For most tourists, traveling independently without the help of an agency is something out of fantasy. Many are driven by fear: “How will I get there?”, “What about housing?”, “What to eat?” - these and many other questions are asked by indecisive people. In fact, there is nothing to be afraid of.

When planning your vacation yourself, you are not limited by time, geography, or any other limits. If we are not “tied” to the hotel, meals by the hour and beach cards, our vacation will sparkle with new colors. You can travel to different cities. Where you like it - stay for a few days, explore the surrounding area, try the local cuisine and move on.

But before you go on an exciting trip, we recommend that you plan everything in advance so that there are no difficulties along the way.

Do you need a visa to Croatia?
A visa is not required for Russians and Ukrainian citizens for a period of up to 90 days. To do this, you need an invitation from an individual/legal entity or confirmation of a hotel reservation. You can read more about visa requirements.

How to get to Croatia by plane?
Of all major cities are organized during the season charter flights. Planes fly to Split, Zagreb, Pula, Dubrovnik. Flight duration from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Samara, Rostov-on-Don is 2.5-3 hours. From Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Krasnoyarsk - about 5 hours. Since October, almost all charters have been removed and only regular flights remain.

You can often buy tickets at bargain prices at the last minute. We recommend monitoring sites Anydayanyway, Scyscanner, etc. Very tasty offers appear here from time to time. You can find out more details.

Is it possible to get to Croatia by train?
If you are afraid of flying or for some reason prefer railway transport- there are such solutions. For a period of holiday season There is a Moscow-Budapest train with a trailer carriage to Split or Zagreb. This option cannot be called convenient, since the train takes two days. Before traveling, you need to apply for transit visas.

Traveling to Croatia by car
It is impossible to say that a car for a trip to Croatia is just a form of transport. After all, if we decide to go on such a long journey to the Adriatic coast by car, it means we don’t just want to get from point A to point B. A trip to Croatia by car is an exciting journey that requires preparation and careful planning. You can read about this in the article: “.

Where to stay in Croatia?
Unlike Turkish and Egyptian resorts, where there are no other accommodation options besides hotels, Croatian resort towns will offer a considerable choice.

How to rent an apartment in Croatia?
The most popular type of accommodation is apartments. Typically, owners of private houses rent out part of their rooms as hotel rooms to vacationers. Conditions are usually no worse than in hotels. The rooms have air conditioning, hairdryer, towels, shampoo. There are many resources online where you can track offers, such as Croatianapartments.

Hotels in Croatia
Not everywhere has such an excellent combination of prices, service and quality of hotels as in Croatia.

Camping in Croatia
This type of accommodation is also very common in Croatia. There are about 260 campsites in the country, 12 of which are for nudists. On the website http://www.camping.hr/ you can find comprehensive information about Croatian camping sites. We only note that the cost of parking ranges from 20 to 40 euros per day.


Camping is very common in Croatia. For a small fee you can pitch a tent or rent a caravan.

Briefly about food in Croatia
Can you imagine a quality vacation without delicious food? We doubt it. Even if you are staying at a hotel with three meals a day and drinks in between, we recommend skipping dinner several times and visiting a local restaurant. Not only are the dishes excellent, but the portions are huge. It happens that one is enough for a family of three.

If you are going on vacation with a child, you cannot do without cooking your own food. Prices for food in stores here are lower than in Western Europe, and the quality is no worse.

Croatia is a great choice for independent travel. A visa is not required, the country is quite calm and safe, the language is simple and understandable, and the local population is always sincerely friendly, ready to help at any time.

Beach holidays in Croatia attract the majority of visiting tourists. Rocky, stony coastal zones occupy a significant part. But even in these areas all amenities for vacationers have been created. There are also resorts in the country with sandy, small-pebble beaches.

Croatian cities have their own identity and unique charm. Architectural and cultural historical objects are carefully preserved in them. Some monuments are included in the List World Heritage UNESCO. Tourists are offered a lot interesting excursions, allowing you to replenish your knowledge base.

Croatian resorts provide an opportunity for fans to have a good time active rest. There are many diving centers, tennis courts, volleyball and basketball courts. Hiking and cycling routes, rallies, sea fishing, and yacht trips are organized.

Beach holidays in Croatia

There are several in Croatia resort areas, the beaches of which have certain specifics. There is an opportunity to choose a city, taking into account your ideas about the ideal pastime.

Admirers of natural beauty, lovers of cycling and hiking head to the resorts of the Istrian Peninsula. The coastline is mostly covered with rocks. For convenience and comfort, concrete slabs are laid on the banks, ensuring safe entry into the water; it is possible to install sun loungers and umbrellas. Sea water is clean and transparent. All types are organized water activities. The resorts in this area include: Opatija, Porec, Pula, Rovinj, the islands of Krk, Brijuni and others.

Lovers of a relaxing holiday, families with children, prefer central Dalmatia, resorts located between the cities of Gradac and Sibenik. The beaches in this part of the coast are covered with small pebbles. The coast is surrounded by pine forests, giving the air healing properties and a wonderful aroma. This group of resorts includes: Vodice, Makarska, Baska Voda, Brela, the islands of Hvar, Brac and others.

Fans of top-class service, gourmets, connoisseurs of luxurious beaches best place Southern Dalmatia is considered a holiday destination. The tourism infrastructure here is at the highest level; there are many luxury hotels in the resorts. The sandy coast provides maximum comfort. The elite places include: Slano, Plat, Mlinn, the islands of Lopud, Vela Luka, Kolocep and others.

Excursion trips

It's not just beach lovers who are attracted to Croatia. Holidays in this country provide the opportunity to see many historical sights and unique natural places. Many cities have ancient history, originating in ancient times. They survived several periods of reign. All these eras have left a mark in the form architectural monuments, to which tourist excursions are organized.

Among the country's most popular attractions is the ancient Roman amphitheater in Pula, which dates back to the 1st century. Tourists often visit the Diocletian's palace complex, which was also built in the Roman era. The pearl of Croatia is the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in the city of Dubrovnik.

Croatia has some of the most beautiful national parks. The most popular are Plitvice Lakes. Many vacationers visit national park Krka, Brijuni Islands.

Holiday seasons in 2019

The climatic features of Croatia and the natural protection of coastal areas by mountain ranges ensure the maximum duration of the swimming season. This country has ski and balneological resorts. Therefore, you can have a good time here at any time of the year.

High season

The swimming season in most resorts begins in late April - early May. At this time, the water and air temperatures are comfortable, there is no sweltering heat. The most favorable period is considered to be May-June, September-October. July and August are not suitable for people who cannot tolerate high temperatures; the air can warm up to 32-34°C. However, prices for tours during these months are high, as most vacationers prefer to enjoy the warmth and bright sun.

In April-August, most festivals, exhibitions, concerts, and competitions take place, which allows you to diversify your vacation, making it more vibrant and memorable. In June, sea fishing enthusiasts come here.

There is also a winter high season in Croatia. Many tourists come here in January-February, during the New Year and Christmas holidays.

Low season

Sightseeing enthusiasts can plan trips to Croatia from October to April. The cost of tours at this time is low, there is no crowd of tourists in the cities. This makes it possible to devote time to educational excursions. Many hotels in Croatian resorts have indoor swimming pools with sea water. Therefore, during this period, vacationers can enjoy swimming.

In the low season, you can go to the country's balneological resorts. High-quality treatment is provided by boarding houses and sanatoriums in the cities of Motovun, Makarska, on the islands of Hvar, Vela Luka and others.

Croatia is a country ideal for traveling on your own. There is excellent infrastructure for visiting attractions, reasonable prices for accommodation, food, car rental, as well as friendly people and almost no language barrier.

The main difference between a trip to Croatia on your own and a package tour is organization and responsibility. In this case, the traveler himself is responsible for safety, comfort and entertainment program. But if you carefully prepare for your future adventure, it will give you a lot of pleasant emotions and vivid impressions.

Holidays in Croatia on your own: where to start

It is better to start preparing for an independent trip to Croatia at least two to three months before departure, and even better – six months. Then there is an opportunity to buy air tickets at a profit if you are planning to fly, and find good accommodation at a discount. To travel you will need a valid passport.

According to the requirements of Croatian legislation, you can cross the country's border with a travel document, the validity of which expires no earlier than six months after the end of the trip. If the passport does not meet this requirement, Croatian customs officers have the right to not allow you into the country.

Now let's pay attention:

• Wiese. Rules for crossing borders often change depending on the policies of states, so check in advance (it is better to call directly to the Croatian consulate) whether you need a visa to this sunny region, so that if the answer is positive, you will have time to get it. Many travelers, due to inexperience, often do not pay attention to deadlines: for example, visas are often not needed if the duration of the trip is less than 14 days.
• Route. What are you planning to do in Croatia? What attractions do you want to visit? Or are you only interested? Having answered these questions, you will know whether you can rent one apartment or whether it is better to move from region to region (in case of a busy excursion program), whether you need to rent a car or not, where to find a restaurant or supermarket for lunch, etc. If you are traveling for a short period of time (7-10 days), do not set yourself the goal of seeing all of Croatia. Yes, it is a small country, but the overcrowded program is tiring.
• Budget. Having drawn up the route, calculate it approximately using booking, average Croatian prices, etc., in order to know whether the planned amount will be enough for you or not.
• Reviews. If you have free time to look at independent travel forums, that’s great. Do you want to go in May? Pay attention to the reviews for this period: they will tell you the weather, prices, influx of tourists and much other useful information.

Having carried out preliminary “reconnaissance”, you can proceed directly to organizing an independent trip to Croatia.

If you have an unlimited budget, then you don’t have to think about little things like early booking and discounts. They will help you organize a profitable trip to Croatia. After reading reviews from experienced people, you already have a rough idea of ​​the prices for the desired period.

Now your task is to find great deals:

1. Are you planning to fly? Monitor air tickets in the desired direction. When purchasing 2-3 months in advance, you can save 15-20% (if your trip is during the high season, this rule does not always work). Mobile apps and airline ticket search websites will help you keep track of prices.
2. There are also many options for searching for accommodation on the Internet. When booking your stay, it is not recommended to choose non-refundable rates, which must be paid in full at the time of booking (what if your plans change?). Most tourists like to book accommodation and pay on arrival. But there are often cases when, upon arriving on vacation, travelers find that no one is waiting for them (free booking obliges apartment owners or hotel management to do little). Therefore, the best option is partial prepayment: both the tourist is calm that they are waiting for him, and the receiving party is confident that the guest will show up.
3. Tickets for attractions, national parks, even water parks are best booked online if they offer this option. Often such purchases are even cheaper than those made locally. Just use a foreign currency bank card for payments to avoid double conversion.
4. By the way, about currencies. Croatia still uses national kunas. In most places you can pay with a currency card (dollar or euro). Before leaving your home country, notify the bank about your trip, otherwise the card may be blocked to prevent unauthorized use. If you prefer cash, then it is better to take euros, they are still more common here.

Croatia is the pearl of the Adriatic with luxurious wildlife and almost European service. The country enjoys well-deserved success among both residents of Western Europe and the population of the CIS - both of them, in addition to natural beauty, are attracted by reasonable prices for rental housing, a clean sea and a lot of attractions.
You can save a lot on your trip by planning your trip to Croatia yourself.

To travel to Croatia for citizens of Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan with a valid passport no need to obtain a visa ( visa required from July 1, 2013) . This applies to those travelers who do not plan to stay in the country for more than 90 days or who intend to transit Croatia. The suspension of the regular visa regime in the country begins from the beginning of April until the end of October. Just around this time, tourists begin to “catch up” in the country, and the abolition of visas for this period contributes to the replenishment of government. treasury of Croatia.

You can enter the country if you have:

• international passports
• invitation/rental agreement from the owner of the apartment or if you have a voucher from the hotel. This document contains the tourist’s data, information about the owner, the address of the apartment or hotel, and also indicates the period for which the owner of the property is ready to accept vacationers. Such documents are drawn up in official form and must be notarized.

For citizens who have a double or multiple entry visa type “C” or a Schengen visa type “D”, as well as anyone who has permission to reside in any of the Schengen countries, a visa is not required to travel to Croatia or transit through the country throughout the year. But at the same time, all these visas and permits must have a validity period that is valid until the end of your stay in Croatia.

Often trips to Croatia include transit passage through the territory of Poland. In this case, it is often enough to present proof of reservation in the destination country at the border with Poland if you do not plan to spend the night in Poland. If an overnight stay is planned, then in addition there must be confirmation from a hotel in Poland about the reservation and prepayment in the amount of 50% of the cost. By the way, the reservation must also be paid for at least 50%.

Border and customs control at the border crossing will definitely check your passport. In addition to visas, they will also look at the validity period of the “red passport”, which should expire no earlier than the end of the trip. In this case, it is possible for the passport to expire on the same day as the end of the trip, but not earlier.

Information on visas on the official website of the Croatian Embassy.

How to get to Croatia.

You can book tickets to Croatia from various travel companies; from the beginning of June, during the summer period, there are many charter flights to Croatia. Many charters are represented by the services allcharter.ru or davs.ru, and on many other similar ones. Regular flights to Pula or Split are, of course, more expensive, but more comfortable. If you wish, you can get to Croatia by own car, and for those who like to relax and travel without haste, you can choose comfortable trains passing through the Czech Republic and Austria.

How to choose accommodation in Croatia

Of course, in Croatia you can stay in familiar hotels, especially if your trip is short and you plan to take a break from cooking and cleaning.

The most inexpensive housing option is, of course, renting a room. This is convenient for young couples without children who do not require a lot of space. A more convenient rental option is apartments.

When choosing a home carefully consider offers of housing “by the sea”. Many people believe that a house near the sea is an ideal option so that you don’t have to walk far. But in Croatia, the terrain has such features that a house near the sea can be very close to the sea, but very far from a normal beach. Therefore, it is better to carefully read the offers and look for housing near the beach or promenade, but not near the sea.

How to book accommodation in Croatia

Book accommodation in Croatia possible by bank transfer in the amount of 20% of the cost. Additionally, the cost of document preparation, notarization and the cost of postal translation of invitations are paid. The amount you transfer is considered a guarantee that you will definitely arrive, and in case of refusal it cannot be returned. Since a registered letter can take about 3 weeks, it is better to take care of booking accommodation for your holiday in advance. Otherwise, you will have to use express mail services, which is significantly more expensive.

If the reservation includes accommodation for more than seven days, and this is considered in Croatia already long term accommodation, clients can count on discounts. Usually the size of the discount is negotiated additionally with the owners of the room or apartment, but in general you can get a discount of 5 to 10%.

Upon arrival in Croatia, many tourists require a transfer from the airport to their accommodation. Many owners additionally stipulate such a service. But not all apartment owners can offer it, so if a transfer is not specified in the rental advertisement, check the possibility of providing the service in advance.

When is the best time to visit Croatia?

And finally, I would like to note the ideal time to travel to Croatia on your own. If you like to visit the country and get acquainted with its sights, learn about history, go on excursions or make independent excursions, it is best to go on vacation in May, September or June. This period is perfect for older people, as well as for traveling with children.

The fact is that it is at this time of year that Croatia maintains a comfortable warm temperature, the sun is still or no longer too active, but it is no longer cold outside. True, in May the water in the sea is still quite cold, so not everyone will want to swim, this must be taken into account. Although, there are fans of this particular sea temperature, so many come at this time to swim in the cool, invigorating water. In May, the water temperature is approximately 22-23 degrees. For those who like to swim in the sea, appreciate diving or simply the opportunity to snorkel underwater, as well as those who like to lie under the hot sun, it is best to come to Croatia in July-August. During this period, the air temperature here reaches 30 degrees, and the sea temperature is noted at 25 degrees. But there’s not much to do with excursions in such heat, and there’s no desire to make independent outings anywhere during the day.

Inexpensive, have a comfortable and rich vacation and, at the same time, spend as little money as possible.

Choosing economical housing in Croatia

The first thing you should decide on is whether to book a private apartment or a hotel? Here my recommendation is definitely apartments. Any, even the worst Croatian hotel in the season costs at least 100 euros/day for two, and often much more, while a completely comfortable apartment located within walking distance from the sea will cost 35 - 50 euros. And if we are talking about campaigns of 4-8 people or families with children, the mathematics speaks even more clearly in favor of apartments.

Those who believe that the cost of apartments is lower than hotels due to the availability of food in the latter are greatly mistaken. But more on that below.

The next important point in terms of savings is to decide on the key priorities when choosing a specific apartment.

What, in my opinion, can be easily neglected: sea view, “European-quality renovation” and modern furniture, availability LCD -TV, etc.

Remember - you are going on vacation, i.e. walk, swim in the sea, see the sights and get other pleasures from visiting Croatia. You only need the apartment to spend the night. And nothing more!

If you have chosen an interesting place for your vacation, where there is a colorful Old city, various beaches, parks, bike paths, many nice cafes, etc. - you will regret every extra minute spent in the apartment. Life in Croatia takes place on the streets, even local residents are convinced of this.

What should not be neglected:

• Location of housing. If you do not have a car, the apartment should be located no more than 1.5 kilometers from the sea and the old city. Moreover, it’s great if your path to the beach does not lie along a highway open to the sun, but in the shade of the park’s trees. At the same time, there is absolutely no need to strive to settle as close to the sea as possible. A short walk to the beach will save you a lot of money and be a lot of fun at the same time.
• The house where the apartments are located should be located in a quiet, green area, on a not very busy street, ideally adjacent to a park. It is advisable that the owners have a shady garden with a grill, a table and chairs for a picnic. However, this is not for everyone. The main thing is that the house does not turn out to be a multi-story anthill located at the crossroads of the main highways of the city.

When is the best time to go on holiday to Croatia?

If you want to come to Croatia in July-August, be prepared to pay 20-30 or even 50% more for housing than in May-June or September.

Many people think that July and August are in such demand in Croatia because only these months are hot and the sea warms up. This is absolutely not true! In this regard, June and September are actually not inferior to the peak season.

The real reason for the high cost of July and August is not the weather, but the maximum influx of Italians, who at this time have long working hours at most enterprises. summer holidays. In Germany, 80% of employers also prefer to let employees go on vacation in the middle of summer. Accordingly, Croatian tourist accommodation is filled to capacity, and at any price.

If you want to save a lot, come in June or September.

Food costs in Croatia

Many ladies I respect often reject private apartments with horror for fear of being chained to the kitchen stove while on vacation. I will try to dispel this fear. A kitchen in an apartment is a big plus!

It's important to understand how to properly take advantage of this benefit, which, if done correctly, can save you a lot of money and won't take away your precious vacation time.

Breakfast. The hotel's classic breakfast consists of various types of cheeses, sausages, ham, boiled eggs, yoghurts and juices. Moreover, it is quite expensive!

If you spend just a little time buying all this yourself in the store, and then take it out of the refrigerator in your apartment in the morning, you will save a tidy sum.

Frying eggs, boiling sausages, slicing cheese and bread will take you no more than 15 minutes, and another 5 minutes will be spent cleaning and washing dishes. That's all.

Dinner. If you want to really save on food in Croatia and, at the same time, be full and satisfied, choose the right dishes on the menu of local restaurants.

Optimal for a hearty daytime snack - pizza, squid, cevapcici, pleskavica, bechka (Wiener schnitzel). They are very inexpensive. All this is quickly prepared, tasty and satisfying. Your children will definitely be delighted.

Dinner. This is the most expensive component of an independent holiday. You can save as much as possible on dinner only if you cook in your apartment yourself. And there's nothing terrible about that. Visit the local supermarket, buy a few pieces of fresh meat, visit the fishmonger, where the fish you choose will be cleaned right there for free. Come to the apartment, throw meat or fish in a frying pan - 10 minutes and a delicious dinner is ready. Moreover, a minimum of money will be spent. Remember, your favorite Croatian wines, meats, fish, cheeses, prosciutto are several times cheaper in a store than in a restaurant. At the same time, there is no need to look for a free table, wait for a waiter, delve into an incomprehensible menu, etc.

I don’t even want to talk about the quality of the buffet in hotels - it is absolutely not comparable with the excellent products that you can cook for yourself or the cuisine of private restaurants.

If you want to dine at a restaurant without spending a lot of money, be careful when choosing dishes:

• Don't order bottled wine. It is always very expensive. Take half a liter of draft wine in a decanter, which in most cases is no worse in quality than bottled wine.
• You should not order a “mixed fish (or meat) plate.” Firstly, it is expensive, and secondly, you will overeat. You will feel sick from eating so much.
• Do not take shrimp, white fish (orada, branzina, flounder, monkfish, etc.) - these are very expensive. It’s better to buy it at a fishmonger and fry it yourself. This can be done on the same grill in the garden of your apartment. It will turn out even tastier.
• Don't order steaks - this is one of the most expensive dishes in restaurants.
• In the restaurant you can order delicious and inexpensive dishes for dinner - various types of “pasta” (pasta), risotto, mussels, fried sardines, deep-fried or grilled squid, cevapa, ombalo, etc.

When buying food in stores, be sure to pay attention to the “discount” and “promotion” signs. All Croats do this. Don't be afraid to get poisoned! Selling stale and expired products is not accepted here.

With the right approach, you will spend no more than 50 euros on food per day for a family of 2-3 people, and even less if you wish.

For example, we are a family of 4 people, permanently living in Rovinj, and we spend on average about 120 kuna per day (about 15 euros) on groceries.

Transfer in Croatia

If you want to pay a reasonable amount for a transfer from the airport to your apartment, book it in advance with private carriers or your host agency rather than taking a taxi upon arrival. This way you will save 30-50% of the cost of the trip.

If you organize your vacation correctly, optimize costs, giving up unnecessary frills, then you will probably have money left over for a couple of excursions, with which your trip to Croatia will be filled with additional positive things and will leave the most vivid impressions in your memory.