Travel info

Croatia – Travel info

Travel documents

A valid passport or some other identification document recognised by international agreement; for certain countries a personal identity card is sufficient (a document which testifies to the identity and citizenship of the bearer).

Customs information

Customs regulations in the Republic of Croatia are almost entirely harmonised with EU regulations and standards, but the value of those non-commercial items that are brought into the country for personal use and are exempt from tax duty or PDV (VAT), is limited to only 1,000 HRK (kuna).

Foreign and local currency and cheques may be freely taken in and out of the country by both foreign and Croatian citizens with foreign residence, but transfers of an amount of 10,000 Euros or more must be declared to a customs official. Valuable professional equipment and other technical devices must also be declared to a customs official at the border crossing.

VAT is refunded to persons who do not have permanent or temporary residence in Croatia, for individual goods purchased in Croatia, for amounts in excess of 740.00 HRK (Kuna), upon the presentation of a Tax Cheque form verified by a customs official during the export of purchased goods, at the latest 3 months from the day of purchase. Foreign nationals must claim Tax refunds within six months of the receipt issue date.

There are hospitals and clinics located in all larger towns and cities, while smaller centres have dispensaries and pharmacies only.

Foreign visitors who are covered by health insurance in their own country are not obliged to pay for emergency medical services during a private stay in the Republic of Croatia if a convention on Social Security has been signed between Croatia and the visitors' country of origin, i.e. if they have in their possession a certificate stipulated by such a convention confirming their right to health care. Health care (including transport) is used for emergency cases in the manner and according to regulations valid for Croatian citizens covered by Social Security, with identical participation in health care costs (participation). Persons coming from countries with which no such convention has been signed personally bear the costs of health services rendered.

Post and telecomunication

Weekdays, in smaller centres from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. Some offices work a split shift. In most towns and tourist centres, duty post offices are open on Saturdays and Sundays.

Phone cards are used in all public telephones and may be purchased from post offices and from newspaper kiosks. International calls may be made directly from any public telephone.

Documents

To enter Croatia, a driver's licence, an automobile registration card and vehicle insurance documents are required. An international driving licence is required for the use of rent-a-car services. The permit is issued by the parent motor-club.

The driver of a motor vehicle registered abroad entering the territory of the Republic of Croatia must have a valid International Motor Third Party Liability Insurance document valid on the territory of the European Union, or some other evidence of the existence of such insurance. International insurance documents and evidences are considered to be either an official licence plate of a vehicle normally stationed on the territory of a country whose national insurance bureau is a signatory of the Multilateral agreement or a valid Green Card issued for a vehicle which originates from a country whose national insurance bureau is not a signatory of the Multilateral agreement and other documents and evidences whose validity is recognised by the Croatian insurance Bureau.

Speed Limits

50 km/h - within settled areas
90 km/h - outside settled areas
110 km/h - on major roadways designed exclusively for motor vehicles, and on highways
130 km/h - on motorways
80 km/h - for motor vehicles with a caravan trailer without brakes
80 km/h - for buses and buses with a light trailer; on motorways, buses are allowed to drive up to 100 km/h, except for those buses carrying children

Regulations

Driving with dipped headlights is obligatory during winter time.
The use of mobile telephones while driving is forbidden!
The use of seat belts is obligatory.

A reflective sleeveless jacket is an obligatory part of every vehicle's emergency equipment. The driver is obliged to wear it when he or she is on the road, outside the car (changing a tyre, doing repair works on the car, filling up with petrol, stopping other cars in an attempt to seek help, etc.)

Petrol stations

In larger cities and on the motorways, petrol stations are open 24 hours a day. Petrol stations sell Eurosuper 95, Super 95, Super 98, Super plus 98, Euro Diesel and Diesel. Gas (LPG) is available in major cities and at petrol stations on motorways. For information on fuel prices and a list of centres selling LPG gas go to: www.ina.hr,www.omv.hr, www.tifon.hr, and www.hak.hr.

Highway toll charges

Motorways:
A1 Zagreb-Bosiljevo-Zadar-Sibenik-Split-Sestanovac- Ravca; A2 Zagreb-Zapresic-Krapina-Macelj; A3 Bregana-Zagreb-Slavonski Brod-Zupanja-Lipovac; A4 Zagreb-Varazdin-Gorican; A5 Osijek -
Đakovo-Sredanci; A6 Za-greb-Karlovac-Bosiljevo-Vrbovsko-Rijeka and A7 Rijeka-Rupa.

International car-ferry services

Zadar - Ancona, Split - Ancona, Split - Stari Grad - Pescara, Ancona - Split - Pescara, Rijeka - Split - Stari Grad (Hvar) - Korcula - Sobra (Mljet) - Dubrovnik - Bari and Dubrovnik - Bari (direct line): Vis - Ancona, Stari Grad - Ancona

As well as the ferry lines, there are also high-speed lines operating between Italy and Croatia.

Car-ferry services along the coast

Rijeka-Split-Stari Grad/Hvar-Korčula- Dubrovnik.

Local car ferry services connect the following islands with the mainland: Cres, Losinj, Rab, Pag, Ugljan, Pasman, Olib, Silba, Premuda, Rivanj, Ist, Molat, Sestrunj, Zirje, Kaprije, Zverinac, Rava, Zlarin, Dugi otok, Iz, Solta, Brac, Hvar, Vis, the Peljesac Peninsula, Korčula, Lastovo and Mljet, Sipan. Local ship and high-speed lines connect other inhabited islands where there is no car traffic.

High-speed line links with the mainland or between the islands

Rijeka area: Losinj, Susak, Unije, Cres, Ilovik, Pag, Rab,
Zadar area: Ist, Molat, Dugi otok, Zverinac, Sestrunj, Rivanj, Olib, Silba, Premuda,
Split area: Brac, Hvar, Solta, Lastovo, Korcula, Vis,
Dubrovnik area: Mljet, Sipan, Korcula, Lastovo
Sibenik area: Zirje, Kaprije.
Seasonal line links: Pula - Unije - Mali Losinj - Ilovik - Zadar.

Ship line links with the mainland or between the islands

Rijeka area: Losinj, Srakane, Unije, Ilovik, Susak,
Zadar area: Dugi otok, Iz, Rava, Vrgada,
Šibenik area: Prvic, Zlarin
Split area: Drvenik Veli, Drvenik Mali, Ciovo Bisevo,
Dubrovnik area: Sipan, Lopud, Kolocep.

Jadrolinija

The main Croatian ship passenger carrier maintains the majority of regular, international and domestic car-ferry, ship and high-speed lines. Its head office is in Rijeka.

Croatia Airlines

The national airline company, a member of the Star Alliance airlines association, links Croatia by direct flights to a number of European destinations: Amsterdam, Vienna, Brussels, Frankfurt, London, Munich, Paris, Rome, Sarajevo, Skopje, Zurich, Düsseldorf, Copenhagen, Podgorica and Pristina. In the high season, the Croatian coast is linked by air with additional destinations in Austria, France, Germany and Great Britain. In cooperation with its partners, Croatian Airlines enables its passengers to reach destinations across the world.

Airfields for general purpose aircraft and occasional taxi services:

Varazdin, Pribislavec (Cakovec), Koprivnica, Lucko (Zagreb), Slavonski Brod, Cepin (Osijek), Vrsar, Grobnik ( Rijeka), Otocac, Medulin, Bjelovar, Stari Grad (Hvar), Unije and Sinj.

Croatia has direct connections with Slovenia, Hun-gary, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. There are transfer connections with almost all other European countries.

Eurocity, Intercity and Euronight trains

EC "Mimara": Zagreb - Villach - Frankfurt - Zagreb
EC "Croatia": Zagreb - Vienna - Zagreb (via Slovenia)
EN "Venezia": Venice - Zagreb - Budapest (Moscow, Kiev, Bucharest) - Venice
IC "Zagreb": Zagreb - Vienna (via Hungary) - Zagreb
IC "Sava": Belgrade - Zagreb - Villach - Munich - Belgrade
IC "Kvarner": Zagreb - Budapest - Zagreb
IC "Drava": Budapest - Osijek - Sarajevo - Budapest

Fast trains

"Lisinski": Zagreb - Munich - Zagreb (night train)
"Maestral": Zagreb - Budapest - Zagreb (Moscow, Kiev, St. Petersburg)
Zagreb - Villach - Zagreb
Belgrade - Zagreb - Zurich - Belgrade
"Nikola Tesla": Zagreb - Belgrade - Zagreb
Vinkovci - Belgrade - Vinkovci
Vinkovci - Banja Luka - Vinkovci
Zagreb - Sarajevo - Ploce - Zagreb
Zagreb - Sarajevo - Zagreb (night train)
Ploče - Sarajevo - Ploce
Villach - Zagreb - Belgrade - Villach (night train)
"Opatija": Rijeka - Ljubljana - Rijeka (Munich, Vienna)
"Ljubljana": Rijeka - Ljubljana (Vienna) - Rijeka

Trains during the tourist season

Ljubljana - Pula - Ljubljana
Prag - Bratislava - Zagreb - Split - Prag (night train)

Special Trains

Belgrade - Rijeka - Belgrade (June - September, at weekends, night train)
Belgrade - Knin - Split - Belgrade (June - September, at weekends, night train)
Prague - Split - Prague

Source: HTZ