Croatia, perfect place for a holiday
My and husband and I have been to Croatia for the last 10 years. The Istra region is the perfect place for a nice relaxing holiday. Water is so clean, no litter anywhere, people cannot do enough for you, many Croatians speak English and they are prepared to teach you Croatian. Entertainments in most hotels, take your pick whether you are staying there or not. Coach trips are brillant.
Tip by Julie, 15th November 2005

Mountain-biking in Central Hvar
Bikes can be rented from Gianni's Tourist agency kiosk next to the Dubokovic park in Jelsa. He offers in/offseason prices, with generous discounts for longer-than-one-day hires.

Hvar is ideal for cycling because you can choose whether to stay on the flat, or climb. It is also a richly forested island in the centre, despite recent fires, and the woodlands provide much appreciated shade. The `polje' is a large agricultural area between Jelsa and Stari Grad, given over primarily to viticulture, with plenty of mule-tracks between fields. If you prefer a rougher landscape, then the Glavica peninsula is flat, but wild. If you want a bit of climbing followed by contour cycling, you can climb on to the main spine of the island from Pitve, which can then be followed along fire-break paths in both westerly and easterly directions. A really dramatic ride follows the cliff path from Sveti Nedelja to Dobovica, but there are plans to build a road link here soon, so construction may start soon. Finally, if youa re a `king of the mountain' you can take the path from Svirce to Sveti Nikola, the highest peak on the island where there is a small shrine. The path is a good mule-track with stretches of flat to intersperse the climb. You go past Poljica, where the islanders used to go in the summer to cultivate lavender - it is falling into disuse now.

Many of these routes are described at. http://www.pedala.hr/eng/route/hvar/route_sd1_hvar.htm
Take puncture repair kits, plenty of water and try to cycle in the morning or later afternoon if you are visiting in the summer, or the sun will kill you.
Tip by Stefan, 10th November 2005

Easy with the Drink!
My tip is short and sweet but worth taking heed of.
No matter how 'hard' you think you are or how much you think you can handle your alcohol: tread very very carefully with the titanic strength of the mighty Travarica!
Tip by Vanessa, 3rd November 2005

Hiring a Car in Italy and Driving to Croatia
The car hire companies you mention all allow entry into Slovenia and Croatia if asked for. It must, however, be marked on the hire documents, or the car may be refused entry at the border. If you succeed in getting across without the appropriate authorisation, your insurance may well be non-existent!

Trieste airport car hire companies (including, by the way, add to your list Europcar) know all about the permission needed, but you can still hire a car from Venice or Treviso from these companies. If they claim not to know about trans-border permission, get them to ring their Trieste office, who will put them in the picture. If all else fails, simply call at Trieste airport on your way down the motorway towards Croatia, and get them to give you the necessary stamp. It's only a slight diversion off the road.

For those of us on the south coast of England for whom Stansted is difficult, the Gatwick flights with Volare to Venice make a big difference to journey time. I can do Brighton to Umag in 6 hours door to door.
Tip by Ken Burns, 24th June 2003

Travelling to Zagreb with Ryaniar via Graz
Since there has been some interest in the Ryanair flights I thought it might be useful to give an idea of observations from experience last weekend, particularly as some of the onward travel arrangements to Zagreb took some working out.

It was my first Ryanair flight so some things were new for me. I’m over 6ft so was keen to get one of the emergency exit seats. Getting there early is pointless, as they don’t allocate seats, so it was a last minute dash at both ends, as we boarded, to make sure I got one. In practice, there seemed little competition and there were plenty of seats. I’d recommend taking your own refreshments as whatever the low prices of Ryanair tickets, their food and drink is extortionately priced!

On arrival in Graz airport I tried to check where Zagreb buses go from in town, but the airport helpdesk was unaware of their existence. Consequently, after getting in to town, I used the train to go down to Zagreb, although I was able to bus it back.

Buses from the airport into town are not all that frequent and you need to allow sufficient time for everything. Routes 630 and 631 go between the airport and the town, although not all buses go all the way to the main railway station. Incidentally, there is a local railway station about 400m from the airport, although it is probably not worth the walk, as the service seemed even less frequent. Buses in to Graz cost €1.60 single.
I took a bus in to the Hauptbahnhof, as I still couldn’t find out where the Zagreb buses went from. I subsequently found, from the return trip, that the Zagreb buses come in to the Andreas-Hofer-Platz, where there is a small bus station at which the airport bus stops on its way to the Hauptbahhof. Interestingly, for anyone Varazdin bound, there was a Varazdin bus right outside the Hauptbahnhof.

The railfare to Zagreb was €32. I’ve since heard that booking in advance may reduce this. The trip went well, particularly as I bumped into an old friend on the train and the journey passed quickly.

For the return trip on Monday, I used the bus from the main bus station in Zagreb, although I noticed that they also picked up at Podsused. The bus fare was only 72 kuna. The buses seem to be timed so that shoppers can go early to Graz and return after a hard day’s shopping, late in the day. There were no buses between Graz and Zagreb other than at the ends of the day. This meant an early start for a 6.30 bus but meant a few hours enjoying Graz before the afternoon flight.

Buses from Graz out to the airport are again 630 and 631. Some start at the Hauptbahnhof, but all go from the big bus and tram terminus at Jakominiplatz. The stop is over at the Radetzkystrasse side, in front of a shop called Loco-Loco.

One thing did give me cause for concern. The bus from the airport when I flew in had been a regular single decker. The bus that turned up for the trip on my return was a small minibus. It had already picked up at the station and there was only just room for me. I wondered what would have happened if the service had been busier that day and if the bus had been full, as it is not as if there would have been another one in time for the flight check in. It may be safer choosing one that definitely starts at the Hauptbahnhof.

The return flight was uneventful. It was a long day’s travelling, compared to Air Croatia direct flights, as I didn’t get home to West London until 21.00 after getting up at 5.00am, but at around £98 all in, including buses to Stanstead, it was a lot cheaper and would be cheaper still using buses both ways for Graz/Zagreb.
Tip by Peter Ellis, October 20th 2002

Travelling to Split with Ryanair via Ancona
I use the route Ancona - Split a lot.. The problem here is because the plane lands about 9am and the time you can board the ferry is at 7pm. You have to spend the whole day in Ancona. I recommend this in summer as there is a fast Italian ferry at 11am but very often Ryanair flights are delayed and you miss the ferry, or you have to get there by taxi (which is about 40 Euros) even though the drive is only 15 minutes. If there is few of you sharing taxi this could be a good option. Otherwise there is a local bus from Falconara (Ancona airport) to Ancona (not Falconara!! - which is in between) train station. It takes about 20-30 minutes, and I think the bus is marked as "J".

Once at Ancona train station you should take bus "1/4" which stops at the port (porto). (Journey time 3-4 minutes) Be careful with the change: it happened to me few times that I was not given the correct change when getting the bus ticket, coffee or similar.. In the port building itself you can leave your luggage and it is free for a day. This gives you free hands and time for Ancona sightseeing.. Do not plan to be in Ancona on Mondays as all the shops are closed. Shops also close from 1pm-5pm every day, but the shops are near the port.

If you need to stay in Ancona overnight I recommend Hotel Italia (across the road from Ancona train station) and there is also Hostel Giovanni (near Hotel Italia) if it happens that it is few of you and you can share a room. I have never used Hostel Giovanni but somebody has mentioned it to me as a clean and cheap place. I have tried a few restaurants in Ancona but I did not like any of them.. There is also an old castle building worth seeing in Ancona.

There are a few ferries going from Ancona to Split. I use SEM (www.smc-ferry.com). In winter there are not sailings everyday (see timetable on the website). I recommend to try using "Split 1700" as "Kraljica Mira" is much older. The SEM staff are extremely nice and helpful!!

There is also Jadrolinija and an Italian ferry company (forgot the name) operating at the same time. From Split to Ancona ferries leave at 9pm but "the Italian ferry" leaves at 10 am. Be cautious with this ferry as it did not leave till 2pm and I missed my flight once.

Also Italians only accept cash.
Tip by Anja, October 20th 2002

Split Tips
Once you are in Split: www.euroave.com/maps/00mapx.php?xcity=split and: http://split.20fr.com/split.swf  for petrol stations, emergency services hotels, restaurants, museums and galleries, cinemas and theatres, nightlife, local buses, sport and recreations, tourist attractions. More on: http://www.hr/wwwhr/tour/places/split/ 

If you want to travel around Split by Local City buses: http://www.promet-split.hr/grad.asp. The coach station is across the road to the port.

There are many good restaurants and clubs in Split, just look around..

Once in Split do not forget to go to hair dressers I recommend Linea Salon which is above bar Song, above Cvijetni Trg (address: Dosud 6 Tel: 021 355 003). It is cheap, excellent service and you come out feeling like a queen. Good idea also is to shop for shoes (clothes are too expensive!), there is a shoe shop street on the left end of the palace.

Also do not forget to climb "Prva vidilica" which is straight behind St. Duje (climb up for 5 minutes) for a perfect view of the whole Split area. On the top of the hill there is a coffee shop/restaurant. There are many more things to see in Split as once you there it magically pulls you to come back ...
Tip by Anja, October 20th 2002

Croatian Wines
Where to start? Well, Croatia has some great reds, which, unfortunately, to my knowledge, are not yet available in the UK. Some of the best ones are Kastelet (especially 1996 and 1997), Plavac and Babic. All of these are from Dalmatia and are especially good with fish and meat dishes, best served at room temp. You might also wish to try Istrian Merlot, but if you're travelling to Croatia, you'll be able to taste some great locally produced wines in konobas, krcmas and gostionicas (guest houses) and bars which are generally not available in shops. For a sweeter, liqueur like dessert wine try Prosek, very smooth, light wine drank after dinner or sometimes as an aperitif. I'm personally not an expert on white wine, but some of the better known white wines are Pljesivica (often drunk in the north mixed with sparkling water, called gemist) and Daruvarski Rizling, a reizling. There's even a white Kastelet, but I personally found it to be very raw and unfinished (it might be better now). You might also wish to try some Croatia liqueurs, such as Maraschino (made from Maraska cherries in Zadar region), Kruskovac (from pears), Orahovac (walnut), Sljivovica (plum brandy) etc. which vary from region to region, or in the area surrounding Zagreb, try gverc, a mead-like mixture of wine and honey, very specific to the region and not yet mass produced and marketed to the best of my knowledge. By the way, if anyone knows if and where I might be able to get Croatian wines in London, please let me know. Many thanks.
Tip by Liz, England

Porec
Mrs. Joan M. from Milton Keynes, England told us this: We love Porec on the Istrian Riviera and go there frequently. We would normally take one or two excursions organised by a tourist company based in our hotel. Last year my husband and I decided to explore on our own. We took a coach from the local bus station and went on a day trip to Trieste, Italy. It was a bit slow but inexpensive, yet we enjoyed travelling with local people through the little villages. The Italian border control were a bit shocked seeing two foreigners on a local bus as all the other people were Croats. We had a good six hours in Trieste, definitely recommended! On our way back we were surprised that every single Croatian passenger carried a five kilo pack of washing powder. After this trip we took two others visiting Rovinj and Pula.

Grocery shopping
Near your hotel you will probably find a little grocery store. Don't shop here, as it is probably quite expensive, but go further into town and buy where the locals do.
Tip by Mira B.

Gifts from Croatia
A delightful present would be a bottle of Maraskino Cherry liqueur, which, apparently, is only produced in Zadar, Croatia. It is one third of the price of that in a London store.

Naturist beaches
The Dubrovnik town guide map indicates a couple of naturist beaches as does the guide for Cavtat. The island of Lokrum has a naturist beach and can be reached by frequent boats from the harbour in Dubrovnik old town.

The Elaphite islands to the north of Dubrovnik all have naturist areas. Lopud has a large sandy bay (Sunj beach) whilst Sipan has a long section of coastline which has traditionally been used by tourists seeking the clothes optional alternative.
Graham

Zagreb - Split by train
The following trains run between Zagreb and Split
Zagreb Depart    Split Arrival
06.00                 14.25
22.40                 07.54

Split Depart    Zagreb Arrival
12.00              20.37
20.35              06.33

I would recommend doing the day time train in at least one direction, as the scenery between Zagreb and Split is superb. The day train also conveys full restaurant facilities. Whilst the overnight services convey sleeping car accommodation as well as seating accommodation. Steve W.

Safety in Croatia
Rest assured that Croatia is as safe as can be. We spent 15 days there in May, while the war in Kosovo was going on. We stayed most of the time in Zagreb with trips to Zumberak, Ozalj and Karlovac. We even traveled to the the Island of Pag and stayed there for a few days. Many people, who generally don't go out of the US, questioned our sanity. But Kosovo is several hundred miles away and we had no problem. Since late 1995 the US Dept. of State as well as the UK has cited no problems traveling in Croatia.
Sretan put!
Bob & Sue

Heavenly Hvar
My family and I have just returned from an idyllic week on the beautiful island of Hvar. We fell in love at first sight on our arrival at the town of Hvar.

We stayed at the Palace Hotel and had a stunning view over to the Pakleni Otoci islands, one of which palmizana was heaven on earth.

We shall return next year for sure! Croatia is a treasure.
Michelle

Holiday in Croatia
To ALL who are considering a holiday to Croatia! I have just returned from 3 days HOLIDAY in Makarska and 4 days in Dubrovnik. What a fabulous country Croatia is....something for everyone !! Fabulous beaches, crystal clear waters, friendly people, no rubbish, clean hotels, good food, sports galore, evening entertainment and all this in total safety !

We can recommend a trip to the beautiful island of Mljet with Atlas Travel...the staff were fantastic, informative, considerate and kind but then this is the nature of the Croatian people.

Dubrovnik was wonderful and so full of history. Would recommend the Hotel Excelsior....5 star service with a private stretch of beach at a fraction of the price you would expect to pay.

In Makarska just relax and watch the world go by at one of the many restaurants in town. Be sure to get your space on the beach early though!!

My better half was one of the sceptics....is it safe...flak jacket needed...how far is Kosovo?

OK she got her way with the new kitchen but I sure as hell won her over with the holiday as she is well and truly in love with Croatia !!
Rupert