10 Tips for Traveling in Croatia

Hello everyone! I am finally back from Croatia! Jordan and I spent the last 12 days in Zagreb, Split, and Dubrovnik with day trips to Plitvice Lakes, Krka National Park, Hvar, Mostar and many more. Over the next few weeks I’ll be posting a series of trip highlights, things to do and tips for traveling to each location we visited, and of course, all of the outfits I wore along the way!

To kick it off, this post includes my general tips for visiting Croatia, but first I want to address why we chose Croatia in the first place!

I’d say we were asked this question at least twice a day during our time abroad. Plain and simple, Game of Thrones was filmed in Croatia and we are obsessed with the show… kidding, but I won’t lie that definitely influenced our decision a little bit!

The actual answer has a few parts-

One, Jordan lives in a tropical place, so a sandy beach vacation was out of the question.

Two, we didn’t want to go somewhere either of us had already been in Europe. Jordan studied abroad in London and was lucky enough to visit many of the major counties in Western Europe so that cut our list down considerably.

Three, we needed somewhere affordable.

Four, we were looking for a place that offered variety (not just historical cities or outdoor adventures, but a combination of both).

Croatia gave us just that. You can hike through national parks one day and lounge beach side the next. Explore a thousand year old city on Monday and island hop on Tuesday. So many options at your disposal, yet affordable enough that you can actually do it all!

The true beauty of Croatia is just how much you can do and see in a short period of time. Over 12 days we were able to visit 15 different cities, three island, two castles, and over 50 waterfalls. Unlike many of the classic Western European cities, like Rome or Paris, you can accomplish so much in just one day (or even a few hours!).

Of course you can always find more to do, but we went with the highlight reel and it turned out to be exactly what we wanted! Looking back on our time in Croatia, there are definitely things I would have done differently or wish I realized sooner on our trip. Check out my top 10 pieces of advice for anyone visiting Croatia so you know before you go!

 10 Tips Before Visiting Croatia-

1. Avoid hotels- I wouldn’t even recommend looking at hotels as Airbnb’s are abundant throughout Croatia. They are also EXTREMELY affordable compared to hotels in the same area. Our most expensive Airbnb cost $87 per night for a private apartment with a balcony, kitchen, etc. and a short, 5 minute walk from the city center. Compare that to a hotel 15 minutes away and around $250 per night. We ended up spending less than $1k on accommodations for 12 nights and were incredibly happy with each home we stayed in.
2. Get up early- If you really want to see the city at its best, you have to get up before the tour buses and cruise ships arrive. On our last day in Dubrovnik, Jordan and I got up at 6 am to shoot an outfit and the city was blissful (more on this to come). Not a single person was around and we could really appreciate Dubrovnik for what it was. I suggest doing this at least once during your time abroad – I promise it will be worth it!Island of Hvar 
3. Don’t plan to stay in only one city- Each place we visited was easily ‘doable’ in a day and I promise you will get bored staying in one place for too long. Also, transportation is too easy not to venture into other cities. We were able to use our day tours as transfer to each new place and essentially cut out the cost of private transportation or the need to rent a car (although I have heard Croatia is a very easy place to road trip through).
4. Pack light(er)- This is a rule I will write for you all, but will never follow on my own. Split, Zagreb and Dubrovnik are old European cities and when you stay in old European cities there are not many any elevators. I’ll take this time to apologize to everyone (including Jordan) who had to lug my 50+ lb. bag up multiple flights of stairs. You’re the real heroes.
   Krka Waterfalls
5. Bring cash- Order currency ahead of time and bring more than you think you’ll need. The exchange rate in Croatia is extremely favorable for Americans (currently about 6.5 Kuna per 1 US dollar), and because of this it is easy to lose track of how much you are spending. Plus, most ATMs will charge you a $25 fee for taking out money- this adds up very quickly and is simply a waste of money. Most restaurant, cafes and bars accept cards, but better to be prepared if they don’t!
6. Bring a reusable water bottle- Everywhere we visited had accessible, fresh water fountains. Unfortunately, we did not take advantage of this until about half way through our trip when we had already spent a good deal of cash on water bottles. The water is extremely clean and tasty so don’t waste money where you don’t have to!The Riva Split
7. Do check Trip Adviser-  Croatia is not a foodie destination. By no means am I saying the food is bad, but most of the restaurants serve very similar dishes and trying to make a quick decision while walking around can be overwhelming. Check Trip Adviser for recent reviews before you head out to eat. *I’ll let you know our my favorites in each upcoming post.
8. Take advantage of group tours- During our time in Croatia we took six group tours and two private tours. I can’t complain about either, but so enjoyed meeting the other people on our tours! It’s very cool to learn about people from other countries and even those from your home country. You never know who you’ll meet! Plitvice Lakes
9. Visit during off season- Off season is September to May and the busiest months are July and August. During our visit in June it was apparent that peak tourist season was beginning. Major attractions, like Plitvice Lakes, can see over 20,000 visitors per day during peak months. It was already very challenging to maneuver around the huge groups of tourists on narrow paths and winding trails, I cannot imagine what it is like in July. Additionally, temperatures aren’t as severe during off season. Split and Dubrovnik are coastal beach towns and average about 80-85 degrees in the summer months. Yes, this is great for the beach, but can make for an exhausting day of walking tours.
10. Be open for anything- (You know I had to throw this in here). Go into your trip with an open mind and leave your expectations at the door. We all do it, eat a new meal or walk through a new city and say, “This isn’t like (insert country of origin)”. Well ya….isn’t that the point!! Try the local food, talk with your tour guides and group members, ask questions and let yourself wander a bit. I am guilty of over planning, but some of our favorite moments on this trip were the ones we didn’t plan for! Cliché but true 🙂Bacvice Beach, Split

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Traveling and exploring new places is an amazing feeling, but it also makes you appreciate home so much more! I am so thankful for this experience and can’t wait to share the rest of the trip with you all. Next stop, Split!

I’ll be posting about each location over the next few weeks so stay tuned via Facebook or Instagram for updates!

If you have any questions, need recommendations or anything at all please leave a comment below or shoot me an email and I’ll be happy to help.

Have a great rest of your week 🙂

      *Melissa