Dubrovnik, Croatia Hotels and City Guide

Dubrovnik - Getting There

Getting To Dubrovnik by Air

Croatia Airlines fly from the capital, Zagreb, to Dubrovnik several times a day. It is an hour’s flight.

National Airlines
National airlines that fly to Dubrovnik include Croatia Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, Czech Airlines, British Airways, Iberia from Madrid, TAP, and the Finnish airline Blue1 from Helsinki. Norwegian Air Shuttle has direct flights from Bergen, Oslo, Stavanger and Trondheim in Norway, Stockholm in Sweden and Copenhagen in Denmark.

Budget Flights
Budget airlines include Easyjet from Liverpool, Berlin, Geneva, Milan, Paris, Rome. BMI Baby flies from Nottingham, Jet2.Com from Manchester and Edinburgh, German Wings from Berlin, Cologne, Hanover, Hamburg, and Air Berlin from Munich. Jetairfly has flights from Brussels and Helsinki, while Spanish budget airlines Spanair and Vueling connect passengers to Dubrovnik.

British Airways operates direct flights from London Gatwick to Dubrovnik, while Jet2.com flies from Edinburgh, Manchester, Leeds and Belfast to Dubrovnik.

Flights from Further Afield
Direct flights from New York to Zagreb are due to commence in May 2011. Until then, there are no direct flights from the USA to Croatia.

Getting To Dubrovnik by Rail

Because of the mountainous terrain, there are no trains to Dubrovnik.

Getting To Dubrovnik by Road - Buses and Coaches

All bus journeys terminate at Dubrovnik Main Bus Station, Put Republike 19, next to the Jadrolinija ferry terminal in Gruz, northwest of the Old Town.

An extensive bus network links Dubrovnik to the rest of the country, as well as international services to neighbouring countries and Slovakia, as well as to European destinations such as Italy, Switzerland, France and Germany. Express buses are comfortable and cover longer distances.

The following national bus services are on offer:
- Eight buses a day/night run from Zagreb to Dubrovnik, an 11-hour journey
- Thirteen daily buses depart from Split, a 4 to 5-hour journey along the coastal route, making it possible to board at Brela, Baska Voda or Makarska
- Seven buses per day from Zadar, an 8.5-hour trip, stopping at several towns along the way
- One daily bus runs from Korcula to Dubrovnik (with an extra service on Sunday), a 3-hour journey stopping at Orebic. Please note: As the road runs through Neum in Bosnia, your passport may be required at the border post. A visa is not necessary unless you require one to enter Croatia.

Overnight buses also run from Rijeka, Pula and Rovinj.

Getting To Dubrovnik by Road - Driving

Driving from Zagreb to Dubrovnik
The scenic A1 from Zagreb to Dubrovnik is not complete as at February 2011. The last +/-100kms from Ploce (Ravca) is expected to be finished in 2013. This motorway is an amazing engineering feat which entailed the construction of 351 bridges, viaducts and tunnels owing to the rugged terrain. The route passes through hills, mountains and along the dramatic Dalmatian coast.

Of the planned 550km to Dubrovnik, 454.5km have been completed. The A1 has already boosted tourism and the economy of Croatia. The toll road has 33 exits, some to national parks, heritage sites and coastal resorts. The A1 is part of the road network of two main European routes, the E65 and E71.

Other Motorways Reaching Dubrovnik
For the last decade, Croatia has been building new motorways throughout the country, which continues to be a work-in-progress as at 2011. Most of them are toll roads, but some are toll-free in certain sections.

Northern Croatia
The 3.75km A2 starts near Macelj on the border with Slovenia in northern Croatia. It ends at the interchange with the A3. It is part of the E59.

The A4 starts near Gorican on the border with- Hungary in northern Croatia. It is 96.4km long connecting Budapest in Hungary to Zagreb, forming part of European routes E65 and E71. Its southernmost section forms part of the Zagreb bypass. East of Zagreb it joins up with the rest of the Croatian network system.

55km of the A5 has been constructed out of the planned 88.6km to be completed after 2012. It connects Osijek in eastern Croatia to Zagreb. When complete it will connect Croatia to Hungary in the north. A major junction is with the A3. Southbound traffic to Bosnia and Herzegovina needs to travel via the A3.

The A6, part of the E65 in the northeast of the country is 80.2km long connecting Rijeka, the main seaport, to Zagreb via the A1. It gives access to Risjnak National Park and several resorts, having been completed in 2008. As this motorway runs through mountainous country, bridges, viaducts, tunnels, underpasses and flyovers are features. The 48m-bridge over Bajer Lake is magnificent. Tuhobic Tunnel, at 2.143km, is the longest on the A6. Between Rijeka and Zagreb there are 45 underpasses, 26 flyovers, 24 viaducts, 13 tunnels and five bridges.

The A7 in northwestern Croatia is 35.7km long and connects the largest port of Rijeka to the Croatian motorway network and to the border crossing with Slovenia, part of European routes E61 and R65. It provides access to Ucka Nature Park. However, the motorway is only partially complete, its ultimate destination being at the A1 interchange in Zuta Lokva well after 2012.

The A8/B8 in northwestern Croatia in the eastern section of Istria is 64.2km long. It is an expressway linking Kanfanar with Matulji near Rijeka. The 5.062km Ucka Tunnel is the shortest link between Istria and the rest of the Croatian road network. It joins the A9/B9 at the Kanfanar interchange (forming a Y shape) and the A7 at the Matuiji interchange. The expressway provides access to numerous towns and cities in central Istria at 10 exits. Sections between Kanfanar and Rogivici are being expanded into a motorway, with a completion date of the end of 2012. A second Ucka Tunnel and another carriageway will be constructed between 2012-2014.

Eastern Croatia
The A3 in eastern Coatia is a major east-west motorway, 306.5km long, part of the E70 route. It starts on the border of Serbia near Lipovac, crossing the Sava River and running through plains connecting Zagreb to EU and Balkan states. It was originally begun in 1977, but came to an abrupt halt during the Croatian war of independence in the 1990s. Construction was completed in 2006.

Future Motorways
The A10, a tiny 4.6km-stretch of motorway, scheduled to be built in southern Croatia between the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina and the A1; a controversial incomplete A11 will connect Sisak to Zagreb, 9km of which have been completed with another 29km in the pipeline; 23km of the planned 86km have been completed of the A12 northeast from Zagreb to Vrbovec (the western section of Podravina Y which will be extended to the Hungarian border), while a planned A13 will form the eastern section of the Y.

Getting To Dubrovnik by Road - Important Driving Information

Dubrovnik and Croatia Road Rules
- The minimum driving age in Croatia is 18
- Traffic drives on the right
- Give way to traffic on the right at unmarked intersections
- Do not turn right at a red light unless a green arrow shows
- The permissible alcohol limit is 0.5%
- Helmets are compulsory for motorcycle drivers and passengers
- Dipped headlights must be on at all times
- It is forbidden to use a mobile phone while driving
- Seatbelts must be worn at all times
- Driving in Croatia in winter requires winter tyres and often chains

Speed Limits
- 50km/h in built-up areas
- 80km/h outside built-up areas
- 110km/h on main roads
- 130km/h on motorways

Documents Required
In order to legally drive in Dubrovnik and Croatia, the following documents are required: a valid passport, an International Driving License, and the Vehicle Registration Papers and Proof of Insurance (International Green Card).

Road Assistance Emergency No: 987 (mobile phones +385 1 987) or Croatian Automobile Club 01 4640 800.

Getting To Dubrovnik by Ferry

The only international ferry operates from Bari in southern Italy to Dubrovnik’s port in Gruz throughout the year.

A twice-weekly coastal domestic car ferry runs from Rijeka via Split, Hvar Island and Korcula to Dubrovnik, an overnight 19-hour voyage. It is a 9-hour journey from Split, 7 hours from Hvar and 3 hours from Korcula. More ferries operate from Korcula during summer. Buses and taxis run from the port into the city.

Hotels in Dubrovnik, Croatia