Essential Croatia Travel Tips: Campsite Hacks, Dog Regulations, and More
Heading to Croatia soon? Quickly check out all our useful tips for your trip. From saving on campsites to mandatory vaccinations for your dog.
Useful apps for Croatia
If you’re traveling with a camper or caravan, the Park4night and Campercontact apps are essential. They help you find the best camper stops, campsites, and even wild camping spots. However, wild camping is prohibited in Croatia and strongly discouraged, especially during peak season. Also, don’t forget Google Maps and Maps.me, they’re must-haves on your phone.
ACSI camping card
If you camp outside the peak season, you can save a lot of money at campsites with the ACSI discount card. You’ll never pay more than 20 euros. We found the campsites in Croatia to be quite expensive and often had to search hard for something affordable. We highly recommend visiting the country outside the peak season when the prices are more reasonable.
Toll Roads
We discovered that Croatia is indeed the land of tunnels. If you’re not on the highway, you’ll spend quite some extra time. It’s almost impossible to avoid toll roads, and unfortunately, they aren’t cheap. Try to avoid toll roads whenever possible.
Car Obligations
Always check what’s mandatory to have in your car before your trip. In Croatia, it’s mandatory to carry a warning triangle, safety vest, first aid kit, and spare bulbs. If you’re traveling in a commercial vehicle, you’re also required to have a fire extinguisher.
Bringing Your Dog to Croatia
If you’re traveling with your dog to Croatia, your pet needs a valid European passport and a mandatory microchip. Tattoos are no longer allowed in Croatia. Also, your dog must be vaccinated against rabies. Ensure you do this in time because your dog can only cross the border after 21 days following the vaccination. The veterinarian must clearly indicate the vaccination date in the passport. Always seek travel advice for your dog from your vet.
In addition, Pitbull Terriers or their crossbreeds are not allowed in Croatia. Also, breeds such as Dobermann, American Staffordshire Terrier, Bull Terrier, Rottweiler, Dogo, German and Belgian Shepherds, Japanese fighting dogs, Large Japanese Spitz, Mastiff, Sarplaninac, and their crosses must be leashed and muzzled in public areas. However, we often encountered similar dogs where these rules were not applied.
Paying in Croatia
Croatia doesn’t use the euro but the Kuna. Some people in touristic places accept euros, but you’ll often receive Kuna as change. When withdrawing money, be mindful of extra costs from your bank. Cash withdrawals often incur additional charges. It’s cheaper to avoid using cash as much as possible. We have an account with Knab; they don’t charge extra transaction fees for cash withdrawals in Europe. It might also be useful to get a credit card.
Car Rental in Croatia
If you didn’t travel by your own means to Croatia, we highly recommend renting a car. Croatia is full of beautiful places often accessible only by private transport. If you want to explore as much of the country as possible, rent a car immediately upon arrival.
Passport or ID
As a Dutch citizen, you can travel to Croatia with either a passport or an identity card. You’re allowed to stay in Croatia for 90 days. If you wish to stay longer, you’ll need to apply for a visa at the Embassy of Croatia in The Hague before your trip.
