If you arrive in Zagreb by plane, Zagreb Franjo Tudjman Airport is about 15km outside of the heart of Zagreb. There are a number of options in getting to and from Zagreb Airport, all of which are relatively straightforward.
About Zagreb Airport
Zagreb Airport is the most modern airport in Croatia, with the current airport replacing the old one in 2017. (Having said that, Split Airport did also receive an expansion in 2019.) It is the busiest airport in Croatia, receiving about 3.4 million passengers each year. (In a normal travel year, that is!) The airport has been built to receive a capacity of 5 million passengers each year.
As you can see from our Getting to Zagreb page, there are a great number of flights that operate to Croatia’s capital. The airport is a hub for Croatia’s main airline, Croatia Airlines, and there are flights from and to all over Europe as well as further beyond – the Middle East, Asia and North America.
In 2021, Ryanair opened a base at Zagreb Airport and operates flights from over 20 European cities to Zagreb.
For a Croatian airport, there’s actually a decent range of eateries (cafes) and shops here. There are also the usual services of a money exchange office, an ATM and a visitor information desk. There is also free wi-fi and baby changing facilities.
Getting to and from Zagreb Airport by transfer bus
We think the best option for travelling from the airport to the city is the inexpensive Croatia Airlines airport bus. This takes you directly, without any stops, to the main bus station in central Zagreb (at Avenija Marina Drzica 4). Buses leave every half an hour (or are timed to arrive with flight arrivals at less busy periods) outside the airport terminal. Tickets, costing €5.97, can be bought from the bus driver or online at www.plesoprijevoz.hr where you can also find more details about the bus. Journey time is 35-40 minutes.
Once you arrive at the bus station, you can flag down a taxi to take you to your accommodation or use a tram to complete your journey. Tram lines 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8 run by the bus station; see our Zagreb Public Transport page for more information on using trams. Alternatively, Zagreb is a very walkable city so if you don’t have too much luggage, you may even be able to walk to your destination from the bus station.
To Zagreb Airport
The return airport transport bus leaves Zagreb Bus Station from 4am to 7.30pm every day.
Getting to and from Zagreb Airport by local bus
There is also a public transport bus – bus number 290 – that travels from the airport to Kvaternik Square (via Velika Gorica) in Zagreb. As a local bus, this one obviously makes a number of stops along the way. The bus departs the airport every 35 minutes and the journey takes about 40 minutes. Although cheaper than the airport transfer bus, we’d always recommend getting that one instead!
Getting to and from Zagreb Airport by taxi
You can take also a taxi from the airport to the city centre for about €15-20 – which is much cheaper than it used to be! Taxis wait outside the terminal building.
Uber
Uber now exists in Croatia and in Zagreb, and you can also use the standard Uber app to call for a car which will meet you outside on the upper level of the terminal building.
Car Hire at Zagreb Airport
There are numerous car hire firms with desks at the airport, including Avis, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz, Sixt and Croatian companies such as MACK Rent A Car, Nova, Oryx and Uni Rent.
Driving to and from Zagreb Airport
The airport is an easy drive from Zagreb. It’s only about 15km southeast of the city, so should you be driving yourself it won’t take you long.
Zagreb Airport is also very close to A3 motorway (which will take you to the A1 motorway) should be driving to/from other parts of Croatia.
Getting to and from Zagreb Airport and Rijeka
If you’re needing to transfer out of Zagreb the minute you arrive to reach another destination in Croatia, you will always have to travel to the city centre (to the bus or train station) and then make your onward journey. (Assuming you’re using public transport; obviously, if you’ve got a hire car the situation is different!) However, one destination you can reach directly from Zagreb Airport is Rijeka. There is one daily bus; it departs from Zagreb Airport 3.30pm and takes 2 hours 15 minutes. The return bus leaves Ban Jelacic Square in Rijeka at 5am. A one-way ticket costs €26.54 whilst a return is €39.82.
More info on the Pleso Prijevoz website where you can also buy tickets.
Getting to and from Zagreb Airport and Ljubljana
There is now a direct bus transfer service from Zagreb Airport to Ljubljana in Slovenia. Buses run daily, and there are two departures a day – at 8am and at 2.45pm. The journey takes 2 hours 20 minutes and there is one stop along the way, at Novo mesto Qlandia in Slovenia (a shopping centre). You can purchase tickets for this bus service on Nomago.