Inexpensive, spend a comfortable and rich vacation, and, at the same time, spend as little money as possible.
Choosing economical housing in Croatia
The first thing to decide is to book a private apartment or hotel? My recommendation here is definitely an apartment. Any, even the poorest Croatian hotel in the season costs at least 100 euros / day for two, and more often much more, while a completely comfortable apartment located within walking distance from the sea will cost 35-50 euros. And if we are talking about campaigns of 4-8 people or families with children - mathematics even more clearly speaks in favor of apartments.
Those who believe that the cost of apartments is lower than that of hotels, due to the availability of food in the latter, are greatly mistaken. But more on that below.
The next important point from the point of view of economy is to determine the key priorities when choosing a particular apartment.
What, in my opinion, can be easily neglected: sea view, "renovation" and modern furniture, availabilityLCD -TV, etc.
Remember - you are going to rest, i.e. walk, swim in the sea, sightseeing and other pleasures from visiting Croatia. You only need an apartment to spend the night. And nothing more!
If you have chosen an interesting place for rest, where there is a colorful old city, various beaches, parks, bike paths, lots of nice cafes, etc. - you will regret every extra minute you spend in the apartment. Life in Croatia takes place on the street, even the locals are convinced of this.
What not to neglect:
- Accommodation location. If you do not have a car, the apartment should be located no more than 1.5 kilometers from the sea and the old town. Moreover, it is great if your way to the beach will not run along the open sun of the highway, but in the shade of the park's trees. At the same time, there is absolutely no need to strive to settle as close to the sea as possible. A short walk to the beach will save you a decent amount and at the same time will be a lot of fun.
- The house where the apartments are located should be located in a quiet, green area, on a not very busy street, ideally adjacent to a park. It is desirable that the hosts have a shady garden with a grill, picnic table and chairs. However, this is not for everybody. The main thing is that the house does not turn out to be a multi-storey anthill, standing at the intersection of the main thoroughfares of the city.
When is the best time to go on vacation to Croatia?
If you want to come to Croatia in July-August, be prepared to pay 20-30 or even 50% more for housing than in May-June or September.
Many people think that July and August are in such demand in Croatia due to the fact that only in these months it is hot and the sea warms up. This is absolutely not the case! In this regard, June and September are practically not inferior to the peak of the season.
The real reason for the high cost of July and August is not the weather, but the maximum influx of Italians, who at this time have long summer vacations at most enterprises. In Germany, 80% of employers also prefer to leave their employees on vacation in the middle of summer. Accordingly, Croatian tourist accommodation is packed to capacity, and at any price.
If you want to save a lot - come in June or September.
Food costs in Croatia
Many ladies I respect often reject private apartments with horror for fear of being chained to the kitchen stove while on vacation. I will try to dispel this fear. The kitchen in the apartment is a big plus!
It is important to understand how to properly take advantage of this benefit, which, if done correctly, will save you tons of money and will not take away valuable rest time.
Breakfast. The classic breakfast at the hotel consists of a variety of cheeses, sausages, ham, boiled eggs, yoghurts and juices. Moreover, it is very expensive!
If you spend quite a bit of time buying it yourself in the store, and then taking it out of the refrigerator in your apartment in the morning, you will save a lot of money.
Fry eggs, boil sausages, chop cheese and bread - it will take you no more than 15 minutes, another 5 minutes will be spent on cleaning and washing dishes. And that's all.
Dinner. If you want to really save on food in Croatia and, at the same time, be full and satisfied - choose the right dishes in the menu of local restaurants.
Optimal for a dense daytime snack - pizza, squid, cevapchichi, pleskavitsa, bechka (Viennese schnitzel). They are quite inexpensive. All this is prepared quickly, tasty and satisfying. Your children will definitely be delighted.
Dinner. This is the most expensive component for independent rest... You can save as much as possible on dinner only if you cook yourself in the apartment. And there is nothing terrible in this. Visit a local supermarket, buy a few pieces of fresh meat, visit the "fish market", where the fish of your choice will be immediately cleaned for free. Come to the apartment, put meat or fish in a frying pan - 10 minutes and a delicious dinner is ready. Moreover, the money will be spent at least. Remember, your favorite Croatian wines, meat, fish, cheeses, prosciutto are much cheaper in the store than in the restaurant. At the same time, there is no need to look for a free table, wait for a waiter, delve into an incomprehensible menu, etc.
I don't even want to talk about the quality of the buffet in hotels - it is absolutely incomparable to the excellent products that you can prepare yourself or the cuisine of private restaurants.
If you want to dine in a restaurant and not spend a lot of money, carefully consider the choice of dishes:
- Don't order bottled wine. It is always very expensive. Take half a liter of draft wine in a decanter, which in most cases is of no worse quality than bottled wine.
- You should not order a "fish (or meat) plate mix". Firstly, it is expensive, and secondly, you overeat. You will feel bad from so much food.
- Do not take shrimp, white fish (orada, brancina, flounder, monkfish, etc.) - it is very expensive. Better buy in the "Rybarnitsa" and fry yourself. This can be done on the same grill in the garden of your apartment. It will come out even tastier.
- Don't order steaks - this is one of the most expensive dishes in restaurants.
- At the restaurant you can order delicious and inexpensive dishes for dinner - various types of "pasta" (pasta), risotto, mussels, fried sardines, deep-fried or grilled squid, chevapa, ombalo, etc.
When buying food in stores, be sure to pay attention to the "discount" and "action" signs. All Croats do this. Don't be afraid to get poisoned! Selling stale and expired products is not accepted here.
With the right approach, you will spend no more than 50 euros on food per day for a family of 2-3 people, and if you wish, even less.
For example, we are a family of 4, permanently living in Rovinj, and we spend on average about 120 kuna per day on food (about 15 euros).
Transfer in Croatia
If you want to pay a reasonable amount for a transfer from the airport to your apartment, book it in advance from private carriers or a host agency, rather than taking a taxi upon arrival. This will save you 30-50% of the trip cost.
If you properly organize your vacation, optimize costs, abandoning unnecessary excesses, then you will probably have money for a couple of excursions, with which your trip to Croatia will be filled with additional positive and will leave the most vivid impressions in your memory.
The other day I returned from a mini-trip to Croatia, which we went on with my family and friends. Although in all previous years we preferred beach vacation in all-inclusive hotels, this time they decided to diversify and completely abandoned the services of various travel agencies, trying to organize the trip on their own.
We didn't have to choose the country for a long time, we had long wanted to visit Croatia, and the absence of the need to obtain a visa only strengthened our desire to go there.
As a result, a month and a half before the planned trip, I started booking hotels, buying air tickets and renting a car. we wanted to get not only to the sea, but also to see the famous Plitvice Lakes and several large Croatian cities.
As a result, our route according to the plan was as follows: we arrive in Zagreb, take a car there and go to Plitvice Lakes. There we look at them for two days and move to the sea in the resort town of Makarska. We have been living at sea for 6 days, while not just lying on the beach, but visiting the islands and interesting nearby cities. Then on the eighth day we leave back to Zagreb and explore this city all day. On the last day we return the car and fly home.
There is a plan, it remains only to prepare everything so that this plan can be translated into reality.
First of all, I found out the availability of air tickets to Zagreb. Aeroflot has found a suitable option. For reliability, I went to the airline's website, issued tickets and paid for them using a MasterCard.
It remains to book three hotels and a car. To book hotels, I used booking.com, where you can quickly book almost any hotel in any country. Having selected the suitable hotels, I made a reservation, typing in the details of my MasterCard to confirm my intentions. At the stage of booking, money is usually not withdrawn. They can only be removed if you cancel your reservation within a few days of the booked date.
There are hotels, there are tickets, there is a car left.
I had no experience in booking a car, so after reading reviews, I used rentalcars.com, which, as I understand it, is a partner of all major car rental companies and allows you to find the best deal for a particular car.
Since we were 4 adults and one child, the car needed a roomy enough, so I stopped at an Opel Astra with automatic, climate control and plus ordered a child seat as an option. I also entered my credit card details and confirmed my order. As a result, the next day I received confirmation that the car had been booked with EuropCar.
At this, the booking process was over, and all that remained was to wait for the departure date. For the money at the moment it turned out to be 46,000 rubles. per person.
A month and a half passed quickly, and now we are on the plane on the way to Zagreb. We flew normally, the weather was good, and the border guards were friendly and efficient.
We quickly found the EuropCar office, signed the necessary papers, left a deposit (they took it off my MasterCard) and set off. The only mistake that we made at this stage was that we did not inspect the car before leaving for any "jambs", which then may well hang on us when the car is handed over. And as it turned out later, there were such "shoals".
So we're on our way. The first step was to find the nearest bank and exchange money for local currency. The navigator gave us the nearest bank, which turned out to be a local post office, where we safely bought local currency.
Well, then the first point of our journey was waiting for us - Plitvice Lakes, near which the first hotel was located. I gave all the coordinates and addresses of the hotel to Artem Basmanov, who went on this trip with me. He hammered them into his navigator, which was pre-installed in his iPad.
After 200 km, we realized that the navigator was leading us in the wrong place ...))
It turned out that Artyom had hammered into the navigator a very similar in name, but not at all our settlement. We turn around, drive in the correct coordinates and cut another 300 km along the Autobahn in the opposite direction.
Here we have a second interesting point. On the autobahn we run into some piece of iron at high speed and completely kill the rear left tire!
We stop, take out all the things from the trunk and begin to change the wheel, thank God, the spare wheel was in place, and we punched only one wheel, although the piece of iron fell under two wheels.
This is how it was:
The adventure begins!
While the wheel was being changed, a local policeman drove up to us and asked what had happened, if we needed to help. I said that we are tourists from Russia and just punctured the wheel, so no help is needed.
Our mini-hotel was beautifully decorated with flowers, and it was located at the very entrance to the national park.
Almost all the paths in this national park are lined with rounded wooden planks, which are carefully laid over the lakes.
Huge schools of fish swim right under your feet. Fishing is prohibited there, so they swim for themselves, not knowing fear)
I actually put this photo on my desktop. Just a fabulous view!
Airplane))
I trained a lot in photography of waterfalls, since there are a lot of them there.
The largest of the local waterfalls, about 75 meters.
And here is hello from friendly Chinese (or Japanese), who were there most of the tourists)
And although it is also forbidden to swim there, there were comrades who violated this ban and enjoyed the local water. I caught one of them at the crime scene))
As for access to the Internet via Wi-Fi, in the first hotel a good signal was present only on the street terrace, so from time to time Artem and I went there with our laptops.
Then we moved towards the sea to the city of Makarska. Here we decided to refuel for the first time. At a gas station, the system is as follows - you drive up to the dispenser, fill up as much gasoline as you need and leave, go pay at the cash register. With our money, a liter of 95th gasoline cost us 56 rubles. It turns out exactly twice as expensive as in Russia.
The road to Makarska took us about 3 hours and 80% passed along the toll autobahn.
With autobahns, the system is as follows: when you enter the autobahn, there are automatic barriers. You need to drive up to him and take a special. a coupon, in which the place and time of entry to the autobahn is recorded. When leaving the autobahn, there is also a barrier plus something like an ATM, where you need to stick your coupon received at the entrance and your VISA or MasterCard. Money is debited from the card depending on the length of the path traveled on the Autobahn and the barrier opens. Sometimes, instead of an ATM, there is a booth where a kind uncle sits and accepts cash.
On the Autobahn, people drive 130-150 km / h on average. We decided not to get out of the crowd and drove about the same, maybe a little faster. But our comrades regularly "flew" past us, who definitely drove well for 200)). There was even a Bentley Continental GT.
Unfortunately, I left my radar detector in the car at the airport, so I can't say if there are radars in Croatia at all, and how many speeding tickets we collected there.
When we arrived in the city itself, for about an hour we were just looking for the hotel in which we were to stay for the next 6 days. The navigator could not pinpoint this place and gave only approximate points, so they had to resort to help local residents.
We settled in ... Wi-Fi is available, the flight is normal))
There are a lot of people on the beach both in the afternoon and in the evening, so it is best to go swimming early in the morning.
Learning to swim
Embankment
Every day, returning from the sea, we went to the market and bought fruit, took a large watermelon, melon, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries and many other tasty and healthy gifts local nature.
A lot of all kinds of natural oils, lavender, honey, dried fruits ...
Watermelon cost about 32 rubles for our money. per kilogram. You can buy whole, half or quarter.
Once we rented a catamaran. We had a good frolic in jumping from it ...
In the evenings we walked along the embankment
These were the sunsets ...
One day we sailed to the islands. I pretended to be the captain of our ship.
Several more ships sailed with us.
The famous Croatian beach "Golden Cape" on the island of Brac.
I taste the waters of the golden cape. The water was good that day.
One day we went to the city of Split. We arrived in the city, put the car in a paid parking lot and went for a walk.
First of all, we climbed the highest tower in the city.
Previously, this tower was a bell tower, but now tourists are allowed into it for a small fee. Many beautiful shots were taken from the tower.
They also bought the Croatian flag for our collection. We bring a flag and a mug from each country.
Split city in the rays of the setting sun.
On the penultimate day we returned to Zagreb and walked around it. There are no special attractions there, but it was still interesting.
Local tram
Local yogis who sit right on the street in front of a crowd of passers-by.
One of the angels near the main temple of Zagreb
This is the kind of trip we have, full of adventure, new sensations and different emotions. With a child, of course, it's hard, especially for a mother, but in any case, in general, this trip left all of us unforgettable impressions and a positive experience of independent travel, in which we almost made no mistakes.
Our "rake" that may be useful to you:
1. Inspect the car together with a representative of the car rental company and enter into a special sheet all chips, scratches, damages that you notice. In the future, this will save you from controversy over whether or not you are to blame for this or that scratch on the car.
2. Start booking hotels 3-4 months before the trip (if it will be during the holiday season). We booked 1.5 months in advance, and by this time all the most "delicious" options had already been sorted out. Although we also more or less successfully slipped through all the hotels, but if we did everything in advance, it would be even better.
3. Drive your destination into the navigator using digital coordinates in longitude and latitude, which are always indicated for the hotel when booking it.
I would be glad to receive your comments.
P.S. All photos were taken with our Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera. I studied photography, I study and I will learn from our
Capital: Zagreb
Currency: Kuna
Time: UTC + 02: 00
Thousands of magical emotions - your holiday in Croatia
Croatia is a cozy world in which the most modern beaches coexist with delightful forests, hills and mountains. Croatia has a special, poetic name -
"The country of a thousand islands", although it actually has about 1185 islands. Each island is a bright piece of the natural mosaic of Croatia, which has been admired not only by tourists, but also by world famous artists for many years.
Croatia's poetic charm cannot be denied. Once here I spent my honeymoon Agatha Christie is a detective legend. Kings and emperors enjoyed their rest here from century to century. Croatia was sung by Lord Byron, Jack London, Yesenin, Chekhov and other masters of the word.
Contemporary art has also not spared Croatia: not so long ago, the picturesque city of Dubrovnik became the prototype for King's Landing in Game of Thrones, one of the most popular TV series of our days.
A trip to Croatia will give you thousands of magical emotions and thousands of truly beautiful photos! Prepare cameras, photo albums and more free space on the computer - unforgettable experience will be very, very much. As well as new screensavers on the desktop;)
Enjoy painting sea voyages
At first glance, a beach vacation in Croatia seems somewhat unusual. Of course, here you can just walk to the seashore, enjoy the salty freshness of the air and raise fountains of sparkling spray. But beach trips in Croatia are primarily about contemplation and enjoyment of exquisite nature.
Poetic relaxation and endless delight are combined with an excellent opportunity to get the most chocolate tan in the world. From May to October, Croatia enjoys pleasant Mediterranean weather: the air temperature is around 30 degrees, and the water is 25-28.
At the very end of summer, the long-awaited the Velvet season - a magical time of calm. The popularity of tours to Croatia just rolls over, and this is understandable: in the very "velvet" summer heat subsides, and young people return home, to prepare for work and school days.
We advise you to start your trip from Dubrovnik! This ancient fortress retained the mystery and charm of magical antiquity. Adriatic waves beating against high walls, bright roofs of toy houses, light of magnificent street lamps in romantic bays ... Rest here will be a romantic gift for couples in love and an interesting adventure for both young people and older people.
Porec is another urban wonder of Croatia, attracting not only tourists, but also artists. All kinds of creative festivals are constantly held here, and on the streets you can often hear inspired music or read poetry. The green beaches of Porec are no less graceful and picturesque than the city itself.
You will find many other beaches on the island of Istria, as well as in South and Central Dalmatia. Somewhere the beaches are rocky, somewhere - pebble. Sand spots are not so common in Croatia, but each of them is a real work of art. What are at least famous beaches on the islands - Korcula, Moru, Zadar ... We highly recommend visiting the Split resort, which is famous throughout Europe for its clean sea.
Yachtsmen and amateurs come to Croatia every year water sports... The conditions for all kinds of marine entertainment are simply excellent! Thousands of ports can be visited in this region, many of which are perfectly equipped for all types of boating.
When traveling along the beaches, do not forget to look into Croatian restaurants and taverns, which are called “Konobe” in the local language. There you will discover the enchanting flavors of the Adriatic cuisine: delicious stewed cabbage, Juha soup, sheep cheese, fish baked in various ways, shrimps, shells and other seafood. Don't forget to try prosciutto, a charcoal-smoked ham cured in the sea breeze.
Round off your meal in sweet tones: try Croatian cakes and pastries, chestnuts, zucarines, cookies and even local brushwood. Various wines go well with these treats, especially red ones - they often go to counters and tables straight from the hot Istria.
The obvious, the incredible: interesting holiday ideas in Croatia
For lovers of everything unusual, mysterious and inspiring, Croatia has a lot of excursion wonders. And one of the brightest is a trip to Plitvice Lakes! This is a real natural masterpiece that has graced the pages of hundreds of geographical magazines for a long time. National park covers an area of \u200b\u200b217 hectares and includes 16 different lakes and a huge number of waterfalls. With its mesmerizing atmosphere, this place is somewhat reminiscent of the Iguazu Falls on the border of Argentina.
In the capital of Croatia, Zagreb, a very unusual opening awaits you - the Museum of Failed Relationships. It is sometimes also referred to as the "Museum of Divorce" or "Museum of Broken Hearts". Also in Zagreb there is a technical museum and an extensive
a zoo full of "worldwide" flora and fauna.
And a little more surprising! Want to see ... walking fish? Yes, fish on real legs! Drive to Poreč and look into the Baredine cave - there, at a depth of 60 meters, there is a special kind of fish that have legs (they very much resemble lizards). Interestingly, the skin of these fish is almost the same color as that of humans. Excursions to "human" fish are in high demand in this place.
If you like road romance, be sure to rent a car and drive around Croatia with a breeze! Driving along the road and looking at magnificent landscapes is a special, very “Croatian” pleasure. What is at least worth scenic road from Split to Cavtat! Just be careful: with such beautiful views to go
and you can stop forever.
TUI is your reliable tour operator in Croatia
Have you decided to visit Croatia? Do you want to enjoy your vacation without worries and worries? Contact us! We will be happy to select the exact tour that will meet your expectations and capabilities. All you need is the desire to plunge into the fabulous nature and recharge with its unique energy.
Holidays with TUI are 100% reliable! We are the European leader in tourism, and we prioritize high quality services. Traveling with us, you can be sure that your money will not be lost or "burned" for any reason.
Holidays in Croatia are suitable for all categories of tourists:
- For families with children, there are family rooms, mini-clubs, children's pools, a special children's menu and equipment in hotels.
- Young people and all fans of noisy parties will love the large selection of hotels near bars and discos.
- For those who just want to relax and forget about the bustle of the city, hotels with SPA centers are perfect.
- For tourists who prefer a quiet holiday, we can easily find quiet hotels with interesting but unobtrusive animation.
- There are also hotels for clients on a budget, offering excellent value for money.
Geographic location
The Republic of Croatia is located in Central Europe, borders in the north with Slovenia, in the east with Hungary and Serbia, in the southeast with Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the south with Montenegro, and in the west with the Adriatic Sea. According to natural and climatic conditions, the country is divided into four regions: Istria, Kvarner, Gorski Kotar and Liku in the northwest; Dalmatia in the central and southern part of the Adriatic coast, the Northwest region in the central continental part, and Slavonia, Baranja and Sriem in the east.
Religion
Religion: 87.8% - Catholics, 4.42% - Orthodox, 1.2% - Muslims, 0.19% - Protestants.
Climate
On the territory of Croatia, two types of climate can be distinguished: within the country - moderate continental, with cold winters and moderately warm summers, and on the coast Adriatic Sea - Mediterranean with warm, humid winters (+9 .. + 15 ° C) and hot dry summers (+25 .. + 29 ° C).
Currency
The official currency of Croatia is the kuna (1 kuna \u003d 100 lipa).
Foreign currency can be exchanged at a bank, exchange office, post office, travel agencies, hotels and campgrounds.
Credit cards (Mastercard, Visa, American Express and Diners) are accepted in almost all hotels, marinas (marinas), restaurants and shops, as well as ATMs.
1 USD $ ~ 6.5 HRK
1 euro € ~ 7.5 kn.
Tongue
Official language - Croatian, in Istria the second language is Italian.
The shops
Shops are open from 08.00 to 20.00, and in the high season from 06.00 to 12.00 and from 17.00 to 22.00. From two o'clock in the afternoon until five, when the sun is especially hot, many shops close at all: it is time for a midday rest - siesta.
Time
Kitchen
In addition to the usual European cuisine, in Croatia, guests are offered national dishes. Traditional Croatian snacks include: Dalmatian or Istrian “pršut” (a variety of raw smoked ham), Pash (from the island of Pag) or Lichki (from the Lika region) cheese, sheep cheese, Slavonian “kulen” (a variety of spicy salami), the famous Samobor or Zagorsk “Cheshnevki” (savory sausages), fresh homemade cottage cheese with homemade sour cream, etc. In Dalmatia, Primorye, on the islands and on the Istrian peninsula, main dishes are prepared from fish and seafood, and the most popular meat dishes are “pashtitsada” (a spicy dish made from beef) and boiled young lamb. The continental part of Croatia is distinguished by a rich selection of meat dishes, and specialties such as turkey with “Mlinci” (a variety of pasta), roasted lamb and piglet, as well as boiled or baked “strukli” (pies with cottage cheese ).
Croatia has a rich tradition of winemaking, both in the mainland of the country and in Primorye and Dalmatia. Of the spirits, the best known are various varieties of brandy: plum brandy (from plums), travaritsa (from herbs) and lozovacha and bisque (from grapes), and from dessert wines - proshek and maraschino.
Population
about 4,250,000 people, 90% - Croats, 4% - Serbs, 0.17% - Bosnians, 0.3% - Hungarians, 0.4% - Italians, 0.25% - Slovenes, Czechs and Albanians also live , gypsies, Montenegrins and Macedonians
Tip
In hotels, restaurants and taxis, if the service charge is not included in the bill, the tip is 10%. If the cost of service is included in the bill, then the tourist is not obliged to pay a tip. It is also customary to leave "tea" for guides and bartenders.
Souvenirs and shopping
edible souvenirs from Croatia - wine, cheese, prosciutto (smoked pork ham), butter.
office souvenirs from Croatia.
These are ties, neckerchiefs and fountain pens.
cute souvenirs from Croatia.
Such souvenirs are usually brought to women. Among such pleasant gifts are unique lace from the Croatian islands, homemade curly candles, aromatic oils.
Transport
The most common type public transport in Croatia there is a bus. A dense network of bus routes covers the entire country, with buses running in all directions every hour. The bus fares are low, they are comfortable and air conditioned. International bus service is also well developed. Bus routes run to Croatia from many European countries.
In addition to buses in large cities (in Zagreb and Osijek) there is also a network of tram lines. Travel tickets are usually sold in the passenger compartment of a bus or tram or at newsagents.
Bicycles are also popular in Croatia (especially in Istria, where there are many cycling routes).
Network railways connects all major Croatian cities, with the exception of Dubrovnik (you can take a train to Split, and then a ferry to Dubrovnik).
To rent a car in Croatia, you must be at least 21 years old, have a driving experience of at least 3 years, credit card (or deposit), passport and driver's license.
Security
Security is another winning side of Croatia. Today there are not many places on earth where you can feel completely safe.
Croatia is one of the safest countries. Here you can forget your wallet on a table in a cafe and return an hour later to find it in the same place safe and sound. They don't steal here. But don't forget that in tourist season there are a lot of visitors here, and do not make such experiments, so as not to accidentally overshadow your stay in the country.
Beach
All beaches in Croatia are free. Only the rental of sun beds and umbrellas is paid. Most of the beaches are pebbly or artificial (in the form of a concrete platform). The swimming season lasts from late May to mid September.
Do you know that…
Croatians are very resourceful people. On the account of the natives of this country, the creation of a modern torpedo, the discovery of alternating current, the invention of a mechanical pen, fountain pen, tie and parachute, the beginning of naturalism and the birth of fingerprinting. There is a one of a kind beach here, which changes its shape depending on the direction of the wind. It is called the Golden Cape and is located on about. Brach. By the way, it was on this island that marble was mined for the construction of the White House in Washington. Another "miracle of nature" can be seen in national reserve on about. Mljet. More precisely, on one of its salt lakes, which has its own island - the island of St. Mary. This phenomenon is also called "an island on an island." Finally, on the Istrian peninsula, in Zavrsje there is its own Leaning Tower of Pisa. Its height is 22 m, while it deviates by 44 cm.
Resorts
The Istrian peninsula is the most popular tourist region in Croatia due to its rich history, many architectural monuments, old beautiful towns in the Venetian style, the cleanest sea, magnificent beaches and excellent opportunities for a comfortable stay. The beaches on the peninsula are mostly artificial concrete platforms, natural rocks and plateaus. From Istria you can visit 2 of 7 national parks Croatia - Plitvice Lakes and the Brijuni archipelago. The road south leads to Dalmatia. This fairly large region is divided into northern, middle (central) and southern parts. The Central Dalmatian coast is one of the most beautiful in the entire Adriatic. The main resorts of Central Dalmatia are Split, Trogir, Sibenik, Makarska. Each city is unique and has its own peculiarities. It is generally accepted that the most picturesque part of Central Dalmatia is "Makarska Riviera", where there are the best beaches Croatia.
South Dalmatia is a land of mountains and islands. Here, on the Pelješac peninsula, the best oysters in Dalmatia are grown and the most famous wines of Croatia are produced - Dingač, Postup and Malvasia. One of the most popular resorts South Dalmatia is Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik, as they say, " must see»For all tourists who appreciate cultural attractions: Dubrovnik is included in the top three by UNESCO the most beautiful cities - monuments of Europe of the Renaissance. The other two cities are Venice and Amsterdam.
The main natural attraction of South Dalmatia is its islands. The largest of them are Korcula, Mljet and the Kornati archipelago.
My first independent travel was in Croatia... Summer was approaching, I wanted the sea, the sun, the comfort of an old European city, and at the same time I did not want a long and stressful flight.
I have always believed that independent travel is very difficult, you need to know the language perfectly, be able to book hotels, buy tickets, and not get lost in a foreign country - so I went straight to a travel agency.
A lot of options were worked out with the manager - Cyprus, Greece, Spain, Montenegro, Croatia, etc. We stopped in Croatia - the country fully corresponded to my ideas about proper rest, and also attracted by the absence of visas in the summer. The criteria for recreation were as follows: Central Dalmatia, a small hotel without animation, as close as possible to the sea, as well as relative proximity to some city, because I do not like exclusively beach holidays. Surprisingly, my very modest desires could not be satisfied - either the hotel is too far away, or it was too big with animation and round-the-clock fun, or it simply did not satisfy my aesthetic ideas, or it was very expensive. That day I left with nothing and was terribly upset.
In the evening I went to the Internet, and, once again, after reading the reviews of independent travelers, I decided to act. On the sites I found information about airlines, special promotions and discounts on flights, sites on which hotels are booked. It took one evening to book tickets. In the middle of May, there were few special offers, the most profitable was the tour operator in Croatia, who bought tickets for the Moscow-Split flight of Transaero Airlines. To buy tickets, even a plastic card was not needed, the money was transferred using an instant transfer through the bank.
Then the choice of the hotel began. Everything here was more complicated, not because it was not easy to book a hotel (this procedure takes only a few minutes), but because it was not easy to choose a hotel due to the variety of options offered. That's where the creativity is! No agency is able to offer so many different options. As a result, the choice fell on a place called Subcountry, near g. Split and a small, cozy aparthotel with a kitchenette. I decided to book a hotel with a kitchen because there were very conflicting reviews about the village and, after reading them, I did not understand how things are going with restaurants and cafes in the district. As a consequence, it turned out that I did not make my choice in vain. Booked a hotel room on booking.com. My trip, which was scheduled for the end of June, was a month and a half away.
Arriving in Croatia, we decided to go to Podstrana by taxi. As usual, you can take a taxi at the exit from the airport, only unlike in our country, you pay by the meter there and taxi drivers are the nicest, polite people who help carry your luggage and open the door for you. Contrary to my expectations, there were no mountain serpentines, the trip turned out to be comfortable on a good, flat road. I heard that there are serpentines closer to South Dalmatia. But there was no opportunity to check. The trip took approximately 30 minutes and cost 60 euros. At the hotel we were met by the owner, who was called in advance by a helpful taxi driver and from that moment the rest in Croatia began.
This is a wonderful country with clean air, azure sea, smiling and friendly people. The language barrier?! It was easy for me there, although, contrary to numerous reviews, the Croatian language is completely incomprehensible and I do not find the slightest similarity with the Russian language, it was easier to ask in English (although I know it very mediocre), and sometimes in Russian.
Every day we went for a walk to nearby cities - Omis, Split, Trogir, fortunately, buses go there every half hour, and with some of them there is a sea connection. For example, from Omis and Split you can sail on an excursion to the Islands.
Croatian cities are a medieval tale. Very cozy and unhurried, paved with paving stones, and in the center, in the very heat, thanks to the stone and the proximity to the sea, pleasant coolness blows - it is a pleasure to walk there. Restaurants and cafes are everywhere, any street will definitely lead to one of them.
Prices are quite acceptable, for example, a portion of tuna or gilthead costs 500-600 rubles, salad 150-400 rubles, soup 100-300 rubles, coffee 100-120 rubles; the portions are huge, I had to take it with me repeatedly or take it for two. All products are fresh and not only in restaurants. Croatian kitchen - delicious, but the most common, without pretense of sophistication. If it is meat or fish, then simply grilled salads, mostly without dressing, but there is always salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar and olive oil on the table so that visitors can dress the dishes to their liking.
In the markets you can buy seafood, excellent cheeses (I bought several varieties at home), prshut - jerky, which is one of the national Croatian dishes, various fruits, the price of which is much cheaper than ours, and purchase black and white truffles as a delicacy. A large selection of souvenirs, as in any resort town - all kinds of handicrafts made of stone in Trogir, laces woven by Croatian old women needlewomen right in the center of Split, local alcoholic beverages (travarica, plum brandy, etc.), silver jewelry (I was assured that jewelry with coral from local producers), bags and oil with lavender, olive oil (our store cannot be compared with the local one), natural soap and traditional magnets. In my opinion, prices in Omis are slightly lower than in Split and Trogir.
Now a little more detail about Sub-country... The village is very quiet and calm, I had a Villa Jercan apartment by the sea, literally three steps to the water's edge. The hotel has its own beach, at the entrance to the sea the bottom is pebble, and then there is sand - I am writing about this, because this fact surprised me, I thought that in Croatia there are pebbles almost everywhere, at least in this place for sure. The disadvantage of this place is that there are only two restaurants in the vicinity, about 500 m along the seashore, one grocery store, so it is wiser to rent an apartment in the village with at least a small kitchen to prepare the essentials.
Otherwise, everything is fine - the proximity to Omis and Split, a stop near the house, the absence of crowds of tourists. A bus ticket to Split and Omis costs 10-12 kunas, route taxi a little cheaper. The host organizes various excursions and extreme views recreation, car rental, offers taxi services for a reasonable fee. You can independently go to the national park Krka, to oyster farms, as well as to visit many other interesting places.
If you are interested not only in a beach holiday, then one week will not be enough to travel around Croatia, the best option is two weeks - the time during which you can have time to see the most popular attractions, walk around the cities, study the traditions and existence of another country and have plenty of rest on the sea.
I want to note that independent travel planning is not at all difficult, moreover, it is interesting, the process took me so deeply that now I follow all the offered promotions of famous airlines, as well as discounts on hotels in various countries. And I will organize the next trip myself, without travel agencies. Indeed, in addition to significant cost savings, it is also incredible pleasure.
Before leaving for the airport
Your departure will take place on the basis of the issued air tickets. Flight check-in starts 3 hours before departure. Arrival at Pula airport. Travel time is 3 hours.
At the airport in Croatia
General information
Croatia is the right choice for those exploring the monuments of the past, who love secluded beaches, long walks along the sea or picturesque seaside towns. Here you will definitely find your corner of the world, see the coast that will suddenly become yours. Croatia has an area of \u200b\u200b56,538 square kilometers, 1185 islands and rocks, of which 66 are inhabited, the most big islands Krk and Cres. Closest neighbors: Slovakia, Hungary, Montenegro, Italy, Germany, Austria.
On the territory of Croatia, 4.8 million people live, mostly Croats, but there are also national minorities Serbs, Czechs, Slovaks, Hungarians, Germans, Italians.
The capital city Zagreb is a city with the charm of Central European countries. In 1994, the city celebrated the 900th anniversary of the existence of the episcopate.
Transport
Urban transport. Zagreb: the districts of the Croatian capital are linked by an extensive network tram routes... A single ticket costs $ 0.65. One day pass - $ 1.75. All taxis in Zagreb are metered. Landing costs $ 1.25. 1 kilometer of run costs $ 0.65, on weekends and at night - a 20% mark-up, for each piece of baggage - $ 0.20 per kilometer. Each hour of waiting costs $ 4. A trip within the city will cost $ 5-8.
The monetary unit is the kuna. Small coin - linden 1 kuna \u003d 100 linden. Indicative rate 1 euro \u003d 7.5 kuna.
Foreign currency can be changed at banks, exchange offices, post offices, hotels, euro checks - can only be changed at banks. Banks are open from 7 am to 7 pm, Saturday until 1 pm.
Hotels and most restaurants and shops accept all major credit cards (Eurocard / Mastercard, American Express, Diners, Visa).
Local time is 2 hours behind Moscow time.
On the Adriatic coast - mediterranean climate with hot and very dry summers and warm but humid winters.
Croatian, but in tourist areas German, Italian are spoken english.
Most of the country's inhabitants are Roman Catholics, a small number are Muslim and other Christian religions.
With good restaurant service, it is possible to round off the bill when paying. It is not recommended to leave money on the table in a restaurant. Sometimes the service cost is included in the bill. It is customary to give "tea" also to taxi drivers, bartenders and guides.
Electricity
Voltage 220 V, 50 Hz
The main spa centers on the Istrian peninsula
Pula is a large tourist center, has several tens of millennia, is rich in monuments of the Ancient Roman Empire, Byzantium. Entertainment in Pula: Discos: Tangeta - Pjescana uvala, Piramida - Zlatne stijene, Oasis - Verudela, Aquarius - Medulin. Tennis: centers Verudela, Valkane, Bunarina
Casino: Hotel Histria. Scuba diving: Centar za podvodne aktivnosti Primorska b.b.
Porec - antique city, located in the central part of the west coast.
Entertainment in Porec: Discos: Capitol - Vladimira Nazarova 9, Easy rider - Obala marsala Tita, Ointernational Club - Zelena laguna, No 1 - Marafon bb, Panda - Nikole tesle bb. Tennis: centers Galeb, Brulo.
Casino: Hotel Parentium and Adria Casino. Snorkeling: Hotel Delfin and Plava Laguna Sports Center.
Umag is one of the most famous tourist centers and tennis resorts.
Entertainment in Umag: Discos: Center Mon Plaisir? Sportska dvorana Casino: Hotel Adriatic. Snorkeling: Ambis sub centar.
Rovinj is a tourist mecca of Croatia. Entertainment in Rovinj: Discos: Monvi, Villas Rubin, Monte bar, Valentino na Crvenom otoku, Monte Mulini.
Casino: Hotel Istra, Eden, Adria casino (by ship). Scuba diving: Polari sports center, Dive sport center.
Opatija - the name of the city comes from the Latin word abode (monastery), because the city developed around a Benedictine monastery.
Entertainment in Opatija: Discos: Imperial, Lady Madona /. Quorum housei.
Casino: Gran hotel Adriatic. Car rental: Adria, Budget, Larus. Sports centers: Intersport, Minella, SRC Veli Jose
Plitvice National Park - Plitvice Lakes are included in the list of world natural monuments. 16 lakes, connected by many waterfalls, attract tourists from all over the world. Brijuni National Park - during a tour of the island you will see a safari park, Byzantine Castrum, the Church of St. Germain, the ruins of a Romanesque villa in Veridge bay.
Venice - From the Istrian peninsula you can visit the pearl of Italy - Venice. Possible only with an Italian or Schengen transit visa.
Istra tour, Country tour - wine tasting, lunch, folklore program, limfjord, etc.
In addition to standard European cuisine, Croatia offers its most popular national dishes: from the appetizers, this is the famous Dalmatian or Istrian prsut (cured meat), Pasha or Lich cheese, sheep cheese, Slavonian kulen (a type of sausages), the famous Samobor or Zagorsk cheshnovki (sausages), fresh cottage cheese with sour cream…
You will be offered different main dishes depending on the part of the country you are in. In Dalmatia, Primorye, the islands and Istria, the main dishes are fish and "seafood", and meat dishes are "pashtitsada" or boiled mutton.
In the continental part of Croatia, the choice of meat dishes is really rich, and special specialties are turkey with corn dough, baked young lamb, baked veal, "strukli" - roll with cottage cheese and sour cream. For dessert, in addition to the aforementioned strukles, you can try nut or poppy seed cake, puff pastries with cottage cheese or different kinds fruit.
What to drink? The cultivation of grapes and the production of delicious and selected wines is a centuries-old tradition of Croatian winegrowers in the continental part of Croatia, in Primorye and Dalmatia. Famous brands of Croatian wines from the coast and islands are red wines: Teran, Merlot, Cabernet, Opoplo, Plavac, Dingac, Postup and white wines: Malvasia, Posip, Pinot, Kuyundzhusa, лахlahtina, Muscat ... In the mainland of the country - Rizling, Graševina , Burgundats, Traminats ... Among the spirits the most famous are Mlivovitsa, Travaritsa, Lozovacha, and from dessert drinks - Proshek and Maraschino.
The shops
Shops on the coast are open from 8 am to 12 pm and from 4 pm to 8 pm.
Car rent
For motorists: The maximum permissible speed in cities is 50 km / h, on normal roads - 80 km / h, on highways - 130 km / h. The permissible alcohol intake is 0.5 ppm. It is compulsory to use seat belts for all passengers when driving. You can rent a car at any resort, you must have an international driving license.
Telephones
Useful addresses and phone numbers:
International telephone code Croatia: 385 Motorway help: 987
general information: 981
Information about local and long distance numbers: 988
Information on international phone numbers: 902
Weather forecast and road conditions: 060 520 520
Croatian Auto Club (NAC): 01 4554 433 and 4640 800
When problems arise
