Kirka National Park; some waterfalls
Introduction
Travel Tips I Wish I Knew Before Visiting Croatia, I spent a few months in Croatia, and I liked what I saw there a few years ago. But look back, there are some things I want to know before I go, so today I share that insight with you. We will cover the best ways to walk across the country, as there are some important transport tips that you do not want to ignore. Then we will dive into some cultural customs and general advice that will help you navigate your journey.
We also want to highlight some incredible places that many tourists miss – hidden gems that keep Croatia’s beauty and attractions. And of course, we will talk about some overrated places along the coast, and a destination that I think is a complete visit.
If you are looking for the necessary insight before your journey, these tips I Wish I Knew Before Visiting Croatia to set you up for a smooth, fun adventure. Towards the end, you will feel clearer and confident, and are ready to experience all those who have to introduce Croatia. These tips I Wish I Knew Before Visiting Croatia are based on real experience, and I hope they help you make the most of your time in this wonderful country.
Table of Contents
1. Getting Around Croatia: Rental Car vs. Bus tips I wish I knew before visiting Croatia
So the first tip I wish I knew before visiting Croatia geographically stretches far north to south and it’s not well connected like other European cities there’s not a good train Network that will connect you from the north to the South so you’re left with two options you can take a bus Which in my experience wasn’t the best which is why I’d recommend having a rental car.
It’s going to give you the access that you need to visit a lot of the places that most tours end up skipping and we’ll talk about some of those later on in this I ended up renting through Discover cars. It’s been a pretty good experience, so if you’re looking for somebody to rent through, I’ll leave a description.
2. Cash Culture and Staying in the City Centers
The next tip I wish I knew before visiting Croatia does seem to rely a little bit more on cash than other European countries another really important thing to know is that in some countries the cities that you’re staying in sometimes it’s best to kind of be on the outskirts because you’ll find better deals and the outskirts are kind of better than the downtowns but in my experience.
I’d say it’s the exact opposite in Croatia wherever you are you want to stay as close to the center of downtown as you possibly can but also note that while yes hotels are great airbnbs have been a positive experience for me in Croatia and that’s not just in the city centers also in some of those more remote places that we’ll talk about in just a minute.
3. Cultural Tips: Quiet Sundays and Rocky Beaches
Cultural thing to keep in mind is that Sundays are quiet people like to take that day as a day of rest spend time with family so expect a lot of businesses to be closed so keep that in mind maybe treat Sunday as a day tripping day and some time to spend on the beach speaking of the beaches do make sure to note that most of the beaches in Croatia.
While they are beautiful they are not Sandy they tend to be Rocky beaches so be prepared prepared for that maybe bring some water shoes it’s going to help a lot cuz you’re going to want to spend a lot of time on the beaches.
4. Beyond the Coast: Don’t Miss Inland Croatia
Another tip I wish I knew before visiting Croatia and this is a mistake that I think a lot of tourists make is recognized that Croatia is not just the domination Coast well yes it has some beautiful beaches there’s plenty to seeing we’ll talk about that in a minute there’s a lot more to see Inland one of those places that I think is really important to see is Zagreb.
IIt’s the capital of Croatia it often gets overlooked because it’s nowhere near the water but in my opinion it’s one of the most special places in the country I spent a full month living there and I thought it was a great place for a couple of reasons one it’s not touristy like the dalmatian Coast which means you’re going to get to see the real local culture.
Which I think is pretty special also note that Zagreb is going to give you great access to some other places like lublana which is the capital of Slovenia another place that I don’t think that you should Miss that’s only about an hour and a half 2hour train ride from Zagreb and another place from zagreb.
That is well worth seeing is CL vitza national park it is unbelievable probably the most beautiful place in all of Europe that we’ve ever seen it is a national park with just these lakes that are absolutely stunning a must see and the best way to access it is just driving from zagre it’s about a 2-hour Drive yes you can take some of those buses but this is one of those instances where that rental car will probably come in handy so definitely make sure to check that out and make sure to buy your tickets in advance.
5. Hidden Gem: Krka National Park
I want to tell you about one other place that some tourists miss this one is a little bit closer down on the coast but it’s again an inland day trip that is just as beautiful as PL vitza and that is kirka National Park it’s some waterfalls and again just stunning scenery it’s about an hour and a half drive from either split or zadar kind of like right in the middle of those so a really easy day trip from either of those destinations but again it’s going to be easiest to have a rental car.
6. Zadar: Croatia’s Most Underrated Coastal City
Let’s talk about some of those main spots on the coast that you’re likely going to want to hit I want to tell you about the one that I think is overrated and the one that you absolutely can’t miss so that most underrated one that I think a lot of tourists end up skipping over is zadar and I think a lot of people skip over zadar because they choose split and I get that but zadar is also right up against the water and it’s going to give you a little bit more.
Realistic feel of what local cultures like and they’ve got the sea organ and the Sund dial which are right up against the coast they are beautiful the waves make music and if you go at Sunset they’ve got this like solar Sund dial thing that is charging up throughout the day it makes this light show at night it is just spectacular something that you definitely shouldn’t Miss.
Zadar: Croatia’s Most Coastal City
7. Split: Beautiful but Overrated
Let’s talk about that place that I think is most overrated and I already mentioned a little bit and it is split I didn’t love split as much as a lot of other people do and I think there are a few reasons for that one what I’m typically looking for when I travel is the local culture and for me I felt like split was the most touristy of all the places on the coast yes they had a beautiful palace but they really seem to commercialize it.
And I don’t know kind of this inauthentic way and it just kind of felt like a hyped up Miami a lot of wealthy people a lot of just yachts and party scene which just isn’t the vibe that I’m typically looking for it just didn’t feel like the rest of Croatia to me so maybe you’ll have a better experience than I did but it wasn’t my favorite.
8. Dubrovnik: A Must-Visit Marvel
But the place that I absolutely would advise you to visit which I know is also touristy, is De Brvenik it is different because it is just absolutely stunning they have this raw beauty that split in my opinion does not There’s a reason Game of Thrones picked that place as the filming location, so beautiful. So, these tips I wish I knew before visiting Croatia.
Q1: What’s the best time to visit Croatia?
A: The ideal time is from May to June or September to October—warm weather with fewer crowds.
Q2: Are credit cards widely accepted in Croatia?
A: Major cities and tourist areas accept cards, but smaller shops, islands, and rural areas may only take cash.
Q3: Is Croatia expensive compared to other European destinations?
A: It can be slightly more expensive than Eastern Europe but cheaper than Western Europe. Plan accordingly based on region and season.