Budget Travelling Croatia

Budget Travelling in Croatia always seems daunting for a first time traveler. Unsure whether you will be able to afford the trip or not, well don’t fret too much about it. Croatia has a couple of budget friendly options to help you traverse its land! Whether you are a student, pensioner or a working class person, budget travelling is made for everyone!

Whilst Croatia might be one of the most famous European countries, it can become a bit expensive. Croatia does offer a variety of options to stay at, from high end hotels and apartments to cozy studios. So don’t worry about not being able to find a place to stay at, the prices of accommodation being cheaper during the off season; giving you just a little bit more wiggle room.

Probably the most important and expensive part about travelling anywhere would be the prices of accommodation. It is true that Croatia is a bit expensive, but you will be glad to know that prices plummet during the off-season 🙂

Croatia has a long standing history of renting out apartments. Each year producing more and more apartments for visitors to rent out, so do not worry about finding the “right” apartment as most if not all of them are great and of top quality. The inspected are categorized by state agents. The requirements are also strict when it comes to apartments and they can be a cheap alternative for larger groups, as a two bedroom apartment would be generally cheaper than taking two or more hotel rooms.

A couple of budget saving tips would be:

• If you’re travelling solo or with a friend, a good option would be to book a hostel ahead of time as they tend to be the cheapest option.
• Make sure to always check what the price of an accommodation includes, you wouldn’t want to get charged for using their towels or shampoo accidentally.
• Try to avoid looking for a place to stay at that’s in the center or close to it as the prices for those accommodations tend to be a lot higher due to popular demand.
• If you are a fan of nature and camping out, Croatia has a couple of camping sites that would work perfectly for those with an adventuristic spirit.
• Most hotels and hostels have a “Last Minute deal” which could really help you save up when you are searching for a place to stay at. Prices are relatively dynamic so be careful.
• You can also try to contact the owner of an accommodation directly, that way you can most likely get an accommodation for cheaper as both you or the owner won’t need to pay the booking fee
• There’s also some perks to getting a place outside of the main cities like Split and Zagreb, most accommodations outside of them being villa’s that include BBQ facilities and pools

In terms of popularity, people envision clean beaches, the sun shining bright along with the pumped up beat of the music pounding. But that’s just Summer time in Croatia. Whilst Summer rages on from the start of the second weekend of July to the last weekend of August. It’s safe to say the prices skyrocket at this time.

If you aren’t that much of a fan of visiting Croatia solely because of the clean beaches. You can always try to schedule your visit before or after the main season. Winter is also a great time to visit if you want to experience the holiday joy. As the prices for accommodation, tours and sometimes food drop significantly; at some locations from 90€ to 30€ for a car rental per day.

Croatia for that instance being a beautiful location to visit in any season. Summer offering the beach experience whilst Winter offering a chance to see how the towns change to celebrate the holidays. So no matter when you decide to visit you are bound to enjoy it whenever you set foot in Croatia‘s territory.

The cities across the Dalmatian coast in particular attracting more than a thousand visitors each passing year, the most notable towns being Split and Dubrovnik. But whilst these cities are known to be on the pricier side of things, you can always save a couple of cents by choosing a place a little away from the city centers to stay at.

So don’t worry about missing out on seeing the most popular places inside the main cities as they are just a few moments away. Get a private transport or local bus to take you throughout the city; there are even some free busses that specifically go to the shopping malls so that’s one other way to save some money on expenses.

Whilst exploring multiple locations, visiting far away cities isn’t really a smart idea when travelling on a budget. Many accommodations have what’s called “long stay discount” of sorts which helps save up a bit of money when staying for 3+ days (5+ day during the summer season).

A better option if you want to visit multiple locations would be to choose a central located town, Split for example. From where you will be able to take day trips from to Hvar, Brač, Trogir, Omiš, etc. Public transport is also relatively cheap, about 1.5€, but you can always try to get a month long bus pass for easier access across a specific area. Split can also be relatively cheap, especially if you’re visiting during the off season which is generally Autumn, Spring and sometimes Winter (even if the Winter holidays can increase the price of certain things).

Just keep in mind that the most expensive part about visiting Croatia will be the flight, and make sure to be semi-flexible with the airport as they are all quite a bit away from each other; so if you were planning on staying in Split, landing in Zagreb can add another 4 hours of travelling which can get quite tiring.

What towns to pay attention to
But for most other things, most if not all prices go down during the off season as stated before. So you can enjoy exploring Croatia without having to worry about being overcharged on various things; the most expensive part being the flight of course; closely followed by accommodation depending on the location. But for other things such as food & drinks, you have several supermarkets; especially the larger ones that offer cooked meals for an extremely cheap price at times. Making it quite affordable to take care of lunch and/or dinner if you’re travelling on a budget through Croatia.

There’s also certain towns/places that are more affordable than the rest. The main towns such as Dubrovnik, Split and Zagreb being more pricier than neighbouring towns such as Omiš or Trogir; which have their own charms that are well worth a visit. The beaches being just as beautiful as other places if not more beautiful due to the fewer people crowding them. Enjoy a refreshing dip in the water during Summer time or sight see and leisurely stroll around during the off season to see the sights throughout Croatia.

You’ll also be able to visit some museums if you happen to arrive during the “Night of Museums” that occurs around the 18th of May each year; allowing you to discover and learn about Croatia’s rich history for absolutely free if you happen to be visiting at the time. There’s a lot more festivals or activities; such as public park movie showings on a large piece of screenpaper, perfect for any movie enjoyer; even if most of the movies shown are Croatian or Yugoslavian in origin.

You haven’t gone on a real travel journey until you have gone on a fun exciting tour. Even if you don’t have a lot of cash laying around there’s nothing stopping you from going on a fun and relatively cheap tour. Split having a wide selection of smaller tours that can be boat tours, adventure tours, walking tours and explorer tours. Don’t let your Vacation go to waste, enjoy your time in Croatia to its fullest!
Whilst these tours aren’t no fantastic boat dinner inclusive cruises to the blue cave and what not, they are fun and fit for most if not all ages.

Croatia must seem daunting at first but don’t worry as only the Summer season will get crowded and a bit hectic. But the Summer season isn’t the only season that’s worth visiting in Croatia. Winter season, the season that spreads joy and laughter throughout the holidays once it starts. 🙂

Enjoy your Vacation/Holiday to its fullest as you explore the unfamiliar territory of Croatia. Don’t waste a moment in booking a date when and how long you will be staying, as there are several dozen things you can get yourself up to after you decide on a place. Croatia for that reason being one of the most popular countries to visit in recent years, whilst it did get a bit more pricey due to the large influx of new visitors, it still remains as one of the most beautiful countries in Europe to set your eyes on. After all, set your eyes on the horizon before venturing to new destinations in Croatia!

What other places to visit apart from Croatia.

There’s more than just the Dalmatian coast to see. After you had your fill of Croatia you’ll surely want to travel to other Balkan countries such as Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Slovenia, etc. But if it’s your first time travelling, getting a private personalized transfer to the next place might be worthwhile to avoid the wait for busses and crowds. Most of the other places having their own currency so it’s a good idea to exchange it beforehand as you can never be too sure about conversion rates; but the best method would be to look it up in the end.

But there’s always places and activities you still haven’t done just waiting to be uncovered. So take the moment to enjoy and reminisce about the activities you already experienced. Croatia isn’t going anywhere anytime soon so it’s up to you to decide what you’d want to do and when. After all, you have plenty of time to admire more than a handful of countries. Whether you’re going to be visiting Croatia for just a couple of days or visiting more several weeks, the perfect time to visit is whenever; whether you want to do it during the heightened Summer period or go when the prices drop substantially during the off-season when popularity diminishes.

In the end, it’s entirely up to you, but if you’d want to save as much money as possible the Autumn or Spring season. Those times Croatia becoming the cheapest to travel through due to, well, low popularity among tourists as most of them show up in order to swim in the crystal clear blue waters. So make the most out of your time, explore the wide area of Croatia to the fullest, whether you are backpacking through or taking a private personalized transfer along the way. There’s always something to enjoy in Croatia so make the most out of your Vacation as you don’t know when you’ll be back next time, so make the most out of your visit here; whether you’re on a tight budget or not there’s certain things we urge you to visit and see for yourself.

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Pictures taken from Pixabay