate it.
Regards,
Debbie
Hi Debbie
In october there is still possiblility to visit the islands, and you can for sure stil explore and do lots of stuff, but thinks like kayaking might be hard to find (Maybe in Dubrovnik). iF you start in Zagreb, i would continue to Plitvice and stay there for a night, then i would continue with bus to Zadar, where you should also plan to sleep over. next stop should be Split, where you should also stay a day before you continue to the Islands. Brac, Hvar and Korcula are great islands, so check out which of them to visit before heading for Dubrovnik
Best, Morten
What do you think is a good ‘first island’ to visit in Croatia for a family with children? We have a rental car and were looking into one of the islands off Split, but just can’t make a decision which one.
I was thinking of Brac as it’s not too long on the ferry and seems to have a variety of places to visit and beaches. However, I hear so many recommendations for Vis I’m considering that too, but it’s a lot more travelling time for us and thought it might be better for our next trip.
Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. We like good beaches, good food, charm and a bit of summer atmosphere and livliness. We have a rental car too so it would have to be a car ferry.
Hi M Beretin
Both Brac and Vis are very nice Island and they both have a great sommer atmosphere, so it is hard to say which one to choose, I cost of ferry was not an issue and I was forced to make a choise i would pick Vis.
Best, Morten
PS: please check with the car rental company if you are allowed to take the car on the ferry, some of them have strange policies in that relation.
Hi Morten,
I’m trying to decide which airport to fly in to croatia. I want to explore some of the islands. What area is better to access islands such as Brac, Korcula, and Hvar?
Regards,
Debbie
Hi Debbie
proberly it would be best for you to go for the Split Airport
Best,
Morten
Hi Morten, one more question
After looking into return flights home I think I will have to fly out of Zagreb. This forces me to make small changes in my plans. Because I have to get to Zagreg at the end of the trip I’m thinking of flying into Dubrovnik, making my way up to Split via the Islands (Hvar, Korcula, Brac) then take the bus to and fly out of Zagreb.
How easy it to travel up to Split via the Islands? Alot of itineraries suggest travelling from Dubrovnik to Split by land, then use Split as a gateway to the islands.
Are there many ferry connections between Dubrovnik/Korcula, Korcula/Hvar and Hvar/Split? (I’m going in October for 10 days)
Is there a regular bus route from Split to Zagreb?
Open to any suggestions, thanks.
Debbie
Hey
Me and my friend are hoping to go to the island of pag. We want to stay near zche beach as we are mainly going on a party holiday.
Where would you advice a cheap place for us to stay? Also would it work out cheaper to book our accomdation when we arrived or would that be taking a big risk
Kind regards,
Ellen
Hi Ellen,
well that is a hard question to answer, if i where you i would check prices on hostel and apartment sites just to see what the price level is in the time you are travelling. If you find something resonalbe i would book it just to be sure. If you dont find anything online, you will for sure be able to find somethign once you are there, but weather the one or the other is cheaper i can´t say for sure.
Best, Morten
Hello Morten,
Me and my friend our mid-20s and planning an 18 day trip around the Dalmatian Coast line in late July. How much spending money would you consider taking. We are in hostels so will be buying food everyday and plan on going out and sightseeing often.
Thanks for your help.
Fiona
Hi Fiono,
for 18 days with eating out and often sightseeing, i would say you need about 800 Euros.
Best, Motren
Hi Morten,
Next week my family will arrive and stay in Split for a few nights and then move on to Korcula. We have one 7-year-old child and want to know, for the sake of convenience, is it better to catch a boat or go by bus? Both options take about 5 hours. We’ll be lugging a few backpacks and a suitcase. The boat seems pretty straightforward. Regarding the bus, is there usually traffic that could delay the bus? On the other hand, is the bus ride a more scenic option?
Kind Regards,
Jan
Hi Jan,
Both trips are beatiful, but when travelling with a kid, i think I would go for the catamaran. Bus can be delayed at the border.
Best,
Morten
Hi Morten,
Great website! If you’ve got time, can you please help me with my itinary and maybe some advice?
We are flying in from South Africa to Zagreb on the 23 Aug and will be returning the 11 Sept.
We are planning on renting a car in zagreb. Already booked accomodation there for 2 nights. Leaving from Zagreb earlyish to go to Isria.(How long will the drive be?)In Isria we’re looking at staying in Motovum (havent booked anything. Wil this be ok?)for 3 nights. Exploring Isria by car during the day. Till where would you say will be reasonable for a daytrip by car?
On the morning of the 28 Aug we will be leaving Isria by car, back to Rijeka, following the coastal road to Senj, where we will be turning of to Plitvice lake and be spending there 2 nights. (Is this a too long drive or will we be ok?)
From Plitvice we are heading to Zadar. Maybe overnight in Biograd or Tisno? Where do you think? Or is the distance not so long to go to Trogir? We are planning to spend 2 or maybe then 3 night in Trogir. From Trogir we want to do day trips to Split and Krka.
On the 2 Sept we will be dropping our car off at Split airport and then take the catamaran to Hvar, where we will be spending 2 nights. From Hvar we are planing to spend 3 nights in Korcula, locating ourselves in Lumbarda?
Can we then take a Korcula bus the morning if the 7 Sept (Saturday) to take us to Dubrivnik? How long is that drive and roughly the cost? We want to spend 3 nights in Gruz,doing daytrips. Is that good? We dont really want the huzz and buzz of big centre cities. We prefer places a bit quiter. We are flying back to zagreb from Dubrovnik, to get our flight back to SA (11 Sept).
We havent booked any accomodation. Do you think we will be fine?
Anyhing that you would change?
Thank you sooo much
Janelle
Hi Janelle
Your itinerary looks quite interesting, and is for sure due able, but I have the following suggestion for you to consider.
In Istria I would pick Porec or Rovinj as the base, which in both cases is a 3 hour drive from Zagreb. From these towns you can easily go to anywhere on the Istrian peninsula. If you stay in Porce, you could do one day down the coast seeing Rovinj and Pula. Another day you can go and see the Inland cities, Groznjan, Motovun etc.
When you go to Plitvice, you might as well take the highway back towards Zagreb, till you see the sign for Plitvice, this trip should take you about 3.5 hours, the Senj road properly half an hour longer. Spending 2 nights at the Plitvice area is a great idea, there are several other things to see in the area.
Plitvice to Zadar is fairly short trip (2 hours) you can also go to Trogir which is maybe 1 hour longer. Trogir is great base for day trips, Split and Krk as you mentioned are the most obvious ones. You might want to consider stayting one day in Zadar just to see the town, and then drive down the coastal road towards Trogir from there.
Hvar is ok
On Korcula you might consider staying in town Korcula, the beginning of September there should not be to much crowds there. I would guess a bus ticket Korcula to Dubrovnik cost around 120 kuna / person. Gruz is ok place to stay, is easy to get to centre of town from there.
You should be able to find accommodation as you go, if you want to stay in a specific location, it might be a good idea to book a few days ahead.
Hope you find some of my suggestions useful
Brgds, Morten
Hi,
Myself and 3 friends are coming to croatia from 22nd august – 5th september. We would like to stay a couple of nights in split and then do some island hopping from there. we would be staying in hostels. should we pre-book accomodation or is it ok to just turn up?
thanks
Hi Amy,
If you just need a place to sleep, you can always find something. But if you want to be in specific location e.g. close to the centre, you should at least check the avalibility in that area a few days ahead.
best, Morten
Hi
I am flying to Split September 30th to October 6th this year. I know this is out of season but wondering if there will be some form of nightlife available. Would it be better to stick to Split or travel to Hvar or even Bol on Brac Island?
Many thanks
Jess
Hi Jessica, end of September / beginning of October, i would recommend you to stay in Split, you have much more option in relation to nightlife. You can visit Brac on a daytrip. Hvar is a bit more complicated to visit on a day trip.
Brgds, Morten
Thanks so much for your advice.
Hi Mort..
Does the ferry service shut down in October? Was hoping to travel from Venice to Pula October 11, Pula to Split Oct 13, Split to Dubrovnik on the Ferry system…..can’t find any schedules for this time period. Thanks for any help!
Hi Frank
in October you are in the “winter season” which means some ferry have less departures an others are not running anymore, i am not sure about Venice – Pula, did you check Venezialine?
I am pretty sure that the coastal ferry Split – Dubronvik is not running in October, so you will have to travel down the coast by bus, which is also a very nice trip.
Best, Morten
Hi,
I have time off from work from October 11 – 18 and was hoping to go to Croatia as a less expensive option than southern Italy. However, the more I look at things to do, and places to visit it seems that Croatia basically closes for business on October 5th. How cold is it likely to be in Dubrovnik-Split area in mid October? Are there still a lot of things I can do? I live in Egypt right now, so I’m hoping its not too cold!
Thanks!
Christy
Hi Christy
well Croatia is for sure not going to close down after the 5th of October, but there are less activity compared to the peak months. But all the nice spots like, Split, Trogir, Hvar, Zadar, Dubrovnik etc. you can for sure still visit. The weather is normally very diversified in October you can have everything between 10 degrees with rain and 25 degress and sun.
Kindest regards, Morten
Hi,
My Fiance and I will be travelling to Split for 7 nights from October 5th-12th and we just have a few questions regarding island hopping and the best beaches.
1)We plan on visiting Brac, Korcula and Hvar and are spoilt for choice in what beaches to visit.
2)I’ve been trying to work out what will be enough for a week. We have already paid for the apartment so will just be using money for food drink and island skipping really but we are planning on taking 1000gbp(obviously converted to the kuna)for the both of us.
3)Wondering what things will be essential to pack seeing as its october am I right in assuming its a good idea to take a long sleeved top and an umbrella?lol
4)We were also considering a ferry trip to Italy but I am struggling to find much more information than “we can catch a ferry to italy”
Thanks for your response in advance 🙂
Hi Marleigh
sorry i didn’t manage to give you are reply, hopy you had a great trip anyway
Brgds, Morten
Hello Morten,
I love all the advice you have been giving others, I have a few questions regarding my visit to Croatia in April! I will be going to Italy then Croatia with my boyfriend and I thought the best option to get to Croatia would be a ferry, but it seems to be a bit expensive, so i checked flights but it looks like some european airlines do not have flights in April, maybe its too early to be checking? What would be the best and economical way to get to croatia?
I really want to hike Plitvice Lake, go to Dubrovnick and maybe Split? I was reading that the beaches might not be the best option during this time since it might be cooler, but Kayaking looks fun! We are adventurous, love wine, hiking and sighting. What would you recommend for about a weeks stay?
I appreciate your advice in advance!
Best,
Kymberly
HI Kimberly,
From are you going, Ancona to Split or Zadar, or from Venice area to Istria? If you are going from Ancona, you should have fairly cheap tickets in April, but probably it is still to early for those offers.
Flights might be a bit early, i would check again end of January to see if there is any new schedules.
Assuming you have car, you could use Split as base, other options could be also to take some days in Zadar, where you have easy acces to NP Paklenica and NP Velebit.
In the area of Split, you also have several hikings option, so you will for sure find something interesting no matter where you chose to stay.
Kindest regards
Morten
Morten
I came across your website through the endless trawls of accommodation I am doing as I ponder whether to choose Croatia as my family holiday. We have a. Daughter (5) years and typically go to either ibiza or Mallorca, beautiful beaches and cobbled streets with restaurants and beach bars serving nice cuisine.
I have looked at accommodation in Ciovo mainly slatine and one in dubravinic but have concerns about the beaches and whether they are the type you would spend a full day playing?
Can you convince me that Croatia is for us.
Many thanks
Louise
Hi Louise,
On Island Ciovo I would recomend you to look for something in Okrug Gornji instead, here you have a nice beach and some restaurants and several bars along the beach, and more importanly you have easy access with small boat to Trogir, where you have one of the nicest seaside promenades in Croatia.
As an alternative I could recommend you Brela, Baska voda or Makarska a bit further down the coast, here you have some niche beaches with bars and restaurants on the promenade next to the sea.
In all the places i have mention, people usually stay a full day playing and enjoying at the beach.
Brgds, Morten
Hi Morten
Great blog very helpful.
We are a family group wife & two daughters 24 & 18.
From June 20 to June 29 we will be on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje.
Arriving in Dubrovnik on 6/30 would like to spend three days touring Dubrovnik. We enjoy touring & beaches. Any suggestions for lodging in the old city. Then on 7/3 we would be heading toward Split hopefully island hopping along the way. Suggestions?
Eventually departing on7/7 from Split.
Thanks for your Help Regards Kevin
Hi Kevin
I can’t recommend you anything in particular at the old town of Dubrovnik, but i should be a problem finding something if you book now. From Dubrovnik, you could do island hopping via Korcula and Hvar town, both very beatiful. Alternativly to Island hopping you can visit Hvar, Brac and other islands as a daytrip from Split. Don’t forget also to plan a visit to Trogir.
Brgds, Morten
Can you let me know if 5 people can go in a taxi in Croatia?
Hi Vic
The regular taxi’s usually take up to max 4 persons, in most cities you can alhough order minivan taxis for more persons.
Brgds, Morten
Hi Morten
This is a really good blog. We are planning a trip to Croatia for about 2 weeks. we are a family of 3 people ( two adults and one daughter aged 14 yrs). Have already booked our air tickets landing at Zagreb on 7th June at 3 pm and leaving from Dubrovnick on 21st June at 11 am. One of our friends have given us their apartment in Krk island to use for a week so we are there from 8th to 15th. Therefore I have the following questions to plan my trip
1) Day trips fom krk island for six days period. We will be renting a car. The places should be comfortable for us to see during the day and we should be able to reach latest to krk island by 8 in the evening
2)On 15th we plan to drive to split. On the way we plan to stop at Zadar or trogir. which place do you reccomend more and how much time should we spend there.
3) plan to spend three nights at split and plan to do day trips from there to the islands ie on two days and one day we see split. which islands do you recommend. We prefer islands which have nice old towns not really very much interested in beaches.
4) Then we plan to take the bus or ferry from split to Dubrovinick on 18th June. What do you recommend. Is there a ferry from split to Dubrovinick where we could see some islands on the way or should we go to Dubrovinick and take day trips to the islands. Is two days enough for dubrovinick or maybe we can take a day tour to montenegro from there ie one full day in dubr and the other day in montenegro.
5) What is the weather like in this june period. T-shirts and shorts/pants will do. Do we require a jacket in the evening.
Would love to hear from you with regard to my above queries
Sameer Vohra ( from India)
Hi Sameer,
from the base on Krk, i would recommond you to do the following day trips.
1. Visit to the Istrian Peninsula, you probably woudl need two days to see all the interesting spots, one day you could do, Opatija, Hum and Pula. the second day you could do Porec, Rovinj and Motovun.
2. A Visit to NP Plitvice should also be possible as day trip from Krk.
3. Visit town Cres (Island Cres) and Mali / Veli Losinj, should also be doable in one day.
4. Round trip on Island Krk.
5. Sailing trip with boat from Krk.
A stop in Zadar you should for sure do, I would say you need at least 3-4 hours to see the old town part. Trogir you should visit as a day / half day trip from Split, is fantastic place which you should not miss out on.
Plan one day to see whole of Split, from there you then continue on to Hvar(town) where you stay one night before continuing to Korcula, all 3 places have beatiful historical town centres.
From Korcula you then go to Dubrovnik by bus, from Dubrovnik you could visit Mljet. Plan at least one day to see Dubrovnik.
Weather: Normally tempartures is very nice in June, not to hot, but definetly weather form short pants and T-shirt, you should alhogh bring a sweather or ligth jacket for the evenings.
Hope you find some of my input usefull
Kindest regards,
Morten
Hello
My daughter and I are coming to Croatia in July for two weeks, we dont mind splitting the weeks up, staying in two destinations. Our flight arrives in at split. We want cheapish restaurants, bars, not too quiet ,but not too loud, nice beaches, some shops, maybe pub quizes! We are going self catering so will need a supermarket. Could you please give us ideas where to go. We have git a bit of a tight budget. I get totally confused the more I look. Thank you so much for your help.
Hi Lyn,
Considering you arrive at the Split airport, and the many requrirements 🙂 i will suggest the following
Option 1: Stay on Island Ciovo, in Okrug gornji, here you have a quite nice beach, you have several restaurants which are not to expencive, several super markets. along the beach there are several coffee bars, where you can have beer or cocktails in the evening . From Okrug, you can easily get to Trogir (by bus or boat), In trogir you have lots of restuarants, some shops, and quite a few bars.
Option 2: would be to stay in Split, here you of course find all what you reguire, but the price tag is higher than in Okrug on Ciovo.
Let me know if you have any more questions,
Kindest regards, Morten
Is there a website or location where I can find the Pula Arena concert schedule for 2014? I cannot find any listings online. When do the concert dates get announced? I would like to attend a concert at the amphitheater, but I’d need to plan in advance. My trip dates are flexible, thinking this May or June. Thank you!
Hi Elizabeth, as far as i recall the concerts are taking place in July and August, normally they would publish the programm around easter.
Brgds, Morten
can we south africans use a shenghen visa for traveling to croatia in july 2014. we will be on tour of eastern europe
thanks
hadley
Hi Hadley
i dont know, you will have to ask Croatian embassey.
Regards, Morten
Hello,
I will be going to Croatia April 7-April 13. a total of 5 full days. We are planning to go to Split, Plitvich lakes and Dubrovnik and if we have time go to an island near Split of Dubrovnik, maybe Hvar, unless you recommend any other place near by since that is where we are flying in and out of.
I was wondering how many days you recommend for each city? We fly in to Split on the 7th at 7pm so was thinking to spend the night there, but not sure how many days for each place. I would appreciate your input, that would be great!
Thank you so much!
Best,
Kymberly
Hi Kymberly
Considering it is April i would suggest the following.
On the 8th plan one full day for a visit to Plitvice, the easist is to rent a car in Split, if you drive early in the morning, you can return to Split in the evening, total driving time about 6 hours. From Split you then drive to Dubrovnik on the 9th. Alternativly you could stay overnigt in Plitvice and the drive to Dubrovnik from there the next day, if you dont mind driving you could plan a detour to Mostar in either case. In Dubrovnik you can then return the car in the morning on the 10th. stay in the Dubrovnik on the 10th. on the llth go back to Split. On the 12 take a day trip to Hvar. On the 13 if you have time go to Trogir and then head to the Airport form there.
you can of course also reverse the trip 🙂
Kindest regards, Morten
Hello! thank you for the really informative article 🙂
I am going to Croatia with my friend from mid july- mid august 2014. We are both on a low budget, we have not planned out exactly where we want to go but have a rough idea of travelling around the costal areas and out to various islands. we are not booking accommodation as we hope to find cheap hostels/ camping sites whilst out there, and we want the adventure of not having everything sorted already! sorry for all the following questions; but here goes-
1) do you think it is a fairly safe place for two 18 year olds to travel alone?
2) is it okay to just turn up at hostels and camping sites?
3) is it better to bring a tent with us or to hire one when there?
4) do you know of any good volunteering work/ working for accommodation that you can just turn up to and stay for a few days?
Thank you so much, i look forward to your reply!
kind regards,
millie
Hi Millie,
here is my answers.
1. Yes
2. Hostel probably yes, but as you travel in main season, you should check out avalibility a few days ahead. Camping sites you could probably also find something last minute, but in most case campsites are far from centre of the town.
3. Hiring a tent, is only possible on a few campsites, and it is not for budget travellers.
4. No
Kindest regards, Morten
Hello Morten, i´m going from spain to craocia, last week of june, and 1st week of july.;
Want tips, and advices;
– best to start trip by Dubrovinik, or Split? considering arriving 26th of June;
because I´ll buy ticket plane, arriving in one city, and leaving by another city;
– last week of June, and 1st week July, is it to crowded? full; Dubrovinik, Hvar, Split?
– how can I find and reserve room(soba), for only one person? what are the average prices per night for one person?
best to rent private room, or hostels? only 1 bed, 1 person;
– Hvar and nearby islands good to take stand up paddle inflatable, and cruise around, or dangerous because many boats in water? is water flat and calm, or windy and mixed near HVAR?
– average cost daily to eat, go out at night, have some beers, and enjoy island. of HVAR, during day, and night?
– how to go around HVAR island. during the day, to other beaches , and places, inside Hvar island are there busses, or can walk? to far?
– best way cheaper and easier to go from dubrovinik to Split?
Morten, i´m traveling by myself, alone, and on a budget trip.. so any budget I can make is very good, and will help a lot.
Budget on eating, transportations, room, and beds, and going out during the night, bars, and clubs;
TKS, greetings;
Gus.
Hi Gustavo,
weather you start in Dubrovnik or Split shouldn’t make any difference, so i would decide based on flight prices.
Beginning of July is starts to be crowded everywhere.
Rooms, you will have to find on the net, availibility / offer chenages constantly, can give you any tips for 1 person that time of a year.
You can probably paddle from Hvar town to the Pakleni Island iwth out any problem, sea is normally calm at that time of the year.
Cost you can see her
Getting around on Hvar, is possible partly by bus, other options is Bike, Scooter or walking. You will have to check best option when you are there.
Dubrovnik to Split, cheapest and easist way is to take the bus.
Brgds, Morten
Morten, i´m very worried about getting room, for only 1 person, in Hvar, 1st week of July, like getting there on 30th of june, or 1st of july; i´w worried about not finding a place to stay, and have to get out of havar, go away..;
if I can find room for only 1 person, far from Hvar town, like 2km, no problem, I walk..;
Before Hvar i´ll go Dubrovinik for 2 days, and Korkula 2 days…; Do you think is good for me to stop 1 day or maybe 2 days Mijet? I´m taking inflatable stand up, so I can paddle around beachs, bays, and islands nearby…; Can I find easy a paddle to rent or buy just the paddle, because cannot take it on plane, is considered a weapon..;;
So thats it my friend, 2 days dubrovinik, 2 days korkula, 4-5 days havar, then go to Split, find tickets or rente car and go alone to Plitivice park… is it easy to get from Split to plitivice park, better rente car, get bus, or tourist company tak takes and brings back?? only 1 day to go to plitivice, next day leave Croácia around 6th or 7th july..;
1st week july is all places crowded already, full?
Hi Gustavo
you can also find a place to sleep for one person, once you arrive with the catamaran on Hvar, you always have a bunch of people standing with apartment signs.
Paddle, as mention renting one is probably not possible, where to buy? can’t say for sure,
From Split, you can go to Plitvice by public bus, journey takes quite a few hours. also rent a car or organnized trip is possible from Split.
Brgds, Morten
Hi,
We are looking at going to Dubrovnik around 3rd May for a week. We are just wondering a few things. What is the weather like around this time of year? Roughly beer and food prices? And apart from beaches what else is there to do for a couple?
Kind regards
Kayleigh
Hi Kayleigh
If weather “behaves” normally you should have 20-25 degrees and sun on most days. I have checked up on the food and beer prices for this year, but i would guess that a pint of beer in the old town is about 25 kuna, and a regurlar meal about 60-80 kuna.
What to see, well obviusly the old town, and you should also take a ride with the cable car. Consider visting Lapud and Mjlet.
Best,
Morten
Hi Morten,
we are a couple travelling Croatia for a month (June) and have a few questions.
Our plan is: Split 1st-4th, Bol 4th-11th, Hvar 11th-16th, Korcular 16th-20th, Mljet 20th-23rd, Debrovnik 23rd-27th where we fly home from. (We have booked small family run B&B’s at these places)
We have been told that there are regular evening ferries between these islands but wondered if you knew this was the case? Do we need to book these or I was thinking of buying the tickets the day before?
Also as we have quite a few days in Brac, Hvar and Korcular, I was wondering if theres anything that sticks out to you that we shouldn’t miss in these places? (we are quite relaxed and love exploring- bike rides, kayaks, etc)
Also I would love to see the Plitvice Lakes although the closest we will ever be staying is Split, is there any coach trips there? or we could rent a car its just I’m not sure how confident I am driving in another country!
We are also very into natural sea life and would love to see some wild dolphins(although I guessed these are mostly only around Lošinj) or go diving somewhere! could you advise best places for snorkelling or boat trips that do this kind of thing?
Thanks a lot for any help!!
Hi Natalie,
Your itinerary looks awesome!
First: Plitvice you can visit from Split, by public bus, with rent car or as part of organized excursion, if you are only two people I would probably pick the last option.
Getting around:
From Split to Bol you have several daily connection via Supetar ( Car ferry) and you also have a 4 pm direct catamaran to Bol.
From Bol to Hvar you have catamaran Bol to Jelsa about 5 pm, from Jelsa you then have to take public bus to town Hvar.
From Hvar you have a 4.15 pm Catamaran to Kurcula
The Catamaran Korcula to Mljet only sails in July and August as far as I recall, so you will have to go to Prapratno on Peljesac or to Dubrovnik to catch catamaran to Mljet. Alternative there are some tour boat from Korcula to Mljet, maybe you can arrange to go with one of them.
Currently you can not book any of the mentioned catamarans, but should not be a problem to get a ticket in June.
What not to miss:
On Brac, there is a monastery which is quite interesting and hard to reach. Also you should visit some of the smaller towns on the Island. Kayak should be possible, I am sure you can rent them in Bol, same goes for bike
On Hvar, obviously the fortress in Hvar and the Pakleni Island (by kayak). Definitely rent a bike and go exploring, e.g. take old road to Stari grad. (ask when you are there)
Well I live in Split, sometimes I can watch the Dolphins from my Balcony, but you need to have a lucky day for that to happen! Diving and snorkelling you can for sure arrange on the islands
Hope you will have a great trip
Best, Morten
Hi me and four friends are going to Croatia this summer. We are going to Dubrovnik and are concerned about the night life as there is very mixed reviews however split is appealing what do you about splits nightlife, do they have Boat parties, or beach parties. Please reply and let me know
Hi Ellie, i can’t say for sure regarding Dubrovnik nightlife, but the Split nightlife is quite good, there is a far as i know no Boat parties, but from time to time there is beach parties during the summer season. In general the nightlife in Split is quite good.
Hi Morten, Me and my friend are going Croatia 13th June and were staying in Sukosan, we are worried that there isnt much entertainment. Is there any clubs near by. Good nightlife?
Thanks
Hi Shannon,
it all depends on what kind of entertainment you prefer 🙂 Sukosan is a small place so there are no discotheques, only bars and beach bars. It’s only 10 km from Zadar where you will for sure find clubs to go out.
Best,
Morten