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New Budva to Dubrovnik Catamaran Service

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There are not many international ferry services connecting Croatia with its neighbouring (or near neighbouring countries). In fact, there generally only exist services from Italy to Croatia with a number of ferry and catamaran routes sailing to towns in Istria, and to Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik. But as of this summer, a new Montenegro to Croatia service – a Budva to Dubrovnik catamaran – is in operation that will assist travellers with a quick connection, or a day trip, in either direction.

New Budva to Dubrovnik Catamaran Service - Adriatic Lines catamaran
Credit: Adriatic Lines

A big advantage of using this catamaran is being able to avoid the busy traffic at the Croatia – Montenegro road border during the summer months. And with a journey time of just two hours, this catamaran is also quicker than travelling by bus.

Budva to Dubrovnik Catamaran Timetable

Operated by Adriatic Lines, who also run services from Istrian towns to Venice, the new Budva to Dubrovnik catamaran is already in operation and will run until the end of September 2024.

In peak season, the catamaran runs twice a day six times a week whilst in second half of September the timetable switches and the catamaran will run twice daily four times week. Take a look at the timetable below:

SaturdaySunday 29 & 30.06.24Saturday  Sunday 
7.00am5.30pm8.00am3.00pm↓Dubrovnik↑11.45am10.15pm12.45pm7.45pm
9.00am7.30pm 10.00am 5.00pm Budva9.45am8.15pm 10.45am5.45pm 
Monday
Wednesday
Saturday		Tuesday
Friday
Sunday		From 01.07.24
to 12.09.24		Monday
Wednesday
Saturday		Tuesday
Friday
Sunday
8.00am3.00pm7.00am5.30pm↓Dubrovnik↑12.45pm7.45pm11.45am10.15pm
10.00am5.00pm9.00am7.30pm Budva10.45am5.45pm 9.45am8.15pm 
Monday
Wednesday		Tuesday
Friday		From 13.09.24
to 27.09.24		Monday
Wednesday		Tuesday
Friday
8.00am3.00pm7.00am5.30pm↓Dubrovnik↑12.45pm7.45pm11.45am10.15pm
10.00am5.00pm9.00am7.30pm Budva10.45am5.45pm 9.45am8.15pm 

Budva to Dubrovnik Catamaran Prices and Tickets

A one-way ticket costs €55 for adults or €27.50 for children aged 7 to 13 years old. Children aged 6 and under travel free.

Travellers can take advantage of a special day return priced at €69 for adults or €34.50 for children. This includes departures from Dubrovnik at 7am or 8am, or from Budva at 9.45am.

Bicycles are permitted at an additional cost of €10 whilst an additional piece of luggage costs €5.

You can purchase tickets on the Adriatic Lines website.

As this is an international journey, don’t forget your passport!

Other ways of getting from Budva to Dubrovnik

As a comparison, let’s take a look at alternatives for making the journey. Or rather, alternative for unless you have a hire car, travelling by bus is the only option that is available to you.

There are several buses per day in either direction – so bus betters the catamaran in frequency – but travelling by bus is slower. The bus journey between Budva and Dubrovnik takes between 2 hours 30 minutes and 3 hours 15 minutes, depending on which bus you take.

Bus companies operating this route include Croatia Bus and Bozur.

Split to Dubrovnik Catamaran 2024

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As we’re at the time of year that the Dalmatian coastal catamarans – those that operate from Split to Dubrovnik and Dubrovnik to Split – start operating, I thought I’d give a little round-up of those such services. I know they’re certainly popular with travellers! In this post, you’ll find timetables for all the Split to Dubrovnik catamaran services operating in 2024.

TP Line has just started its Split to Dubrovnik catamaran service

As of last Friday, 26th April 2024, TP Line has started operating its coastal catamaran which runs from Split to Milna on the island of Brac, Hvar Town, Korcula Town, Pomena on the island of Mljet and Dubrovnik. (And does the return journey too, of course!)

Split to Dubrovnik catamaran
Credit: TP Line

This is a service that departs Split in the morning, meaning you can make it to Dubrovnik for the mid-afternoon. For the reverse journey, you leave Dubrovnik in the mid-afternoon and arrive in Split just in time for dinner.

The timetable for this service in both directions is shown below:

SplitMilna (Brac)HvarKorculaPomena (Mljet)Dubrovnik
Daydeparturearrival | departurearrival | departurearrival | departurearrival | departurearrival
Monday – Sunday
(Daily)		9.15am9.45am | 9.50am10.30am | 10.45am12.10pm | 12.20pm1pm | 1.05pm2.35pm
Service runs from 26th April to 27th September 2024
DubrovnikPomena (Mljet)KorculaHvarMilna (Brac)Split
Daydeparturearrival | departurearrival | departurearrival | departurearrival | departurearrival
Monday – Sunday
(Daily)		3.15pm4.45pm | 4.50pm5,30pm | 5.40pm6.55pm | 7.10pm7.50pm | 7.55pm8.30pm
Service runs from 26th April to 27th September 2024

Tickets cost €48 for adults or €24 for children aged 3 to 12 whilst children under the age of 3 travel free. These prices are for the full Split to Dubrovnik or Dubrovnik to Split portion of the journey as well as for Milna – Dubrovnik/Dubrovnik – Milna and Hvar – Dubrovnik/Dubrovnik – Hvar. Other prices apply for the other portions; you can see these on the TP Line website where you can also buy tickets.

TP Line also operate several other catamaran routes along the Croatian coast include Dubrovnik – Sobra (Mljet) – Korcula – Ubli (Lastovo) and Dubrovnik – Sipan – Sobra (Mljet) – Polace (Mljet) – Korcula – Ubli (Lastovo).

Kapetan Luka’s service has already been running for a month

Kapetan Luka operate two popular Split to Dubrovnik catamaran services, and their most popular one has already been operating daily for the past month!

Kapetan Luka catamaran
A Kapetan Luka catamaran sails past Korcula

Their services also runs from Split to Milna on the island of Brac, Hvar Town, Korcula Town, Pomena on the island of Mljet and Dubrovnik. The timetable is shown below:

SplitMilna (Brac)HvarKorculaPomena (Mljet)Dubrovnik
Daydeparturearrival | departurearrival | departurearrival | departurearrival | departurearrival
Monday – Sunday
(Daily)		8.00am8.25am | 8.30am9.00am | 9.10am10.20am | 10.30am11.05am | 11.10am12.35pm
Service runs from 1st April to 31st October 2024
DubrovnikPomena (Mljet)KorculaHvarMilna (Brac)Split
Daydeparturearrival | departurearrival | departurearrival | departurearrival | departurearrival
Monday – Sunday
(Daily)		3.00pm4.20pm | 4.25pm5.00pm | 5.10pm6.30pm | 6.40pm7.15pm | 7.20pm7.45pm
Service runs from 1st April to 31st October 2024

As you can see, you can use this service from Kapetan Luka to make the journey from Split to Dubrovnik in time for lunch, with plenty of time for exploring in the afternoon.

This catamaran costs €50 for adults for the full Split to Dubrovnik or Dubrovnik to Split portion as well as for Milna – Dubrovnik/Dubrovnik – Milna and Hvar – Dubrovnik/Dubrovnik – Hvar. Other prices apply for the other legs of the journey.

The same company also have another Split to Dubrovnik catamaran that starts operating for the year in June. This service runs from Split – Bol – Makarksa – Korcula Town – Pomena on the island of Mljet – Dubrovnik. You can see the timetable below:

SplitBol (Brac)MakarskaKorculaPomena (Mljet)Dubrovnik
Daydeparturearrival | departurearrival | departurearrival | departurearrival | departurearrival
Monday – Sunday
(Daily)		8.45am9.35am | 9.45am10.20am | 10.30am11.40am | 11.50am12.20pm | 12.30pm2.05pm
Service runs from 10th June to 22nd September 2024
DubrovnikPomena (Mljet)KorculaMakarskaBol (Brac)Split
Daydeparturearrival | departurearrival | departurearrival | departurearrival | departurearrival
Monday – Sunday
(Daily)		3.05pm5.00pm | 5.10pm5.50pm | 6.00pm7.15pm | 7.25pm8.00pm | 8.10pm9.10pm
Service runs from 10th June to 22nd September 2024

Tickets for Kapetan Luka‘s coastal routes can be purchased on their website.

Jadrolinija’s Split to Dubrovnik catamaran starts in June

The main ferry and catamaran company in Croatia, Jadrolinija, of course also have a Split to Dubrovnik catamaran. However, their service only starts in June, running for the peak summer months. For completeness, I thought I would also add it here so you can get your Split to Dubrovnik catamaran info all on one page!

Split to Dubrovnik catamaran - Jelena
Credit: Jadrolinija

This is certainly a popular route as it connects some of the top destinations in Croatia: Split – Bol – Hvar Town – Korcula Town – Dubrovnik. This service travels from Split to Dubrovnik in the afternoon/evening, and from Dubrovnik to Split in the morning. That means lunch on the Riva in Split!

You can see the timetable below:

SplitBol (Brac)Hvar TownKorcula TownDubrovnik
Daydeparturearrival | departurearrival | departurearrival | departurearrival
Monday – Sunday
(Daily)		3.30pm4.30pm | 4.45pm5.35pm | 5.55pm7.10pm | 7.25pm9.25pm
Service runs from 7th June to 22nd September 2024
DubrovnikKorcula TownHvar TownBol (Brac)Split
Daydeparturearrival | departurearrival | departurearrival | departurearrival
Monday – Sunday
(Daily)		7.00am9.00am | 9.15am10.30am | 10.50am11.40am | 11.55am12.55pm
Service runs from 7th June to 22nd September 2024

Adult tickets cost €45 for Split to Dubrovnik/Dubrovnik to Split as well as Hvar to Dubrovnik/Dubrovnik to Hvar. Other prices apply to the other legs of the journey.

You can buy tickets on the Jadrolinija website.

What’s all this talk of catamarans? What about the ferry?

There is no longer a slow ferry between Split and Dubrovnik, one that would be able to take cars as well as passengers. This was a service run by Jadrolinija in the past – for decades, in fact – although it hasn’t operated for almost ten years now and was being run at a loss towards the end of its time. Actually a coastal service that originated Rijeka, I’m sure this would be welcomed by many travellers these days. But, suffice to say, there is no coastal ferry service between Split and Dubrovnik.

If you have a car, you will need to drive down or up the coastline!

Island Hopping in Croatia by Car

Travel Question: Island-Hopping in Croatia by Car

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Hope this message finds you well. I am contacting you since I am planning to travel to Croatia in July.  Preparing for the trip, I am planning to visit the islands. The idea is to travel from Split to Brac, from there to Hvar, from Hvar to Korcula and follow to Orebic in order to finish in Dubrovnik. 

Island Hopping in Croatia by Car

Looking for the ferry lines I am not sure if travelling by car will be possible, visiting all the islands using ferries between them. 

Could you please help me with this? It will be great to have the ferry line company connections. I see a lot of catamarans but not sure about the car. 

Regarding the option of leaving the car in Split, and then using catamarans for foot passenger transportation, so it is possible for us to do: Split – Brac – Hvar – Korcula – Dubrovnik, using foot passenger catamarans? If yes, that seems a great alternative. 

When visiting the islands, do you know if it is an extended option to hire a motorbike, quad or similar on each island? That will help us to have more mobility. We did something similar in Greece and if yes, that’s everything solved. 

Thanks in advance for your time.

U.

Yes, what you have found is correct – there are very, very few car ferries that travel from island to island, making island hopping in Croatia by car a little tricky. For the region you’re visiting, you can see what car ferries exist on this Jadrolinija map (the car ferries being shown as a dotted line), the company that operates them.

If you were using foot-passenger-only catamarans then yes, you would be able to hop Split – Brac – Hvar – Korcula – Dubrovnik.

If you do want to visit the different islands you mention with a car, you will almost always have to return to the mainland after each island e.g. Split to Supetar on Brac, then back to Split; then Split to Stari Grad on Hvar, then either back to Split to go to Vela Luka on Korcula OR drive to eastern Hvar (Sucuraj) to take the ferry to Drvenik and then drive down the coast and up the Peljesac Peninsula to get the car ferry from Orebic to Korcula.

It obviously depends on how much time you have for your trip overall as to whether you’d mind this extra travel time (going back to the mainland after each island).

(Note: the above regarding car ferries has been the case for the past few years, it is nothing to do with the coronavirus pandemic.)

This year, it is now possible to make a booking for a car ferry for a particular time (before you were not guaranteed a time on the day of travel) for some car ferry routes. However, in peak summer, it is still advisable to get to the port 60 minutes before departure time.

So I would suggest you to consider how much exploring by car you wish to do on each island – do you really need a car for all of them? Perhaps you could visit some islands on a day (or two) trip from Split / another island by catamaran and leave your car behind? Or not rent a car initially, do some day (or two) trips and then return to Split and rent a car for the second half/part of your trip?

Yes, you can definitely do Split – Brac – Hvar – Korcula – Dubrovnik by catamaran. Jadrolinija basically does this exact line – timetable here.

Alternatively, Kapetan Luka has a catamaran that sails Split – Milna (Brac) – Hvar Town – Korcula Town – Pomena (Mljet) – Dubrovnik, timetable here.

Best islands in Croatia - Korcula

You can use the different catamarans AND utilise others too – for example, Jadrolinija have another Split – Bol catamaran (timetable here) that you may prefer to use for that portion of your journey, maybe it departs at a slightly better time for you. 

There is no “flexi-ticket”, “hop-on/hop-off ticket” for these long-range catamarans or similar – you will need to buy tickets for each leg that you do. So this is why it does not matter if you e.g. do Split to Bol to Hvar with Jadrolinija, then Hvar to Korcula with Kapetan Luka, then Korcula to Dubrovnik with Jadrolinija again.

What I would suggest is that you go on both companies’ websites and look up timetables via their ‘book tickets’ facility and then see what catamarans are the most suitable for you.

Just to confuse matters a bit more 🙂 there is also a company called TP Line that operates a Korcula – Dubrovnik catamaran in July and August that you could also use. (Timetable here.)

To answer your other questions – yes, you would definitely be able to hire (more likely) a moped, bike or even a small car on each island to explore for a few hours/a day. Some locations would offer a quad bike e.g. this company on Brac.

Enjoy your island adventures in Croatia!

Rijeka to Zadar Catamaran - G&V Line Iadera Melita

Rijeka to Zadar catamaran from G&V Line Iadera

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A very useful coastal service that’s new for 2019 is the Rijeka to Zadar catamaran from G&V Line Iadera.

This line started sailing on 15th June this year, and will continue to run for the summer season until 15th September, operating daily. G&V Line Iadera’s boat ‘Melita’ operates on this route, which has a capacity for 180 passengers.

Rijeka to Zadar Catamaran - G&V Line Iadera Melita
The “Melita” ship, sailing on this line

The full line sails Rijeka – Krk Town (Krk) – Lopar (Rab) – Novalja (Pag) – Zadar; it not only connects the large northern port city of Rijeka to Dalmatia, but it also calls in at some of the more popular island towns in the Kvarner region.

The catamaran also calls in at the party town of Novalja on the island of Pag. That makes it a useful connection for anyone travelling to Croatia to one of the many festivals held there. You can choose to fly to Rijeka or Zadar and then travel down (or up) by boat instead of bus.

The full timetable can be seen below:

Rijeka to Zadar Catamaran Timetable

The line is maintained by G&V Line. The timetable may be subject to change.

Tickets for the Rijeka to Zadar Catamaran

It costs 190 Kunas to sail from Rijeka to Zadar; 130 Kunas for Rijeka to Novalja; 100 Kunas for Rijeka to Lopar; and 80 Kunas for Rijeka to Krk Town. (Obviously, all prices are the same for the opposite direction too.) Children under 12 years of age pay 50% of these prices.

Full price details can be seen below:

Rijeka to Zadar Catamaran Prices

Tickets can be bought online at www.gv-zadar.com or locally at sales points in all the ports the boat calls at. (For more details, check online.)

Hand luggage may be taken aboard, as well as one suitcase up to 20kg, to be stored in the luggage compartment.

G&V Line Iadera

The Zadar-based company operate several other routes in Croatia besides the Rijeka to Zadar catamaran. They also run a service from Zadar to Sali and Zaglav on Dugi Otok, and from Zadar to the small islands of Rava and Iz.

They operate foot-passenger only catamaran services, although this does of course mean a faster service than ferries. Bicycles may be taken on board some of their boats – please contact the company ahead of travel if you’d like to take a bike on board.

Timetables, prices and more details about all their routes can be found at www.gv-zadar.com.

A weekend break in Croatia - Pula

Pula – Zadar catamaran re-introduced for 2017

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Details of the popular Pula – Zadar catamaran route – which ceased to operate a few years ago – have finally been announced for summer 2017, just a few weeks ahead of the route actually starting!

Now run by Croatia’s main ferry operator Jadrolinija, this catamaran will start running on 3rd June 2017, and will in fact be run as a year-round service. (With a greater frequency of sailings during the peak summer months, and far less – in fact, just once a week – in off season.)

The full route also takes in the islands of Unije, Susak, Mali Losinj, Ilovik and Silba en route.

Pula - Zadar catamaran

In June and September, the catamaran will sail twice-weekly, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The catamaran will depart Pula at 7am, and arrive in Zadar at 1.15pm. For the return journey, the catamaran departs Zadar at 4pm, reaching Pula at 10.15pm.

During the peak months of July and August, the catamaran will operate five times a week (every day except Tuesdays and Thursdays). Again, the catamaran will depart Pula at 7am, reaching Zadar at 1.15pm, or 1.05pm on the days it does not make a stop on Ilovik. For the return journey, the catamaran sets sail from Zadar at 5pm (4pm on Fridays), arriving in Pula at 11.05pm/11.15pm (10.05pm on Fridays).

In off-season (early October onwards), the catamaran will only operate on Fridays.

The full timetable – including the times at which the catamaran calls at the islands – can be found on Jadrolinija’s website.

Tickets for the Pula – Zadar catamaran

Tickets can be booked online on Jadrolinija‘s website. A one-way ticket from Pula to Zadar (or reverse) costs 200 Kunas in high season (June to September inclusive). In low season, a one-way ticket costs 160 Kunas.

Prices for any of the other legs of the journey e.g. Pula – Mali Losinj, Zadar – Ilovik and so on, can be found on the above website.

Getting to Zadar - Ferry

Istria and Dalmatia are connected by sea!

This catamaran is certainly one that has been missing for many travellers in recent years, judging by the feedback we’ve had. We are sure many will welcome its return.

There are hardly any (actually, none!) ferry or catamaran routes from Istria to other parts of Croatia. That means this catamaran will be very handy for those in this part of the country.

In fact, there are currently hardly any sailings from the north Croatian coast to areas further south/Dalmatia. This Pula – Zadar catamaran is therefore a great way of connecting the north and south parts of the Croatian coastline.

Alternatives to the Pula – Zadar catamaran

One route that does exist connecting the north and south (ish!) parts of the coastline is the Rijeka – Rab – Novalja (on the island of Pag) catamaran. Also run by Jadrolinija, this sails daily year-round. Full timetable can be found on the Jadrolinija website.

There are frequent bus connections from Novalja/Pag to Zadar, so you can still reach this town by utilising this route.

There are also daily, year-round flights connecting Pula and Zadar. Operated by Croatia Airlines, this is the most suitable option if you need to travel quickly – flight time is only 40 minutes! (Although you obviously do need to factor in getting to and from each airport.)

Other useful travel information

The following sections may also be helpful to you:

New catamaran route in Croatia for 2017!

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Some exciting news about another new catamaran route in Croatia for 2017 – one that we’re sure will benefit many visitors to the country.

This new catamaran route will hop between the mainland and some of Croatia’s most popular islands, connecting Split, Bol on the island of Brac, Makarska, Korcula, Mljet and Dubrovnik.

The service is being run by Kapetan Luka, who already also run a popular route connecting Split with Milna on Brac, Hvar Town on Hvar, Korcula, Mljet and Dubrovnik.

This new service will commence sailing on Monday 12th June 2017, running daily until Sunday 17th September 2017. The timetable of the new service is as below:

New catamaran connections and day trips

This new route brings up some exciting new sea connections. In particular, Makarska is now connected by sea to the prime spots of Bol, Korcula, Mljet and Dubrovnik. And to Split as well, of course, although as it’s only an hour or so down the road, it’s already easily reachable from Croatia’s second city! (Makarska does already have a car ferry to Sumartin on the eastern side of the island of Brac.)

This catamaran also sets up some opportunities for day trips not previously possible by public ferry. A day trip from Split to Bol is now possible; you’ll certainly get a full day in Bol, and be able to experience the delights of Zlatni Rat, one of Croatia’s most famous beaches. And from Makarska, you can also consider a day trip to Korcula or Mljet. (Dubrovnik is a little too far, and you’d only get four hours there!).

Online ticket booking

Tickets can be booked on Kapetan Luka’s booking website. We’d certainly recommend pre-booking tickets in advance, as we’re sure this route will be popular.

As a catamaran, this is obviously a foot-passenger only boat. No cars can sail on this route!

Other catamaran and ferry routes

Of course, there already are plenty of other routes running off the Croatian coast. Two other popular services – both of which have also started running in recent years – connect Split and Dubrovnik and stop at Brac (Milna or Bol), Hvar, Korcula and Mljet along the way.

For more details about these routes, and for other sailings, see our Ferries in Croatia section.

Happy catamaran travelling!

Milna, Brac

Travel question: Island day trips from Split and Dubrovnik in May

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I am spending three nights Split and three nights in Dubrovnik in late May. I was wondering if you had any suggestions about possible ferry day trips to go on while in either of these two cities?

A.

Island day trips from Split in May

From Split, either Hvar Town or Milna on Brac (but not both on the same day!) would be most suitable locations for ferry day trips. This catamaran (which runs daily in late May) sails to both places, departing from Split quite early in the day and then making the return journey in the evening. This means you would get a full day on either Brac or Hvar.

Island day trips from Split - Milna on Brac

Milna on the island of Brac

Jadrolinija do also have sailings to Hvar Town. However, in late May they don’t yet have any in the morning (with a return in the afternoon/evening) meaning you can’t use their sailings for a day trip to Hvar at this time of year. They do, however, have a slow car ferry to Stari Grad on Hvar but at two hours sailing each way, that’s quite a lot of travel time! 

Vis is also not suitable as an island day trip by public ferry from Split.

For something closer and more ‘off the beaten track’, how about the island of Solta? Definitely possible as a day trip from Split (with Jadrolinija, sailing time 1 hour) you can find out more details about the island on the tourist office website. A tranquil place away from the crowds, it would certainly earn you brownie points as a place that not many people visit or have heard of! Travel expert Simon Calder wrote an article in the Independent on visting this island: Slavic secret Solta is steeped in history and rich in beauty.

Island day trips from Dubrovnik in May

From Dubrovnik, you can visit one (or possibly two, if you time it right!) of the Elafiti islands of Sipan, Lopud and Kolocep with Jadrolinija.

Unfortunately, there are no sailings in late May that make a day trip to the islands of Korcula or Mljet possible.

Of course, visiting the small island of Lokrum *is* possible! There are frequent sailings from Dubrovnik’s Old Town – see the timetable on the official Lokrum website.

Happy day-tripping!

Ferries in Croatia - Jadrolinija catamaran

New Jadrolinija catamaran line from Dubrovnik to Korcula, Hvar and Bol!

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Croatia’s main ferry company Jadrolinija will be running a brand new catamaran line for summer 2016! The new Jadrolinija catamaran line will connect Dubrovnik with Korcula, Hvar Town and Bol – meaning that some of the Croatia’s most popular destinations and islands are connected.

Ferries in Croatia - Jadrolinija catamaran

A Jadrolinija catamaran departing Hvar Town

Operating daily from 1st July to 11th September, the catamaran will sail from Dubrovnik in the morning and make the return journey in the late afternoon/evening. That means that you could potentially make day trips to Hvar and Bol from Dubrovnik using this catamaran service. (And to Korcula of course as well – although this was already possible.)

What will also interest many travellers is that this catamaran can also be used to make day trips from Hvar to Bol on Brac! (Although, as you can see from the timetable, not the other way around.) There’s currently only a catamaran service – also run by Jadrolinija – connecting Jelsa on Hvar with Bol.

The full timetable:

Dubrovnik - Korcula - Hvar - Bol

Full details of this service and prices can be found on the Jadrolinija website. We’d definitely recommend pre-booking this Jadrolinija catamaran if you intend to travel on it – booking can be done Jadrolinija’s homepage – as we’re sure this will be an exceedingly popular service.

Kapetan Luka have run another catamaran service for a few years which has also proved to be exceedingly popular. Their service also runs daily (in high summer), and several times a week in May and October, connecting Split, Milna (Brac), Hvar Town, Korcula, Pomena (Mljet) and Dubrovnik. This line however goes from Split in the early morning (reaching Dubrovnik at midday), and from Dubrovnik in the late afternoon (reaching Split at 8.20pm). The full timetable, prices and ticket booking can be found on the Kapetan Luka website.

For more on travelling around Croatia by sea, check out our Ferries in Croatia and Ferry and Catamaran Prices sections.

Bon voyage!

Venice to Split

Getting from Venice to Split

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One of the questions we get asked a fair amount these days concerns ferries from Venice to Split, or vice versa. We assume that many travellers’ ‘end point’ for travels in Italy is Venice, and they then want to make the leap to Croatia…by going directly to Split!

We can categorically say that there are no ferries from Venice and Split. Ferries used to operate in the past, but nothing resembling this route has operated since 2005. Back then a company sailed from Chioggia (close to Venice) to Split – a journey that took 12 hours. So if you were hoping that you could travel between the two places by ferry, with a quick 3-4 journey time…you’re out of luck! (Also, look at a map! The two cities aren’t that close!)

Venice to Split
The Grand Canal in Venice

So if you are looking to travel from Venice to Split, what are your options?

Flights from Venice to Split

By far the quickest way is flying…of course. Volotea operate early morning flights twice a week (Monday and Thursdays until 1st October 2015), with a flight time of just one hour. You can take advantage of some pretty cheap flight deals if you book early enough.

In case this helps some of you (depending on your other travel plans in Croatia), there are also flights from Venice to Dubrovnik in summer. Croatia Airlines fly on Thursdays and Sundays (flights operate in the early evening), with a flight time of 1 hour 20 minutes.

Travel down the Italian side of the Adriatic

The alternative would be to travel down one side of the Adriatic to get to Split. We normally suggest doing so on the Italian side, as you can travel by train from Venice to Ancona and then get one of the overnight ferries from there to Split. Check out train timetables – and ticket booking – on the Trenitalia website; train journey time is around 4 hours, including a change in Bologna, or there are also a couple of direct trains a day between Venice and Ancona that take 3 hours 30 minutes. (So, not much difference!)

There are several companies that run ferry services between Ancona and Split, and the journey time is 10/11 hours. See more details on our Travelling from Ancona to Croatia page.

In peak season (July/August), some of the ferries stop off at Stari Grad on Hvar en route to Split.

Travel down the Croatian side of the Adriatic

There are no direct public transport options from Venice to Split, so the best way is to take a train from Venice to Trieste (journey time approximately 2 hours; many trains per day – again, see timetables at Trenitalia) and then a bus from here to Split.

There’s a daily bus that departs at Trieste at 1.45pm and arrives in Split at 10.30pm. Some days, there’s also an overnight bus that gets into Split just before 4am. Both of these buses are operated by Autotrans – you can look up full details on their website, which also offers online ticket booking.

Driving from Venice to Split

You can of course rent a car in Venice and drive all the way to Split. However, we’d recommend against trying to do this as a one-way rental – one-way car hire across a border in Europe is ridiculously expensive!

If you do fancy driving most of the way, we would recommend taking a bus (or possibly catamaran) into Croatia and then picking up your hire car here. One-way car hire within Croatia is certainly possible and not all that more expensive (if at all).

Take a look at our Travelling from Venice to Croatia page for details of buses. We’d suggest taking a bus to Pula to pick up a car as that’s the nearest large town; however, you can also find car hire offices in Porec and Rovinj.

If you do end up driving from Venice to Split (perhaps you’re returning to Italy after Croatia), the distance is about 650km. Factoring in what may be a busy border crossing (Slovenia – Croatia) in summer we wouldn’t recommend you attempt the journey in one day!

Note: Don’t forget that a vignette is need to drive on motorways in Slovenia.

Pula to Split is around a 5-6 hour drive if you take the inland motorway route; if you drive the scenic coastal route, the journey will be longer.

Trains from Venice to Split

Errr…don’t bother! There are most definitely no direct trains between the two cities; if you did attempt the journey, you’d find yourself having to travel via Zagreb (which, geographically, is quite a detour). There’s also not even any direct trains from Venice to Zagreb, adding to the pointlessness of this option.

Other options for getting from Venice to Croatia

Don’t forget that catamarans from Venice do operate to locations in Istria – Pula, Rovinj and Porec. There are also several bus options from Venice to places in Istria too.

Take a look at our Travelling from Venice to Croatia page for full details of these.