| Trains are of limited value in a country with such a small rail
network, although they do connect Zagreb with the coastal towns of
Rijeka and Split. Elsewhere, Croatia is well served by an extensive and
reliable bus network. Ferries offer a leisurely way of getting up and
down the coast, and provide the only transport to Croatia's many
Adriatic islands
Trains and buses
Croatian railways (Hrvatske zeljeznice) run a smooth and efficient
service. Trains ( vlak , plural vlakovi ) are divided into putnicki (slow
ones which stop at every halt) and IC (inter-city trains which are
faster and more expensive). There's an overnight service from Zagreb to
Split, for which places in couchettes ( kuset ) and sleeping cars (
spalnica ) are best booked in advance. Timetables ( vozni red ) are
usually displayed on boards in stations - odlazak means departure,
dolazak means arrival.
Croatia's bus network is run by a confusing array of small local
companies, but services are well integrated and bus stations tend to be
well-organized affairs with clearly listed departure times and efficient
booking facilities. If you're at a big city bus station, tickets ( karta
) must be obtained from ticket windows before boarding the bus.
Elsewhere, they can be bought from the driver. It's a good idea to buy
tickets well in advance in summer if you can, especially for any
services running to, or along, the coast. You'll be charged around 5kn
for items of baggage to be stored in the hold.
Driving and hitching
The road system is comprehensive, but not always of good quality once
you get beyond the main highways. Stretches of the Zagreb-Rijeka and
Zagreb-Split routes are classified as motorway ( autocesta ) and are
subject to a modest toll, although elsewhere the main routes (especially
the main road down the Adriatic coast) are single-lane roads, often
clogged by traffic - especially in summer, when movement up and down the
coast can be time-consuming. Off the beaten track, roads can be badly
maintained. Speed limits in Croatia are 60kph in built-up areas, 80kph
on normal roads, 100kph on highways and 120kph on motorways. If you
break down, the Croatian automobile club (HAK) has a 24-hour emergency
service (tel 987). Car rental charges are expensive at around £75/$110 a
day for a reliable car with unlimited mileage.
Hitching on the main routes between Zagreb and the coast is fairly
common - but be prepared to wait a long time for a lift. Anywhere else
in the country, prospects for hitching are fairly bad.
Ferries
Jadrolinija ( www.jadrolinija.tel.hr ) operate ferry services down the
coast on the Rijeka-Zadar-Split-Korcula-Dubrovnik route at least once a
day in both directions between June and August, and two or three times
weekly for the rest of the year. Rijeka to Dubrovnik is a 22-hour
journey, involving one night on the boat. In addition, ferries link
Split with the islands of Brac, Hvar, Vis and Korcula. Ferries are also
a good way of moving on from Croatia, with connections to Italy (Split
and Zadar to Ancona, Pula and Brioni to Trieste and Dubrovnik to Bari)
and Greece (Dubrovnik to Igoumenitsa).
Prices (often quoted in dollars or Deutschmarks, but payable in kuna)
are reasonable for short trips: for example, Split to Hvar costs around
$4. For longer journeys, prices vary greatly according to the level of
comfort you require. The cheapest Rijeka-Dubrovnik fare, in high season
(July-Sept), is $29, while you'll pay double that for a couchette-style
bunk bed, and three times more for a bed in a well-appointed cabin (breakfast
included); taking a car on the same journey costs an extra $88, $29 for
a motorbike, but bicycles travel free of charge. Book in advance for
longer journeys wherever possible; addresses and phone numbers are
provided in the text where relevant.
|
