The weather will most likely be a pretty big deciding factor when you're considering what time of year to visit Croatia.

As such, almost anytime between May and October is suitable for a holiday in Croatia. Temperatures are already relatively pleasant in May - coastal temperatures may be in the low 20s °C/low 70s °F and there's a good deal of sunshine.

Likewise, September will still see very good weather and the sea (having heated up all summer) will still warm enough for swimming. This pleasant weather often stretches out into October.

The other summer months - June, July and August - are, of course, at the height of summer with near-perfect weather. In some cases, temperatures may be a little too hot, but as long as you're prepared for plenty of dips in the sea, you'll be fine.

The main issue with these months, however, is that they tend to be very crowded. Not only will you find numerous holidaymakers flying in from all sorts of far-flung places, you'll also encounter many Europeans who have literally packed up their car with all their holiday essentials for a few weeks on the Adriatic. July and August tend to the be vacation months for most continental Europeans (which you may have noticed if you've been in any large cities during these months!) as they "shut up shop" and head to the seaside. Accommodation, cafes, restaurants, beaches and roads on the Croatian coastline can all get very full.

Note that prices for rooms and meals will also rise during these months so expect things to be a bit more expensive than at other times of year (and vice versa, of course - so keep this in mind too).

On other hand, Croatia does still tend to operate seasonal tourism, meaning that outside the popular months, some establishments (hotels, restaurants) may be closed. Smaller resorts and islands may be pretty empty as there are hardly any visitors so, although you may have a peaceful holiday, you may not have all of your resort's facilities and amenities at your disposal.

Travel and transport will also be a deciding factor. Many flights to Croatia operate only during "summer" (i.e. beginning of May to end-September, or mid-October), though some routes operate year-round. (See our Getting There By Air page for timetable details.)

More importantly, a number of ferry routes are cut down or cut completely during off-season. Jadrolinija , the largest ferry operator in Croatia, runs its high season from 1st June to 30th September each year. It still, however, runs a number of its most popular routes (less often) such as the Rijeka to Dubrovnik coastal route and services to and from Italy (Ancona and Bari). Other ferry operators also run reduced services during off season.

Bus and train services, on the other hand, operate year round. (Croats have to travel around too!)