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Two years ago, I visited Croatia for the first time. I spent two weeks in the country in total, the first week on a road trip from Pula to Split, and I was blown away — first by how madly I fell in love with Croatia, and second, by how it had been the easiest road trip of my life.
It’s incredible — Croatia could not be more perfect for a road trip. But while I want to sing this from rooftops, the truth is that nobody has a clue about it.
Croatia is a dream destination for lots of my friends back home in America — so much that each of them might as well have Croatia Pinterest boards for all the dreamy photos of Adriatic coastline that they post!
They love Croatia. They dream about Croatia. They’ve bookmarked Croatia as a “someday” destination.
But when it comes time to actually book a trip to Europe, they don’t choose Croatia. They go to more popular countries for Americans to visit like Italy and France, Ireland and the UK, Spain and Germany and Iceland and the Netherlands.
For the few who do decide to visit Croatia, they usually take a fully organized tour. Or a cruise on a major cruise line departing from Venice, taking in one day in Split and one day in Dubrovnik before heading on to Montenegro and Greece. They never go on their own.
I think Croatia intimidates a lot of people and keeps them from traveling independently. People think of an Eastern European country at war, when in reality Croatia is much more similar to Western Europe than Eastern Europe, is a member of the EU, and there hasn’t been a war for nearly 20 years. The country is incredibly safe, English is widely spoken, and it’s outfitted for all kinds of travelers, from adventurous backpackers to sun-seekers who don’t plan on leaving their resort.
The truth? I think Croatia is a lot easier to travel independently than Italy, France, or Spain.
Let me be clear: there’s nothing wrong with taking a tour or a cruise if that’s what you want to do. Both tours and cruises have their advantages and can be a ton of fun. I went on a sailing cruise from Split to Dubrovnik two years ago and loved it (though I wouldn’t do it again — I think I’m past backpacker cruises now!).
But I do have a problem with the idea that taking a tour or cruise is the only way to explore Croatia, because it couldn’t be less true.
The Ease of Traveling in Croatia
Even if this is your first time traveling in Europe, Croatia is an easy country to start with. Some of those reasons:
English is widely spoken. You will definitely have an easier time speaking English in Croatia than in Spain, France, or Italy!
It’s easy to get around. I recommend renting a car, but if you decide to go via public transportation, buses go everywhere; there are also some train lines. In Dalmatia you’ll find ferries as well.
The tourism infrastructure is excellent. You’ve got everything from fancy resorts to dirt-cheap hostels, boutique hotels, and a plethora of vacation rentals. Tourism is a major industry here and you won’t have trouble finding anything you need.
The food is great. Many people think Croatian food is similar to Italian, but it definitely has its own twist. Plan on eating a lot of risotto, fresh fish, Croatian prosciutto, cheeses, truffle dishes, fresh pastas, squid ink dishes, and unique sweets and desserts along with outstanding wines from all over the country.
It’s ideal for a road trip. I road-tripped through Croatia both on this trip and my first trip two years ago, and I think it’s the best way to travel the country.
Road Tripping Croatia
What makes Croatia such a great road trip destination? The roads are in excellent condition, the signs are clear, and the driving is, well, normal and considerate for the most part — not the scary driving that you typically associate with the Mediterranean.
Additionally, the scenery is so beautiful that it begs you to stop and take photos along the way. (The photo above was taken on a random bridge in the middle of nowhere!) And the rest stops are so nice — they put American rest stops to shame with their delicious, healthy food. I actually got freshly squeezed blueberry lemonade at one rest stop!
For the most part, you won’t have to worry about parking. When booking your lodging, ask about parking and they’ll let you know where the best place is to park.
The greatest benefit of taking a road trip is having the freedom to do whatever you’d like, whenever you’d like. No waiting around for the twice-daily bus to come; no planning an itinerary solely based on where public transportation goes.
While without a car you could make your way from Istria to the Plitvice Lakes in a single day, you’d be held to a strict bus schedule. I did it on a road trip and I stopped at several adorable towns along the way, including Hum, “the smallest town in the world,” which isn’t exactly a major public transportation hub.
You can stay in places as long as you’d like. You can spend a day exploring five towns recommended by your guidebook — or you can just drive to a beach and lie out until the sun goes down. It’s all up to you.
Road Trip Bases
If you don’t want to be changing hotels or guesthouses every day, base yourself in one place for a few days and do day trips by car. Here are five of my recommended road trip bases:
Pula — the main hub of Istria gives you easy access to the whole region: the gorgeous town of Rovinj, the beaches of Rt Kamenjak, and pretty towns like Labin, Bale, Motovun and more. (Plus, you can eat at Jupiter Pizzeria every night. Their black truffle pizza is one of the best things I have EVER eaten, ANYWHERE.)
Zagreb — Croatia’s capital has a surprising amount surrounding it, including the Plešivica Wine Region, filled with wineries and gorgeous mountains, and Samobor, a town famous for its crafts and desserts. A few hours away are the world-famous Plitvice Lakes.
Zadar — From this gorgeous Dalmatian town, you can easily do day trips to the Plitvice Lakes, the lovely town of Šibenik and nearby waterfall-filled Krka National Park, the lunar-looking island of Pag, rock climbing hotspot Paklenica National Park, Split, and nearby Trogir.
Split — From Split you can go back to Zadar, Paklenica, Krka, Šibenik, and Trogir as well, or head southeast to Makarska. You can also hop on a ferry to the islands of Brač, Hvar, or Vis.
Dubrovnik — In addition to day-tripping by boat to islands like Mljet, Korčula and Hvar, you can also hop across the border to Kotor, Montenegro, or Mostar, Bosnia.
And from there, you can do whatever you want. You can hop from winery to winery in Plešivica or Istria or Dalmatia, sampling the fabulous wines (though make sure you have a designated driver!). You can hug the coast and leap out of your car every few minutes, camera in hand, spellbound at the coastline before you. You can plan to hike in one national park in the morning before climbing in another in the afternoon.
Croatia is one of my favorite countries — it’s held court in the top five since I first visited two years ago. It’s one of the most staggeringly beautiful countries I’ve ever seen, and one that leaves me breathless with wonder.
And honestly, it makes me upset to think of people spending years dreaming of Croatia and then casting it aside because they don’t think they are capable of traveling there.
They are capable. You are, too.
Come to Croatia. Explore this fantastic country on your own terms. You won’t regret it.
Planning a Trip to Croatia:
- Two Weeks in Croatia Itinerary
- What NOT to Do in Croatia
- Best Time to Visit Croatia
- Solo Female Travel in Croatia: Is it Safe?
- 30 Stunning Mediterranean Islands To Visit In Your Lifetime
Croatian Islands and the Dalmatian Coast:
- How to Spend Three Days in Dubrovnik
- Why Korčula, Croatia, is the Coolest Island of All
- Vis, Croatia, is a Quietly Stunning Island
- Dubrovnik Survival Guide
- The Waterfalls of Krka National Park
- A Place Like Zadar
- 30 Fabulous Things To Do in Split, Croatia
- 29 Sunny Things To Do In Hvar, Croatia
Istria and the North:
- Guide to Rovinj, Croatia’s Prettiest City
- Places to Visit in Istria, Croatia’s Italian-Flavored Peninsula
- 21 Unforgettable Things To Do In Zagreb, Croatia
This campaign was created and sponsored by the Croatian National Tourist Board in partnership with iambassador. All opinions, as always, are my own.
I have Croatia penciled in for next May, though I never considered a road trip – instead just a week in Rovinj, riding horses and enjoying the food. You’re making me reconsider if renting an automatic is easy…
Riding horses in Rovinj! Never thought of that!
Wow, that waterfall looks stunning! I’ve only heard great things about Croatia. I usually associate it with coastal cities with red-brick buildings and city walls, but this post shows there’s so much more to it.
*Scribbles down Croatia for next European trip* Seriously, I’d love to combine it with a trip to Slovenia, and possibly Montenegro and/or Bosnia….and maybe a repeat trip back to Belgrade, which is one of my favourite cities in the whole wide world. Although I’d worry that I’d spent my entire time trying to either a) spot Beyoncé or b) eat that black truffle pizza that you mentioned for EVERY MEAL BECAUSE IT SOUNDS AMAZING.
Well, the black truffle pizza is up in Pula in Istria — but I would overall recommend Dalmatia with Montenegro. They pair VERY well together. 🙂
This is fantastic – I had never thought much of Croatia, but two of my close friends have just returned from a sailing tour of Croatia and I have become totally envious and just a little obsessed! It looks wonderful.
Kate, great blog about Croatia. I’m planning to go there in September this year. I’m renting a car in Zagreb and driving down the coast to Dubrovnik. I saw some other website commenting about the winding and dangerous coastal road. Did you experience that? From your blog it sounds like all the roads are safe.
Also I’m going to Hvar. Did you take the ferry?
I’m really looking forward to this trip. Thanks
I can’t speak to every road in the country, Thong, but the roads that I drove down, rode down, and experienced firsthand (including the coastal road in Dalmatia) were in excellent condition.
As for Hvar, I visited on my sailing trip two years ago, but you can take ferries from Split, Dubrovnik, and neighboring islands!
Hello Kate,
We are in Dubrovnik for 4 days in August.
Can you recommend any must see day trips ?
I would love a road trip but do you think that’s enough time?
Sorry, I’m not Kate, but I do know that Dubrovnik in August can be mentally busy.
In which case, take a day to visit the Elafiti islands, a pleasant one hour boat ride from Gruz port.
There are typical “fish picnic and wine” tours, but also a scheduled Jadrolinja ferry that goes from Dubrovnik to Kolocep, Lopud and Sipan. And back.
Lopud is totally wonderful, with waymarked walking trails, a sandy beach, a decaying fortress (it’s a steep climb!) and churches everywhere.
Enjoy your time there, wherever you end up visiting 🙂
Thanks for sharing, Jon!
Hi, Stephanie — I love the island of Mljet, and you could do Kotor, Montenegro, or Mostar, Bosnia. I’d recommend Kotor and the surrounding area more than Bosnia. I wouldn’t rent a car the whole time; I’d recommend two day trips max.
Croatia wins so many travel awards and has been voted in Lonely Planets travel guides top destination on a number of occasions in many different categories. If you want a road trip there is probably no better road trip in the world. The Drive from Sibenik to Dubrovnik is probably the best in the world. The country has 1200 islands along it Dalmatian coast which is how the spotted Dalmatian dog got its name. Greece has 1600 island but what makes Croatia so spectacular is the density of it islands and the bluest clearest water of anywhere I have ever seen- you want to drink it. Its islands are in close proximity and you can look out from one island to the surrounding islands in the horizon- just spectacular. Greece is beautiful but on many of its island you feel like your on the mainland as they are big and the other island are hours away. It also has a coastline with Mountains justing out of the ocean which many believe is more beautiful than the Amalfi Coast. It also has the Plitvice Lakes and Krka National Park. One is a UNESCO site and is one of the most beautiful things you could wish to see- like the Garden of Eden with hundreds of waterfalls. Just google these places and it will be on your A list quite quickly as Americans I find can be very uneducated travellers- 1. Dubrovnik- Game of Thrones is filmed here-Kings landing 2. Sibenik 3.Plitvice Lakes 4. Rovinj 5. Hvar 6. Golden Horn beach- island Brac 7. Makarska Riviera. 8. Vis Island 9. Varazdin 10. Trakoscan 11. Motovun
Croatia has probably the most beautiful coastline in the world and roads that hug the coast with mountains on one side, and the ocean on the other full of islands. Imagine the amalfi coast but with islands added to it. A spectacular view and one of the most beautiful places on earth. It just has something that leaves u in awe and so many Australians I met who were sailing the country would say it was their favourite destination. I highly recommend visiting medieval Varazdin, Rastoke -a town built on waterfalls whilst visiting the Plitvice Lakes, Rovinj and town of Sibenik whilst doing day trips to Primosten, Krka, Murter and Kornati. Google image them, they are my little hidden treasures. Croatia is the 16 th most visited country in world with 12 million tourist a yr- not bad for country of 4.5 mill people that is not a major flight route terminal or commerce centre. People who come here are nearly all here for holidays. Not undiscovered by any means but mayb not as popular yet with Americans as with the British, Europeans and Australians
I read a quote the other week about Croatia which is one of the best ways to sum up this country. It was “Croatia grabs you by the balls and never lets you go””. This is so true – it is a country I just want to keep returning to. It just has something about it that you cant put into words- some kind of magical vibe
Thanks for sharing this post! I can’t believe Croatia is a lot easier to travel independently than other countries like France and Spain.
Your post inspired my husband who is 25% Croatian to finally get on board with my long standing Desiree to visit Croatia. We followed your recommendation and did a 12 day road trip starting in Zagreb then to Istria down the Dalmatian Coast to Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik…with a detour one day to Plitvices. Got a cheap flight fromDubrovnik back to Zagreb for a return flight back to the U.S. I have traveled a decent amount and Croatia is on my top list of must-visit places In the world. Thank you for all the great recommendations and as much as I want everyone to experience this wonderful country, I also don’t want the secret to get it how a,axing it is. 🙂
PS: I am a big cat lover and was charmed by all the cats that tend to hang out in the town squares. Especially in Splita & Dubrovnik. it inspired me to write a children’s book and I now own the domain: Catsofcroatia.com — nothing on the site yet — check back later this summer!
Cheers,
Meredyth (nickname: “Macka” – the Croatian word for cat)
I’m so glad to hear that you had a great time! Sounds like a wonderful trip.
Croatia has been on my bucket list for a while, and I’m thinking of making it my next destination, in part thanks to your blog! I’m wondering if your advice about renting a car holds up for solo travelers? Did you meet many people road tripping solo, or do you think it would be a lonely experience? Do you think that using a few towns as bases and staying in hostels there would provide enough opportunities to meet other travelers? I would be traveling in the summer.
You can always road trip and stay in private rooms of hostels if you’d like!
Thanks for sharing! I’m traveling to Croatia this summer and have been thinking about doing a road trip. Do you have any suggestions as to where to rent a car? I’m thinking of flying into Dubrovnick and out of Zagreb. I’ve been reading all of your Croatia posts and they are SO helpful!
When I went on my first trip, I just rented a car through kayak.com — we picked it up at the airport in Pula and dropped it off at an agency in Split.
Hi Kate!
My fiancé Daniel and I are planning our honeymoon for October 2016 and have decided on Croatia (Split, Dubrovnik, and Hvar). We have been reading your blog posts which have been super helpful and we are very excited about our trip. I know you posted places you liked for where to eat in Dubrovnik but I am wondering if you had any favorite places or recommendations for where to eat (or not to eat) in Split and Hvar as there are SO many places online that look amazing.
Thanks in advance!
Jillian
You know, I can’t remember any restaurants off the top of my head in either destination. But have a great time!
Thank you so much for this post! We are spending two weeks in Croatia this coming May and are the exploring type so this blog was perfect. We are flying into Dubrovnik and out of Split and tend to do lots of exploring along the way. I love wine and seafood and my husband is an avid rock climber so this may be our dream vaca.
Thanks again!!
Awesome post!
I’m headed to Croatia for three weeks this summer. I’m currently deciding between doing a road trip and using public transportation (the deciding factor being cost). Which company did you use to rent a car?? Would you mind sharing the cost?
Thanks!
The cost can vary a lot depending on your type of car and timing of your trip. I recommend checking out kayak.com/cars and pricing out when you’d be going.
I am going to Croatia in October! First sponsored travel for my blog! So excited, and this post just made me even more excited. I didn’t know of the waterfalls, so putting that on my list! Looks like you had such a great time!
Have a fabulous time!
We absolutely LOVED Croatia! You capture the lifestyle of the country beautifully. We didn’t make it to Dubrovnik on our last trip unfortunately and it seems like we will need to be making another trip around!