Croatia

All Croatian destinations except for Zagreb, the capital, are situated by the sea - either on the coast or islands. While some of them are pure beach destinations with water activities on offer, some include historic towns as well.

On the coast, there are three central areas that can be categorized according to nearby airports:

The Istria Peninsula in the north includes destinations such as Pula, Rovinj, Porec and Umag. Pula is the most popular of them with an airport next to it. Around Pula, there are signs of habitation dating back thousands of years. The town also has a Roman amphitheater.

Split is a busy port city and one of the best travel destinations of Croatia with the country’s second busiest airport close by. Well-known destinations close to Split include the likes of Sibenik, Trogir, Omis and the Makarska Riviera. From Split, it’s easy to take a ferry to different islands, such as Hvar, Brac, Korcula and Vis.

The third area is situated in the very south around Dubrovnik. Other destinations of the area consist of famous nearby islands, such as Korcula, Mljet or the Elafiti Islands, all easily reached by ferry from Dubrovnik.

Winters are often rainy and windy. Only the largest cities can be recommended as holiday destinations in the wintertime, as there’s plenty of room in the otherwise busy streets.

With regard to weather, Spring is often unpredictable. Typically, April and May are good months to visit the highly popular city destinations Split and Dubrovnik (unless you’re planning a beach holiday); the daytime weather is already warm by then, and the tourist masses have not yet arrived.

Summers are very warm and sunny. Croatia is a popular tourist destination in mid-summer, which reflects to the prices of hotel rooms as well. Beach destinations and Croatian islands are at their finest in summer.

Rainfall increases towards the winter, but the temperatures of air and seawater remain warm until September and even longer. In fact, September is a good time to go on a holiday in Croatia, since the scorching hot days are over and there’s plenty of room in the beaches by then.

The price level in Croatia is below the European average. It should be noted, however, that there’s a big difference whether you are eating and drinking in the Old Town of Dubrovnik or in some of the smaller destinations. Also the time of travel matters – in the largest Croatian destinations, the prices of hotel rooms tend to double in mid-summer compared to autumn and spring.

Croatia is one of the safest travel destinations in Europe. Even the tap water is excellent, and English is spoken widely.