Entering
Croatia
Most visitors to Croatia are usually
from the neighbouring countries of Austria, Slovenia, Italy, Germany
and so on, so they usually travel by car. From northern Europe,
the easiest way to get to Croatia would be to drive to Munich
and then enter Austria, down to Graz, cross into Slovenia, and
then head for Croatia which is signposted as soon as you leave
Maribor.
For those coming by plane, the main airports are
Zagreb, Pula, Split, Dubrovnik and Rijeka Airport (which is in
fact on the nearby island of Krk). See our Getting
There section for more informtion on getting to the country.
Foreign visitors do not normally require visas to
enter Croatia - to check if you require a visa, visit the Croatian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs' webpage. If you do need one,
please contact the Croatian Embassy in your country for more information
on how to obtain a visa.
Money
The Croatian currency is the
Kuna, which is divided into 100 lipas. (The word "Kuna"
means marten, a weasel-like animal, whose fur Croats used for
payment many centuries ago. The lipa is a lime tree, but we don't
know the connection here!) The Kuna is overvalued but is nevertheless
a stable currency. The current exchange rate between the kuna
and various world currencies can be found at the
Croatian National Bank.
We receive numerous queries with regards to the
best foreign currency to take to Croatia. Our first piece of advice
would be to take a bank card/cash card instead - this avoids the
need to travel with large-ish amounts of cash, and ATMs are readily
available in all resorts, towns and cities in Croatia, in banks,
supermarkets, airports and elsewhere. As a foreign card is inserted
into the machine, you will most likely be presented you with a
choice of languages - no need to navigate through Croatian-language
menus! The exchange rate you'll receive is good, and there may
only be a small service charge (which depends on your bank back
home). Otherwise, taking whatever currency is most suitable/easy
for you is fine - i.e. if you're arriving from the U.S., just
bring along your US Dollars! Likewise, take your UK Pounds if
coming from the UK - no need to change your Pounds into US Dollars
(or vice versa) to change into Kunas when in Croatia. UK Pounds,
US Dollars and Euros are easily changeable in Croatia, although
other currencies can be changed too.
Hotel exchange rates are usually quite poor, so
you'll probably be better off changing your money in a bank or
in one of numerous Bureaux de Change dotted around towns.
Communcations
Television
There are four main television channels in
Croatia - HRT 1 & 2 (state-owned),
Nova and RTL
Televizija. You will find a wealth of American and British
programming on these, which are normally shown with Croatian subtitles
rather than dubbing - so you still might be able to catch your
favourite show from back home! Unfortunately, reality TV has also
hit the country in recent years - don't be surprised to find Croatian
versions of Big Brother or Pop Idol when tuning in.
A number of local television stations also operate
throughout the country.
If staying in a hotel, you will find that most provide
at least basic satellite channels - CNN, BBC World and similar.
Internet
Internet access is fairly commonplace in Croatia;
broadband services less so, although coverage is increasing all
the time. Something that passes for an Internet cafe can be found
pretty much anywhere - even if this consists of a PC in the corner
of a bar.
Post
Hrvatska Posta
runs the postal service. Post offices can be found in almost all
villages, towns and cities. The post service in Croatia isn't
actually too bad! Ask for marke (stamps).
Telephone
Payphones appear pretty much everywhere. Buy a telephone
card from a newspaper kiosk for easy use - these come in various
denominations.
There are two mobile phone networks in Croatia:
T-Mobile
and VIP. If bringing your
handset from home, you will find it link to either one of these.
Health
The health service is of a good standard. You
have to pay for seeing a doctor or being treated in a hospital.
Certain countries, such as Britain, have reciprocal medical arrangements
whereby, in principal, you should not have to pay for any emergency
treatment. It is therefore useful to wave your passport first
and mention this!
Safety
It is quite safe to travel
all over Croatia and mugging and thefts are not a problem. You
can safely walk in any town at night, but use your common sense,
as always. In some coastal resorts, as is common all over the
Mediterranean, single women may be approached or wolf-whistled
at. Say no firmly and you will not be bothered. In case of any
problems, approach a policeman or even a soldier, who will assist
you. Both the Croatian police and the army are well disciplined.
If you have a language problem, approach a younger person (teenagers/students)
as they all speak some English and will be eager to help.
Accommodation
The high season, July and August,
is more expensive. In April, May, September and October, prices
are reduced by up to 50%.
There are almost 150 camping grounds along
the Croatian coast - see the Croatian
Camping Union for a listing.
For the best value accommodation, stay in
private rooms, which are very popular in Croatia. Every single
town has a tourist office (Turisticki Ured) which will arrange
accommodation.
Hotels are of good value, but top class accommodation
is expensive.
See our accommodation
section for full details.
Food & Drink
You get the standard fare as
in many other central European or Mediterranean countries (pizza,
pasta, meat dishes, fish). All food is safe to eat as restaurants
are regularly inspected, and there is no problem with drinking
water. Seafood is a speciality along the Croatian coastline, unsurprisingly!
Croatian beers are of a high quality. Try Zagreb's
Ozujsko pivo or Karlovacko pivo or Tuborg,
brewed under license in Croatia. In Dalmatia, some red wines such
as Faros or Dingac are exquisite. You should also
try Croatia's favourite brandy sljivovica, made from plums,
or travarica, a herbal brandy.
If you are back home and fancy cooking a Croatian
meal of your own, why not take a look at our Croatian
Cuisine section?
Other information
Electricity is 220V, 50Hz.
Croatia uses the standard European 2 point plugs.
The weights and measures system is metric.
The telephone code for Croatia is 385.
Croatia is 1 hour ahead of GMT, the same time zone as the majority
of Western Europe. |
