What budget for activities and outings Croatia?
National museums. Admission: €3 to €4. Further information on the website of each museum or that of the Croatian Museums Association(www.mdc.hr/).
Summer Festivals. During the tourist season, many localities offer a free program of cultural events. Ask your local tourist office for details.
National park entrance tickets (indicative prices per day and per adult): Brijuni: from €30 (ferry crossing included); Plitvice: €10 to €27 (depending on season); Krka: €7-20 or €40 (depending on season, all sites); Kornati: from €20 (ferry) to €105 (yachtsman), around €40 (organized excursion); Paklenica: €4-6 or €10 (depending on season); Mljet: from €8 to €19.
With its extensive coastline, Croatia is an ideal destination for seaside fun, whether you're looking for idleness or an active vacation by the sea. The Adriatic is often calm, offering the opportunity for numerous aquatic activities, starting with swimming. The terrain? Numerous beaches, often with free facilities for youngsters (giant buoys, offshore barge for diving), pebble coves, a little less sand, rocks and pontoons where you can comfortably set up your towel. Locals leave their towels on the spot during their lunch break. Watch out for sea urchins in the water and transparent pine sap on the rocks!
Climbing, mountaineering, skiing. The Paklenica region (central Velebit mountains) is renowned for its climbing. Every spring, a major international competition, Big Wall Speed Climbing, is held here, bringing together climbers from all over the world. A little further south, in the Omiš region, you can climb the cliffs of Biokovo. Finally, a number of natural sites have been developed in Istria and on the islands of the Gulf of Kvarner. For skiing, the Papud mountains or Sljeme, near Zagreb, offer the best slopes.
Scuba diving. Croatia, like its Mediterranean neighbors, is a country of sailors, fishermen and divers. The Adriatic has low-amplitude tides, and the translucent seawater offers excellent visibility down to 30m. With average salinity for the Mediterranean, the sea is shallow to the north and in central Dalmatia. After the Palagruža sill, the deep waters of the southern Adriatic basin begin. Ask at the various diving centers about local diving spots. One of the most sought-after diving spots, the Kornati National Park, is a protected area with a limited number of sites open to divers. Fishing has been banned here since 1980. In its clear, clean waters, you can already come across protected species with a mask and snorkel.
The first diving schools were set up on the Kvarner Gulf islands of Krk and Cres. Today, there are clubs all along the coast and on the islands, from Istria to the Montenegrin border, of all sizes, from the family business with its own boat and oxygen tanks to the European group. All instructors must be qualified. With them, you can decide whether to make your first dive or take a course to improve your skills. Diving schools often offer diving packages, including transfers and accommodation, or even half-board. Example prices for one or two boat trips with equipment: €40 to €70.
Surf sports. The weather conditions on the Croatian coast and the daily wind cycle are often favorable for windsurfing, kayaking, paddleboarding and kitesurfing. The latter is very popular on the islands of Brač or Korčula. Several clubs organize stays and courses during the summer season. For sailing courses, ask at the harbor master's offices or marinas where you are staying.
Rafting and freshwater diving. Rafting is practiced on the Zrmanja, Krupa, Kupa, Mrežnica, Dobra and Cetina rivers. Levels vary, but the sport is accessible to all, with experienced guides on hand at all times. From €30 (including equipment).
Boating and yachting. At each of the 22 marinas, boat rental companies offer their services, whether you're a frigate enthusiast or just a yachtsman. For more information, contact your local tourist office or visitwww.aci-marinas.com. For information, a 5 m motorboat for up to 6 people can be rented for €50 to €80 per day (boating license required), with the services of a skipper at around €160 in summer.
Yoga. Over the past few years, wellness courses in Croatia have become very popular, especially on the Adriatic coast in summer. A number of clubs and agencies offer themed stays, which include the opportunity to discover the country and immerse yourself in nature.
The cost of living is lower in Croatia than in France, even if, as soon as the euro is fully adopted at the beginning of 2023, a general price rise will be felt by retailers and service providers.
Cigarettes, alcohol, foodstuffs, etc. are subject to reduced tax rates (5%). Now's the time to treat yourself, especially on gourmet products.
Credit and debit cards are accepted everywhere, even in the countryside. At the market, on the other hand, you pay in cash , and haggling is not practiced at all. Prices advertised or displayed are fixed. Mini-markets and supermarkets (Konzum, Billa, Mercator, Spar) have entire sections devoted to regional products. For food prices, visit , the website of Croatia's leading supermarket chain(www.konzum.hr/klik).
Entrance fees to discotheques and concert halls vary according to the evening, guest artists and DJs, from €6 to €10. Cocktail bars and beach bars include musical entertainment in the price of drinks. Cocktails cost around €6. For the big electronic music festivals in Umag or Pula, for example, which target European tourists, ticket prices are high, at around €100 for a three-night pass (without reservation). Specialized online agencies sell single tickets or packages including accommodation and transport.
As part of the summer festivals offered by the municipality, concerts and entertainment are free in Pula, Poreč, Rabac, Zadar and elsewhere. Concerts in historic monuments are subject to a charge, ranging from €5 to €15, or even more depending on the musicians or DJ invited. In summer, beach bars take over for seaside parties.
What budget to eat Croatia?
Since the beginning of 2023, with full entry into the euro zone, restaurant prices have soared. Of course, this is most noticeable in major tourist cities, seaside resorts and islands.
Starter/dessert: €3 to €8.
Hot dish: €5 to €20, and more for grilled red meat, fish and seafood.
Local wine list: from €10/l.
Menu prices vary according to the establishment's standing, from around €30 to €50 for a gastronomic table.
Coffee is a ritual. In fact, all Croatians drink a lot of coffee! We start the morning with a small espresso, black without sugar, or a long espresso with more water, at the same price (€1 to €2), or a double espresso, twice as much coffee, twice as expensive. For macchiato, tell the waiter whether you want hot or cold milk. Instant coffee, with water or milk, and bagged cappuccino, mixed with water and/or milk, have their fans here. Much better is the homemade espresso with hot milk frothed into a creamy froth. As in Italy, hot chocolate is thick and drunk with a spoon. Teas and infusions, which have more flavor than in France, are served with a honey pod. Try a green tea with red berries or chamomile, for example. All these hot drinks are accompanied by cakes and pastries in tea rooms, unless you've already been to a boulangerie-pâtisserie(pekarna).
What is the budget for accommodation Croatia?
The seasonal nature of accommodation has a major impact on vacation budgets. Whether you're staying in a youth hostel or a 5-star hotel, the category and standard of accommodation also have an influence, but the price of a night's stay will not be the same if you're planning to leave at the beginning of June or the beginning of August.
Seasonal rental in a private apartment, from €40 per double room(sobe), studio from €50. For the whole apartment, the price varies according to the number of rooms, the season, the standing, from €65 (2 people), a house/villa from €140 per day (4 people).
A night in ahostel: from €20-30 per day per person, in dormitory formula. Hostels often offer double rooms, from €50.
3-star hotel: from €70 to €90 per double room (mid and off-season); from €120 to €150 (high tourist season) in the major cities on the Adriatic coast, on the islands and in Zagreb.
Camping: depending on category, tent pitches cost around €5 (low season), €10 and €20 (high season) per person per day. Motorhome pitches: between €15 and €25, bungalows around €50 to €60 per day.
Travel budget Croatia and cost of living
Please note that Croatia adopted the euro on January1 , 2023. This change of currency has led to price inflation, as indicated in this guide, and has had a significant impact on the cost of your stay in Croatia.
Even if the cost of living remains lower than in France, the complete changeover to the euro has pushed up prices. As a general rule, services and shopkeepers match the prices of their competitors. The same goes for car rental companies and tour operators.
You can keep costs down, by renting privately, staying inhostels, taking buses and ferries, and eating in local taverns(konobas ) and fast-food restaurants. You'll also need to discover the country on your own, comparing the offers of day-trippers and accompanied sports activities (diving, boating, kitesurfing, canyoning, kayaking, guided hiking). What's still expensive: entry to national parks, tickets to paid concerts and shows, current music/clubbing festivals on the Adriatic coast, where prices soar in summer.
