Tipps & informations for Your holidays in Croatia

Ferry connections to the Dalmatian islands

Full information about ferry connections to the Croatian islands is obtainable on the official website of the Croatian national ferryboat company JADROLINIJA -  www.jadrolinija.hr.

Compulsory documents for driving in Croatia

In order to drive your car in Croatia it is compulsory to have a valid driving licence and the vehicle registration documents. A “green card” is not compulsory for citizens of the EU. This is valid for driving in Croatia, as well as in Slovenia. If you drive someone else’s car through Slovenia or Croatia, you must have a valid letter of permission to do so, not older than 6 months.

Fuel

It is possible to buy fuel without any problem on the mainland as well as on the islands. Petrol stations along the main roads and the highways are mostly open 24 hours a day. At all petrol stations it is possible to buy all types of fuel – normal unleaded, super unleaded (euro super 95) and diesel and at almost all petrol stations also super plus unleaded (euro super 98) and euro diesel. The price per litre in December 2005 was between 0.96 and 1.05 € per litre, depending on the type.

Roadside assistance

The Croatian auto club HAK is reachable 24 hours a day on the phone number 987. Further important phone numbers: Police 92, Fire Department 93, Ambulance 94. Another two useful tips: in the event of an accident, we advise you to immediately contact the police. If your car is already damaged upon your arrival in Croatia, please register this damage at the border crossing when entering Croatia.

Mobile Telephones

In Croatia there are three mobile networks (GSM 900) - "T-Mobile" (the Croatian telecoms company), "VIPnet" (partner Vodafone) and “Tele 2”. All the networks have reciprocal contracts with almost all networks in the EU.
The price per minute in Croatia is, dependant on the time of day and the provider, between 0.39 and 0.61 €; the price for a minute to EU countries is about 1.25 to 1.53 € (dependant on the roaming commission). Additional services such as SMS, MMS, WAP-Internet, GPRS etc. are supported by all the networks.

Telephone

Croatia has a modern telephone network (mostly digital and ISDN), which is constantly being improved. To call from a hotel is usually more expensive than to call from the Post Office, but the cheapest way is to call from one of the numerous public telephones which you can find in all public places. Phone cards can be bought at all Post Offices, as well as at newspaper kiosks. A call via the Croatian network to Croatian numbers is between 0.02 to 0.04 €  per minute, and to the EU approx. 0.31 €  per minute.

Currency/exchange

The Croatian currency is the "Kuna" (“kn” or international “HRK”). There are banknotes and coins for kunas and coins for lipas (one kuna is divided into 100 lipas (lp)). The exchange rate is about 7.40 kn for 1 Euro (1 kuna is about 13 Eurocents). The Slovenian currency is the Tolar (“SIT”). 1 Euro is approx 240 Tolars. Exchange of money in Croatia is possible in almost every Post Office, in all the banks and exchange offices and also at almost all the reception desks of hotels. The exchange rate varies slightly between banks and the commission varies between 0% and 3%. Any remaining kunas which you haven’t spent during your holidays can be exchanged back into Euros by showing the receipt for the exchange. Banks are open from Monday to Friday from 07:00 to 15:00, and sometimes up to 20:00.

Cash dispensers (Bankomat)

In almost all resorts you can find cash dispensers from which is possible to draw cash (Kunas) using Mastercard or EC card, and also most other bank or credit cards such as Visa, Diners Club, American Express, Cirrus or Maestro.

Travel documents

Citizens of the European Union travelling to Croatia need to have a valid identity card (for stays up to 30 days) or a passport (for stays up to 3 months) or a children’s passport with a photograph. If children are travelling with their parents, they can be registered in one of the parents’ passports. Please check the validity of the documents (identity card minimum 30 days, passport minimum 3 months) as this will be checked, especially on the Slovenian border. It is not possible to enter Slovenia or Croatia with an expired passport or identity card.

Medical services

Medical care in Croatia is good. Apart from the medical centres and hospitals, there are numerous private clinics and surgeries. Prices for treatment in Croatia are lower than in the EU, anyway, but we suggest that you take out Travel-medical insurance to avoid all the risks.

Average costs

Sport and leisure

Unless otherwise stated in our program, sports facilities and equipment are not included in the price. Prices vary from resort to resort, but here are some examples (approx. prices):
Tennis court rental (per hour) 5 to 10 €
Miniature golf (per game) 2 €
Table tennis (per hour) 2 €
Peddle boat (per hour) 2.50 €
Motor boat - 4 HP (per hour) 12 to 15 €
Water skiing (per round) 5 to 10 €
Sunbathing chair (per day) 1.50 to 5 €
Parasol rental (per day) 1.50 to 5 €

Food and drink

Approximate prices in restaurants (often including the side-dish):
parma ham (portion) 6 to 12 €
soup 1.50 to 3 €
rump steak 6 to 8 €
fillet steak 8 to 10 €
cevapcici (grilled small sausages made from minced meat) 4 to 6 €
lamb from grill (kg) from 18 €
pizza from 4 €
fish (1st class) and scampi (kg) from 25 €
house wine (1 litre) from 5 €
bottled wines (0.75 litre) from 12 €
beer (0.5 litre) 1.50 to 2,50 €
Coca-Cola or Fanta (0.25 litre) 1 to 2 €
Alcoholic drinks (0.03 litre) from 1 €