22 Jul2024
I’ve visited Croatia 6 times already. The last time was in June and July 2024 for 3 weeks. Keep reading to find out details about Croatia travel cost and how much I spent there in 21 days.
Let me start by saying that I usually avoid traveling to popular destinations in high season, which means that if I traveled to Croatia ALONE, I would have completely avoided mid-June to mid-September whatsoever. But as this trip started as a family trip and they could only travel at this time of the year, I had to compromise and forget about my priorities of ”low season travel” for this time. And it turned out like a bad decision but well…
Croatia travel cost in 2024
Croatia travel cost in detail
To make it clear, traveling in summer season meant 3 things:
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more expensive accommodation (not ideal for me)
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more crowded there (not ideal for me as I prefer peaceful places with as few people as possible)
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less accommodation options that were still available to book (not ideal for me).
After the first week with family when we visited Zadar and Plitvice, I stayed in Croatia another 2 weeks on my own. Initially, we were supposed to spend 2 weeks in Croatia together as a family but I had a big unexpected disagreement with a family member and it made me feel so disrespected that I asked them all to spend the second week of ”our holidays” without me.
Despite of the consequences of me losing money and having to replan some of the trip, I just couldn’t bear that kind of no-respect-attitude towards me any longer.
I finally chose myself and my peace & quiet over feeling disrespected over and over again.
It was not the first time something like that would happen on family holidays but until Croatia I’d never ended our holidays earlier than scheduled… But this time I felt like I truly had to finally show them it was NOT ok to treat me like that. You know, setting up clear boundaries.
No, it was not easy but I simply had to.
And yes, unfortunately, that decision made me lose money.
To be honest I wasted hundreds of euros: e.g. I had to pay for 8 nights of accommodation myself even though the other family members were not staying there with me any longer (they booked a different accommodation as I’d booked this one under my name and it wasn’t possible to change it last minute).
And then, being in Croatia already, I decided to stay for an extra week to enjoy more of the beach. So I had to buy a new plane ticket back home, arrange last minute accommodation for a week, and buy a new bus ticket back to Zadar. Yes, more money. Ouch!
On my last visit to Croatia I only stayed at:
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Zadar (2 nights)
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Mukinje village next to Plitvice National Park (3 nights)
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Starigrad Paklenica (14 nights)
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Zadar (2 nights)
Croatia sea
How much I spent in Croatia in 3 weeks
Transportation
9 eur = train/buses from Snina, Slovakia to Kosice, Slovakia and back
2 eur = public bus from Kosice train station to Kosice airport and back
89.46 eur = original return flights from Kosice, Slovakia to Zadar, Croatia (I didn’t use the flight back altough I’d paid for it)
16.99 eur = new flight from Zadar to Kosice to get back home
106.45 eur = altogether for the return flights from Kosice, Slovakia to Zadar, Croatia
I traveled light only with a small backpack as a carry on luggage that needs to go under the seat in front of you once on the airplane. Traveling with a suitcase/more bags would have cost me a lot more.
5 eur public bus/shared taxi from Zadar airport to Zadar bus station
5 eur public bus from Zadar bus station to Zadar airport
26.72 eur = for return bus tickets from Zadar to Mukinje/Plitvice and back from Mukinje/Plitvice to Zadar
13.50 eur = for return Arriva bus from Zadar to Starigrad Paklenica and from Starigrad back to Zadar which I bought in person at the Zadar bus station ahead of time (but the way back was on a certain day and as I decided to stay longer there, I didn’t take that bus so I lost money for the ticket and had to buy a new bus ticket, as mentioned below)
4.70 eur = public Liburnija bus from Starigrad back to Zadar. I paid for it directly to the bus driver on the bus. The bus ticket cost 4.65 eur but the bus driver didn’t give me those 5 cents back.
I spent 172.37 eur for all the transportation from my home town Snina, Slovakia to Croatia, around Croatia and back to Snina.
me in Starigrad Paklenica
Accommodation
I had a small kitchen at all my accommodations, except one for 8 nights (that one had a shared kitchen with other guests). I don’t cook but it was still useful. I could use the fridge and cut my fruit and veggies in the kitchen.
231.98 eur = for an apartment in Zadar for 4 nights. The first 2 nights were cheaper as I shared it with my family, the last 2 nights were on my own in a studio.
81.23 eur = for an apartment in Mukinje village next to the Plitvice National Park. As it was shared with my family, this was what I paid for 3 nights.
799.60 eur = a room and then a studio in Starigrad Paklenica for 14 nights for myself.
I spent 1,112.81 eur for 21 nights of accommodation in Croatia.
Accommodation in low season would be cheaper, I guess. Also sharing with other people/family/friends the entire time would be, too.
Starigrad paklenica Croatia sunset on the beach
Entrance fees
I only paid 60 eur for a 2-day entrance to the Plitvice National Park. I bought the ticket online a few weeks before my visit but it’s the same price when you buy it in person on the day of your visit right at the entrance to the national park. One day ticket for adults costs 40 euros and 2-day ticket for adults costs 60 euro which saves you 20 euros for 2 days.
I highly recommend you to get your tickets to Plitvice online, especially when traveling there over the weekend or in summer. It’s the best way to be sure you can get there (they have limited visitors per hour) and also to avoid the crowds.
I also visited the Paklenica National Park next to Starigrad Paklenica town but it was part of a collaboration so I didn’t have to pay the entrance there. FYI, it would be 10 eur per person per day to the park + 5 eur to enter the Manita pec cave with a guided visit + 5 eur to enter the Underground Visitors center.
Starigrad Paklenica Croatia port
Food and drinks
I dined out at a restaurant just twice during my 3 weeks in Croatia and both times were in Zadar. I’ve been vegan (eating only plant-based) since July 2013 and vegan meals are still not that common at Croatian restaurants which was one of the main reasons why I ended up preparing my own meals most of the time.
On top of that, I tend to eat less cooked meals and more raw fruit and veggies when it’s hot outside so I was mostly buying fresh food at supermarkets or markets.
However, I did have vegan ice cream 4 times during my stay and that’s not very cheap, to be honest.
The rest of my meals were cheaper from supermarkets than they would have been at restaurants.
I only bought a 1.5 l bottle of water once. I also bought a freshly squeezed orange juice 4 times. The rest of my stay in Croatia I would drink just tap water poured into my 0.5 l BPA-free bottle with shungite stones to clear.
I spent 302.24 eur on all the food and drinks during my 3 weeks in Croatia.
My total cost of travel to Croatia
When I count all my Croatia expenses together, I get the following:
In 3 weeks in Croatia I spent 1,647.42 eur.
1,647.42 eur divided by 21 nights makes it 78.45 eur per day.
In my opinion that’s not very cheap but you know, Europe in summer can get crazy.
As I said, I could have done it cheaper, especially the accommodation, if I’d traveled off-season.
And that was even without buying souvenirs and clothes, eating out every night, going to bars etc.
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Do you think I spent too much? Could Croatia expenses be lower?
Posted in budget & expenses, Croatia, Europe, tips, travel Tags: budget, Croatia, Europe
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