18 Tips I Wish I Knew Before Visiting Croatia

These 18 tips to know before visiting Croatia are what I wish I knew before my trip to Croatia. Hopefully these travel tips will help you from making some of my mistakes when traveling through Croatia!

DISCLAIMER: I only express my opinion based on my experience. Your experience may be different. Links above may include affiliate commission or referrals. I'm part of an affiliate network and I receive compensation from partnering websites. This video is accurate as of the posting date but may not be accurate in the future.

[cherylseepersad]

Split was amazing. We loved it. Food was fantastic and people were so nice and friendly

[tracyramos]

Zadar was my husband’s favorite and Plitvice was my favorite.

[AnimaConfusa]

I lived in Split for years... still miss it so much

[W]

Bro said to visit inland Croatia and barely scratched the inland. We got a big city more inland, Osijek, but also Zagorje, Slavonija and Baranja as well as other places are beautiful

[AndelkoGrezina]

Nice video and very helpful.
My favourite place in Croatia is Trogir, Tribunj, Primosten, Rovinj and Pag .
Honestly you have to see this small villages and towns ❤

[tomseja]

An hour of parking in Dubrovnik costs about 30$, so i recommend to come by bus!
Split is indeed very unspecial and Zadar is my favorite spot as well! I'd add the island of Pag, because you can see the Velebit mountains from there and they look stunning!
Krk is just rocks and imo the least seeworthy place, except Baška.
Good video, love from germany

[seanseanie]

Very positive energy coming from this guy. I am in Zadar and it is too hot for me but great vid 💪

[bojandomic]

Actually, all the places you mentioned in the video have pros and cons.. Split, if you know where to look has amazing sites. Diocletian's palace is just one. you also have Klis Fortress, you have the ruins of Roman city of Salona (Roman theater, Forum, baths, amphitheater, aqueduct and more), also early middle ages structures and ruins of churches, some as old as 1200 years.. Museums are filed with Roman and medieval artifacts. someone with interest in history, architecture, art would spend weeks exploring the town and its surround area. I know this and I don't even live on the coast or anywhere near Split. Locals now far more.. Split is a town over 1400 years old. Where ever you go you can see something unique.

[urlocalkevin]

Gotta love the local culture of the northern regions, pretty iconic

[jeffreyrowerealestate]

Just got back from Croatia. SPLIT is a must see. Its 1700 years old. If you don't like history and amazing Roman architecture, then don't go. MUST SEE. Plitvice is ONCE in a lifetime you will never forget experience. Awe-inspiring . Great video !!

[knjiggaofficial]

Dubrovnik is by far the most touristy city in Croatia. Split, being the second largest city in the country, has its touristy parts for sure, but if you wanted to see the real local life its like 10 minutes walk away...

[doktoronyx]

Dubrovnik is Disneyland. Nice little town near Split is Trogir, but is unfortunately also very commercialized like most Croatian coast.

[kathykauzljar]

One more piece of advice regarding travel within Croatia .. yes, trains are awful. Buses are much better. Car rentals are good too and can see more, as you mentioned. You forgot to mention taking boats or ferries along the coastal towns or to and from islands. Also, Croatia has many airports and none of them are big like in the USA and are every easy to navigate. I have flown from Dubrovnik to Rijeka for example, or from Zagreb to Split, just to move around faster when I’be had a time crunch or not enough days to drive around from one place to the next … and honestly, was less expensive to do that and Uber in towns I stayed in, than to pay for a car rental. Flying within the country is a great option (or even to Ljubljana for example).

[williambrady]

I'm in Italy at the moment but plan a 2 week trip to Croatia. Your video will help. I tend to travel like you do. 23 countries and never in a resort.

[GreatCityAttractions]

Another nice video Camden David. well done and we always appreciate your content.

[mohamadalibrahim]

Our experience in Croatia was disappointing. We found it to be expensive without offering much in return. The people we encountered seemed unhappy, possibly due to Croatia's recent inclusion in the EU. While the natural scenery, such as rivers and forests, was beautiful, similar landscapes can be found in many other countries

[kathykauzljar]

Some constructive feedback for you on your video. But, first a little background about me, so you will understand a bit more about me and where this feedback is coming from. I am USA born, of Croatian descent … both of my parents were born and raised in Croatia and came to the USA in the 1960’s. I have a lot of family in Croatia who I actively keep in touch with. I try to visit and vacation in Croatia as often as possible. Started going as a child and would stay with grandparents, aunts & uncles, cousins, etc. In my adult life, I love to explore and see different places I have not been to yet. However, seeing family is a must and certain locations are always a must too. I speak, read, and write English and Croatian fluently. My English is better than my Croatian, but it’s pretty darn good. 😊. Ok so my feedback for you …

1) I love that you loved it so much to choose it as your wedding location. Went to two family weddings in Croatia last year (Dubrovnik & Opatija) and they were both amazing!
2) a little criticism for you - as you say the names of places, please first learn how to properly say them. You’re not pronouncing any of them correctly. It’s a pet peeve for me when someone does a video, but doesn’t get the names correct … suggestion - practice each one with someone with a native tongue until they give you the thumbs up … or even with someone who’s not a native, but speaks like one (like me for example). Zadar, Plitvice, Zagreb, Ljubljana, Dubrovnik, Split .. all pronounced incorrectly. You did get Krka right. 😊
3) Plitvice - it’s a UNESCO site … not just a bunch of lakes. And, the waterfalls there are super amazing as well! Definitely not to be missed. If you haven’t been to nearby Rastoke, check that out as well. Much smaller along the Korana River, smaller waterfalls, windmill, in a cozy small town … that’s authentic to how locals really live. My parents are from this part of Croatia, so both Plitvice Lakes (Plitvičke Jezere) and Rastoke, hold a very special place in my heart. ❤️
4) AirBNB’s - yes, they are wonderful and relatively inexpensive. However, not called AirBNB’s there .. look for “Sobe” which translates to rooms in English. There are other words used for rentals as well … Njuškalo.hr - this website is a great source of info for housing.
4) Zadar vs Split - even though I personally agree with you and favor Zadar myself between the two, they are just very different and really should not be compared or used in an either/or scenario. Zadar is also full of tourists, especially where the mentioned sea organ is. It is also one of the main “Lukas” (ports). Anywhere along the coast, you’ll see Ships, yachts, boats of all sizes … Split, yes, is a larger port and 2nd largest city in Croatia overall, however. It is wrong to label Zadar as “non-touristy”. The last yacht tour I did left out of Zadar for example, and there was a large commercial cruise line in port with almost 4, 000 passengers that were roaming Zadar while in port. Anywhere a cruise ship docks, or yacht tours begin, end, or stop at, is a tourist attraction!
5) Zagreb - can’t disagree more about it being non-touristy … as the largest city in Croatia with the busiest airport, many come to Croatia through Zagreb. And, they stay at least a day or two or more to explore. Christmas time (advent season) as well, the Christmas markets are rated amongst the best in Europe and people from all over flock to Zagreb. It has grown a lot since my younger years and become over commercialized too .. old Zagreb vs new Zagreb .. very different in feeling … fast food chains everywhere too with choices of all cuisines from around the world, that it now feels like an international melting pot (similar to how it is in the USA). It does not at all feel like it did when I used to go there as a child into my early 20’s (I’m now in my 50’s) … it has changed a lot and has become a lot more progressive.
6) staying closer to downtown areas - personally again, I could not disagree more. I like staying farther away, where the locals truly live and go to beaches or do things inland … don’t want to be in the hustle and bustle of it all. I am technically a tourist myself, however, with ethnic roots and ties to Croatia, I don’t feel that way when I am there. I feel I am with my people and want to live and do things where my people are doing them. I can spot a tourist in a split second, and they are everywhere in all the major cities and ports and mot popular places to visit. No thank you for me. Although, I do completely know and understand that Tourism is extremely important for Croatia’s GDP, however, it was much nicer when it was less congested in these areas, relatively unknown, and in its true original and pristine condition. Even though it is still beautiful and looks pristine to the typical tourist who visit, for someone like me who has seen it evolve over many years of time, it is no longer the best kept secret gem anymore … everyone is flocking to it now. I pray it never loses its true authenticity, but I do fear it will happen as the years continue to go by. 🙏🏻

Overall though, despite my constructive criticism, it was nice to hear your love for Croatia! ❤️
(Excuse any typos - not proofreading before hitting the comment button).

[andrewgoldman]

ferry was clutch for my trip between Hvar/Dubrovinik and Split.

[sucha]

Šibenik is also underrated. Beautiful city!

[MackenzieNerdyEMT]

My mom came to the US from Komiža and its a place i absolutely want to visit sometime soon.