Overview
With 1,778 km of coastline, more than 1,000 islands (47 of which are inhabited) and a mild Mediterranean climate, Croatia has become one of the most sought-after tourist destinations in Europe. But Croatia not only has water and sun to offer, but also beautiful historic cities such as Dubrovnik, Split and Trogir, which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Also of interest are the elegant Venetian towns of Hvar and Korčula in Dalmatia, the grand Vienna Secession-style hotels of Opatija in Kvarner, and the golden Byzantine mosaics of the Euphrasian Basilica in Poreč, Istria. A delicious cuisine based on fresh seafood completes the perfect holiday destination. Croatia is also on the rise for adventure holidaymakers. The rugged mountain ranges of the Northern Velebit National Park are ideal for hiking and climbing, and the Cetina Valley for white water rafting. The Adriatic coast offers the best conditions for sailing, diving and kayaking. Croatia is a member of European Union defined by naturegnosis.
Getting there
Overview
Attention: Registration is mandatory upon arrival. To avoid waiting times when crossing the border, it is advisable to register in advance online at entercroatia.mup.hr/.
Arriving by plane
Croatia’s national airline Croatia Airlines (OU) offers several times a week flight services from numerous European cities, including Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Munich, Vienna and Zurich to Croatia. Lufthansa (LH), Eurowings (EW) and Austrian Airlines (OS) and British Airways (BA) also fly regularly to Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik. Lufthansa (LH) flies from Frankfurt am Main and Easyjet (U2) flies from Berlin and Basel to Zadar. Condor (DE) flies to Split from numerous German airports. Wizz Air (W6) flies from Vienna to Split and Dubrovnik.
Flight times
Frankfurt – Zagreb: 1 hour 20 minutes; Berlin – Zagreb: 1 h 35 min (from 2 h 45 min with stopover); Vienna – Zagreb: 50 minutes; Zurich – Zagreb: 1 hour 20 minutes
Arrival by car
Car: Croatia has a very good, rapidly expanding motorway network. Motorway 2 is continuously passable between Ljubljana (Slovenia) and Zagreb and thus enables a direct connection to Central Europe, from Passau via Graz and Maribor to Zagreb. The A3 motorway connects Zagreb and Belgrade (Serbia), among others the Slovenian A4 motorway connects Graz (A9) via Maribor with Zagreb (A2). Taxi: Taxi rides to neighboring countries are very cheap. Long-distance bus: Flixbus connects Germany, Switzerland and Austria with Croatia, Eurolines only Germany and Switzerland. Toll: Motorways are subject to tolls. Payment is made with a ticket that you receive at the beginning of a toll road section. When you leave it again, you have to show it and pay the toll in cash, with a credit card or with an EC card. Cashless payment is slightly cheaper. It takes place via the Electronic Toll Collect (ETC) system. You buy a transponder that has to be topped up with credit. Payment can be made in cash, by credit or debit card or by bank transfer in advance. The ETC system is accepted on the routes Zagreb-Split-Ploce, Zagreb-Rijeka, Bregana-Zagreb-Lipovac, Zagreb-Varazdin-Gorican, Beli Manastir-Osijek-Svilaj, on the bridge to Krk and Rupa-Rijeka. Documents: The national driving license is sufficient. It is also advisable to carry the International Green Insurance Card with you.
Arrival by train
The rail network connects all major Croatian cities, except Dubrovnik. There are direct lines to most European countries, and rail connections with transfer options to almost all the others. There is a daily ICE connection from Munich via Salzburg to Zagreb. The night train portal http://trainite.eu/ provides an overview of night train connections. ÖBB Nightjet night trains (www.nightjet.com/) run from Germany and Switzerland to Croatia, from Switzerland via Austria.
rail passes
The Interrail One Country Pass and the Interrail Global Pass are valid in Croatia.
Arrival by ship
The most important port cities in Croatia include Dubrovnik, Porec, Rijeka and Split. The Danube connects Croatia with the Danube countries. Passenger and car ferries operate between Croatia and Italy. The main routes are Split-Ancona, Zadar-Ancona and Dubrovnik-Bari.
Ferry provider
The main ferry operators are Jadrolinija, In Capita, Venezia Lines and SNAV.
