FAQ
Here’s the best “most frequently asked questions” and answers about Croatia! We will update the list from time to time!
1. What’s the best time to come to Croatia?
2. Is Croatia safe to drive—should we rent a car?
3. Can you ferry all the way down the coast?
4. I’m a vegetarian, can I enjoy the food here?
5. What about Croatian currency—Euro, Dollar?
6. What’s the best place to stay in Split?
7. What’s the best island—Hvar, Brac, Korcula, Vis or Solta?
8. I hear Croatian wine is great..are there any wine tours?
9. We like adventure travel—trekking, kayaking, etc. does Croatia offer?
10. I have some health issues…can I get good health care in Croatia if something happens?
11. What are the highlights for 8 days of travel. Starting in Dubrovnik and ending in Zagreb?
12. Is tap water safe to drink in Croatia?
13. What’s the best way to travel in Croatia?
Q.
What’s the best time to come to Croatia?
A.J, Sydney Australia
A.
While most people come between June and September, the late Fall and early Spring are glorious times to be here. It’s less hot and less expensive. And, less people means you can enjoy a more in-depth experience.
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Q.
Is Croatia safe to drive—should we rent a car?
B.A., Albany, NY
A.
Croatia has one of the best highway systems in Europe. New, fast, uncrowded! Why don’t more people use them? Because the best are all toll roads and local people simply take the long way to save money. But the tolls are reasonable and you can zip up and down the coast quickly and safely. Just check who has the best rates, go for a small compact to save money and enjoy!
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Q.
Can you ferry all the way down the coast?
L.L, Randolph, Mass.
A.
Absolutely. Jadrolinja is the state operated ferry service. It’s a huge system running dozens of boats up and down the coast….from 45 minutes to overnight. Just go to www.jadrolinja.hr, click on English and plan your trip!
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Q.
I’m a vegetarian, can I enjoy the food here?
A.C, London, UK
A.
Croatia is veggie heaven most of the year. The local fruits and vegetables are terrific and most are grown without pesticides. It’s easy to be vegan if you shop at the open air green markets in almost every village or city. We have vegan restaurants like UpCafe and Makrovega as well as sushi bars like Samurai. And all local restaurants here have blitva (like spinach), pasta of course and the cheese here is spectacular, plenty of yogurt and of fabulous pizza!
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Q.
What about Croatian currency—Euro, Dollar?
B.F., Prague, Czech Republic
A.
Croatia is now part of the EU, but the official currency is still the kuna, about 7.5 to the Euro and 5.5 to the dollar. Best bet, just bring a debit card and use the ATM! Lots of them and only your local bank will charge you, so before you come find out what they charge to use an ATM in Croatia. Usually it is 1%^, small price to pay not to change and then re-change back to dollars or whatever. But if you do change, most of the bureaus here do NOT charge commission, just the local bank rate “spread”.
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Q.
What’s the best place to stay in Split?
A.K, Toronto, Can.
A.
It really depends on two things—budget and where you want to be and do. Split is pretty spread out, although the old town core is very compact. Google Split and find the Palace and then around the Palace for a kilometer. The most expensive places are in the Palace, apartments for $100 and up. Just outside they drop to $80 and then the further out you go, $60 or so. Hotels in the Palace are great, from $90-300 and all include breakfast.
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Q.
What’s the best island—Hvar, Brac, Korcula, Vis or Solta?
R.A., Brussels, Bel.
A.
Wow, lots of arguments for each. Hvar is chic, full of history, gorgeous. Brac more laid back, rural, that amazing Bol Beach. Solta is dreamy, unspoiled, a sailors heaven. Vis, remote, great swimming and peaceful. And Korcula, legendary home of Marco Polo is a treasure and very close to Dubrovnik. Sorry, we choose all four….so make sure you spend enough time to see them all!
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Q.
I hear Croatian wine is great..are there any wine tours?
B.T., Sausalito, CA,
A.
You hear right! The wine in Croatia has been thrilling people here for 2000 years. We work with an authentic wine merchant who has opened the city’s first tasting room. Tucked away in the Radunica neighborhood, near the Green Market, it’s a wonderful place to drink authentic wine from each of Croatia’s growing areas. To experience wine in the vineyard, the real decision you have to make is where you want to go—north to Istria, the islands, Dalmatia, Peljesac? Each region has its unique wine. So google them up and plan accordingly!
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Q.
We like adventure travel—trekking, kayaking, etc. does Croatia offer?
S.A., New York, NY
A.
Croatia’s national parks system is terrific. There are parks on islands as well as in the interior. Some are rugged, others are easy, and all are gorgeous. And then there are cliffs and sheer rock faces and other more “adventure” sites. A good place to start is with CroAdventures and our friend Vese, who is an avid outdoorswoman and has been sending folks sailing, kayaking, climbing, biking and more for years. She has a place right in the Palace as well as on the island of Hvar, called Hvar Adventure.
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Q.
I have some health issues…can I get good health care in Croatia if something happens?
F.R, Athens, Gr.
A.
Croatians have had their own unique social medicine system for decades, so there are lots of well-equipped clinics and hospitals as well as good array of private practitioners. What’s re-assuring is that most people speak English, so whatever your situation someone should be able to understand. Most larger cities like Split, Zagreb, and Dubrovnik also have 24 hour pharmacies, too. We’d suggest Googling your particular condition to find a clinic or physician in the Croatian city you will be visiting that can be a resource if something happens or ask your doctor to do this for you.
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Q
What are the highlights for 8 days of travel. Starting in Dubrovnik and ending in Zagreb?
A.
We suggest a day or two days in Dubrovnik, l for walking around the Old Town and the other to go to the island of Korcula to swim and enjoy, inland to Konvale, or even a day trip to Mostar or Sarajevo for some spectacular sightseeing. Then, up the coast to Split for three days to experience the 1,700 year old Diocletian Palace, swim at Bacvice beach, one of the few all sand beaches on this part of the coast, bike or walk around Marjan Hill and Bene, enjoy some great food and nightlife–and the next day go island-hopping to Solta, Hvar or Brac. All an easy trip by ferry from Split’s busy harbor. The second half of your trip can either continue up the coast to Trogir, an amazing UNESCO World Heritage site, just an hour away from Split; then on to Sibenik to see the UNESCO listed Cathedral of St. James and close by Krka National Park where you can swim under the waterfalls; and then another hour or two to Zadar for the night before going inland to experience Plitvice National Park, another UNESCO site, or heading up the coast into Istria, stopping at Pula to see marvel at one of the largest intact Roman amphitheaters outside Italy. Once in Istria, take a drive up into the beautiful hill country and some dreamy medieval towns and villages. To maximize your time here, check out Croatia Airlines flights inside Croatia. As little as $50 each way, it’s inexpensive to fly from Pula to Zagreb for example, rather than drive..
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Q.
Is tap water safe to drink in Croatia?
A.K. Lake Worth, FL
A.
Absolutely!
Croatians are very conscious about their health and safety. Even the quality of their beaches is a source of pride–which is the reason so many of them earn Blue Flags for cleanliness and water quality. Unfortunately we hear that many tour companies bring lots of bottled water on their buses and sell it to their guests as “safer than local water”. Forget it, fill your water bottle at any public fountain or tap and drink up!
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Q.
What’s the best way to travel in Croatia?
E.S. Ramsey, Isle of Man
A.
Croatia Airlines connects a lot of cities like Pula, Dubrovnik, Split, etc. through Zagreb. The prices for these less than an hour jumps is around $50 one way. Not bad! Best to book online at their site. The next best, but slow way, is the very integrated bus system. Air conditioned, modern, fast. And reasonable. You can connect up and down the coast as well as to the interior. Ferries are slow, but hey, you’re on the water! Jadrolinja is the state ferry system. Renting a car can be as little as $40 day and the highway system here is pretty phenomenal….new and excellently maintained. But so few people use it because of the tolls. Not that they are high, just that locals prefer saving a kuna when they can and take the slower by-roads. Last but not least is the rail system. Internationally everything flows through Zagreb. But out of Zagreb, the lines are poor, the trains are plain vanilla and slow and the service is not that frequent. By rail, Split is as far south as you can get.
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