Traveling to Croatia

Travel to Croatia by plane

Croatia is connected to European cities with regular, seasonal lines, charter and low budget flights for easy travel to Croatia.

If arriving by plane from almost every European or international airport in the season you have the seasonal and charter flights to Croatia. Direct charter flights to the largest touristic destinations: Split, Dubrovnik, Rijeka, Zadar, Pula, Brac, part of regular flights are via Zagreb airport.

Currently, the only non-European flights to Croatia are from Qatar and Tel Aviv. There are occasional charter flights from Tokyo and Seoul. If coming from North America, you will have to transfer at a hub such as London or Frankfurt. From Asia, Africa or Australasia, transferring in Doha or Istanbul will be quicker than back-tracking through the main European hubs.

• Croatia Airlines – the national carrier, member of Star Alliance, flies to Amsterdam, Athens, Berlin, Brussels, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Istanbul, London, Madrid, Milan, Moscow, Munich, Paris, Prague, Tel Aviv, Rome, Sarajevo, Skopje, Vienna, Zurich and – during the tourist season – Manchester
• Aegean Airlines – Greek national carrier flies from Athens to Dubrovnik and Split
• Adria Airways – Slovenian national carrier flies from Ljubljana to Split and Dubrovnik
• Aer Lingus – Dublin – Dubrovnik
• Austrian Airlines – flies from Vienna to Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik
• Alitalia – flies from Milan Malpensa to Zagreb and Split
• British Airways – flies from London Heathrow to Zagreb, and London Gatwick to Dubronik
• CSA Czech Airlines – flies from Prague to Zagreb all the year, and to Split during summer
• Darwin Airline – flies between Geneva and Dubrovnik, Zurich and Dubrovnik
• EasyJet – flies between London Gatwick – Split
• Estonian Air – is flying from Tallinn to Dubrovnik
• FlyBe – operates routes between Dubrovnik and two UK destinations Exeter and Birmingham
• GermanWings – from Berlin, Cologne, Stuttgart and Hamburg, to Zagreb, Split, Zadar and Dubrovnik
• HLX (Hapag-Lloyd Express) – flies to Rijeka and Dubrovnik from Germany
• Intersky – flies from Friedrichshafen to Zadar
• Jat Airways – flies from Belgrade to Dubrovnik and Pula
• KLM – connects Amsterdam with Zagreb
• Norwegian – connects Oslo with Rijeka, Split, Pula and Dubrovnik; Bergen with Split and Dubrovnik; Stavanger with Split and Dubrovnik; Trondheim with Split and Dubrovnik; Stockholm with Pula, Split and Dubrovnik; Copenhagen with Split, Dubrovnik and Zagreb; Helsinki with Split and Dubrovnik; and London-Gatwick with Split and Dubrovnik
• Qatar Airways – flies daily from Zagreb via Budapest to Doha, and onwards through their network to the Middle East, Asia, Australaisa and Africa
• Ryanair – flies from Dublin and Karlsruhe-Baden to Zadar.
• Scandjet – flies from: Oslo to Split, Stockholm to Pula, Split and Dubrovnik, Gothenburg to Zagreb, Pula, Zadar and Split, Copenhagen to Pula, Split
• TAP Portugal – is flying from Zagreb to Lisbon via Bologna
• Turkish Airline – flies daily from Zagreb to Istanbul
• Vueling – a Spanish low-cost carrier flies between Dubrovnik and Barcelona
• Wizz Air -flies between Zagreb and London (Luton Airport)

Additionally to travel to Croatia you can use airports in neighboring countries which are within few hours of reach from Zagreb and Rijeka (apart from some of the listed options in Italy):
Ljubljana (for EasyJet flights to London Stansted or other Adria Airways flights)
Graz and Klagenfurt (for Ryanair flights from London Stansted)
Trieste (for Ryanair flights from London Stansted).

You can also use Venice Marco Polo (for British Airways flights from the UK) or Venice Treviso (Ryanair from Stanstead). Ancona is also an option (Ryanair from Stanstead) for those who want to take ferry or hydrofoil to Zadar and Split. Ryanair also flies to Pescara which is a short drive away from Ancona.
Some may decide to use Tivat Airport (in Montenegro) which is within easy reach from Dubrovnik.

Travel to Croatia by car

For entry and driving through Croatia you need valid driving license and a insurance green card. During summer months traffic at the border entrances is more densely, especially on weekends, what can cause short hold ups.
Toll is charged on the highways and some bridges to islands.

You can reach Croatia by car in several ways, by roads or by ferry. By motorway from the direction of Slovenia or Hungary via Zagreb or by Adriatic Highway from Italy and Slovenia via Rijeka, or by motorway A1.

When travel to Croatia you can also arrive by sea using the ferry-shipping lines along the coast from Rijeka-Split-Dubrovnik, from all of the islands as well as from Italian cities: Ancona, Bari, Pescara, are very good connected by both fast and ferry-boat connections to Split, Dubrovnik, Rijeka, Zadar.

Among useful links (on the right) you can find route planners for a detailed plan of your way to places in Croatia.

Croatian Automobile Club (HAK.hr) website provides information about: Traffic and Road Conditions, Digital map of Croatia with route planner and weather forecast, webcams, petrol stations, medical assistance, banks, ATM, shopping, parking, police, campsites, tourist boards, national parks… Content is available in Croatian, English, German and Italian.

The following speeds are permitted:

• 50km/h – within built-up areas
• 90km/h – outside built-up areas
• 110km/h – on major motor routes
• 130km/h – on motorways
• 80km/h – for motor vehicles with a caravan trailer
• 80km/h – for buses and buses with a light trailer

When driving in the rain, you should adjust speed to conditions on wet roads. Driving with headlights is not obligatory during the day (during Daylight Savings Time; it is obligatory during winter months). Use of mobile phones while driving is not permitted. Maximum permitted amount of alcohol in blood is 0.5 %. Use of seat belts is obligatory.

Useful telephone numbers:

Travel to Croatia by ferry

Croatia is blessed with a beautiful coastline which is best explored by ferry to access the hundreds of islands.

The islands can be reached by ferry or catamaran from Split, Dubrovnik, Rijeka, Zadar, Sibenik, Makarska, Drvenik …

Ferries run more frequently in the summer months, and service varies by day of the week and by season. Many lines are designed to suit commuters rather than tourists, so be sure to check the schedule in advance.

Jadrolinija is the Croatian National ferry company. It operates among the coastal cities and islands of Croatia, and it runs several routes between Italy and Croatia. Schedules vary by day of the week and by season.

Coastal ferries include two types of boats. “Car ferries” are larger boats designed to transport vehicles and passengers. They are slower, and more expensive, but with more extensive facilities (e.g. restaurant) than the smaller boats. “Foot ferries” (also called fast ferries, fast boats, passenger ferries, or catamarans) are less expensive and faster, and they do not carry vehicles. Bicycles can be transported on car ferries only.

G&V Line is a Croatian company based out of Dubrovnik. It runs fast ferries/catamarans along the Croatian coast. Bicycles may be accepted at the captain’s discretion.
In addition to ferries, private transportation by boat can be arranged through boat taxi services or private charter.

Ferries are cheap and go regularly between various places by the coast. Although not the fastest, they are probably the best way to see the beautiful Croatian islands of the Adriatic Sea.

The following international lines are serviced by Jadrolinija car ferries:

• Rijeka – Zadar – Split – Hvar – Korčula -Dubrovnik – Bari
• Split – Ancona – Split
• Korčula – Hvar – Split – Ancona
• Zadar – Ancona – Zadar
• Zadar – Dugi otok – Ancona
• Dubrovnik – Bari – Dubrovnik

Blue Line International operates the international route:

• Split – Ancona – Split

Venezia Lines has regular catamaran connections to travel to Croatia: Venice to Poreč, Pula, Rovinj, Rabac.