About Croatia
With dramatic mountains and warm Mediterranean hospitality, medieval cities and myriad islands, Croatia is packed with undiscovered treasures.
Game of Thrones fans will recognise Dubrovnik as the fictional city of King’s Landing, with its rose gold stone, medieval alleys and Byzantine architecture. Yet it’s also popular with Europe’s elite, who swing by the harbour each summer to enjoy fine dining, elegant bars and sophisticated sundowners.
Most luxury villas in Croatia centre on the Dalmatian coast. Dubrovnik is compact enough that your chauffeur can drive you from many of the most scenic coastal villages to the heart of the Old Town in minutes. Or you might choose to stay around Split, the nation’s second city and home to the UNESCO-listed Diocletian’s Palace complex.
With over a thousand to choose from, Croatia’s islands are not to be missed either. Choose from fashionable Hvar, charming Lošinj, tranquil Brac, historic Istria or myriad smaller islets just begging to be explored.
Time Zone
GMT +1 hour
Language
Croatian
Currency Information
The official currency used in the Republic of Croatia as of January 2023 is the Euro (EUR).
Money Matters
Credit cards can be used where indicated. You can withdraw cash from ATMs in all larger cities and important tourist offices.
Tipping in Croatia
The Croatians are fairly relaxed about tipping etiquette. However, service is not usually included in restaurants and it's common practice to leave the spare change, or up to 10% of the total in a smarter restaurant. Tipping taxi drivers in Croatia is not expected.
Arrival & Departure Formalities
As of 1 January 2023, Croatia is part of the Schengen area.
Your passport must be issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country, and valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave.
You can travel to countries in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. If you are travelling to Croatia and other Schengen countries without a visa, make sure your whole visit is within the 90-day limit.
Driving in Croatia
You will need your home country’s driver’s licence with you to drive and hire a car in the Republic of Croatia. Croatians drive on the right-hand side of the road in left-hand drive vehicles.
The speed limit on Croatian motorways is 130 km/h, 90 km/h on open roads, and the inner-city speed limit is 50 km/h.
The minimum driving age in Croatia is 18. However, the minimum age for renting a car in Croatia is 21. However, if you are below 21 years of age you can choose to pay a young driver's surcharge. This surcharge usually amounts to EUR 25 per rental.
Parking
There are parking zones in most Croatian cities. Higher zone numbers are generally not too close to city centres and have cheaper parking spots. It’s worth checking out the parking zones before you drive into cities. A lot of people choose to park in shopping mall garages, since it’s usually cheaper than parking in Zones 0 and 1.
