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Planning Your Trip to Croatia
Are you planning a trip to Croatia? And confused with a lot of doubts like, “What’s the currency in Croatia?” “Will my credit card work?” “What type of clothes do you recommend?”.
All of your questions are answered here and if we’ve left anything out ~ just let us know and we’ll be happy to answer!
General Information
- Geographic position
Croatia occupies the largest part of the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, which, as a part of the Mediterranean Sea, penetrates deepest into European soil. Croatia’s shoreline and numerous islands enjoy the majority of the Adriatic coastline. The narrow Dinara Mountain Range separates the country’s Mediterranean region from its central European continental part, which spans from the easterly edges of the Alps in the North-West to the shores of the Danube in the East, encompassing the southern part of the fertile Pannonian lowlands.
- Surface area
The mainland covers an area of 56 594 km2 and coastal waters cover a surface area of 31 479 km2.
- Population
Croatia has 4,290,612 inhabitants. - Demographics
The majority of the population is Croats, with the largest minorities being Serbs, Bosnians, Slovenes, Hungarians, Czechs, Italians and Albanians.
- System of government
Croatia is a multi-party parliamentary republic.
- Capital
With 792,875 inhabitants, Zagreb is the economic, transport, cultural and academic center of the country.
- Length of the coastline
6,278 km, of which 4,398 km is made up of island coastlines, solitary rocks and reefs.
- Number of islands, islets, solitary rocks and reefs
1,244. The largest islands are Krk and Cres. There are 50 inhabited islands.
- Highest peak
Dinara, 1 831 m above sea level. - Climate
If you’replanning a trip to Croatia then definitely you should know about These three climate zones in Croatia: in the country’s continental interior the prevailing climate zone is moderately continental, while the mountain climate prevails at 1200m above the sea level. The areas along the Adriatic coast have a pleasantly mild Mediterranean climate with a large number of sunny days, summers are hot and dry and winters are mild and wet.The average temperatures in the continental interior are: January -2 oC to 0 oC, with somewhat lower temperatures in the mountains; July temperatures reach 20 oC-22˚C, and around 13˚C in the highlands. The average temperatures in the Littoral (Adriatic Coast) are: January 5˚C – 9 oC and July 23°C – 26°C. Winter sea temperature is about 12 oC and it reaches approximately 25 oC in the summer.
- Electrical in Europe: Converters
Yes, you will need an electrical adapter/converter to use your American volt appliances. WalMart© or Target© feature affordable converters. Power supply: 220 V, frequency: 50 Hz
- Tap water is safe to drink in all of Croatia.
- Internet & Wi-Fi
Internet access is widely available in Croatia and broadband services are now very commonplace. Something that passes for an Internet cafe can be found pretty much anywhere – even if this consists of a PC in the corner of a bar. Usage tends to be pretty cheap. Wi-Fi in Croatia isn’t perhaps as widespread as other major countries, although is certainly on the increase. Some towns (or parts of towns) are even setting up their own free-to-use hotspots. More and more accommodation places (particularly private accommodation) are recognizing the demand for Wi-Fi and many offer the service (either free or paid) to their guests. You will also find Wi-Fi in other typical places – bars, cafes and so on. These days, many people travel with smartphones, tablets and the like so it’s pretty easy to search for open Wi-Fi networks and connect to open ones when and where you can. These open Wi-Fi networks are fine for casual, non-reliable usage of the internet. If you need a reliable internet connection, we highly recommend a USB wireless personal hot spot for your computer and phone.
- Currency
The Croatian national currency is the kuna (kn) which comes in notes of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1,000. One kuna equals 100 lipa, and coins with values of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 lipa and 1, 2, 5, and 25 kuna are in circulation. To convert prices in kunas to current prices in U.S. dollars, go to www.xe.com/ucc.With Croatia’s anticipated E.U. membership in process, many Croatian businesses are beginning to express their prices in euros and kuna, though euros are not yet widely accepted. Foreign currency can be exchanged at post offices, banks, and exchange offices. Numerous hotels and travel agencies also will exchange currency, but beware of the service charges, which can be as high as 3%. To convert prices in kunas to prices in U.S. dollars, go to www.xe.com/ucc.Warning: kunas and euros are very similar in look but dissimilar in value: One euro is worth seven times as much as one kuna. Be sure you separate the two and keep the currencies in separate compartments of your wallet.Credit cards (Eurocard / Mastercard, Visa, American Express and Diners) are accepted in almost all hotels, marinas, restaurants, shops and cash machines.
- ATMs:
The easiest and best way to get cash in Croatia is from an ATM (automated teller machine, aka Bankomat in Croatia). The Cirrus (tel. 800/424-7787; www.mastercard.com) and PLUS (tel. 800/843-7587; www.visa.com) networks span the globe; look at the back of your bank card to see which network you’re on, then call or check online for ATM locations at your destination. Be sure you know your personal identification number (PIN) before you leave home, and be sure to find out your daily withdrawal limit before you depart. Also keep in mind that many banks impose a fee every time a card is used at another bank’s ATM, and that fee can be higher for international transactions ($5 or more) than for domestic ones (where they’re rarely more than $3). On top of this, the bank from which you withdraw cash may charge its own fee. To compare banks’ ATM fees within the U.S., use www.bankrate.com. For international withdrawal fees, ask your bank.
- About the VAT – Value Added Tax
Every year, tourists visiting Europe leave behind millions of dollars of refundable sales taxes. While for some, the headache of collecting the refund is not worth the few dollars at stake, if you do any serious shopping, it’s hard cash — free and easy. The process isn’t difficult; you just have to get the necessary documents from the retailer, carry your purchase with you, and track down the right folks at the airport, port, or border when you leave. These days you’ve got to check in early at the airport; this will give you something to do while you’re hanging around. The standard European Union Value-Added Tax ranges from 15 to 25 percent per country, averaging about 20 percent overall. Rates change, so you’ll want to check with merchants when you’re there.
- Other Important InformationTravel Documents
A valid passport is required for entry into Croatia and its surrounding countries.
Our Adventures Croatia Guides
If you’re planning a trip to Croatia then here, One of the great features of an Adventures Croatia Tour is the wealth of knowledge and experience you will get from your local tour guides, who work with us to make sure you have a great experience. These are people who live in the area and make their living by showing you around their city and country. They may even give you hints or tips about great places to eat or shop on your downtime. You will come to appreciate these people for the great professionals they are, and you will remember them fondly when you look back at your vacation photos. So, treat them with the courtesy and respect they deserve. They will do the same for you. And while all base tips are included in your tour, you may wish to go beyond that to show your individual appreciation.
We are confident that when you’re planning a trip to Croatia, you will have an amazing experience!