Visitors who plan to see a bit more of the country than just the coast and islands should consider flying to Croatia’s lovely capital, Zagreb, and making their way to the coast from there by bus or train (see ‘Getting around’ for more details on local transport).
Croatia Airlines (www.croatiaairlines.com) has direct flights from London (and other European cities including Paris, Brussels and Frankfurt) to Zagreb and (either direct, or via Zagreb) all major Croatian cities including Split, Zadar and Rijeka. British Airways (www.ba.com) also flies to Zagreb and Dubrovnik for roughly the same fare as Croatia Airlines. Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) flies from the UK to Zadar, Rijeka and Pula; Easyjet (www.easyjet.com) to Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik; and Wizz (www.wizzair.com) to Split. Other airlines operating routes from the UK include Flybe (www.flybe.com), Jet2 (www.jet2.com) and Monarch (www.monarch.co.uk), and (via Cologne/Bonn) German Wings (www.germanwings.com). Flights get heavily booked in the summer – so book as far in advance as possible. Note also that schedules (especially those of the low-cost airlines) are subject to frequent change. Always check online.
By train
Visitors can get to Croatia by train from Western Europe. However, note that a train ticket from the UK will almost certainly be more expensive than a flight unless you’re willing to be very flexible with travel dates, and you’ll need to change trains a few times. The train is likely to be a more attractive option for those arriving from cities in neighbouring countries, such as Trieste, Venice, Ljubljana, Budapest, Belgrade and Sarajevo. See the Rail Europe (www.raileurope.co.uk) and especially the Deutsche Bahn (www.bahn.com) websites for possible routes and fares. Better value is an InterRail (www.raileurope.co.uk) or a Eurail (www.eurail.com, which must be bought outside Europe) pass, which allows travellers to stop off and explore several other countries on their way to Croatia. InterRail tickets, once the privilege of those under the age of 26, are now available to all age groups.
By bus
International coach services run to Croatia from the UK, Germany and other countries in Western Europe (see www.eurolines.com) – although the fare from London is not much less than a flight.
Catamarans in front of the harbour building and Diocletian’s Palace, Split
By ferry
There are several regular ferry crossings between Croatia and Italy – note that some of the following routes only operate in the summer.
The Croatian state ferry company Jadrolinija (www.jadrolinija.hr) sails from Bari to Dubrovnik twice weekly, from where the ferry continues up the coast via Korčula, Stari grad (Hvar) and Split to Rijeka. It also operates services between Ancona, Stari grad (Hvar) and Split, and between Ancona and Zadar. Azzurra Line (www.azzurralines.com) also sails between Bari and Dubrovnik. SNAV (www.snav.it) sails between Ancona and Split; Blue Line (www.blueline-ferries.com) sails from Ancona to Split, and Ancona to Hvar; Sanmar (www.sanmar.it) sails between Pescara, Hvar and Split. Venezia Lines (www.venezialines.com) sails from Venice to Pula, and from Venice to Poreč and Rovinj; Trieste Lines (www.triestelines.it) sails from Trieste to Rovinj and Pula; Commodore Cruises (www.commodore-cruises.hr) operates ferries between Venice and Pula, Rovinj Poreč and Umag.
Getting around
By ferry
Travelling by ferry along the Croatian coast and between the mainland and islands is one of the most enjoyable and rewarding ways of exploring the Croatian Adriatic, and in the case of the islands (with the exception of Krk and Pag, which are connected to the mainland by bridge, or unless you happen to have your own boat) it’s the only way to get there. All of the major inhabited islands – including all the islands featured in this guide – are accessible from the mainland by ferry or catamaran, the most convenient ferry-departure points being Split, Zadar and Rijeka (see Appendix B). Services between some of the major islands are not as comprehensive as they might be (in some cases inter-island services are non-existent). Ferry tickets are cheap (sometimes an absolute bargain) for those travelling on foot, but less so for those with a car. As well as the larger passenger ferries (which also carry cars) there are smaller car ferries, small passenger-only ferries and faster passenger-only catamaran services.
Ferry approaching the harbour in the town of Vis
Most routes are operated by the state ferry company Jadrolinija (www.jadrolinija.hr), and these are augmented by routes operated by a handful of smaller, private companies. Sailings vary from once daily to more than a dozen times a day, and are usually reduced out of season and over the winter (with some routes only operating during the summer). Book tickets for high-speed catamaran services at least a day in advance if possible (although sometimes ticket offices open only around half an hour before departures).
See the introduction to each island chapter for details of ferry routes from the mainland and other islands. For a complete list of ferry and catamaran services relevant to the walks in this guide, see Appendix C.
Flights
Croatia Airlines (www.croatiaairlines.com) operates flights between Zagreb and the cities of Pula, Rijeka (airport on the island of Krk), Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik on the coast. Fares are reasonable, and in all cases shuttle buses operate between the airport and city centre.
By train
There are regular rail services between Zagreb and Rijeka (4hrs) and Zagreb and Split (6hrs 30mins) – but no rail services along the coast itself, on the islands or between Zagreb and Dubrovnik. Rail fares are cheap in Croatia, and services reliable, although the high-speed train to Split is not as high-speed as might be expected (and suffered a major derailing in 2009). Faster, intercity trains are called brzi vlak; slower, local trains are called putnički vlak.
Buy tickets in advance (it costs more to pay on the train, and during the summer seats get booked up, especially the high-speed train to Split). Seat reservations are compulsory for international services and the high-speed service to Split, but not for local trains (note that if buying a return ticket, the seat reservation will be for the outward journey only – you’ll still need to make a seat reservation for the return journey at the departure station for that part of your journey). A return (povratna karta) is cheaper than two singles, and two people travelling together can get
