Thinking about travelling to Croatia? Do it! It’s one of my favourite countries on the planet, so rich in breath-taking nature and heritage; things to see and do and beautiful places to stay!
Croatia is a wonderful destination in summer and after years exploring the different regions, towns, villages and islands single-handedly I can tell you it pays to be prepared! Here’s a list of my best tips (that I wish I knew before arriving) to ultimately help plan your own perfect trip!
CROATIA: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
CROATIA IS SEASONAL
When is the best time to visit Croatia? This is a question I’m often asked – and my answer may surprise you. Croatia is beautiful for most of the year, however, summer is far and away the best! Especially the shoulder season, late May to early June or Mid September when the days are still warm, the crowds have dispersed and all the activities are open.
If you’re holidaying here between October and April you may be disappointed with the empty streets, chilly weather and lack of things to do! The buzzing coastline pretty much shuts its doors in the wintery months including taxi boats and lush coastal restaurants, so it’s best to time your visit around what you want to see and experience!
To learn more about the unmissable summer activities from popular Dubrovnik read: 5 WONDERFUL DAY TRIPS FROM DUBROVNIK
TOURISM IN CROATIA HAS EXPLODED
Croatia may be new to you and ten years ago it was still considered as the hidden gem of Europe particularly for the 30+ crowd from Austria, Germany and Hungary.
But nowadays, thanks to social media, cruise ships and a certain Game of Thrones program, Croatia has found it’s way to people’s bucket-lists, travel agents brochures and party boats! In the last few years I’ve seen the number of tourists shoot up in popular places like Dubrovnik, Split and Hvar Town – now labelled as the new party island!
My advice is to prepare for this; book accommodation and trips EARLY in the mainstream areas, visit a few secret spots, research your mode of transport and stay in the shoulder months late May and Sept!
DON’T TRY TO SEE IT ALL
Croatia may be a small country, but it has A LOT to offer! If you don’t believe me check out my Croatia posts – it will take you at least a month to see and do everything!
For first time visitors I recommend travelling to Croatia within regions, for example South Dalmatia, North Dalmatia, Istria etc. – don’t try to see it all on one trip! This way you are lessening the hours of travel and expense while being able to see more in a shorter amount of time. During a recent visit I flew to Dubrovnik and stopped by several islands along the coastline from there.
Here’s a helpful guide if you’re interest in island hopping and exploring the popular towns.
SAILING IS A POPULAR WAY TO SEE CROATIA
In Croatia there are over 5000 islands to visit and many towns and cities have their own beautiful harbour from Dubrovnik to Split and Hvar Town. One of the most popular ways to see Croatia is via boat excursions, week-long sail trips or even short cruises, more surprisingly a group of 6 persons – plus could even save money by chartering a private yacht when you think of the cost of 4-5 star hotels per night!
You can book a wonderful private afternoon boat excursion instantly from Get Your Guide and reputable Sail Croatia organises Croatia cruises and sail holidays – discover cruises around Dubrovnik from Sail Croatia.
CROATIA IS NOT A BUDGET FRIENDLY DESTINATION
This may come as a blow as you may have assumed Croatia to be a cheap-ish holiday. But unfortunately if you’ve booked two weeks or more along the coastline you should prepare to spend a pretty penny!
Thanks to the rising popularity of the country as a whole the prices have rocketed in this not so budget friendly destination. In popular areas like Hvar Town you can expect to pay £25 upawards for a main meal, £12-£15 per gin and tonic and £4-£5 for a coffee in Dubrovnik Square.
One thing you can do is grab those accommodation deals early, avoid the July and August peak, bring your own water bottle, (on occasion) swap those lavish terraces for cobbled side streets and have the odd take-away. (There are some delicious coffee houses, pizza and ice-cream parlours and you will always be able to walk to a lovely view point to enjoy them!)
CROATIA IS VERY HILLY!
You will get plenty of workouts in Croatia! The entire coastline is jagged and hilly, which is why there are so many islands in the Adriatic in the first place!
On my most recent trip to Dubrovnik I stopped in a guest house with AMAZING VIEWS over the old town and coastline beyond, but of course I needed to climb 6 flights of steep steps to get that view!
So bear this in mind when choosing accommodation, if you’re not up for this daily hill walk, book closer to the sea! Also it’s worth knowing that the charming walled old towns are mostly inaccessible by transport and are elevated with steep inclines and cobble stoned stairs.
DON’T EXPECT WHITE SANDY BEACHES
Crystal clear turquoise water dominates the entire length of the Croatian coastline – the striking images you see are all real.
This however, is largely due to the fact that the beaches are mostly made out of rock – you will be hard pressed to find a grain of sand on the Adriatic.
White pebble beaches, dramatic rocks and luxury beach clubs in dreamy locations is where you will sunbath and each have their own charm. Just remember; when travelling to Croatia you’ll need water shoes and a thick beach towel!
FORGET ABOUT DREAMY RAIL TRAVEL
Hopping on the train and drifting between destinations feels like the thing to do in Europe – except for Croatia, where rail tracks seem very elusive!
So far, out of my last 8 visits to Croatia, I have gotten on the train once! Travelling from Zargreb to Ljubljana in Slovenia. Croatia’s rail system is neither reliable or very useful between destinations, for this reason buses are far better!
However, an even better way is to hire a car and explore the cute towns, national parks an some of the larger islands at your own pace!
IT IS ESSENTIAL TO BOOK TRANSPORT IN ADVANCE
Speaking of transport, in the summer months it pays to book longer buses and ferries in advance and know your routes!
Coaches and buses are frequent and run up and down the coast and near to the National Parks further inland. Just book on line at least one or two days before hand or at the booking office, especially in Dubrovnik and Split.
Travelling around the islands via catamaran is slightly more complex as the weather and months dictate the frequency and timing, which can see last minute schedule changes! Check Jadrolinja and getbyferry websites for routes and booking.
CASH IS KING IN CROATIA
It helps enormously if you carry some notes as well as your bank cards while travelling throughout Croatia.
Plenty of restaurants and superstores accept cards, however be prepared for smaller coffee houses, bars and local restaurants to be ‘cash only’. Sometimes you only find out when it comes to payment, which can be awkward!
THERE IS MORE TO CROATIA THAN DUBROVNIK AND SPLIT
Dubrovnik and Split are lovely places to visit and while you have the convenience of a direct flight from the UK, bear in mind it’s not the only place to stop!
Spend time on the islands, Hvar, Korcula and Vis – they have so much to offer! I would actually spend more time enjoying the islands and less time on the mainland. Each island has a different look and feel from charming old towns to vineyards and magical beach coves – you can have the best of everything!
Did I mention how gorgeous the national parks are? You would be remiss not to check out the stunning waterfalls of Krka, Plitvice and Mljet – an island oasis!
CROATIA IS NOT IN EASTERN EUROPE
Croatia is neither Eastern Europe or the Mediterranean, although parts of it feel like both! In fact it sits squarely in the middle of South East Europe, which is technically ‘The Balkans’ or you could even narrow it down to ‘The Adriatic’ since most of Croatia hugs the coastline.
Croatia is by far and away the most lush (and expensive) if you’re looking to travel around the neighbouring countries of Montenegro and Slovenia, you might be in for a surprise!
THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE IS CROATIAN
Croatian is the official language of Croatia! If you’re travelling around independently using public transport or a car and want to visit the smaller villages, towns and gorgeous national parks for a number of weeks then it would be valuable to learn some Croatian! Not everyone outside of Dubrovnik speaks English and you will get by much better if you can speak the basic lingo. I learned through the Ling App – just 10-20 minutes per day, its amazing and will be useful for future trips as I will continue to visit beautiful Croatia annually! Take a look at the Ling App HERE – I highly recommend it!
THE LOCAL CUISINE IS MORE THAN PIZZA AND PASTA!
Walking around Croatia, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the local cuisine is mostly pizza and pasta! While there is a lot of influence from nearby Italy along the touristic areas in particular, the main staples of Croatia is actually more like fish, seafood, truffle risotto, lamb and swiss chard!
It’s worth knowing that each region offers something different! Pag cheese from the island of Pag, wine from Korcula and truffles from Istria!
READ NEXT: WHERE TO STAY ON THE DALMATIAN COAST: BEST AREAS & BOUTIQUES
CROATIA IS SAFE FOR THE SOLO TRAVELLER:
I have travelled extensively through Croatia solo – exploring popular national parks, islands and towns via local transport and have always felt safe and found the locals helpful – English is widely spoken in popular places.
Here are my personal tips for solo female travel. 12 SOLO FEMALE TRAVEL TIPS
A FEW MORE HELPFUL TIPS
Croatian Language: The official language is Croatian. English is widely spoken in touristic areas such as Split, Dubrovnik and Hvar Island.
Currency: The currency of Croatia is KUNA, although in popular areas the Euro can be accepted.
Tipping: Most Croatians do not leave a tip – and it’s not expected. If you can’t resist, offer 10%.
Plugs: The standard two prong 230v European plug is used in Croatia. I recommend buying a universal adaptor.
Credit Cards & ATM’S: You can find ATM’s all over Croatia and most restaurants, shops and hotels accept card payments.
QUICK GUIDE TO THE BEST SPOTS
Here’s a quick guide to some of the best towns, national parks and islands that offer visitors unique experiences!
- The most beautiful island: Hvar
- The most beautiful town: Dubrovnik
- The most charming place: Rovinj
- The best off the beaten path island: Vis
- The best National Park: Plitvice
- The best National Park island: Mljet
- The most romantic island: Korcula
Check out more of my favourite islands in THIS GUIDE.
Did you find this post helpful? What is the one thing from this post that has surprised you the most? Let me know in the comments below!
READ MORE ABOUT CROATIA
- WHERE TO STAY ON THE DALMATIAN COAST
- 20 PHOTOS TO INSPIRE YOU TO VISIT CROATIA
- 8 BEST THINGS TO DO IN DUBROVNIK OLD TOWN
- HVAR TRAVEL GUIDE
- SPLIT TRAVEL GUIDE
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