Getting Around Croatia
Getting Around Croatia
My teaching job allows me nine school days off over winter break. Once I visited my family in Chicago, it only left seven days total for my Croatia trip. I was very ambitious and wanted to see Dubrovnik, Zagreb, and Split. Train travel is prevalent in Croatia as is taking the bus. Due to time constraints, I chose to fly domestically on Croatian Airlines.
Getting Around Croatia - Table of Contents
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Getting to Dubrovnik from Zagreb - Croatia Airlines
I arrived in Zagreb in the early afternoon and checked into a hotel near the airport to get a few hours of sleep. My flight to Dubrovnik departed from Zagreb at 9:00 pm because I booked this flight on a separate ticket I chose to pay a little extra for Croatia Airlines’ Refundable Business Class. This way, if my incoming flight was delayed (which it almost was), I could cancel and rebook without having to lose the original fare.
Business-class in Europe is much different from business class in the US. Business-class gets a seat in the first three rows of the plane with the middle seat blocked off. I chose seat 2C, which was in the second row on the aisle.
Zagreb Airport is less than a year old and is a beautiful building. Check-in was deserted, and security was efficient. Once I was in the departure lounge, there were plenty of places to sit and work on my website using the free airport Wifi. There was a small restaurant from which I purchased a sandwich, chocolate bar, and drink. Within an hour, I was ready to get on my flight.
I was the only one who boarded when they called for business class passengers. To my surprise, I was also the only passenger in the three rows of business class. Being the only passenger meant I had not only an entire row but the whole cabin to myself.
The flight from Zagreb to Dubrovnik was only 30 minutes. I was given a small glass of Diet Coke and a snack. The snack was a few bites of chicken and chickpeas and some small pieces of cookie. Both items were, but the portion size hardly qualified as a snack.
Upon landing in Dubrovnik, we deplaned using both the front and back doors. There was a shuttle bus that took us to the terminal. Thanks to my business class ticket, my luggage was one of the first bags off. I quickly found a taxi and made the 25-minute ride to my hotel located just outside the gates of the Old Town. Some buses run to Old Town, but I was happy to pay the HRK300 to get to the hotel right away.
If you prefer to prearrange your transportation I have linked one possible option to the right. Please note, that as an affiliate of Viator, I will receive a small commission if you purchase using one of my links. This commission is at no additional cost to you.
 | Private Arrival Transfer: Dubrovnik Airport to Dubrovnik, Orebic or Korcula Town Hotels - $23.42 Travel from Dubrovnik Airport to the town of Dubrovnik, Orebic or Korcula Town. Private transfer services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. |
Getting to Split from Dubrovnik on Croatia Airlines
I chose to fly to Split rather than take the bus as a way to save time. My taxi driver from the Dubrovnik Airport, Dario, was scheduled to pick me up at 11:30 am from the Hilton Imperial in Dubrovnik. He was waiting when I came down at 11:15 am and drove me to the airport in plenty of time for my flight.
To get to Split, I had to transfer in Zagreb as there were no direct flights from Dubrovnik. In my mind, two 30 minute flights were much better than one 3 hour bus ride. Check-in at Dubrovnik Airport was effortless. I once again had a business class ticket, and there was no one at the business check-in desk.
After clearing security, I found a lounge area to sit at while I worked on my website. I was disappointed to learn that Dubrovnik Airport only provided 15 minutes of free Wifi.
Dubrovnik Airport is undergoing much construction, and as a result, none of the gates are operational. The lack of gates meant another trip via the bus to board the plane via a mobile jet bridge.
Unlike my flight in, where I was the only one in business class, this flight had about four other people in the three rows of business class. I still had an entire row to myself. The snack was different and was not as good as the chicken and chickpeas that I had on the first flight. It was a dumpling filled with meat sitting on a bed of cream cheese.
We flew over Bosnia and Herzegovina into Zagreb and landed about 30 minutes after we took off. Zagreb Airport is relatively small, so my gate for my flight to Split was right next to the entrance I arrived at.
My flight to Split was on another Airbus A319. This time it featured the livery of the Star Alliance, which Croatian Airlines is a part of. The flight to Split was only 20 minutes, and my chicken and chickpeas snack was served on this flight. Once again, I had almost the entire business cabin to myself.
I arrived in Split and took a 30-minute taxi ride from the airport to my hotel. The taxi ride was longer than the flight.
If you prefer to prearrange your transportation I have linked one possible option to the right. Please note, that as an affiliate of Viator, I will receive a small commission if you purchase using one of my links. This commission is at no additional cost to you.
 | Private Arrival Transfer: Split Airport to Split, Trogir, Makarska,Tucepi and Baska Voda Hotels - $19.47 Begin your Croatian vacation with ease by pre-booking this private transfer from Split Airport to your Split, Trogir, Makarska,Tucepi or Baska Voda hotel. Your friendly and professional driver will greet you upon your arrival and drive you directly to your hotel in the comfort of a private, air-conditioned vehicle. It’s that easy! |
Getting To Zagreb from Split on Croatia Airlines
My final flight from Split back to Zagreb was also on Croatia Airlines. This flight was on a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400, which is a propeller plane. Due to the smaller plane size, I booked economy instead of business class.
The ride to the airport took around 45 minutes due to traffic. Once again, the ride in the taxi would be longer than the trip in the airplane.
Check-in at Split Airport was easy. Split Airport is such a small airport that there is only a small departure lounge for domestic flights. There were no places to buy food, and the lone vending machines did not work. Thankfully, our flight boarded quickly and departed on-time.
As is common in Croatia, a bus took us from the departure lounge to the plane. Being such a small plane there was no need for a mobile jet bridge.
I have been on Dash 8’s before, and there is limited leg room. The layout of the plane is a 2 x 2 configuration. I selected an aisle seat and had a person next to me. The two seats across the aisle were open, and the flight attended told me that I could switch to the open row. Having my own row provided much needed additional leg room.
Being that the flight was only 28 minutes, the flight attendants only served water. The flight itself was very comfortable. Despite its small size, the Dash 8 flies very smoothly.
I had just enough time to drink my water, upload a few pictures, and enjoy the view before we landed in Zagreb. A quick taxi ride and I was once again at my hotel.
Overall, I was very impressed with Croatia Airlines. My flights were comfortable and on-time. The flight attendants were polite and helpful. I would recommend Croatia Airlines as the best way to travel for people who want to avoid the train or bus.
If you prefer to prearrange your transportation I have linked one possible option to the right. Please note, that as an affiliate of Viator, I will receive a small commission if you purchase using one of my links. This commission is at no additional cost to you.
 | Private Departure Transfer: Zagreb Hotels to Zagreb Airport - $44.89 Ensure a hassle-free way to end your Zagreb vacation by pre-booking this private departure transfer from your Zagreb hotel to Zagreb Airport. When it’s time to leave the city, your professional and reliable driver will meet you in your hotel lobby. Then, relax in a private, air-conditioned vehicle as you’re driven directly to the airport – it’s that easy! |
Getting to Plitvice Lakes from Zagreb
My day began with a 6:00 am wake up to ensure I caught my bus on time. With my hotel located in the city center of Zagreb, I could quickly caught the street trolly to get to the main bus terminal.
I purchased a day pass for the trolly from the Newspaper stand. It was only HRK30 for 24 hours. After a short wait, a trolly from line 6 arrived. It was five stops to the bus terminal and took around 10 minutes.
I arrived at the bus terminal around 7:15 am for my 7:30 am bus departure. The night before, I had purchased a ticket and printed it out in the business center at my hotel. Had I not done that, I would have been able to pick my ticket up at the ticket counter.
After using the restroom for an inexpensive HRK3, I found my bus by following the signs to departure station 216. The bus was waiting, and I was able to board immediately. Despite having an assigned seat, the driver told us to sit anywhere. Ignoring the assigned seating was better because I was able to have a seat to myself.
Below are a few tour options if you prefer a tour. I only purchased the transportation which did not include a ticket to the park. The packages below offer transportation and entry to the park.
Prices are accurate as of May 2023.
The bus ride was relatively comfortable and included a few stops along the way. The last 30 minutes to Plitvice involved a bunch of switchbacks on narrow roads. That was the only time I felt sick during the ride.
We arrived at Plitvice Bus Station #1 about 2 hours and 25 minutes later. The bus stops at both Plitvice Stations (#1 and #2), but because it was winter season, it was only possible to enter from entrance #1. The only people who did not get off at station #1 were the people with luggage who needed to check into their hotels. Most of the hotels are closer to station #2.
Getting Back to Zagreb from Plitvice Lakes
My bus was around 15 minutes late. Despite being a different company, it was once again, “sit anywhere.” Ignoring my assigned seat, I once again had a row to myself. Along the way back, we stopped at many roadside bus stops. By the time we got back to Zagreb, we had a full bus, including the seat next to me.
The ride back was much quicker. I am not sure if it is because the weather had improved or that this bus driver just drove faster. According to my speed app, this driver drove around 85-100 kph the entire way. On the drive-in, the driver was driving closer to 50-70 kph during the winding stretch approaching the park.
I got back to my hotel around 5:45 pm, feeling very accomplished that I figured this out on my own without really having a plan. A lot of the information online made the journey seem much more difficult than it actually was. Even with the weather issues, everything was reasonably close to on-time as most of the park was open.
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