UK
citizens do not need a visa to visit Croatia or Slovenia.
Check travel advice at
www.fco.gov.uk
before going to Bosnia.
Page last updated:
2 February 2012. Train times valid from 11
December 2011 to 9 June 2012.
UK to Croatia by train?
Why not? It's very easy and affordable to travel
from the UK to Zagreb, Rijeka, Istria, Split or Dubrovnik by
train. It's safe, scenic & comfortable, too, and
(unlike a flight) a memorable travel experience. This page
will explain the options, train times, fares and how to buy
tickets for a flight-free trip to Croatia.
Magnolia blossom in Zagreb.
Croatia is a fabulous country to
visit, from the Adriatic islands to the gracious city of
Zagreb to the wineries & olive groves of Istria.
But flights aren't required!
Croatia's capital city, Zagreb, is a wonderful city to
visit, and it's the hub for trains to Split or Zadar for
onward ferries to Adriatic islands such as Hvar or buses to
Dubrovnik. It's straightforward, safe & comfortable to
reach Zagreb by train from the UK. I show three good
options, all of them with a similar range of prices:
Option 1, Afternoon Eurostar to
Paris, Paris-Munich
by sleeper, EuroCity train to Zagreb: Take an afternoon Eurostar to
Paris, the excellent City Night Line sleeper overnight
to Munich, then a scenic EuroCity train ride through the
Austrian Alps and wonderful Slovenian and Croatian
countryside to Zagreb. This option can easily be
booked online, offers superb scenery and has a
convenient afternoon
departure from the UK, handy if you're travelling from
north of London. The deluxe sleepers even have a
private shower & toilet.
Option
2, Morning Eurostar to Paris, Paris-Munich by TGV, Munich-Zagreb
by sleeper: Take a
mid-morning Eurostar to Paris, afternoon high-speed TGV
to Munich, then the modern air-conditioned Croatian
sleeper train 'Lisinski' overnight to Zagreb arriving
next morning. This
option isn't as scenic, and it must be booked by phone
as it can't be booked online, but it's quicker, very
time-effective, and offers a convenient morning arrival in Zagreb,
handy for connections to Split or to Sarajevo in Bosnia.
Option 3, Morning Eurostar to Paris, TGV to Munich,
overnight stop, EuroCity train to Zagreb:
For all-daytime train travel, take a mid-morning Eurostar to Paris and the afternoon
high-speed TGV to Munich. Stay the night in Munich
and continue next day through superb Austrian, Slovenian
and Croatian scenery. This option is longer then
the others, but it uses daytime
trains throughout, with a hotel stop in Munich.
Route
map: London to Croatia by train...
Option 1:
Afternoon Eurostar to Paris, overnight sleeper to Munich,
then EuroCity train to Zagreb...
This is arguably the easiest to travel from the UK to Croatia by train,
with the best scenery.
London ► Zagreb
Day 1: Travel from
London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving
London St Pancras at 16:01 (15:31 at weekends), arriving Paris Gare du Nord at
19:17 (18:47 at weekends).
It's then a
10 minute walk
from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est. By
all means take an earlier Eurostar if you'd like to spend
some time in Paris, or if it has cheaper seats available.
Day 1: Travel from Paris to Munich
overnight by the City Night Line sleeper train
'Cassiopeia', leaving
Paris Gare de l'Est daily at 20:05 (20:20 at weekends) and arriving in
Munich at 07:10 next morning. It has a sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments,
standard with washbasin or deluxe with shower),
4 & 6-berth couchettes & ordinary seats, see the photos & information
below.
More
pictures & information about this City Night Line train.
Day 2: Travel from Munich to Villach by modern,
air-conditioned Austrian EuroCity train, leaving Munich
at 08:27 and arriving in Villach, near the
Austrian-Slovenian border, at 12:43. A restaurant
car is available for breakfast. At Villach it's a
simple cross-platform change onto the waiting
Slovenian/Croatian/Serbian EuroCity train to Zagreb.
Day 2: Travel from Villach to Zagreb on a modern,
air-conditioned EuroCity train, the "Sava", leaving
Villach at 12:52 and arriving in Ljubljana at 14:31 and
Zagreb at 17:10. A Serbian restaurant car is usually available between
Villach and Zagreb. However, don't expect the
Serbian restaurant to sell any hot food, just
sandwiches, cheap beer and coffee. If you want a
hot lunch, eat early in the Austrian restaurant car.
About the journey: After leaving the Munich
suburbs the train snakes through pretty Bavarian scenery
to Salzburg, past churches and picturesque villages.
Just before arriving at Salzburg, look to your right as
you cross the River Salzach for great views of Salzburg
citadel. Soon after Salzburg, the train enters the
Austrian Alps proper, climbing through vast mountains.
Look out for the magnificent fortress at Werfen
(although the train doesn't call here), perched on its
hilltop on the right hand side, guarding the approaches
to Salzburg along the Salzachtal valley. You make
a quick change of train across the platform at Villach. After entering
Slovenia, the scenery flattens out, and the train snakes
along the pretty river Sava all the way into Ljubljana.
Beyond Ljubljana, the train continues to follow the
river Sava, passing through a beautiful river gorge
between mountains, a real treat. Beyond Zidani
Most the valley widens into a plain, and you cross the
border into Croatia at Dobova and soon arrive in
Zagreb's impressive central station, a palace of a
building, right in the centre of the city.
Zagreb ► London
Day 1: Travel from
Zagreb or Ljubljana to Munich by air-conditioned
EuroCity train "Sava", leaving Zagreb at 12:30,
Ljubljana at 15:05, you need to make a simple
cross-platform change of train at Villach (arrive 17:03,
depart 17:16) and you arrive in Munich at 21:33.
Enjoy the excellent scenery, a Serbian restaurant car is
(usually) available until Villach on the Austrian
frontier, reached about 16:30. This train usually
gets delayed a bit at the various frontiers, so expect a
10-40 minute late arrival in Munich.
Alternatively, you could take
the earlier EuroCity train
and spend the afternoon in Munich,
leaving Zagreb at 06:50 and Ljubljana at 09:12, arriving Munich at 15:33
(with no need to switch trains in Villach, this train is
direct).
This is an Austrian train with 6-seater compartments in
both 1st & 2nd class. Take your own provisions as
there's no restaurant or buffet car until the train
leaves Villach at 10:47. This is a safer connection
into the sleeper from Munich to Paris, as the
afternoon "Sava" has been known to miss its connection in
Villach.
Left luggage lockers are available in Munich.
Day 1: Travel from Munich to Paris by the City
Night Line sleeper train 'Cassiopeia', leaving Munich
daily at 22:47 and arriving at Paris Gare de l'Est 09:24
next morning. The train has ordinary seats, couchettes
(4 & 6-bunk) and
a sleeping-car (1, 2 or 3-bed rooms, deluxe with shower or standard
with washbasin).
More pictures
& information about this
City Night Line sleeper train. Travel tip:
This train runs combined with the Munich-Amsterdam
sleeper for part of its journey, and is usually shown on
the departure boards at Munich as going to 'Amsterdam'.
Day 2: Travel
from Paris to London by
Eurostar, leaving Paris Nord at
11:13 and arriving London St Pancras at 12:30.
On board Eurostar from London to Paris:
See the Eurostar page
for photos & information about on-board facilities.
On board
the City Night Line sleeper from Paris to Munich...
The Paris-Munich overnight train is one of the German Railway's excellent
City Night Line sleeper trains. Called the
'Cassiopeia', it has a modern 'Comfortline' sleeping-car
(1, 2 & 3-berth deluxe compartments with private shower &
toilet, 1, 2 &
3-berth standard compartments with washbasin). There is a shower at
the end of the corridor for passengers in standard rooms,
and all rooms have powerpoints for laptop computers.
There are also
modern air-conditioned couchettes, choose between a berth in a 4 or 6-berth compartment,
and ordinary seats (not recommended).
Inclusive fares are charged covering travel plus
sleeping accommodation. The sleeping-car fare includes
a light breakfast.
Click for more pictures
& information about this train.
Travel tip: For a good meal in a classic
Parisian brasserie before boarding the sleeper train in
Paris, why not catch the earlier 14:02 Eurostar from
London & dine at the
Brasserie Terminus Nord directly across the road
from the Gare du Nord.
1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper:
The most comfortable & civilised option, standard with
washbasin or deluxe with shower & toilet.
4-berth couchettes:
Ideal for families, much more space per person than
6-berth couchettes.
6-berth couchettes:
A very economical option, far better than a seat for
just a few euros more...
Above: The
'Comfortline' sleeping-car of the Paris to Munich
sleeper train boarding at Paris Gare de l'Est...
This is
actually two trains, a smart modern Austrian
EuroCity train with restaurant car from Munich to
Villach on the Austrian/Slovenian border, then an
equally
smart air-conditioned Slovenian, Croatian and Serbian EuroCity train
from Villach to Ljubljana and Zagreb. Usually, but not always, a Serbian restaurant car is
attached between Villach &
Zagreb. The
scenery along this route is superb, taking you from
the Bavaria through the Austrian Alps, into Slovenia
and along the Sava river to Croatia. Sit back with a
glass of red, catch up on your reading and enjoy the views...
The EuroCity train "Sava"
from Munich to Ljubljana
& Zagreb, arrived at Zagreb. This is the
Slovenian air-conditioned coach, the one to aim for if
you can! The Serbian coaches are grey.
Through the Austrian
Alps... Clinging to the mountainside high in
the Austrian Alps, the train snakes along between
snow-capped mountains on its way to the Slovenian
frontier. The
journey across Austria is a real treat!
...and along the Sava
river in Slovenia. Now across the border in
Slovenia, the EuroCity train runs along the pretty River
Sava all the way to Ljubljana and Zagreb...
Comfortable seats: Half
the seats in the Slovenian coach are 1st class, half
2nd class (seen here), but the 2nd class seats are
also arranged 2+1 abreast, the same as 1st class!
A cold beer
in the Serbian restaurant car.
More scenery along the Sava between Ljubljana
&
Zagreb.
* If you have children aged 4- 5 or 12-14,
please read this note
before booking the City Night Line sleeper train.
** This is
the supplement you pay if you have a railpass. A 1st
class ticket or pass is required for deluxe sleepers.
Savings fare = cheap fare,
price varies, book in advance, limited availability,
no refunds, no changes to travel plans.
Full price =
fully flexible, refundable, buy any time.
3. Munich
to Zagreb
Special
fares from 39 euros (£34) one-way, 78 euros (£68) return
if you book
in advance. Price varies, limited
availability.
Full price one-way: £64
2nd class, £92 1st class.
Full
price return: £128
2nd class, £184 1st class.
How to
buy tickets online...
The cheapest way to book this journey is online, as there's
no booking fees and all the cheap deals are there for you to
see. There are two ways to book it, and I'd suggest
trying both as prices vary between the two:
It's best to book London-Munich in two stages. Step 1,
book the sleeper from Paris to Munich. Enter 'Paris'
to 'Munich' and your dates of travel.
Step 2, after booking the Paris-Munich train, stay on
www.raileurope.co.uk
and click 'continue shopping'. Now book a Eurostar ticket from London to
Paris and back to connect with the sleeper. Use the recommended
Eurostar times above as a guide, but by all means book an
earlier Eurostar outward or a later Eurostar on the way back
if these have cheaper seats available or if you'd like to
stop off in Paris.
Step 3, now go to the German
Railways website
www.bahn.de, use the journey planner to bring up the
connecting trains from Munich to Ljubljana or
Zagreb (Zagreb Glavni Kolod) shown in the train times above, and buy the ticket. It
will show if any cheap special fares are available. Tickets can be sent to any address,
or in some cases printed out yourself. I
recommend registering when it asks you before completing the
purchase, so you can easily retrieve any bookings.
If you have any problems with
www.raileurope.co.uk,
try this option instead. It involves 3 websites, so do
a 'dry run' first on all 3 sites to check prices &
availability before booking for real.
Step 1, go to
www.bahn.de, the German Railways website.
Book from Paris to
Munich and back on the overnight CNL sleeper train.
Availability of cheap 'Savings' fares ('sparnight' in
German) and
fully-flexible normal fares will be shown, for each type of
seat, couchette & sleeper. You pay by credit card and print out
your own tickets in .pdf format. Easy! Note that
the prices shown on
www.bahn.de are in euros, and are the total cost for
all passengers selected, not per person. I
recommend registering when it asks you before completing the
purchase, so you can easily make the next booking and
retrieve any bookings later.
Step 2, go to
www.eurostar.com to book your connecting Eurostar
tickets between London and Paris, using the Eurostar times
above as a guide. By all means book an earlier
Eurostar outwards, or a later Eurostar on the way back, if
this has cheaper seats available of if you'd like to stop
off in Paris for a while. Eurostar tickets can be sent to any UK
address, self-printed, or collected at the station.
Step 3, now go
back to
www.bahn.de
and enter Munich to Zagreb in the journey planner, looking
for the trains shown in the train times above.
Zagreb Glavni Kolod is the station you want. It
will show if any cheap special fares are available. Tickets can be sent to any address,
or in some cases printed out yourself.
How to buy tickets
by email...
If you'd prefer to have someone book it all for you,
just click here and a booking form will appear which lists
all the
trains you
need to book. Fill
it in & email it to
sales@europeanrail.com. European Rail will make
the reservations and call you back to confirm the cost.
If you're okay with the price you can give them your credit card details and
they'll send you
the tickets. European Rail is an experienced agency
equipped with the German Railways reservation & ticketing
system, so they have access to all the cheap fares for travel via
Germany. They charge a £35 booking fee which includes
postage to any UK address, or they can send to any address
worldwide if you pay the courier fee. Seat61 gets some
commission if you buy tickets using this form.
How to buy tickets by phone...
If
you prefer to book by phone, just call
Deutsche
Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday,
09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no
booking fee, 2% credit card charge but no charge for debit
cards), or a booking agency such
as
European Rail
on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00
Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday, £35 booking fee).
Tailor-made travel & hotel arrangements...
If you want a compete tailor-made
travel service with all your rail travel booked for you and
hotels arranged, contact
www.railbookers.com, 020 3327 0761. Just tell them
what you want, and they'll advise you on the best trains,
routes & hotels and sort it all out for you. They get
very positive reviews, and look after their customers very
well.
Browse suggested holiday itineraries &
prices.
Option 2:
Morning Eurostar to Paris, TGV to Munich, then the 'Lisinski' sleeper
train to Zagreb...
Day 1:
Travel from Paris to Munich by 200 mph TGV on the
new TGV-Est high-speed line, leaving Paris Gare de
l'Est at 15:25 and arriving Munich Hauptbahnhof at
21:36. Cafe-bar available.
Day 1:
Travel from Munich to Zagreb overnight on the
sleeper train 'Lisinski', leaving Munich
Hauptbahnhof at 23:40 and arriving at Zagreb at 08:36 next morning (day 2). The
Lisinski
has a modern air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with
washbasin), and
ordinary seats (not recommended). From early
April until late summer, it also has a modern
Croatian couchette car (4 & 6 berth compartments).
Zagreb ► London
Day 1: Travel
from Zagreb to Munich overnight on the sleeper train 'Lisinski', leaving
Zagreb at
21:15
and arriving in Munich at 06:15 next morning.
The Lisinski has a modern air-conditioned Croatian sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed
compartments with washbasin), and seats (not recommended).
From early April until late summer, it also has a
modern Croatian couchette car (4 & 6 berth
compartments).
Day 2: Travel from
Munich to Stuttgart by high-speed
ICE, leaving
Munich Hauptbahnhof at 09:45 and arriving Stuttgart
at 12:01.
Day 2: Travel from
Stuttgart to Paris by high-speed TGV, leaving
Stuttgart at 12:54 and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est
at 16:35.
Day 2: Travel
from Paris to London by
Eurostar,
leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 18:13 (19:13 on Saturdays), arriving London St Pancras
at 19:36 (20:41 on Saturdays).
On board the
TGV from Paris to Munich...
Designer interiors: The TGV
trains from Paris to Munich feature chic designer interiors by Christian Lacroix.
There
are sockets for
laptops & mobiles at 1st class seats, baby-changing
facilities and wheelchair spaces. The train
speeds through undulating open green countryside for
much of the way, past pretty French villages of the
Champagne region. After a brief stop at
Strasbourg you cross the border into Germany.
Sit back with a glass of red and enjoy the ride!
Sleek, fast,
and up to 10 times better for the environment
than a flight. This is a TGV about to leave Paris
Gare de l'Est...
First class
seating. Tables for 4, tables for 2, solo
seats and dual side-by-side. All first
class seats have reading lights and power
sockets for laptops & mobiles...
There's a
cafe-bar car serving drinks & snacks....
Second class seating...
On board the
Lisinski sleeper train
from Munich to
Zagreb...
The sleeping-car on the 'Lisinski': A hotel
on rails, this is the modern air-conditioned Croatian
sleeping-car of the 'Lisinski' from Munich to
Zagreb... The sleeping-car has 10 compartments
with washbasin, each of which can be used as a 1, 2
or 3 berth room, with toilets at the end of the
corridor. The interior photo shows a 2-bed
sleeper compartment. The train also has couchettes with 4 & 6 berth compartments
(see
panorama photo), but if your
budget will stretch just a bit, the sleeping-car is
the best way to travel. Interior photo courtesy of
Ivor Morgan.
How much
does it cost?
Each train is
ticketed separately, so add up the price for each leg of
the journey.
Limited
availability, book in advance to get these fares.
Full fare £81 one-way, £142 return.
3.
Munich to Zagreb
on
the Lisinski:
In a
seat:
In a
couchette
In the
sleeping-car
6-berth
4-berth
3-berth
2-berth
single
Savings
fare
one-way, from:
29
euros
49
euros
59
euros
69
euros
79
euros
139
euros
Savings
fare
return, from:
58
euros
98
euros
118
euros
138
euros
158
euros
278
euros
Savings fare =
Special cheap fare, book in advance, limited availability,
no refunds, no changes to travel plans.
How to buy tickets...
The Lisinski cannot be booked online, only by phone.
You can book the London-Paris-Munich section online (or
at least check prices) at
www.raileurope.co.uk
(to see the best price for each leg, check this as two
journeys, London-Paris & back, and then Paris to Munich
& back). However, you'll then need to call someone
to book the Lisinski from Munich to Zagreb, and you may
prefer to book all your tickets together this way.
Call
Deutsche
Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open
09:00-20:00 Mon-Fri, 09:00-13:00 Sat & Sun, no booking fee), or www.europeanrail.com
on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00 Mon-Fri,
09:00-13:00 Saturdays, £35 booking fee). Click
here for a list of agencies and other useful information
on how to buy European train tickets.
Tailor-made travel & hotel arrangements...
If you want a compete tailor-made
trip with all your rail travel expertly booked for you and
good quality hotels arranged, UK residents can call
www.railbookers.com on 020 3327 0761. US
residents can call them on (646) 770 2894 (please
quote seat61) and Canadian residents on (416) 800 0732
(please quote 'seat61'). Australian residents can call
their Australian office,
www.railbookers.com.au on 02 8096 0550. Just tell them
what you want, and they'll advise you on the best trains,
routes & hotels and sort it all out for you, hassle-free. They get
very positive reviews and take good care of their guests.
Browse suggested holiday itineraries & prices.
Option 3:
By daytime trains, with overnight stop in Munich...
This option takes longer than the others, but is useful if
you prefer daytime travel rather than using a sleeper.
London ► Zagreb
Day 1, travel from
London to Munich by daytime trains either via Paris or via Brussels & Cologne.
There are several options available, so
see the London to Germany page
for train times, fares & how to buy tickets.
Day 2, travel from Munich to
Zagreb on modern, air-conditioned EuroCity train, leaving Munich at
08:27 by smart Austrian EuroCity train. You need
to make a simple cross-platform change of train at
Villach on the Austrian/Slovenian border (arrive 12:43,
depart 12:52)
and you arrive in Ljubljana at 14:31 and Zagreb at 17:10.
A restaurant car is available on the Austrian train serving drinks, snacks and
affordable full meals (treat yourself to an early lunch!),
and there's usually a Serbian restaurant car with more
limited food on the Villach-Zagreb part of the journey.
The scenery through southeast Germany & Slovenia is
stunning, with views of snow capped mountains, lush
meadows & winding rivers,
see the photos above.
Zagreb ► London
Day 1, travel from Zagreb
to Munich by air-conditioned EuroCity
train, leaving Zagreb at 12:30 and Ljubljana at 15:05
and arriving in Munich at 21:33. You need to make
a simple cross-platform change of train at Villach on
the Austrian/Slovenian border, arrive 17:03, depart
17:16. Enjoy the
excellent scenery over lunch in the restaurant car.
Day 2, travel
from Munich to London by daytime trains, either via Paris or via Cologne &
Brussels. There are several options available, so
see the London to
Germany page for train times, fares & how to buy
tickets.
Then use the
journey planner at the German Railways website
www.bahn.de to bring
up the Munich-Ljubljana-Zagreb train
shown above, and buy the ticket. It
will show if any cheap special fares are available, from 29
euros each way. Tickets can be sent to any address,
or in some cases printed out yourself.
Zagreb is a wonderful and much under-rated city. Small
enough to walk around, but with more of a big-city feel than
Ljubljana in neighbouring Slovenia. The station is an
impressive landmark in its own right, a palatial building
which opens onto a succession of grand park squares, with
the main town square (Ban Josip Jelačić) 5-10 minutes walk
from the station and the old town two minutes walk behind
that. You'll find tourist information online at
www.zagreb-touristinfo.hr, or there's a tourist office
on the near right-hand corner of the main city square.
Hotels in Zagreb.
Map of Zagreb.
Zagreb main station: A
palace? Just Zagreb's main station (Glavni
Kolodvor) where you arrive from London. It opens onto
spacious green
squares leading to the old town, a 10 min walk.
Stroll or sit in a cafe
along the pedestrianised Ivana Tkalčićeva in the old town.
The noon-day gun tower,
which you can climb for great views over the city.
Market day in Zagreb's busy main square,
Ban Josip Jelačić.
Old town churches, from the
gun tower.
Magnolia blossom in the
square facing the station. The best way to arrive
in this city really is by train!.
Travel from
Ljubljana to Rijeka by train. Even if the EuroCity
from Munich is up to half an hour late, you should make the
15:10 train to Rijeka, arriving 17:55. Indeed, I've
known it wait a few minutes for the late-running 'Sava' to
arrive from Munich. Trains only run from Ljubljana to
Rijeka twice a day, at 06:20
(arriving Rijeka at 09:02) daily, and 15:10 (arriving 17:55). You can check train times at
www.bahn.de.
Rijeka
► London
Trains leave Rijeka at 12:00
(arriving 14:45) and at 20:40 (arriving 23:27).
Allow plenty of time (an hour or two) to make connections in
Ljubljana, and/or stay overnight if necessary.
See the fares in the London-Zagreb
section, and buy tickets from London to Ljubljana as
shown.
Bought at the station in Ljubljana, the Ljubljana-Rijeka
fare is around 13 euros one-way, 20 euros return.
Advance reservation isn't necessary for Ljubljana-Rijeka
trains, so you can buy a ticket at Ljubljana on the day &
hop on, this will be much cheaper than buying a ticket from
outside Slovenia. The ticket office at Ljubljana is
easy to find and English is widely spoken.
The train to Rijeka...
This is the 15:10 to Rijeka, about to leave
Ljubljana. At the front is a modern air-conditioned
EuroCity car, the other two cars are older. On
this occasion, it's waited a few minutes for the
late-running EuroCity 'Sava' to arrive from Munich, with
connections from Paris, Amsterdam & London...
Istria, land of
olive oil, wineries and truffles, was once part of the
Venetian empire, and after a spell with the
Austro-Hungarians it was again part of Italy between the
wars. Even today, the dual-language place names and
road signs reveal it's Italian heritage. For Istrian
tourist information, see
www.istra.hr. Now part of
Croatia, Istria can be reached overland from the UK in
several ways.
Option 1: By train
from London to Rijeka, then bus to Porec, Rovinj, Buje,
Motovun, Pula...
This is arguably the most
reliable all-year-round way to reach Istria, as daily
mainline trains run to Rijeka and Rijeka is a hub for
regular buses serving destinations all over Istria.
First, travel from London to Rijeka
as shown above. On
arrival in Rijeka, walk out of the station and turn right.
The bus station is 2 minutes walk straight down this main
road, you can't miss it. Every couple of hours, buses
link Rijeka with the historic coastal town of Porec,
delightful picturesque Rovinj, and the wonderful roman
remains in Pula. The main bus company is
www.autotrans.hr, you can easily buy bus tickets when
you get to Rijeka.
Option 2: By train to
Ljubljana, then local train to Pula.
This option
gets you to Pula in Istria by train all the way, with no
buses and no ferries. However, the cross-border train
service from Ljubljana in Slovenia to Pula in Croatia is
both slow and infrequent, albeit highly scenic. First,
travel from London to Ljubljana
as shown on the
Slovenia page.
Spend the afternoon & night in Ljubljana. In summer
(late June to late August, also a few dates in late
April/early May) there's a daily direct train called the
'Istra'
leaving Ljubljana at 06:33 and arriving Pula at 11:17.
Alternatively, on Mondays-Fridays all year round, leave
Ljubljana by local train at 12:10, change at Divaca & Buzet,
arriving Pula at 17:51. It's a slow all-stations
journey, but through great Istrian scenery. Take your
own provisions for the journey. Northbound, leave Pula
on Mondays-Fridays all year round at 13:20, change at Buzet
and Divaca, arriving Ljubljana at
18:43. In summer (late June to late August, also a few
dates in late April/early May) there's a direct train called
the 'Istra' every day,
leaving Pula at 18:00 and arriving Ljubljana at 22:41.
Spend the night in Ljubljana,
then travel back to London
as shown on the
Slovenia page.
Option 3: By train to
Venice, then 'SeaCat' fast ferry to Porec, Rovinj or Pula:
This option operates from April to October, and is a great
option as it combines Venice with Istria. First,
travel from London to Venice as shown on the
London to Italy page.
You can take an afternoon Eurostar to Paris and the
overnight Thello sleeper, arriving Venice around 09:34.
Or travel by Eurostar & TGV to Switzerland, stay the night
there, then travel through the Alps to Milan and Venice next
day. The choice is yours. From Venice, two ferry
companies, Venezia Lines (www.venezialines.com)
& Commodore Travel (www.commodore-travel.hr) operate ferries April-October on various days of the week
from Venice to Porec, Rovinj (Rovigno in Italian) Umag and Pula (Pola
in Italian). The Venice-Porec ferry crossing only
takes 2.5 hours. Start by checking the days the ferries
operate, at
www.venezialines.com &
www.commodore-travel.hr. On days when a 17:00 ferry
sails from Venice you can leave London in the afternoon on
day 1, spend most of day 2 in Venice, and arrive in Porec or
Rovinj in the evening of day 2!
Rovinj: The
picturesque seaside town of Rovinj. The
church tower looks very like St Marks in Venice, showing Istria's Venetian
history...
Porec: You can climb the UNESCO-listed
church tower in Porec...
Pula: The Roman arch, Pula.
The famous Irish writer James Joyce taught English in the building on the
left 1904-5.
www.venezialines.comlink Venice & Istria,
April-October. Why not combine a visit to Venice
with Istria?
Buses link
Rijeka with most destinations in Istria,
www.autotrans.hr.
First, travel from London to Zagreb
as shown in the London
to Zagreb section above, using whichever option suits
you best.
An overnight
train (train 825) leaves Zagreb daily at 23:20, arriving at Split next
morning at 08:10. It has one nicely refurbished
sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3-berth compartments (see the photos
below), although no couchettes, just the sleeper and seats.
Alternatively,
two daily daytime 'ICN' tilting trains link Zagreb with
Split. The 07:50 ICN from Zagreb arrives Split at 14:09, the
14:04 ICN arrives Split at 20:38. From 16 June to 2
September 2012 there's also a third train, leaving Zagreb at
10:55 arriving Split at 18:47. You can check train
times using
www.bahn.de. This
is a good option, as Zagreb to Split is a very scenic
train ride, with mountains, lakes, rivers, and even
vineyards. The ICN
trains are modern and air-conditioned, and the fare includes
a complimentary coffee & sandwich, see the photos below.
ICN trains tilt round the bends on this mountainous route,
cutting the journey time to 5½ hours from a previous best of
around 8 hours. For Zadar, change trains at Knin. Seat reservation is compulsory on ICN trains.
Split or Zadar
► London
The
overnight train leaves Split at
21:18 as train number 824, arriving Zagreb at 06:26 next
morning. It has one nicely refurbished sleeping-car
with 1, 2 & 3-berth compartments (see the photos below), but no
couchettes, just the sleeping-car and seats.
Alternatively,
travel from Split to Zagreb by fast air-conditioned 'ICN' daytime train through great scenery.
The 08:25 ICN from Split arrives in Zagreb at 14:36, or the
14:41 ICN from Split arrives Zagreb at 20:45. There's
a third slower train from 16 June to 2 September 2012,
departing Split at 09:26 arriving Zagreb 17:47. Simply
use
www.bahn.de to check train times.
Seat reservation is compulsory on ICN trains. The
fare includes a complimentary coffee & sandwich. See the
photos below.
Travel from
Zagreb to London using any of the options shown in the
London to Zagreb
section above. The afternoon ICN from Split
connects nicely with the Lisinski sleeper train to Munich
for onward TGV to Paris and London,
see above.
Fares & how to
buy tickets
For fares
from London to Zagreb, see the section above.
Bought at the
station in Zagreb, Zagreb to Split by the daytime ICN
costs 188 kuna (£23) in 2nd class, 271 kuna (£34) in 1st
class, each way. Travelling in a 2-berth sleeper on
the night train costs around the same as a first class
daytime ticket.
To buy train
tickets from the UK to Split, either:
(a) use
this
booking form, fill it in and send it to
sales@europeanrail.com. They will call you back
with a cost and take your credit card details if you're okay
with the price.
(b) buy tickets
online from London to Zagreb
as shown above.
www.raileurope.co.ukmay be able to book a ticket from Zagreb to Split and
back on the overnight train with either a berth in a 2-berth
or berth in a 3-berth sleeper, although you will find it
much cheaper to book this ticket when you reach Zagreb.
From Zagreb to Split
by air-conditioned ICN train...
The daytime trains to
Split:
These fast, tilting, air-conditioned ICN trains link
Zagreb & Split twice a day through great scenery.
Above right, first class seats on the train to Split.
below left, second class seats.
From Zagreb to
Split by overnight sleeper...
The
overnight train to Split: The overnight train
from
Zagreb to Split has
a smartly refurbished sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3-bed
compartments with washbasin. Here, the night train
to Split waits
to leave Zagreb...
London to to Ancona in Italy by train, then ferry to Split...
Travel from London to Ancona by train, taking Eurostar to
Paris, the overnight sleeper to Bologna and a fast train on
to Ancona. For train times and fares between London
and Ancona, see the London
to Italy page.
Sail from Ancona to Split or Zadar
by ferry. Allow plenty of time for the connection &
check-in at Ancona. Several
shipping lines run overnight ferries on various days of the
week between Ancona & Split, including
www.jadrolinija.hr
&
www.blueline-ferries.com.
Between June & September, there's also a daily fast ferry, taking 4
hours, leaving Ancona at around 11:00 and returning from
Split at 17:00, see
www.snav.it. To
book Jadrolinija ships from the UK, contact their UK
agents, Viamare
Travel on 020
8343 5810.
There are also some sailings to Zadar.
Then travel
onward by overnight sleeper train to Split, or spend the
night in Zagreb then take a scenic train ride to Split next
morning, see the London to Split section above.
Take a ferry
from Split to the islands. Ferries sail from Split to
Hvar, Vis, Korcula and other nearby islands regularly, see
www.jadrolinija.hr
for ferry times & information.
London to
Rijeka overland by train, then
coastal ferry to Hvar or Korcula...
This is a
very pleasant way to reach Hvar or Korcula. Runs
once or twice a week.
First, travel
from London to Ljubljana, taking Eurostar to Paris, the
City Night Line sleeper train to Munich and a EuroCity
train to Ljubljana.
See the London to
Ljubljana section above for full details, including
train times, fares & how to buy tickets.
Then travel
onward by train to Rijeka, see the London to
Rijeka section above. Allow plenty of time for
connections both in Ljubljana & Rijeka. It's
recommended to leave London on Saturdays to make the Monday
ferry from Rijeka, or Wednesdays to make the Friday sailing,
spending one night in Ljubljana.
Then sail
along the coast to Hvar or Korcula on the twice-weekly Jadrolinija
ferry linking Rijeka, Split, Hvar, Korcula & Dubrovnik -
see the ferry timetable in the
section below, and visit www.jadrolinija.hr
for sailing days, times and fares
. To book
Jadrolinija ships from the UK, contact their UK agents Viamare
Travel on 020
8343 5810.
London to
Bari in Italy by train, then ferry to Hvar or Korcula...
This is
perhaps the most civilised option, although not the most
frequent.
Runs once or twice a week.
First travel
from London to Bari in Italy, taking Eurostar to Paris,
the overnight sleeper train to Bologna and a fast train
on to Bari. See the London
to Italy page for full details, including train times, fares
and how to buy tickets.
Then travel
onward by overnight sleeper train to Split, or spend the
night in Zagreb then take a scenic train ride to Split
next morning, see the London to Split section above.
Then take a
bus from Split to Dubrovnik. Buses run every hour or two, taking about 4-5
hours. Bus information can be found at
www.ak-split.hr (Split bus station arrivals &
departures), www.dubrovnik-online.com
or
www.libertasdubrovnik.hr (Dubrovnik bus station
departures).
London to
Bari in Italy by train, then ferry to Dubrovnik...
This is
arguably the most civilised option, but runs only once
or twice a week.
First travel
from London to Bari in Italy, see the London
to Italy page for full details, including train times, fares
and how to buy tickets.
Then sail
from Bari to Dubrovnik by ferry. Ferries sail several times a week,
Jadrolinija sailing twice a week in summer (Tues & Sat),
once a week
in winter
(Tuesdays),
see the ferry timetable in the
section below. See www.jadrolinija.hr
(all year round)
for sailing days, times & fares.
Adriatic ferry: The
Jadrolinija Ferry 'Marko Polo' links Rijeka, Split &
Dubrovnik.
Photo courtesy of John Allen.
London to
Rijeka overland by train, then coastal ferry to Dubrovnik...
This is a
very pleasant way to reach Hvar, Korcula or Dubrovnik.
Runs once or twice a week.
First, travel
from London to Ljubljana, taking Eurostar to Paris, the
City Night Line sleeper train to Munich and a EuroCity
train to Ljubljana.
See the London to
Ljubljana page for full details, including
train times, fares & how to buy tickets.
Then travel
onward by train to Rijeka, see the London to
Rijeka section above. Allow plenty of time for
connections both in Ljubljana & Rijeka. It's
recommended to leave London on Saturdays to make the
Monday ferry from Rijeka, or Wednesdays to make the Friday
sailing, spending one night in Ljubljana.
Then sail
along the coast on to Dubrovnik on the twice-weekly Jadrolinija
ferry linking Rijeka, Split, Hvar, Korcula & Dubrovnik - visit www.jadrolinija.hr
for sailing days, times and fares. To book
Jadrolinija ships from the UK, contact their UK agents Viamare
Travel on 020
8343 5810.
Traveller John Allen reports on the coastal ferry (2008):
"The “Marko Polo” runs up and down the Adriatic coast
from Rijeka down to Dubrovnik and then across to Bari
and back. It is a tried and trusted ship with a whiff of
the “seventies” aboard. Cabins are clean and habitable.
The atmosphere on board is good, many families
travelling from a variety of countries, Italians,
Germans, many Eastern Europeans and a smattering of
Brits. The young and Interrailers tend to sleep on deck
without cabins. The overnight portion of the journey is
from Rijeka to Split (ignoring the Italian leg) and we
would recommend getting a cabin for this. During the day
leg (Split, Stari Grad, Korcula and Dubrovnik) we would
recommend a basic ticket without any cabin. This allows
for sunbathing/sightseeing on deck and there is enough
space in the restaurant (very good food) or bar for
breaks. If sleeping on deck beware that as the ship
approaches Split from the South there is a battle to
acquire space for the night ahead."
The Thomas Cook European Timetable
The
Thomas Cook European timetable
has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus currency
& climate
information. Published since 1873, it costs £13.99.
It's essential for any serious traveller
and an inspiration for armchair travellers. Still
not convinced you need one? More information
on what the Thomas Cook Timetable contains. You can
buy the latest monthly edition online at
www.thomascooktimetables.com with worldwide delivery or
buy it in person from any UK branch of Thomas Cook (ask at the
bureau de change), or from W H Smiths in Victoria or Kings
Cross stations in London.
Or
buy the twice-yearly independent traveller's edition with
laminated cover from Amazon.co.uk:
Winter/Spring 2011/12 edition (Dec 2011 to June 2012) or
(when available)
Summer/Autumn 2012 edition (June to Dec 2012)
The Thomas Cook Rail Map of
Europe is the best and most comprehensive
map of train routes right across Europe, from Portugal in the
west to Istanbul, Moscow & Ukraine in the east, from Finland
in the north to Sicily & Crete in the south. High speed
&
scenic routes are highlighted. Highly recommended!
Buy online
at
www.amazon.co.uk
(worldwide delivery).
See an extract from
the map.
You
should take a good guidebook. I think that the Lonely
Planets and the Rough Guides are easily the best for the
independent traveller. Both guides have plenty of
background historical and cultural information, plus lots of
practical information. You won't regret buying one of
these guides..!
My own book, an essential handbook for train travel to
Europe based on this website called "The
Man in Seat 61", was published in June 2008, and
is available from Amazon.co.uk with shipping worldwide.
In Zagreb, the most famous hotel is the
Regent Esplanade, an impressive building right next to the
station. Another grand old hotel is the
Palace Hotel, also just a few minutes walk from the
station towards the old town and also getting good reviews.
For something more modern, try the excellent
Arcotel Allegra, also only 5-10 minutes walk from the station.
www.hotelscombined.com
is probably the best hotel search system I've seen, a free search tool
which checks all the main hotel booking sites (Opodo, Expedia,
Booking.com, Hotels.com, AsiaRooms, Travelocity, LateRooms and
others) to find the cheapest hotel rates. Set up in
2005, it's probably the best place to start for booking any
hotel online in any country, worldwide.
Other hotel sites
worth trying...
www.tripadvisor.com
is a good place to find independent travellers' reviews of the
main hotels, and it has the low-down on destination sights &
attractions, too.
www.booking.com is my own preferred hotel booking system
(Hotels Combined being a search/comparison system). It
has a simple interface, a good selection in most countries
worldwide, useful online customer reviews of each hotel, and
decent prices, usually shown inclusive of unavoidable extras
such as taxes (a pet hate of mine is systems that show one
price, then charge you another!).
Backpacker hostels...
If you're on a tight budget,
don't forget the hostels. For a dorm bed or an
ultra-cheap private room in backpacker hostels in most
European cities use
www.hostelbookers.com.
Railbookers can
tailor-make a flight-free holiday to Ljubljana & Zagreb, with train
travel, transfers & hotels all arranged for you, for however
long you like, leaving on any date you like. If you tell
them what you want, they'll advise you on the best trains,
routes & hotels and sort it all out for you. They get a lot of
repeat business and a lot of recommendation by word of mouth!
See the
Railbookers website for suggested itineraries and
prices.
Travel insurance & health card...
Get travel insurance, it's essential...
Never travel without insurance from a
reliable travel insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover loss of
cash (up to a limit) and belongings, and cancellation. An annual
multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip
policies even for just 2 or 3 trips
a year (I have an annual policy myself).
Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed
connection, but European international rail conditions of
carriage (known as the 'CIV') contain consumer protection
provisions that entitle you to travel forward by the next
available train if you miss a connection because of a delay to
the first train, irrespective of who operates which train, and
even if your ticket is in theory train-specific and
non-changeable.
Feedback from using
insurance for rail & ferry travel is always welcome. Here are some suggested insurers.
Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these
links.
If you're a
UK citizen travelling in Europe, you should apply for a free
European Health Insurance Card, which entitles you to free or
reduced rate health care if you become ill or get injured in
many European countries, under a reciprocal arrangement with
the NHS. This replaced the old E111 forms
as from January 2006. The EHIC card is available from
www.ehic.org.uk. It doesn't remove the need for
travel insurance, though.
Get a spare credit card, one designed for foreign travel with no currency
exchange loading & low or no ATM fees...
It costs nothing to take out an extra credit card.
If you keep it in a different part of your luggage so you're
not left stranded if
your wallet gets stolen, this is a form of extra travel insurance in itself. In addition,
some credit cards are significantly better for
overseas travel than others. Martin Lewis's
www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money explains which
UK credit cards
have the lowest currency exchange commission loadings when you buy something
overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when
you use an ATM abroad. Taking this advice
can save you quite a lot on each trip compared to using your
normal high-street bank credit card! You can save money on ATM charges and exchange rates using a
Caxton FX euro currency Visa Card, or indeed the
multi-currency 'Global Traveller' Visa Card,
find out about these cards & sign up here.
Get an international SIM card
to save on mobile data and phone calls...
Mobile phones can cost a fortune to use abroad, and if you're
not careful you can return home to find some huge bills
waiting for you. I've known people run up over £1,000 in
data charges just by leaving their iPhone connected during a
simple trip to Europe. However, if you
buy a global SIM card for your mobile phone from a company
such as
www.Go-Sim.com you can slash the cost by up to 85% and
limit any damage to the amount you have pre-paid. Go-Sim
cuts call costs in 175 countries worldwide,
and you can receive incoming calls and texts for free in 75 countries. It's pay-as-you-go, so no nasty bills
when you get home. It also allows cheap data access for laptops
& PDAs. A Go-Sim account and any credit on it doesn't
expire if it's not used between trips, unlike some
others, so a Go-Sim phone number becomes your 'global phone
number' for life.
In
the UK, try
If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the
EU, try
If you live in the USA or Canada, try
