From the airport to the city centre Croatia

Most Croatian airports offer a wide range of services for travelers (cabs, car rentals, buses, shuttles to the city center, currency exchange and car rental counters, ATMs, tourist information, bars, fast food outlets, newsstands, stores).

Shuttle buses from Pula, Rijeka and Zadar airports cost €3.50. At Dubrovnik's Zračna-Luka airport, a ticket for the shuttle bus to the historic center and Dubrovnik bus station costs €10. Cab drivers offer rides for €25 (maximum 4 people). In winter, due to bad weather (strong winds), planes are sometimes prevented from landing at this airport. They are then diverted to the better-equipped Split airport, where a bus service is provided to Dubrovnik.

Arrival by train Croatia

Far from being the most developed mode of transport, compared to buses and boats, the train remains interesting for those who travel overnight, without time constraints. Connections exist with border countries (Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, Serbia), as well as direct lines from Zagreb to Rijeka, Split and Osijek.

On the Split-Zagreb line, you can take the overnight sleeper train with your vehicle (car, two-wheeler) and pick it up on arrival.

Further information, main routes and timetables on the Croatian National Railways website: www.hzpp.hr

Arrival by boat Croatia

To reach Croatia by sea, you can take the ferry from Venice and start your journey in Istria. The Venezia Line ferry company, which sails the Adriatic, runs from June to September to Poreč, Rovinj, Pula or Piran in Slovenia. Buy tickets online: www.venezialines.com

Throughout the Dalmatian coast, it's almost easier to get around by boat than by car, especially in summer. Ticket prices are lower than those of regional buses. The national ferry company, Jadrolinija, operates a large fleet of ferries on the Croatian Adriatic, in addition to three routes to Italy (Ancona-Split, Ancona-Zadar from June to September, Bari-Dubrovnik from March to October). You can take your own vehicle on many ferries. Price examples (ferries and catamarans): Split-Stari Grad (island of Hvar) with vehicle: €5 per person and €35 for the car. Trip without vehicle: €6: www.jadrolinija.hr

British company Direct Ferries represents the Croatian shipping company G&V Line. In summer, its fast catamarans connect the major cities of the Adriatic coast with the main ports of the archipelagos (tickets can be purchased online or on site before departure). Each port or pier has its own sales outlet. Check with your local tourist office, and plan to arrive early for reservations, especially in summer: www.gv-zadar.com

22 ACI Marinas: the Adriatic Croatia International Club is a Croatian nautical tourism company based in Rijeka, which operates a chain of marinas all along the Croatian Adriatic coast. Added to this are numerous small, well-equipped harbors, making up the largest marine infrastructure for yachting in the Mediterranean. Anchorages or departure points, marinas meet the modern needs of sailors in terms of comfort and safety (modern harbourmasters' offices, maritime information, nautical services, boat repairs, rentals, sales, shops, cafés, restaurants). Strategically located from the far north of Istria (Umag) to the Dubrovnik Riviera (Veljko Barbieri Slano), the Croatian nautical bases offer yachtsmen the opportunity to discover the cultural and natural sites of the coast and archipelagos. On the company's official website, you'll find a complete list and description of the marinas on offer, up-to-date marine information, weather forecasts, itineraries and a computerized system for reserving berths: www.aci-marinas.com/

Public transport Croatia

Croatia benefits from a well-functioning network of national coaches and city buses. Bus stations are busy in all major cities, and modest coach stops are dotted all over the country. With its equally dense maritime traffic, touring Croatia without renting a car is very easy, but requires more time on the part of the traveller. Even so, there are still white zones on the islands and in the hinterland.

Croatian buses. Prices vary according to transport company, around €0.10 per kilometer. For the Zagreb-Split route, you can expect to pay from €17 to €30, Split-Dubrovnik from €9 to €30: www.arriva.com.hr/

City bus ticket: €1.50 to €2.

Bike, scooters & co Croatia

The local cycling culture is well established. Two-wheelers are available for hire in major towns and seaside resorts. The network of European cycle routes (fifteen routes) crosses all EU countries and makes a nice loop in Croatia. Used by tourists on long-distance trips or by locals, EuroVelo 8 passes through Italy, Slovenia and takes its time in Istria, then from Rijeka to Split, via Jablanac, the islands of Krk, Rab, Brač, the Pag peninsula... Between sea and mountains, there are kilometers of coastline, sublime seascapes and magnificent historic cities. A sporty trip, as the territory is mountainous, with great differences in altitude. The wind can blow hard, and the summer heat means you'll have to leave early in the morning. Traffic is heavy on the Magistrala, the national road that runs along the coast. Sometimes it's better to bypass it, take a rest on the ferries and head straight south via the islands of South Dalmatia: www.eurovelo.org/routes/

With a driver Croatia

Compared to the cost of living in Croatia, cab fares are expensive. Depending on the destination, it is either calculated on the meter or on the basis of a fixed price announced at the outset. Each locality has its own network of chauffeur-driven cars and minibuses, which are easy to find at airports, railway stations, ferry terminals and tourist offices.

By car Croatia

From France, two possible routes:

Northeast axis. From Paris, the shortest route is via the Autoroute de l'Est (A4), towards Reims, Metz and Strasbourg. Before entering Germany, take the A35 towards Stuttgart, Munich and Austria via Innsbruck and Salzburg. Then take the A10 down to Ljubljana (Slovenia). Allow around 2,000 km on the freeway, with numerous tolls.

South-eastern route. Using the Autoroute du Sud, drive along the Mediterranean coast via Marseille and Nice to Italy. At Genoa, you have two options, either via Livorno, Florence, Bologna, Venice and Trieste to enter Slovenia (Piran) and finally Umag (Istria). Or, once in Genoa, head up towards Milan, Bergamo, Verona and then catch up with the Venice-Trieste route. Alternatively, cross the Alps via a toll tunnel (Mont-Blanc or Fréjus) to Turin. As a rough guide, the Paris-Turin route takes around 8 hours for 800 km, while Paris-Venice takes 11 hours. These routes through northern Italy take time, but offer the most beautiful scenery.

Evaluate your itinerary on French websites: www.viamichelin.fr/ www.mappy.fr/ www.rome2rio.com/fr. You can map out your route on the official Croatian freeway website (map.hak.hr/). Tolls vary according to vehicle type and distance traveled. For example, a Zagreb-Split journey is 380 km long and costs around €20. For administrative formalities for entering and leaving the country, see the website of the French Embassy in Zagreb: hr.ambafrance.org

Car rental: lower prices from local agencies, but different treatment for insurance. From €37 per day (including insurance).

Petrolprices: At the end of 2023, pump prices averaged €1.60 per liter, with peaks of up to €1.70.

Roadside assistance: ✆ 1987

Accessibility Croatia

Above all, it's best to plan well in advance with transport providers for a safe journey. Croatian airlines are required to provide assistance services for people with reduced mobility.

For train journeys, Eurowings, InterCity or EuroCity offer a service adapted to disabled passengers. Main railway stations have ramps, accessible toilets and reserved spaces.

Bus transport options vary from city to city. The national companies Arriva and Čazmatrans have special facilities, but most regional buses are not accessible for PRMs. As for cabs, some drivers have vehicles with ramps for wheelchair passengers. You can also hire a well-equipped vehicle, but to park in disabled spaces, you need to be able to show a European parking card.

Tourist traps Croatia

Car vignette mandatory in Slovenia! A vignette is required to drive on Slovenia's freeways and expressways, including the Ljubljana ring road. The cost varies according to the length of your stay in Slovenia: €15 per week, €30 per month or €110 per year. It can be purchased at freeway service stations. Anyone driving without a valid vignette can be fined between €300 and €800.

Watch out for fines! In Croatia in general, and especially in the major cities and islands, parking for tourist vehicles is highly regulated and even taxed. Systematic fines (€135) and rapid impounding force drivers to seek out paid parking lots or spaces. In Dubrovnik, for example, you can buy a parking ticket at a kiosk, at a pay-and-display machine or by texting your vehicle's plate number to 8202. Parking costs from €6 to €11 per hour in , the area closest to the walled city gates. To find cheaper parking, you'll have to move away from the historic center. Dubrovnik City Parking, located in the bay of Gruž (Zuljanska ulica 1), is the cheapest on the market: €1.95 per hour (dubrovnikcityparking.com).