ARRIVING IN CROATIA

TRAVELLING BY PLANE   TRAVELLING BY TRAIN   TRAVELLING BY BUS   TRAVELLING BY CAR   TRAVELLING BY BOAT

TRAVELLING DOCUMENTS

Passport: To enter Croatia you need a valid identity card or passport depending on international agreement between countries.

Visa: Entry visas for Croatia are issued by the embassies and consulates of the Republic of Croatia. Only in exceptional cases can visas be obtained at the Croatia's international border crossings.
Children must be registered in the passport of one of their parents or have their own passport. The loss of the passport or any other identification document must be immediately reported to the nearest police office. They will issue an official notification of the loss in order to enable you to obtain a new travel document.

Customs formalities
There are no customs fees for personal belongings. Foreign currency can be imported and exported freely. Expensive professional and technical equipment should be declared at the border crossing.

TRAVELLING BY PLANE

From almost all international airports you have scheduled flights to the capital Zagreb, where you can transfer to inland flights. Croatia Airlines and several international airliners fly to Zagreb daily. During the peak season, the number of flights is increased and a number of charter flights are offered to the most important tourist destinations of the country directly: Pula, Rijeka, Split, Brac and Dubrovnik.
Croatia Airlines has scheduled international flights for: Amsterdam, Berlin, Bruxelles, Duesseldorf, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Milan, Moscow, Munich, Paris, Prague, Tel Aviv, Rome, Sarajevo, Skopje, Vienna, Lisbon, Zurich and Manchester (during the tourist season)
Regular Domestic Flights:
Brac, Dubrovnik, Pula, Split, Zadar
Information: (tel.) 0800 7777, 481 96 33
Reservation: (tel.) 062 777 777, 487 27 27

Other airline companies that have scheduled flights for Croatia:
Aeroflot, Air Bosna, Alitalia, Australian Airlines, Air France, Avioimpex, British Airways, Crossair, ÈSA, Lufthansa, LOT, Malev, Turkish airlines

Airports

The main domestic airports are located at Rijeka (RJK), 27km from the Island of Krk (travel time - 35 minutes by bus) and at Split (SPU), 25km from Split (travel time - 30 minutes by bus). Split also receives international flights. There are others at Pula (PUY), 10km from Pula (travel time - 15 minutes by bus) and Dubrovnik (DBV), 22km from Dubrovnik (travel time - 30 minutes by bus).

TRAVELLING BY TRAIN

There is a railway network connecting all major Croatian cities except Dubrovnik. There are direct lines to Slovenia, Hungary, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Slovakia, France, Germany, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Yugoslavia. There are indirect lines to almost all other European countries.

Timings from, for example, Munich to Rijeka, is about 9 hours and to Pula 13 hours. Count on about 5 hours for trains from Vienna.

The types of train services that operate in Croatia are the following: EuroCity (EC), InterCity (IC), express (Ex), fast (B), local and accelerated trains.
Eurocity and Intercity:
· EC "Mimara": Berlin - Leipzig - Munchen - Salzburg - Ljubljana - Zagreb;
· IC "Croatia": Wienna - Maribor - Zagreb;
· IC "Kvarner": Budapest - Zagreb - Rijeka;
· IC "Drava": Budapest - Cakovec - Ljubljana - Venice
Main Railway Station in Zagreb,
Information, tel. 060 333 444
International lines, tel. +385 1 4573 283

TRAVELLING BY BUS

There are regular international buses connecting Croatia with Austria, Italy, Hungary, France, Germany, the Slovak Republic and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The cheapest way to travel to Croatia from central Europe is by bus, and it's not as uncomfortable as might seem.

Croatia itself has a good national bus network that will take you to any part of the country even to the smallest village.

Bus Terminal Zagreb - Information, tel. 060 313 333,
International lines, tel. +385 1 6157 938

TRAVELLING BY CAR

Coming from central Europe, you can reach some of the coast destinations faster by car than by train. During the summer months traffic at the borders is a bit heavier, and that can cause some delay. To enter and drive in Croatia, you will require a green insurance card and valid national or international driving permit.

Fuel: Petrol stations in big towns and cities as well as on important roads are open non-stop, otherwise the working hours are from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Lead-free petrol is available on all petrol stations and it is called bezolovni (green label). In July and August news and traffic information are broadcast in English and German regularly on main Croatian broadcast stations. A toll is payable on motorways.

Regulations: Traffic drives on the right. Speed limits are 130kph (81mph) on motorways, 100kph (62mph) on dual carriageways, 50kph (31mph) in built-up areas and 80kph (50mph) outside built-up areas. The amount of the fine depends on the extent of the infraction committed. Blood/alcohol limit is 0.5 ppm.

Accidents must be reported to the police (Policija) immediately. Police emergency number is 92.
Croatian Auto Club, HAK (Hrvatski Auto Klub) works together with other international automobile clubs.
HAK, Draškoviceva 25, 10000 Zagreb, tel: 01 4554 433, fax. 01 448 630.
Road service of the HAK is available by dialling 987.

Rent-a-car: The driver must be 23 years old and licensed. Most international rental agencies have offices in Croatia's larger towns.

TRAVELLING BY BOAT

International ferry lines:
Zadar - Ancona, Korcula - Stari Grad/Hvar - Split - Ancona, Dubrovnik - Bari, Pula - Venice. Fast hydrofoil services operate on some routes.

The Croatian coastal towns and cities are served by ferry and ship services. The inhabited islands are linked with the mainland (and some of them also with other islands) by ferry/ship services. During the summer, the frequency of ferry sailings is usually increased and fast hydrofoil services are added. The summer sailing schedule normally remains in operation from 28 May to 30 September.

Ferry lines along Croatia's coast:
Rijeka - Zadar - Split - Stari Grad/Hvar - Korcula - Sobra/Mljet - Dubrovnik - Bari

Local ferry lines (from the mainland to the following islands):
Cres, Losinj, Pag, Rab, Ugljan, Pasman, Dugi Otok, Iz, Solta, Brac, Hvar, Vis, Peljesac, Korcula, Lastovo, and Mljet.

Jadrolinija
The main Croatian passenger shiping line, maintains the largest number of regular international and domestic ferry and shipping lines.
Information on sailing times and fares is obtainable from the following addresses:

Sem Marina
The Croatian passenger shiping line which maintains the international ferry lines Split - Ancona - Split and Split - Trieste - Split
Address: SEM d.o.o. Boktulijin put b.b. HR-21000 SPLIT Republic of Croatia tel. 385 (0)21 352-444 fax. 385 (0)21 361-388

Adriatica
The Italian passenger shiping line which maintains the regular international ferry lines Ancona - Split - Ancona, Bari - Dubrovnik - Bari and in summertime Grado - Trieste - Umag - Rovinj - Brijuni ("Linea costa istriana").