Zagreb Travel Forum

Hi all,

I will be touring the coast of Croatia starting from the north and ending in Dubrovnik. From there, I need a major airport to fly from back to NYC. I can get a relatively good price on Czech Airlines from Zagreb to NYC. What is the best (cheapest) way to get from Dubrovnik to Zagreb?

Alternatively, is there a better airport to fly to from Dubrnovnik for me to then fly from back to NYC?

Thanks!

If you book far enough ahead you may get a good deal with Croatia Airlines for a flight from Dubrovnik to Zagreb. Otherwise you are looking at an 11-hour (or more) bus journey - see www.akz.hr for times.

There aren't a lot of convenient major airports nearby, I suppose another option would be an overnight ferry plus a train to Rome. Or else look at the Dubrovnik aiport timetable http://www.airport-dubrovnik.hr/ and try to find a flight to an airport with good connections to NYC.

It seems like that might be the best approach, because even if you find a cheap flight to Zagreb you are looking at 3 flights (presumably the Czech flight connects in Prague), so a 2-flight option might be better. I have heard of people doing this via Dublin, Aer Lingus sometimes have good-value flights to Dubrovnik. But all this depends on when you are travelling, many flights to Dubrovnik are summer only.

I ended up booking a flight out of Zagreb before reading this post.

Prior to Croatia I will be in Zurich. I originally planned to take a train south to Rijeka (not even sure if this is possible yet), and then take a full week traveling the coast of Croatia ending in Dubrovnik.

Now I wonder if maybe it is better to somehow fly from Zurich straight to Dubrovnik and do my travels in reverse. Travel from Dubrovnik north and then head east to Zagreb. I don't really know the area, but looking at a map, I'm wondering how long it would take to travel to Zagreb from Cres - or from Rijeka??

I have a full week to either travel from north to south, then grab a flight on Croatia airlines out of Dubrovnik to Zagreb - spend a day there and then fly home the next day.

Or, take a flight from Zurich to Dubrovnik (if possible), travel north, and finally east to Zagreb all over the course of one week.

My only other question is: is there anything worth seeing between Zurich and northern Croatia that I would miss by flying straight to Dubrovnik?

Any help with either itinerary and/or opinions on which itinerary makes better sense are welcome!

Thanks :)

"I'm wondering how long it would take to travel to Zagreb from Cres - or from Rijeka?"
By bus it takes 2.5-3 hours from Rijeka to Zagreb; from Cres at least 5.5 hours. See www.akz.hr for times. But if you are travelling the coast from south to north it may be better not to go that far north. If I had only a week I would probably concentrate on the coast and islands from Dubrovnik to Split/Trogir or perhaps Zadar, then get a bus or train to Zagreb. Or maybe stop off at Plitvice Lakes National Park between Split/Zadar and Zagreb.

"Or, take a flight from Zurich to Dubrovnik (if possible), travel north, and finally east to Zagreb all over the course of one week."
This does seem like the better option, but I don't know if there are direct flights from Zurich to Dubrovnik - you might have to make a connection in Zagreb.

"My only other question is: is there anything worth seeing between Zurich and northern Croatia that I would miss by flying straight to Dubrovnik?"
Yes, the entire country of Slovenia! If you concentrate on Slovenia instead of Croatia you could solve all your transport problems, get to Ljubljana on a direct train from Zurich and spend a week exploring Ljubljana, the caves, the lakes and the mountains, and then it's just a couple of hours to Zagreb to catch your flight. But I realise that's a completely different trip from what you had in mind.

I took the flight about 30euros - fast efficient and it took about 45 mins. I think there is only one airport for both cities