Americans, Australians, Canadians and many other nationals can enter Croatia with a valid passport and without a visa for stays of up to 90 days. Citizens of EU member countries and Bosnia and Herzegovina can even enter the country with a valid identity card. The document of identity must be valid at least three months longer than you plan to stay in Croatia.
The Government of the Republic of Croatia, at its session on 25 February 2010, adopted the decision to temporarily facilitate the entry of aliens on tourist visits to the Republic of Croatia on the basis of valid Schengen residence permits and visas. Visit (http://www.mvpei.hr/mvp.a...) for more details. However border guards are not fully aware of this information, and they might tell you that you require a visa to enter Croatia. Stay calm and politely ask them to recheck their information. They will fill a form with your passport and car registration information which can take up to 1 hour!
By train
The rail network connects all major Croatian cities, except Dubrovnik you can take a train to Split then take one of the frequent buses or the more scenic ferry to Dubrovnik, the train station is at the pier. There are direct lines from Austria, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Germany, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Greece. There are indirect lines from almost all other European countries.
Tourists coming from or going to neighboring countries should note the following EuroCity and InterCity railway lines:
EC "Mimara": Berlin - Leipzig - Munich - Salzburg - Ljubljana - Zagreb
IC "Croatia": Vienna - Maribor - Zagreb
IC "Kvarner": Budapest - Zagreb - Rijeka
NB: While Croatia paired with Slovenia is covered on some Eurail passes, staff at domestic ticket windows will tend to have no idea about validating the pass on the first day of use. There are recorded instances of staff saying that the conductor would validate the pass, and the conductor simply treating it as a regular ticket. Fortunately, the international ticket staff particularly in Zagreb are aware of how to validate the pass, and have been known to validate it retroactively where necessary. They even ask for the details of the domestic ticket seller who gave the wrong information.
The traveller is therefore recommended to have already validated their Eurail pass on arrival in Croatia, or to have it validated at an international window even if the first trip on it will be domestic.
By plane
Currently, there are no flights from outside Europe, except for Tel Aviv, and the occasional charter flight from Tokyo and Seoul. If coming from North America, you will have to transfer at a hub such as London or Frankfurt.
Croatia Airlines (http://www.croatiaairline...), the national carrier and member of Star Alliance, flies to Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Milan, Moscow, Munich, Paris, Prague, Tel Aviv, Rome, Sarajevo, Skopje, Vienna, Zurich and - during the tourist season - Manchester.
Adria Airways (http://www.adria-airways.com/) - Slovenian national carrier flies from Ljubljana to Split and Dubrovnik note: there are no flights from Ljubljana to Zagreb as the two are located close together and are around 2 hours by car/train/bus
Aer Lingus (http://www.aerlingus.com/) Dublin - Dubrovnik
Austrian Airlines (http://www.austrian.com/) flies from Vienna to Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik
Alitalia (http://www.alitalia.com/) flies from Milan Malpensa to Zagreb and Split.
British Airways (http://www.britishairways...) flies from London Gatwick to Dubronik
CSA Czech Airlines (http://www.czechairlines.com/) - SkyTeam member; flies from Prague to Zagreb all the year, and to Split during summer.
Darwin Airline (http://www.darwinairline....) flies between Geneva and Dubrovnik Thursdays and Sundays as well as Zurich and Dubrovnik Saturdays.
EasyJet (http://www.easyjet.com/en...) has flights to the following destinations in Croatia: London Gatwick - Split
Estonian Air (http://www.estonian-air.ee) is flying every Wednesday and Saturday from Tallinn to Dubrovnik.
FlyBe (http://www.flybe.com/) operates routes between Dubrovnik and two UK destinations Exeter and Birmingham.
GermanWings (http://www.germanwings.com/) - cheap connection from Berlin, Cologne, Stuttgart and Hamburg, to Zagreb, Split, Zadar and Dubrovnik
HLX Hapag-Lloyd Express (http://www.hlx.com/) - flies to Rijeka and Dubrovnik from Germany, has good overview of cheaper flights (http://book.hlx.com/de/of...)
Intersky (http://www.intersky.biz/) flies from Friedrichshafen to Zadar
Jat Airways (http://www.jat.com/) flies from Belgrade to Dubrovnik and Pula
KLM (http://www.klm.nl/)] connects Amsterdam with Zagreb
Norwegian (http://www.norwegian.no/) connects Oslo with Rijeka, Split and Dubrovnik
Ryanair (http://www.ryanair.com/) flies from Dublin and Karlsruhe-Baden to Zadar.
Scandjet (http://www.scandjet.se/in...) is a Scandinavian low fare airline that connects Sweden, Norway and Denmark with Croatia. It flies from: Oslo to Split Stockholm to Pula, Split and Dubrovnik Gothenburg to Zagreb, Pula, Zadar and Split Copenhagen to Pula, Split.
TAP Portugal (http://www.flytap.com/USA...) is flying from Zagreb to Lisbon via Bologna three times a week Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays.
Vueling (http://www.vueling.com), a Spanish low-cost carrier flies between Dubrovnik and Barcelona.
Wizz Air (http://www.wizzair.com/in...) flies between Zagreb and London Luton Airport
Additionally you can use airports in neighboring countries which are within few hours of reach from Zagreb and Rijeka apart from some of the listed options in Italy: Ljubljana for EasyJet flights to London Stansted or other Adria Airways flights Graz and Klagenfurt for Ryanair flights from London Stansted Trieste for Ryanair flights from London Stansted. You can also use Venice Marco Polo for British Airways flights from the UK or Venice Treviso Ryanair from Stanstead. Ancona is also an option Ryanair from Stanstead for those who want to take ferry or hydrofoil to Zadar and Split. Ryanair also flies to Pescara which is a short drive away from Ancona. Some may decide to use Tivat Airport in Montenegro which is within easy reach from Dubrovnik.
By bus
Very good network of buses once in the country - cheap and regular.
If you are coming from Italy there are two buses daily from Venice leaving at 11AM and 1:45PM going to Istria, with a final stop in Pula. These are operated by two different bus companies, but you can buy tickets for both buses at the A.T.V.O bus office at the Venice bus station. The office is in the bus station, but located outside on the ground level across from where all the buses park. Both buses pick up at spot b15. It is roughly a 5 hour bus ride, with stops in Trieste and Rovinj. You can also pick up the bus at the bus station in Mestre, fifteen minutes after the scheduled bus leaves Venice. Coming in from Trieste, Italy is popular among Europeans, for Trieste is a Ryanair destination. You cross the Italian-Slovenian border first, followed by the Slovenian-Croatian border, but they are very close to one another.
Dubrovnik and Split are the main destinations of international buses from Bosnia and Hercegovina or Montenegro, with daily buses traveling to cities such as Sarajevo, Mostar and Kotor some lines such as Split-Mostar operate every few hours. Seasonal lines also extend through to Skopje from Dubrovnik. Border formalities on the buses are extremely efficient, and do not involve leaving the bus previous services from Dubrovnik to Kotor involved changing buses at the Croatian border.
Osijek is a very big bus hub for international travel to Hungary, Serbia and Bosnia in addition to its local buses, and the station is located conveniently next to the railway station. Many buses heading from Zagreb north into Hungary or Austria will pass through Varaždin.
From Germany with Äazmatrans (http://www.cazmatrans.hr/...).
By ship
Ferries are cheap and go regularly between various places by the coast. Although not the fastest, they are probably the best way to see the beautiful Croatian islands of the Adriatic Sea.
Jadrolinija (http://www.jadrolinija.hr...) is the main Croatian passenger shipping line that maintains the largest number of regular international and domestic ferry and shipping lines. The following international lines are serviced by car ferries:
Rijeka - Zadar - Split - Hvar - KorÄula -Dubrovnik - Bari
Split - Ancona - Split
KorÄula - Hvar - Split - Ancona
Zadar - Ancona - Zadar
Zadar - Dugi otok - Ancona
Dubrovnik - Bari - Dubrovnik
Blue Line International (http://www.blueline-ferri...) also covers the international line:
Split - Ancona - Split
Venezia Lines (http://venezialines.com) has regular catamaran lines between Venice and the Croatian cities of PoreÄ, Pula, Rovinj and Rabac.
By car
To enter Croatia, a driver's license, an automobile registration card and vehicle insurance documents are required. If you need road assistance, you should dial 987. The following speeds are permitted:
50 km/h - within built-up areas
90 km/h - outside built-up areas
110 km/h - on major motor routes
130 km/h - on motorways
80 km/h - for motor vehicles with a caravan trailer
80 km/h - for buses and buses with a light trailer
When driving in the rain, you should adjust speed to conditions on wet roads. Driving with headlights is not obligatory during the day during Daylight Savings Time; it is obligatory during winter months. Use of mobile phones while driving is not permitted. Maximum permitted amount of alcohol in blood is currently 0.05% matching neighobring Slovenia and Bosnia Herzegovina although this has varied recently and was down to 0% until that was found to not be tenable in the country. Use of seat belts is obligatory.
Hrvatski Auto Klub (http://www.hak.hr) is the Croatian Automobile Club dedicated to assisting drivers and promoting greater traffic security. Its site offers minute-by-minute updates, status of national traffic, weather, numerous maps and webcams located all over Croatia. Content is available in Croatian, English, German and Italian.