We've had several queries from visitors to our website who would like to travel to Croatia by taking advantage of the inexpensive Ryanair flights to the Austrian cities of Graz, Linz and Salzburg.

Flying into any of these destinations is particularly suitable if travelling to Zagreb or other parts of Northern Croatia.

Or, if you're merely making a short stopover in Zagreb, you can easily access the Croatian coast by train, bus or even plane. There are particularly good bus connections from Zagreb to a variety of towns and resorts along the Adriatic. For example, there are around 28 daily buses to Split, and a similar number to Rijeka for those wanting to reach the northern coast and islands.

So here we present a guide to travelling from Austria to Croatia. We would say that Graz is definitely the best Austrian city to fly in to if travelling to Croatia. Salzburg and Linz are a bit further away, but it is still possible to travel from either one of them.

Graz
Once you land at Graz Airport, there is an inexpensive bus service (journey time 20/30 minutes) which takes you to the city centre or, more conveniently, directly to Graz train station ("Graz Hauptbahnhof"); see the timetable. Alternatively, you can get a train (journey time: 10 minutes) from the airport train station to Graz - the airport train station is in fact a 300 metre walk along a road from the terminal, although it's not as daunting as it sounds! As long as you have a airport trolley to transport your luggage with, the walk is completely flat and doesn't involve any steps or similar. Search for the timetable on the Die Bahn website.

Graz - Zagreb by Bus
On the left-hand side of the railway station building, there is a bus stop to where your airport bus will bring you (opposite of the Ibis Hotel). There are at least a couple of buses per day to Zagreb; one which departs shortly after 4pm, and one at 7.30pm (run by Croatia Bus). This journey time is under 4 hours.

Please note that there is only one bus service on Sundays (use the train instead for more options!). Furthermore, Fridays can be very crowded as some Croatian workers return home for the weekend.

Graz - Zagreb by Train
If you miss your bus connection, there is a direct train to Zagreb that departs at 6.40pm, which takes just under 4 hours.

Klagenfurt
Your only option in travelling from Klagenfurt is train. There are a few train services a day, and all involve at least one stopover (usually at Villach). Journey time is about 5 hours.

Salzburg - Zagreb by Train
This will be your most likely mode of transport. There are 4 direct trains a day to Zagreb, with a journey time of around 7 hours.

Linz - Zagreb by Train
Train is the best option once again! All train journeys will require at least one stopover, and the journey time is over 8 hours.

Why not make a brief stay in Austria?
It is not a bad idea, if you have the time, to make a brief stay in one of these lovely Austrian cities!

Useful Travel Links
Ryanair have flights from London Stansted to Graz, Linz, Salzburg and Klagenfurt. Flights also from East Midlands Airport, Liverpool and Dublin to Salzburg.
Graz Airport
Linz Airport
Salzburg Airport
Zagreb Bus Terminal Search for bus timetables
Die Bahn Search for train timetables from Austria to Croatia