When to Visit Croatia?
The best time to visit Croatia is between late April to early October when the weather is nice and warm, perfect for outdoor activities while also increasing the chance of clear days which will make your trip to places like Dubrovnik and Split even more awesome as these are some of the best places to watch the sunset in the country.
That said, Croatia does get a lot of tourists during the summer months between June to August, and that can drive the price up significantly as the demand is sky-high. If you wish to avoid the tourist crowds as well as the high season price hike, I highly recommend you stick to either late April or early October.
Although, statistically, the weather might not be as good, there are still chances of nice beautiful clear days with great weather during this period. The crowds are also getting thinner while the prices are starting to come down. Either way, if you stick to the recommended period, you should be able to enjoy Croatia to the max.
How to Get to Croatia?
From the US, there are no direct flights to Croatia, and the best way to get to the country is to fly into its capital city, Zagreb, via airlines like KLM and Turkish Airlines transiting through Amsterdam and Istanbul respectively. You can browse through great direct flights from here.
From Europe, you can find plenty of flights flying from major European hubs to Zagreb Airport (ZAG) via either Croatian Airlines or low-cost airlines like Ryanair and Easyjet that will take you to Zagreb in no more than 3 hours.
From Asia, you can either fly into Europe via local airlines and then fly to Zagreb via low-cost airlines like Ryanair, or you go with Middle Eastern airlines like Qatar and Turkish Airlines and transit in their respective countries before heading to Croatia. The journey can take between 12 - 14 hours, depending on the transit time.
To find a cheap flight to Croatia, I would recommend you use Skyscanner or Expedia to look for the cheapest route and schedule so you can compare and pick the best one.
How to Get Around Croatia?
By Buses: Buses are the cheapest way to get around Croatia. There are several buses running between big cities, national parks, and along its coastline that will take you to all the places I recommended in this itinerary every single day. There are several bus operators in Croatia but the 2 big bus operators you can rely on are Flixbus and Arriva. You can book the bus ticket online here.
I spent more than 2 weeks traveling around Croatia by bus and have absolutely no complaints about it. They are often on time and quite easy to find. If you are looking for an affordable way to travel around Croatia, this is the way to go.
By Tours: For some cases, you might want to rely on tours to travel further and deeper into remote places like Krka National Park as the organized tour will help organize all the logistics for you. For places along the Dalmatian coasts like the Blue Cave near Hvar, you will also have to rely on a boat tour to get there. Other than that, you should be able to navigate most of the countries without having to rely on it.
There are plenty of tours you can check out for Croatia, available here.
By Rental Cars: You can also rent a car straight from Zagreb Airport and drive around Croatia, but for this itinerary, you won't need it. If you insist, hit the link below to rent a car in Croatia:
How Much Money Do I Need for 2 weeks in Croatia?
From this 2 weeks itinerary, we can calculate approximately how much money you will be spending here as follows:
Accommodation: For 14 nights in Croatia, you can expect to pay around 308 EUR for accommodation, considering you are staying in budget guesthouses or hostels.
Food: For 14 days, 3 meals a day in Croatia, you can expect to pay around 294 EUR for food, considering you eat out every day. It will be significantly cheaper if you buy your own groceries and cook yourself instead.
Transportation: For this itinerary, you can expect to pay around 158 EUR for buses and ferries you will take on this itinerary.
Activities: Depending on how much you want to do in Croatia, you can expect to pay approximately 198 EUR for entrance fees for national parks, organized tours, and other tickets.
Total Budget for 2 weeks in Croatia: 958 EUR
Is it Safe in Croatia?
It is extremely safe in Croatia. I spent more than 2 weeks traveling around the country, and I didn't experience anything out of the ordinary.
That said, it is always a good idea to exercise precautions by not leaving your belongings unattended, especially when in crowded places, and ALWAYS keep an eye out on your belongings at all times. Keep your hands in your pockets when entering or exiting crowded places to secure your phone and wallet. Other than that, you should be perfectly fine traveling around Croatia independently.
Which tourist SIM card is best for Croatia?
There are 3 major carriers in Croatia, Hrvatski Telekom, A1, and Telemach, that offer prepaid sim cards tourists can buy while they are traveling in Croatia. That said, if you are looking for a more convenient way, I highly recommend you look into getting esims instead, which is something that you can buy prior to your arrival in Croatia.
If you have a smartphone that supports esims, I highly recommend you take a look at these esims. They have a variety of data packages, price points, and durations for you to choose from.
The setup is fast and instant, and you can buy it prior to your trip, so you don't have to scramble your way to get one at the airport after a long flight. The data speed is also equivalent to what you get with a local sim card with 4G speed across the entire country.
Or if you are traveling to Croatia as part of a bigger Europe trip, I highly recommend you get the regional Eurolink esim which will give you access to data from over 39 countries across Europe. I have personally used this esim on my 3-months trip around Europe, and it has worked wonders.
For more information on esims in Croatia, click here: Check Croatia's Available eSim.
What to Pack for Croatia?
As you may already know, I am an advocate of light traveling, and indeed, packing light for a journey like this is a unique art form. Here are some packing tips for your upcoming trip to Croatia:
- Walking/Hiking Shoes: With all the walking and possible hiking during your travel, a comfortable pair of shoes is a must. I recommend the Timberland 3-Eye Classic Boat Shoes that are my go-to pair for long strolls and hikes.
- Breathable Shirts: Given the potential for hot weather, pack a few breathable shirts for your outdoor adventures.
- Shorts/Jeans: Anticipate lots of walking during your travels? Be sure to pack some breathable shorts and a pair of Levi's jeans for when the weather cools. For women, leggings are excellent for both hot and cold climates, so consider packing some as well.
- Fleece Jacket: For colder weather, layering is the key, and a fleece jacket makes an excellent insulating layer. I recommend the Columbia Steens Mountain Fleece (for women).
- Outer Shell Jacket: An outer shell jacket is great for windy or rainy conditions. I highly recommend the Columbia Watertight Jacket (for women). It's lightweight, breathable, and even comes in a cool orange color.
- Microfiber Towel: A Microfiber towel is the ideal backpacker's towel due to its lightness, quick drying, and compressibility.
- Camera: You should also pack a good camera for your trip so that you can capture all the beautiful experiences you might have. I recommend the Sony a7R V camera together with the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II lens, which is probably the highest-performance camera and lens combination you can get right now.
- Power Bank: Keep your electronics charged on the go with a 20,000+ mAh Power Bank.
- Water Bottle: The Hydro Flask Trail Water Bottle is a great insulated water bottle to have with you in cities or on hiking trails. It is lightweight and can keep your water cold or warm for more than 12 hours. It's a total game-changer.
- Universal Adapter: You'll need just one universal adapter to plug in your electronics in any country you visit.
- Packing Cubes: Packing Cubes will help you save space in your backpack and keep all your belongings organized.
- Daypack: The Langly Alpha Globetrotter is my go-to everyday camera backpack. It's large enough to carry all my travel gear, and it comes with plenty of slots and pouches. Plus, it's stylish as hell!
- Large Backpack: You will need a large backpack to carry all of your stuff. I recommend the Osprey Atmos AG 65L backpack. With excellent weight distribution and a lifetime guarantee, you can't go wrong with Osprey.
For more information on what I pack in my backpack for this trip, check out: My Packing List: 60 Travel Essentials.