New Ryanair base in Dubrovnik from April 2024

New ways of getting to Croatia is always exciting news, and a major airline opening a new base in Croatia is doubly so! As of April 2024, there will be a new Ryanair base in Dubrovnik which is fantastic news for all travellers hoping to visit this exceedingly charming Croatian city in summer 2024…and even later in the year. (Read on for more details of that!)

New Ryanair base in Dubrovnik

New connections to the UK and Ireland

Travellers from the UK will be delighted with the fact that as of 2nd April 2024, Ryanair will be running no less than six flights a week to this southern Croatian city. Flights will operate from Tuesday to Sunday each week and at present are bookable up until the end of October. However, this route is intended to operate year-round which is fantastic – a wonderful way of opening up Dubrovnik to visitors during the late autumn and winter, for it is a delightful city year-round.

Ryanair’s Manchester to Dubrovnik route will also commence in April, on Thursday 4th. This route will fly twice a week – on Mondays and Thursdays – up until 24th October.

And there will be flights from Dublin aplenty too! With a couple of flights a week from 19th March (on Tuesdays and Wednesdays), things start in earnest on 31st March when the airline will be operating daily flights to Dubrovnik. Again, these flights are currently bookable up until the end of October, but the Dublin – Dubrovnik route is also intended to be a year-round one.

Flights from Germany to Dubrovnik

Ryanair will also be launching a number of connections from various German airports to Dubrovnik in April.

Flights from Berlin Brandenburg airport will operate twice a week from 3rd April 2024, flying on Wednesdays and Sundays. From Dusseldorf Weeze Airport, they will also operate twice a week – this time from 2nd April 2024, flying on Tuesdays and Saturdays. These flight details will also be the case from Memmingen Airport, whilst from Karlsruhe / Baden Baden there will also be twice weekly flights, commencing on 5th April 2024 and operating on Mondays and Fridays.

Connections from Italy to Dubrovnik with Ryanair

Despite the physical proximity between Italy and Croatia – it’s just the Adriatic Sea between them, after all – many travellers are thankful for the existence of flight connections between the two countries to make the journey over just a short hop. And here’s a couple of new Ryanair connections that will help!

There will be five flights a week from Rome Fiumicino Airport from 3rd April 2024, with flights operating from Wednesdays to Sundays. Milan Bergamo will see twice-weekly flights from 2nd April 2024, operating on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

More flights from Europe to Dubrovnik

The flights mentioned above are just the tip of the iceberg!

There will be a fantastic three connections from Poland to Dubrovnik with Ryanair. Flights from Krakow will commence on 2nd April 2024, flying on Tuesdays and Saturdays, whilst from Poznan there will be flights on Mondays and Thursdays starting from 4th April 2024. From Wroclaw it’s a case of twice-weekly flights as well – from 3rd April 2024, running on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Vienna will be connected with Ryanair flights to Dubrovnik four days a week from 31st March 2024, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. The Vienna – Dubrovnik route is also intended to be a year-round one. Great news for our Viennese pals…but how about combining a Christmas visit to Vienna and Dubrovnik in winter 2024? How lovely would that be?

Paris Beauvais Airport will see two Ryanair flights a week to Dubrovnik from 5th April 2024, operating on Mondays and Fridays.

Flights from Brussels Charleroi Airport to Dubrovnik will commence on 4th April 2024, operating on Mondays and Thursdays.

Our Nordic friends won’t be missing out! There will be flights two times a week from Oslo Torp and Stockholm Arlanda to Dubrovnik from 3rd April 2024, whilst flights from Helsinki to Dubrovnik will commence on 5th April 2024.

More info on the new Ryanair base in Dubrovnik

Head to Ryanair‘s website for more details of these flights…and to book your tickets too, of course! To welcome these new flights to Dubrovnik, flights are currently being offered from €29.99 one-way.

Do take a look at our Flights to Croatia 2024 page for details of all flights from the UK and Ireland to all over Croatia, and also our Getting to Dubrovnik page for details of flights from Europe and further beyond.

You may also find taking a look at Dubrovnik Airport‘s website helpful in planning your travel to the city.

Winter Flights to Croatia 2023/2024

If you’re planning on travelling to Croatia for the rest of this year or early next, here are the winter flights to Croatia you can utilise.

Winter Flights to Croatia

Winter Flights to Croatia from the UK

Zagreb is the best-connected airport from the UK this winter (in fact, in all winters!) with several airlines flying to there.

Excellently, Ryanair continues to maintain a year-round, daily connection from London Stansted to Zagreb. This is excellent news for travellers and allows a certain amount of flexibility in booking (usually) very reasonably priced flights. Zagreb is a Ryanair base, of course – as you will see further down the page, they now have a rather expansive flight network to Zagreb from all over Europe.

Ryanair will also fly four or five times a week from Dublin to Zagreb throughout winter.

As ever, Croatia Airlines will maintain a service from London Heathrow to Zagreb, flying three times a week – on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. British Airways will also operate flights four, five or six times a week – depending on the month – from London Heathrow.

Winter Flights to Croatia from Europe

To Zagreb

It’s no surprise that Zagreb is the best-connected Croatian city when it comes to flights in winter.

As we’ve mentioned further up this page, Zagreb Airport is now a Ryanair base and so there is a fantastically long list of cities in Europe from where you can fly to Zagreb in winter. These include Dusseldorf Weeze, Frankfurt Hahn, Karlsruhe/Baden Baden and Memmingen in Germany; Milan Bergamo, Naples and Rome in Italy; Malaga and Lanzarote in Spain; and Basel, Brussels, Eindhoven, Gothenburg, Malta, Oslo, Paphos and Paris. That’s some list!

As Croatia’s national carrier, Croatia Airlines will of course also connect the country’s capital with flights to Europe this winter. They will fly from Vienna, Brussels, Mostar and Sarajevo, Copenhagen, Frankfurt and Munich, Rome (via Split/Dubrovnik), Skopje, Amsterdam and Zurich.

There are some further flight connections with other airlines too. Air Serbia will continue to maintain a service from Belgrade during winter, whilst Turkish Airlines offer flights from Istanbul. LOT will have flights from Warsaw and there will be a direct connection from Amsterdam with KLM.

Lufthansa up the already great flight schedules from Germany with flights from Frankfurt and Munich, as will Eurowings – they will operate flights from Cologne/Bonn, Dusseldorf and Stuttgart.

Wait! There are still two more connections to tell you! Alongside Croatia Airlines, Air France also fly from Paris to Zagreb whilst Austrian Airlines flies from Vienna.

Winter Flights to Croatia 2023/2024 - Zagreb Airport
Zagreb Airport

To Pula

There’s just one international connection to Pula this winter – from Zurich with Croatia Airlines.

To Rijeka

For such a small and relatively less popular airport, Rijeka is served reasonably well with flight connections this winter. As long as you want to fly from Germany, that is!

Croatia Airlines will maintain a connection from Munich, as will Lufthansa.

To Split

Again, it’s Croatia Airlines serving most of the winter flights to Split Airport too. They will operate flights from Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Munich, Rome and Zurich during these months.

Eurowings also gets in on the action with flights from Dusseldorf and Stuttgart. There are also some direct flights from Hamburg and Berlin in mid to late December and early January – essentially, over the festive period.

To Dubrovnik

Germany again leads the way with connections – to Dubrovnik, you can fly from Frankfurt with Croatia Airlines and from Munich with Lufthansa.

To Osijek

Even eastern Croatia gets a look in…although you may sense a similar pattern here with our next sentence! Croatia Airlines operates year-round flights from Munich to Osijek.

Winter Flights to Croatia from elsewhere in the world

It will be Zagreb you’ll be able to reach in the winter months if you travelling from certain parts of the world.

Qatar Airways have flights from Doha and Turkish Airlines have winter flights from Istabul.

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Other Ways of Getting to Croatia

If you don’t see a suitable flight route from your home country mentioned above, there are of course other ways of getting to the country during the late autumn and winter months.

The first option would be to fly to Zagreb and then make use of Croatia Airlines‘ internal winter flights – see our Flights in Croatia page for more details.

Alternatively, you could fly to a neighbouring or nearby country to Croatia and make your way over by other methods of transport – such as ferry or bus. For example, Jadrolinija operate their Ancona – Split ferries all year round; you could fly to Rome, for example, take a train to Ancona and then a ferry over to Split.

October in Croatia

October in Croatia: The best events and more

September seems to have whizzed by and we’re already on the doorstep of the tenth month of the year. If you plan on visiting Croatia in the next few weeks, take a look at our guide to October in Croatia to make the most of your visit to the country.

October in Croatia
The Plitvice Lakes National Park in October

Getting to Croatia in October

If you’re travelling to Croatia from the UK and Ireland, there are still plenty of flights this month. And we do mean plenty!

British Airways operate their London Heathrow to Zagreb flights year-round, and will also fly from Heathrow and Gatwick to Dubrovnik until the end of October.

Simiarly, Croatia Airlines fly from from London Heathrow to Zagreb year-round, and this year will also continue their flights from London Heathrow to Split until early January 2024. They also fly from London Gatwick to Split until mid-October.

Easyjet will continue to fly from London Gatwick to Pula and Rijeka until the end of October, and from the same airport to Split until early November, and to Dubrovnik until (amazingly) the end of November. They will also fly from London Luton to Split; from Bristol to Pula, Split and Dubrovnik; from Manchester to Split and Dubrovnik; from Edinburgh to Dubrovnik; and from Glasgow to Split. All of these flights will continue until the end of this month.

Ryanair from London Stansted and Dublin to Zagreb year-round, with the former route operating daily – great news for those aiming to reach Croatia’s capital. They will also fly from London Stansted to Osijek and Manchester to Zagreb until the end of October, and from Dublin to Split until early November.

Wizzair have extended their service from London Luton to Split and will now operate it until the end of October.

TUI will operate flights from London Gatwick, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds Bradford to Dubrovnik until mid-October.

Jet2 meanwhile continue their strong flight network to Croatia into October too! They will have flights from London Stansted to Split and Dubrovnik until the end of October; from Birmingham to Split also until the end of October and to Dubrovnik until early November; from East Midlands to Dubrovnik until the end of October; from Manchester to Split until the end of October and to Dubrovnik until early November; from Newcastle to Dubrovnik until the end of October; from Leeds Bradford to Split until the end of October and to Dubrovnik until early November; and from Edinburgh to Dubrovnik until the end of October. Phew!

What to do in October in Croatia

Well, aside from eat (see the events section below – you’ll see what I mean), there’s plenty to enjoy in Croatia in October. Most amenities will still be fully open although some (such as waterparks) close for the season at the end of September. You will likely still be (just about) able to swim in the sea, particularly if you visit early in the month,

Other attractions become cheaper to visit in October, which is undoubtedly good news for visitors. For example, entrance to the Plitvice Lakes National Park is €23.50 for adults in October, compared to €40 during summer.

Having said that, Plitvice actually celebrates a special promotional week in early October every year – this will happen from 1st to 8th October 2023. Celebrating the 44th anniversary of becoming a UNESCO World Heritage site, tickets will cost just €10 for adults, €6.50 for students and €4.50 for children aged 7 to 18 years old. More details here: Promotional October Week In Plitvice Lakes National Park!

Best Events in October in Croatia

Gastro Delights

October is essentially gastro month in October! There’s a whole heap of wonderful food-based festivities taking place this month, particularly in the region of Istria. One of the best-known events is Truffle Days which takes place every weekend in October, starting on 30th September and 1st October. Centred around Livade just north of Motovun in Central Istria, Truffle Days is brought to you by the team behind Zigante Restaurant and offers a wide range of truffle-rated fun – as well as plenty of opportunities to taste this spectacular food item and other truffle-based products. To really immerse yourself in this delicacy, board the truffle train to Motovun forest (that sounds rather fantastical, but it’s real!) to take part in some truffle hunting yourself.

If they’re not celebrating truffles in Istria in October, they’re celebrating chestnuts! The 48th Marunada Festival takes place in Lovran on the eastern side of Istria from 13th to 15th October, as well as in the wider region on subsequent weekends. As you will expect, all sorts of sweet chesnut treats will be on offer for you to try, from cakes to liquer event to chestnut beer! There will also be live music as part of the celebration and kids events too.

In inland Croatia, in Ivanic-Grad to be precise (which is southeast of Zagreb), the 19th Bucijada Pumpkin Festival will be held from 6th to 8th October. October is of course pumpkin month for many of us thanks to Halloween…aside from that, it’s pumpkin month because it’s harvest time! Again, there will be all manner of pumpkin and squash related foodstuffs to try, including cakes and pies and (the obligatory) beer. Live music abounds too, and this event includes plenty of fun activities for children for children too. I think the pumpkin-kremsnite eating competition sounds like fun!

Let’s take a look at what you can treat yourself to in Dalmatia now, There will be an amazing offering at Dubrovnik’s Good Food Festival (9th to 22nd October) including special menus at participating restaurants, wine tastings, dessert workshops and more. Enjoy a “bottomless bubbles brunch” at Park Orsula or a rose wine tasting at Love Bar; learn more about Croatian baking with workshops on pastries, baked goods and desserts; have dinner with a Michelin-starred chef…all of these experiences are amazing! For general fun, head to Dubrovnik Beer Company on either Saturday or the first Sunday for good food, beer and live music, or to Stradun on Saturday 21st October to sample all manner of food items and wine (€6 for a good voucher, €3 for a wine one). Take a look at the programme on the Good Food Festival event page for full details of the line-up, and to find out how to book certain events.

And even more amazing Croatian food is on offer at the Taste the Mediterranean Festival in Split from 4th to 8th October. It’s a slightly more specialist event with many items on the programme being invitation only, but we can’t not include it here!

Events for active types

In sports and activities are more your sort of bag – or perhaps you want to get your heart rate going after sampling all that fine food – there are a number of active events taking place in October too. One of the best known is the 31st edition of the Zagreb Marathon which will hit the city’s streets on 8th October. Baska on the island of Krk, will host the Baska Outdoor Festival from the 13th to 15th October; this event includes a variety of activities for active types (such as running, climbing, cycling, and hiking) aimed at different levels of ability. That weekend (on the 15th October) will also see the Ironman Triathlon event take place in Porec.

Other events

Many cities in Croatia host a film festival, and October sees two such events take place.

Split’s Film Festival will be on from 12th to 21st October with both Croatian and international films being screened. Meanwhile, the Dubrovnik Film Festival will be on from 19th to 22nd October; you can take a look at the films that will be screened here.

Live music lovers will be delighted by the Zagreb Jazz Festival taking place in the city throughout the month; take a look at the website to find out which concerts will be taking place.

Finally, the 25th Biograd Boat Show is on in the town from 25th to 29th October; this is Croatia’s largest boat show.

The weather during October in Croatia

Of course, what the weather is like during October in Croatia will affect the happiness of many a visitor – and that’s fair enough! It’s hard to predict the weather for a full month, but general gentle summer temperatures (i.e. not 30C+!) tend to hang on into October. Certainly, it’s been a pretty hot September in Croatia, with temperatures reaching the high 20s Celsius (often more) at times.

The start of October looks to be a few degrees cooler in most places, although that will still bring very pleasant conditions with plenty of sunshine.

Keep an eye on the Croatian Meteorological Service website for 3-day and 7-day weather forecasts for Croatia.

Croatia Airlines Winter 2023/24 Timetable

Croatia Airlines unveils winter 2023/24 timetable

Croatia’s main air carrier Croatia Airlines this week unveiled its winter 2023/24 timetable, which announced the introduction of one new flight route and the continuation of four presently summer-only ones. Read on below to find out where you can fly to Croatia using the airline in the winter months.

Croatia Airlines Winter 2023/24 Timetable

London Heathrow to Split to continue in winter

Of most interest to UK travellers is the fact that their once-a-week service from London Heathrow to Split will now continue into autumn and winter, operating until 6th January 2024.

This will be very welcome to UK travellers – or those from in and around London, at least – as all other flights to Split finish operating in late September or late October/early November. Extending the possibility to visit Dalmatia’s main city in November and December – perfect for experiencing Christmas celebrations on the Adriatic coast – will hopefully bring in more off-season visitors.

Of course, Croatia Airlines has operated flights from London Heathrow to Zagreb for years and this route will continue this winter too, operating three times a week. For more options in getting to Croatia during the winter months, flying to Zagreb means travellers can then fly on to Pula, Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik airports via internal flights.

However, the airline’s Dublin to Split route will not operate this winter, despite doing so last year.

Other Croatia Airlines winter routes to continue

Similar to the above, the airline will also continue its previously summer-only service from Copenhagen to Split. This route will also continue to fly once a week, on Saturdays, until 6th January 2024.

They will also continue a service from Frankfurt to Dubrovnik, flying three times a week during the winter months on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays until 15th January 2024. This route existed during winter until it was cut during the pandemic.

One more route to be continued for winter is a route that was only (re-)introduced this summer – Mostar in Bosnia and Hercegovina to Zagreb. Flights will be operated three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

A new winter 2023/24 timetable route: Munich to Zadar

On 31st October, Croatia Airlines will launch a new route flying from Munich to Zadar in north Dalmatia. They will operate this route twice a week, flying on Tuesdays and Saturdays, until 13th January 2024.

This new route means that in the winter months, travellers will be able to fly from Munich with Croatia Airlines to five Croatian airports: Zagreb and Split, both daily; Rijeka, Osijek and Zadar, with all of these routes twice a week.

Other Croatia Airlines winter flights

Of course, Croatia Airlines already operates several year-round flights from European cities to destinations in Croatia. Understandably, the vast majority of these fly to Zagreb – aside from those mentioned above, there will be flights from Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Munich, Paris, Rome, Sarajevo, Skopje, Vienna and Zurich. All of these flights operate daily.

To Split, they will continue to fly from Frankfurt, Munich and Rome – all daily – and from Zurich twice a week.

To those wishing to reach beautiful Istria, a twice-weekly route from Zurich to Pula will help.

More on Flights to Croatia

Be sure to take a look at our main Flights to Croatia from the UK & Ireland page to see all flight routes to the country for the rest of this year. Or if you’re looking for a bit of inspiration, our Flights to Croatia by Destination Airport and Flights to Croatia by Departure Airport show you where to and where you can fly.

Getting to Croatia from the UK by train

Getting to Croatia from the UK by Train

Whilst travel is still very much at the forefront of many people’s minds – it’s such an enjoyable experience after all, and a great way of expanding your knowledge – attempting to use fewer flights every year to lower your carbon footprint is increasingly becoming a concern. Given that Croatia and the UK are in the same continent – if not quite on the same landmass – and train services across Europe are expanding and improving all the time, travelling to Croatia by train should be very doable – right? Right! Here we take a look at the best ways of getting to Croatia from the UK by train.

Now, undoubtedly, travelling by train is not a quick way of getting from the UK to Croatia. Whilst a flight takes just two or three hours, a train takes considerably longer. Which is obviously something you need to factor into your travels. Having said that, travelling by train is very pleasant indeed. In fact, the journey to Croatia will play a big part of your holiday.

Croatia from the UK by Train – Where can I get to?

Firstly, let’s discuss where exactly in Croatia you can reach by train. Croatia does not have the most extensive train network, and Zagreb is the central hub in terms of train travel. You will – whether you want to or not – be reaching Zagreb on your European train travels from the UK.

Once you have arrived in Zagreb, you can then make it to some destinations on the coast by train. Split is absolutely achievable as an end destination by train, as is Rijeka. Having said that, there are now few train services from Zagreb to Rijeka (but there are many daily buses on this route) so if you wish to continue to Rijeka by train you may need to stay overnight in Croatia’s capital city.

Do also note that it is slower to travel by train from Zagreb to Split or Rijeka than it is by bus. For completeness’ sake, you may wish to make your whole journey from the UK to Croatia by train! But we understand if you make the switch to travelling by bus in Zagreb.

Similarly, once you have reached the coastal cities of Rijeka or Split, you will need to switch to travelling by bus anyway (or possibly ferry if you’re heading to an island resort) to get to your intended endpoint.

The wonderful St Pancras International station in London

Croatia from the UK by Train – What’s the fastest route?

Much like driving from the UK to Croatia, this route involves Paris and a German city!

Overall the fastest route takes about 23 hours from departing London St Pancras International to arriving at Zagreb’s Glavni Kolodvor (the main train station), with two changes of train (and one transfer of train station in Paris) and minimal wait time between trains. However, although this is the fastest train route, you may want to pad it out a bit more to include longer stopovers for a break or a meal in Paris and Stuttgart.

There’s no way of getting around it – you will need to get to London first (if you’re not already in London) to start your journey to Croatia. Whether you choose to travel by train from your home location to London is up to you. (But go on, why not?)

From London, there’s only one way of getting to Europe by train – by Eurostar – and you’d need to take this to Paris Nord station. There are numerous daily connections on this leg of the journey. Journey time: 2 hours and 20 minutes

In Paris, you’ll need to transfer – via Metro – Paris Est station for it is from here that you will be making your onward journey to Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof. Again, there are a number of direct connections from Paris Est to Stuttgart Hbf, but the onward journey to Croatia is in the evening, after 8pm so you need to make it to Stuttgart before then. Journey time: 3 hours and 10 minutes

From Stuttgart Hbf, it’s an overnight sleeper service to Zagreb Glavni Kolodvor which gets you in at 10.39am. Journey time: 14 hours and 10 minutes

Overall, the journey looks like this: London St Pancras – Paris – Stuttgart – Zagreb Glavni Kolodvor for a total journey time of 23 hours and 8 minutes.

The following is how you can make this journey in just over 23 hours:

FromTo…Departure TimeArrival TimeTotal journey time to this point
London St Pancras InternationalParis Nord11.3114.502 hours 19 minutes
Paris EstStuttgart15.5519.048 hours 33 minutes
StuttgartZagreb Glavni Kolodvor20.2910.3923 hours 8 minutes
Zagreb Glavni KolodvorSplit15.1921.4034 hours 9 minutes

As you can see, we’ve also added an option to continue to Split the same day, but this would involve quite a lengthy stop in Zagreb. Perhaps that’s a good thing – some time to stretch your legs after all that time on trains, and a bit of time to explore the city.

Buying tickets

When it comes to purchasing tickets for train travel to Croatia, the fastest route will not likely be the cheapest! This is something to consider when making your decision about which trains to take to get to the country, and your overall itinerary. (After all, attempting to take an earlier train for one leg to save money on a train ticket may just result in you spending more money on your layover!)

Let’s take a look at some example prices for travelling to Croatia from the UK by train with two weeks’ notice in summer – so, travelling on Wednesday 2nd August 2023 for the above-mentioned route that takes 23 hours and 8 minutes.

FromTo…Price for above trainCheapest direct
train on same day
Book tickets on
London St Pancras InternationalParis Nord€224€125Eurostar
Paris EstStuttgart€89.90€69.90Die Bahn
StuttgartZagreb Glavni Kolodvor€111.80€64.80OBB
TOTAL€425.70€259.70
Zagreb Glavni KolodvorSplit€15.82€14.94Croatian Railways
TOTAL€441.52€274.64

Let’s take a look at prices if booking two months in advance – so for travel on 19th September 2023:

FromTo…Price for above trainCheapest direct
train on same day
Book tickets on
London St Pancras InternationalParis Nord€111€65Eurostar
Paris EstStuttgart€54.90€41.90Die Bahn
StuttgartZagreb Glavni Kolodvor€29.90€29.90OBB
TOTAL€195.80€136.80
Zagreb Glavni KolodvorSplit€26.35€26.35Croatian Railways
TOTAL€222.15€163.15

As well as your travels to Croatia from the UK by train, if you are considering doing a fair amount of other train travel within Europe in the near future you may want to look into getting an Interrail pass. For example, the Interrail Global Pass has a variety of different options ranging from 4 days in 1 month (which would just about get you there and back from the UK to Croatia) for €194 to a 3 months pass for €711.

Take a look at our page on Interrailing in Croatia for more advice on interrail passes and how to make use of them in getting to and travelling around the country.

Croatia from the UK by Train and Ferry

An alternative route to the above is to travel to Italy from the UK by train and then make your way to Croatia by ferry or catamaran. This route isn’t particularly direct and is quite a long journey that would necessitate an overnight stay somewhere in Europe.

The best port to reach in Italy to travel to Croatia by sea depends on your destination – it’s Venice for locations in Istria; Ancona for Zadar or Split and Bari for Dubrovnik.

Let’s take the example of travelling to Split via Ancona. Here’s a possible route:

FromTo…Departure TimeArrival TimeTotal journey time to this point
London St Pancras InternationalParis Nord08.0111.202 hours 19 minutes
Paris Gare du LyonMilan Porta Garibaldi12.4919.4011 hours 39 minutes
overnight in Milan
Milan CentraleAncona14.0517.2433 hours 23 minutes
Ancona (ferry)Split19.4507.0046 hours 59 minutes

All in all, not quick at all! But you can choose to split – no pun intended – the journey somewhere along the way, such as in Paris or Milan.

More info

Our absolute top tip for online research on train travel across Europe (and further afield) would be the fabulous The Man in Seat Sixty-One. As well as discussing routes from the UK to Croatia by train, the website also has plenty of useful information and photos regarding train travel within Croatia. We can’t sing the praises of this website highly enough!

The next excellent website that you need to look at the Die Bahn website. As well as looking up timetable

New Flights to Croatia 2023

By all accounts, 2023 looks like it will be a bumper year for tourism in Croatia with visitor numbers for the year so far already at high levels and even more so expected for the summer. Given the travel uncertainty over the last few years because of you-know-what, flight schedules were somewhat reduced and curtailed. That’s not the case for this year at all! Here, we take a look at all the new flights to Croatia 2023, including flights from the UK and Ireland, and from all across Europe.

New Flights to Croatia 2023

New Flights to Croatia 2023 – From the UK and Ireland

Having said the above, there’s not an overwhelming number of new flights from the UK and Ireland to Croatia for 2023. Looking at this fact positively, this likely means that there’s already a very good number of routes between these two countries anyway – right?!

One exciting new route – which is in fact a reinstatement of a route previously run in the mid-2010s – is Ryanair‘s from London Stansted to Osijek in Eastern Croatia. Operating twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays, until 27th October, this offers travellers from London a wonderful opportunity to explore this lovely town and the fascinating region of Croatia.

TUI, meanwhile, have a new once-a-week route from Leeds Bradford to Dubrovnik, flying on Thursdays. This route will run until 19th October. In fact, this also isn’t strictly speaking a new route; these flights were switched from Doncaster Sheffield Airport to Leeds Bradford following the closure of the former. Unfortunately, the airline’s Doncaster Sheffield – Pula route does not seem to have made the same switch.

New Flights to Croatia 2023 – To Zagreb

Croatia Airlines have a new route connecting Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina to Croatia’s capital. This is a great way for travellers to combine these two countries (although the airline already flies to Sarajevo year-round). You could even consider travelling the Croatian coast – from Dubrovnik and Split, say – and then making your way to visiting Mostar and then flying on to Zagreb from there.

Ryanair established a base at Zagreb Airport a couple of years ago that is going from strength to strength. One of its new routes for this year is from the Greek island of Kos to Zagreb.

New Flights to Croatia 2023 – To Pula

New routes from Italy to Croatia are always very welcome as an easy way to combine visiting these two very beautiful countries. (Although of course there are a number of other ways of travelling from Italy to Croatia!) Easyjet has a new route from Naples in southern Italy to Croatia, their only route to Croatia this year.

Ryanair has a new flight route from Dusseldorf to Pula. In addition to this, they have also established a new route from Katowice in Poland.

Perhaps not a route that many will ordinarily come across, but Swiss airline Peoples will by flying from the small airport of St Gallen-Altenrhein, on the Swiss-Austrian border, to Pula.

New Flights to Croatia 2023 – To Rijeka

Rijeka Airport is one of Croatia’s lesser-utilised airports, with only a few routes from the UK and Europe to here…despite it being a coastal airport! However, the one new route that the airport has seen introduced for 2023 is a Ryanair (them again!) route from Milan Bergamo airport.

New Flights to Croatia 2023 – To Zadar

The number of flights in operation to Zadar Airport has certainly increased over the last few years (mostly pre-pandemic!) and 2023 is no exception.

Another Ryanair base in Croatia, the airline has also introduced a good number of new routes to this north Dalmatian airport this year as well. With a very wide range of flights from Germany, the airline has also added the city of Münster as somewhere you can now fly from to Croatia.

The same airline already has flights from the Italian airports of Bologna, Milan Bergamo, Pisa, Rome and Turin; to these, they add flights from Milan Malpensa airport.

Ryanair also has a wide selection of flights from Poland, including from the cities of Gdansk, Krakow, Poznan, Warsaw and Wroclaw. In 2023, it started flying from Rzeszow as well.

Italian airline Aeroitalia has also commenced flying from Forli Airport, just south of Bologna, to Zadar.

What Not to Miss in Croatia - Split
Split

New Flights to Croatia 2023 – To Split

Croatia Airlines have introduced a couple of new routes to Croatia’s largest coastal city for this year. They now connect North Macedonia’s capital city Skopje with Split, whilst also now flying from Oslo.

SAS continue the new routes from Norway, with a new connection from Trondheim to Split.

Sunclass meanwhile have introduced flights from Stockholm.

And of course, Ryanair gets in on the action too; they have a new route from Rome Fiumicino Airport to Split.

New Flights to Croatia 2023 - Dubrovnik Airport
Dubrovnik Airport

New Flights to Croatia 2023 – To Dubrovnik

It’s no surprise that Dubrovnik Airport is connected to all manner of European cities through a very expansive flight network. But there’s always room for some new flights!

This year, as well as the new flights to Zadar, Italian airline Aeroitalia have also commenced flying from Forli to Dubrovnik.

There’s been a reasonable amount of fanfare regarding the new route from Czech capital Prague to Dubrovnik with Croatia’s main carrier, Croatia Airlines.

Romanian airline Air Connect has commenced flights from the country’s capital city Bucharest to Dubrovnik.

Get Flying to Croatia!

All in all, the above-mentioned new flight routes to Croatia add to the already quite substantial flight connections the country has.

Sadly, we have not seen any new long-range connections – those from the Middle East, Asia or North America – to Croatia, but here’s hoping something new will emerge along these lines for 2024!

Ryanair

Ryanair announces more routes to its new Zagreb base – including from Manchester and Dublin

Earlier this year, to a reasonable amount of fanfare, Ryanair announced a new base at Zagreb Airport and 12 new routes to Croatia’s capital from eight different European countries.

Of interest to our British readers, today saw the start of the Ryanair London Stansted – Zagreb route; this route operates four times a week from today before switching to daily flights from 1st September.

However, today has also brought more good news for travellers to Croatia. A further eight new Ryanair to Zagreb routes have been announced which are all due to start operating in December.

Two of these routes will certainly be of interest to British and Irish travellers, as there are to be flights from Manchester and Dublin starting in the last month of the year.

Ryanair to Zagreb

Another new UK Ryanair to Zagreb route

Ryanair is due to commence a route from Manchester to Zagreb on 2nd December, flying twice a week – on Thursdays and Sundays.

Tickets are already on sale for these flights, currently priced from £17.99 one way.

Dublin to Zagreb starts on 2nd December

The new Dublin to Zagreb route will also start on 2nd December, with three flights per week – on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Tickets are currently priced from €19.99 one way.

Other new routes from all over Europe

But there’s still more! The other new Ryanair to Zagreb routes to start in December are:

  • Basel to Zagreb, starting 3rd December, flying Mondays and Fridays
  • Eindhoven to Zagreb, starting 3rd December, flying Mondays and Fridays
  • Malaga to Zagreb, starting 1st December, flying Wednesdays and Saturdays
  • Malta to Zagreb, starting 4th December, flying Tuesdays and Saturdays
  • Naples to Zagreb, starting 17th December, flying Mondays to Fridays
  • Paphos to Zagreb, starting 3rd December, flying Mondays and Fridays
  • Thessaloniki to Zagreb, starting 2nd December, flying Thursdays and Sundays

Book your flights today!

Tickets for all of the above routes are on sale as of today.

Together with the routes announced earlier this year, today’s announcement means that Ryanair will be operating 24 routes to Zagreb Airport this December!

Croatia Requires Negative Tests

Croatia requires negative tests for ALL travellers from the UK

LATEST UPDATE As of 1st October, this requirement is no longer valid. Please see the latest news: Double vaccinated UK travellers to Croatia no longer need a negative test.

In effect from Monday 26th July, Croatia requires negative tests for all people travelling directly from the UK, Cyprus and Russia – regardless of whether you have been vaccinated or not, and regardless of whether you have had previously had covid.

Announced yesterday by the Croatian Institute for Public Health, this measure has been introduced due to the worsening epidemiological situation in these three countries due to the delta variant.

Croatia requires negative tests

So, what sort of test do I need?

Here’s what we know so far.

According to this article from the Croatian online newspaper Index, you must provide either a negative PCR test taken in the previous 72 hours before travel or a negative rapid antigen test taken in the previous 48 hours.

This new ruling applies to everyone aged 12 and above.

The GOV.UK Foreign Office advice for Croatia has been updated to explain this new regulation.

Keep an eye on the official regulations published on the Ministry of the Interior website which should be updated soon.

What sort of rapid antigen tests are accepted?

The official guidelines are that such a test must be listed in the Common list of rapid antigen tests recognized by the Member States of the European Union, published by the European Commission. However, this lists manufacturers of such tests, not the companies offering the tests.

We would imagine that most companies offering private rapid antigen tests for travel that produce an official, signed certificate would be acceptable.

Check with your airline before travelling as many are offering deals on rapid antigen tests.

Can I use an NHS lateral flow at home test?

No, per the NHS website, these tests cannot be used for travel.

What about if I am a British citizen travelling from the EU?

Then the above does not apply. This new regulation is only for those travelling from the UK, Cyprus or Russia – regardless of citizenship. If you are a British citizen travelling from the EU, for example, then the previous regulations apply i.e. you can enter the country with proof of vaccination.

Other regulations

Don’t forget that all travellers travelling to Croatia from outside of the EU – which includes Brits – need to show proof of a paid accommodation booking in order to enter Croatia.

It is also advisable to fill out the Enter Croatia form before travel.

More info

Take a look at our Croatia Travel Restrictions 2021 and Visiting Croatia in Summer 2021 pages for more help in visiting Croatia this summer.

Croatia is on England's travel green list

Croatia is on England’s travel green list!

Announced last night and in effect from 4am on Monday 19th July, Croatia is on England’s travel green list! In actual fact, the country is being moved from the amber list to the ‘green watchlist’ which, rather confusingly (in our opinion) means it is ‘at risk of being moved from the green to amber list’.

What does this mean? Well, as of Monday, any travellers returning back to England from Croatia will not need to quarantine for 10 days. However, you will still need to obtain a covid test prior to returning to England AND also take a covid test on day two after your return.

Updated The latest UK travel update on 26th August saw Croatia remain on the green list, which is great news! Do note, however, that neighbouring Montenegro is on the red list from 4am, Monday 30th August – if you travel to Montenegro and then return to the UK you will need to enter paid hotel quarantine for 10 days.

Croatia is on England's travel green list

You keep mentioning England! What about travellers from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?

At the present time, this refers to travellers from England only. However, according to BBC News, “the Scottish and Welsh governments said they will do the same, and Northern Ireland is expected to follow suit.”

Updated This ruling is now also in effect for travellers from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

This all sounds great! What about regulations for entering Croatia?

British travellers are permitted to visit Croatia and have been allowed to do so since 1st April 2021. However, in order to enter Croatia, you must have one of the following:

  • a negative PCR test undertaken in the previous 72 hours or a rapid antigen test undertaken in the previous 48 hours (at the point of entry); if you are using a rapid antigen test, it must be one recognised by the EU, and the test name and manufacturer must be visible, and the test must be conducted by a healthcare facility/laboratory and signed or confirmed by a doctor
  • a vaccination certificate not older than 210 days showing you have received the second dose of a vaccine used in the EU more than 14 days before entry into Croatia (or a vaccination certificate showing you have received a single dose – in the case of single-dose vaccines – more than 14 days before entry into Croatia)
  • a certificate showing you have recovered from covid AND you have had one dose of a covid vaccine in the six months since recovering; your vaccine dose must have been administered in the previous 210 days before arrival in Croatia
  • a certificate showing you have previously been infected with covid and had a positive PCR or rapid antigen test result in the previous 180 days only (and valid from the 11th day after your positive test result)
  • children under the age of 12 do not need to provide one of the above, providing they are travelling with a parent/guardian
  • If you don’t have one of the above, you must obtain a PCR or rapid antigen test immediately after arriving in Croatia (at your own expense) and to isolate until you obtain a negative test result – if do not do this, you must isolate for a full 10 days

You can see full details of the regulations regarding enter Croatia on the Ministry of the Interior website.

As a non-EU citizen/resident, you will also need to show proof of a paid accommodation booking for Croatia.

It is also highly recommended that you fill out the form on the Enter Croatia website to help speed up your entry into the country.

Do also take a look at our Croatia Travel Restrictions 2021 for details of what the current local regulations are once you arrive in Croatia.

I guess it’s time to book my flights, then!

Our Visiting Croatia in Summer 2021 section will help! It details the latest travel advice and news – alongside the above travel regulations.

Updated Almost all flights due to operate this year from the UK & Ireland to Croatia are currently doing so – see our Flights to Croatia from the UK & Ireland page for full details.

Take a look at our Accommodation in Croatia section for hotels, apartments, villas, campsites and more all over the country!

How do I get tested in Croatia before returning back to England?

Please take a look at a list of test centres around the country on our Visiting Croatia in Summer 2021. Alternatively, once you’re in Croatia ask at the local tourist office and they will be able to help you.

It’s great that Croatia is on England’s travel green list, but what happens if it moves back to the amber list?

As of 19th July, all double-vaccinated travellers and under-18s from England will also not need to quarantine on returning home from an amber list destination. Again, travellers will need to obtain a covid test prior to their return AND another test on day two after returning.

So even if Croatia moves back onto the travel amber list, certain travellers will still not need to quarantine.

More information

For further information, please see the following:

Croatia Travel Restrictions

Croatia Travel Restrictions 2021

If you’re planning on visiting the country in the next few months, there are certain Croatia travel restrictions that apply with regards to coronavirus – both for entering the country and regulations in place when here. We’ll take a look at how these will affect travellers and what you need to know!

Croatia Travel Restrictions 2021

Croatia Travel Restrictions 2021 – Entering Croatia

Croatia is open to tourists and welcomes them. (Normal visa restrictions apply, of course.)

NEW Visiting Croatia as a traveller from the UK, Cyprus, Russia or India

In effect from 26th July, ALL travellers (even if they are double-vaccinated) from these four countries must present proof of a negative PCR test taken in the previous 72 hours before entry into Croatia, or a negative rapid antigen test taken in the previous 48 hours before entry.

LATEST UPDATE As of 1st October 2021, a negative test is no longer required for fully vaccinated travellers from the UK, Cyprus, Russia or India. Please see the latest news: Double vaccinated UK travellers to Croatia no longer need a negative test.

Visiting Croatia as a non-EU national/resident

If you are a non-EU national and travelling to Croatia from outside of the EU, in order to enter the country you must have one of the following:

  • a negative PCR test undertaken in the previous 72 hours or a rapid antigen test undertaken in the previous 48 hours (at the point of entry); if you are using a rapid antigen test, it must be one recognised by the EU, and the test name and manufacturer must be visible, and the test must be conducted by a healthcare facility/laboratory and signed or confirmed by a doctor
  • a vaccination certificate not older than 365 days showing you have received two doses of a vaccine more than 14 days before entry into Croatia (or a vaccination certificate not older than 365 days showing you have received a single dose – in the case of single-dose vaccines – more than 14 days before entry into Croatia)
  • a certificate showing you have recovered from covid AND you have had one dose of a covid vaccine in the eight months since recovering; your vaccine dose must have been administered in the previous 12 months before arrival in Croatia
  • a certificate showing you have previously been infected with covid and had a positive PCR or rapid antigen test result in the previous 270 days only (and valid from the 11th day after your positive test result)
  • if you don’t have one of the above, you must obtain a PCR or rapid antigen test immediately after arriving in Croatia (at your own expense) and to isolate until you obtain a negative test result – if do not do this, you must isolate for a full 10 days

According to the Ministry of the Interior, non-EU/third-country nationals (which UK citizens now are!) can visit if you are:

  • travelling for tourist reasons and have a certificate of paid accommodation in a hotel, camp, private renter or rented vessel and other forms of tourist accommodation
  • HOWEVER, please note that this requirement now no longer exists for travellers from the following countries: Albania, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Heregovina, Brunei, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kosovo, Lebanon, Macao, Montenegro, Moldova, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Qatar, Saudia Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Ukraine, USA

Travelling to Croatia from the EU

If you are travelling to Croatia from the EU – as an EU citizen or otherwise – as of 1st July you can enter Croatia with an EU Digital Covid Certificate.

If you do not have one yet, you must present one of the following at the border:

  • a negative PCR test undertaken in the previous 72 hours or a rapid antigen test undertaken in the previous 48 hours (at the point of entry); if you are using a rapid antigen test, it must be one recognised by the EU, and the test name and manufacturer must be visible, and the test must be conducted by a healthcare facility/laboratory and signed or confirmed by a doctor
  • a vaccination certificate not older than 365 days showing you have received both doses of a vaccine in use in the EU (Pfizer, Moderna, AstaZeneca, Gamaleya, Sinopharm) or a vaccination certificate not older than 365 days showing you have received a single dose (Janssen/Johnson&Johnson) – in the case of single-dose vaccines – and 14 days has passed since that single dose
  • a vaccination certificate showing you have received the first dose of the Pfizer, Moderna or Gamaleya vaccine, on the basis of which you can enter Croatia in the period of 22 to 42 days from receiving the vaccine, or 22 to 84 days from receiving the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine
  • a certificate showing you have recovered from covid AND you have had one dose of a covid vaccine in the eight months since recovering; your vaccine dose must have been administered in the previous 12 months before arrival in Croatia
  • a certificate showing you have previously been infected with covid and had a positive PCR or rapid antigen test result in the previous 365 days only (and valid from the 11th day after your positive test result)

If you don’t have one of the above, again:

  • you must obtain a PCR or rapid antigen test immediately after arriving in Croatia (at your own expense) and to isolate until you obtain a negative test result – if do not do this, you must isolate for a full 10 days

Children Travelling to Croatia

Children under the age of 12 who are travelling accompanied by a parent or guardian are exempt from having to provide a negative test result (or to self-isolate) providing their parent or guardian adheres to the above entry regulations.

Negative test requirement for all travellers from Brazil

As of 1st October, travellers from Brazil no longer need to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in Croatia. However, ALL travellers – regardless of vaccination status – from Brazil need to show a negative PCR test (taken in the previous 72 hours) or a negative rapid antigen test (taken in the previous 48 hours) to enter Croatia.

14-day self-isolation requirement for some countries

Travellers from South Africa and Zanzibar (Tanzania) must show proof of a negative PCR test undertaken in the previous 48 hours AND must also isolate for 14 days upon arrival in Croatia. (The isolation period can be shortened if a PCR test – at your own expense – is taken on day 7 at an authorised testing facility.)

Enter Croatia

It is highly recommended that you fill out the online form on the Enter Croatia website in order to speed up your entry into the country.

To recap – Croatia travel restrictions: what you need to know

If you are travelling to Croatia from the EU/EEA, you can enter with:

  • an EU Digital Covid Certificate
  • OR – if you do not have one yet – then a negative PCR or rapid antigen test; OR a certificate showing both doses of a covid vaccine; OR a certificate showing you have had covid AND have had one vaccine dose in the six months since recovering; OR proof of having had covid in the past 180 days

If you are travelling from outside the EU/EEA, you must have:

  • a negative PCR or rapid antigen test; OR a certificate showing both doses of a covid vaccine; OR proof of having had covid in the past 180 days
  • AND proof of a paid accommodation booking UNLESS you are travelling from certain countries as mentioned above

Croatia Travel Restrictions 2021 – In Croatia

Latest Update Please see our Coronavirus in Croatia Autumn 2021 Update for the latest rules in the country.

As of 28th May 2021, covid-related restrictions in Croatia are to be relaxed somewhat. These new measures mean that:

  • As of 1st September 2021, cafes are permitted to serve guests indoors as well as on their outdoor terraces
  • Public gatherings are now limited to 50 people aside from gatherings of up to 1,000 people where all participants must show proof of vaccination/negative test/recovery from covid
  • Cafes (and bakeries, and similar catering facilities) are now allowed to serve customers until midnight, although only outdoors
  • Public gatherings can now run until midnight
  • Restaurants and catering facilities will now be able to serve customers in indoor spaces. Cafes and pubs will also be able to serve customers indoors, providing they have facilities for serving food
  • Catering establishments can work from 6am to 11pm
  • The limit on passenger numbers on public transport (previously only 40% of capacity allowed) has been lifted
  • Alcohol can be sold from 6am to 11pm
  • Casinos are permitted to open from 8am to 11pm
  • Bakeries are allowed to operate until 11pm
  • Indoor playrooms are permitted to open
  • The limit of 100 people at private gatherings has been lifted
  • Public gatherings can run until 11pm
  • Weddings can have 120 guests, although guests must either have had both doses of the vaccine, have previously had covid or tested negative for covid in the previous 48 hours
  • Funerals will no longer have a restriction on the number of people attending

Masks must still be worn in public (and indoors) in situations where social distancing cannot be maintained.

Visiting Croatia in Summer 2021

Now that you’ve got up to speed on Croatia travel restrictions, take a look at our Visiting Croatia in Summer 2021 section for plenty of helpful travel advice and tips.