Travel information and advice for your Croatia Adventure
Health in Croatia
There are no mandatory vaccinations required for travel to Croatia, and the standards of public health are generally good. Tap water is safe to drink throughout the country. However, if you plan on spending time hiking in the mountains, it's recommended to get vaccinated against tick-borne encephalitis.
If you have minor health issues, you can visit a pharmacy (called "ljekarna" in Croatian). In larger cities, the staff will likely speak some English, but even in places where they don't, it should be possible to get repeat prescriptions if you bring the empty pill container. A rotating system ensures that at least one pharmacy is open on weekends and during the night, and the details of the open pharmacy are usually posted on its window.
In the case of serious health problems, go to the nearest hospital (called "bolnica" or "klinički centar"), or call an ambulance by dialing 112. Citizens of EU countries can receive free hospital treatment by presenting a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which can be obtained online from the official websites of each country. Nationals of other countries should check whether their government has a reciprocal health agreement with Croatia or ensure that they have adequate health insurance coverage.
Read more about Staying healthy in Croatia.
Travel Insurance
It is recommended to obtain an insurance policy that covers theft, loss, illness, or injury before travelling to Croatia.
Typically, a travel insurance policy covers the loss of baggage, tickets, and cash or cheques up to a certain limit, as well as cancellation or interruption of your trip. However, most policies exclude so-called dangerous activities unless an additional premium is paid.
In Croatia, this can include activities such as scuba diving, whitewater rafting, windsurfing, and trekking, but usually not kayaking or jeep safaris. In the event of a claim, it is important to keep receipts for medicines and medical treatment, and if anything is stolen, an official statement from the police must be obtained.
Money in Croatia
Croatia uses the Euro as its unit of currency, with 100 cents making up one euro. Coins are available in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cents, as well as 1 and 2 euros, while banknotes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 euros.
To change money it's best to visit a bank (banka) or an exchange bureau (mjenjačnica). Banks typically operate from Monday to Friday, from 8am to 5pm, and on Saturdays from 8am to 11am or noon. However, in smaller towns, they may close during lunchtime on weekdays throughout the year and remain closed on Saturdays.
Exchange offices often have more flexible hours, staying open until 9 or 10 pm seven days a week during the summer if there are sufficient tourists to warrant it. Exchanging currency at hotels usually results in poor value for money.
Staying healthy while travelling in Croatia is generally straightforward, but some preparation is still important. Health risks vary depending on your medical history, season, length of stay and planned activities, while access to healthcare can differ between major cities, islands and rural areas.
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Read more: Stay healthy in Croatia - Information about health and safety in Croatia
Numerous bridges, viaducts, flyovers, underpasses, passages, wildlife crossings, and more than 90 km of motorway tunnels make the Croatian motorway network impressive and interesting to drive on.
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There are several ways to travel from Croatia to Greece, but the best option depends heavily on where in Croatia you start. From northern and central Croatia, flying or driving is usually the most practical choice, while ferry travel via Italy can be an interesting alternative. Rail travel is currently much more complicated because there is no through passenger-train route from Croatia to Greece. If you are starting in southern Dalmatia, see our separate guide to travelling from Dubrovnik to Greece.
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This guide lists all official Croatia public holidays (neradni dani) for 2026, with practical notes for travellers on what typically changes in real life. If you’re planning a trip, it helps to know these dates in advance because opening hours, transport timetables, and service availability can look different than on a normal weekday.
Croatia’s public holidays are defined by law and include a mix of Catholic religious observances (such as Easter, All Saints’ Day, and Christmas) and key dates in modern Croatian history. On these days, government offices and many administrative services are closed, and banks, post offices, and some shops may run shorter hours or not open at all. In coastal destinations and other tourist areas, especially in summer, restaurants, cafés, hotels, tours, and attractions often operate, but schedules can be reduced, so it’s smart to double-check hours and book ahead.
For more trip-planning basics, see our Croatia travel guide.
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- Written by: Orsat Munitić
Read more: Croatia Public Holidays (Non-Working Days): 2026 Dates + What’s Open
The currency in Croatia is the euro (EUR, €). Croatia joined the euro area on 1 January 2023, replacing the Croatian kuna (HRK), and the euro is now the only currency you normally need for a trip to Croatia.
Paying for things in Croatia is straightforward: cards and contactless payments are widely used, ATMs are easy to find in cities and resorts, and euro cash remains useful for markets, small cafés, tips, rural areas and occasional cash-only businesses. The biggest money traps for foreign visitors are usually ATM fees and Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC), not the currency itself.
This guide covers the practical side of money in Croatia: euro notes and coins, cards, ATMs, exchange offices, budgeting, tipping, customs rules, tax-free shopping, Croatian euro-coin designs and what you can still do with old Croatian kuna.
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Renting a boat in Croatia can mean anything from hiring a small motorboat for a day of swimming to chartering a sailing yacht or catamaran for a week between the islands. The right option depends on your boating experience, licence, group size, route and how much responsibility you want to take for navigation and weather decisions.
Croatia has a large charter industry and excellent boating areas around Istria, Zadar, Šibenik, Split and Dubrovnik. You can rent bareboat if your qualifications are accepted, add a professional skipper, or choose a fully crewed yacht.
This guide explains how boat rental in Croatia works, which licences may be required, what costs to expect beyond the advertised rental price, what to check before signing the contract and the main Croatian navigation, anchoring and safety rules visitors should understand.
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Read more: Boat Rental in Croatia | Licence, Costs, Skippers & Rules
Croatia is worth visiting in winter if your priorities are historic cities, culture, food, Christmas events and crowd-free sightseeing rather than beaches and summer island hopping. Zagreb is the strongest December destination, while Dubrovnik, Split, Zadar, Rijeka and Istria work well for quieter city breaks throughout the colder months.
Winter conditions vary considerably across the country. The Adriatic coast is generally milder but can be wet and windy, while Zagreb and inland Croatia are colder with frost, fog and occasional snow. Mountain areas and regions such as Lika have the greatest chance of sustained winter conditions.
Winter also changes how you should plan a Croatia itinerary. Ferries and seasonal attractions run less frequently, daylight is shorter and some coastal businesses close, so fewer bases and more flexible day trips usually work better than a fast summer-style itinerary.
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Read more: Top Reasons to Choose Croatia for Your Winter Break