I loved my 10-day trip to Croatia, but knowing these 6 things could have made it better

05.11.2024 - 05:13 / insider.com / An Airbnb

In October, I traveled to Croatia for a 10-day getaway. I was craving the beach, sun, and a change of scenery from monotonous city life — and Croatia seemed like the solution.

Croatia has become a popular destination in Europe — especially following the popularity of HBO's "Game of Thrones," which was partly filmed in its scenic old towns.

More tourists are arriving, too: The Croatian Bureau of Statistics said that 1.7 million tourists arrived in May this year — a 21% increase compared to 2023. Croatia also joined the Schengen Area in 2023, a zone in Europe with no internal border controls, making travel more accessible.

During my trip, I stayed in Dubrovnik, Hvar, and Split and took multiple day trips to other cities along the Adriatic Coast.

While the trip was worth the long flight, I realized along the way that I hadn't done enough research before the trip. Here are six things I wish I had known before.

Coastal cities like Dubrovnik have hilly terrains and countless flights of stairs to conquer. An Airbnb that I assumed would be a short walk from the main bus station turned out to be at the top of a hill. Consequently, we engaged in a full-body workout to lug our bags up what felt like endless flights of stairs to reach our accommodation.

It was more peaceful to stay in a less touristy area. But since most attractions are near the Old Town, staying closer to the city center (and closer to ground level) would have been more convenient and comfortable.

I booked my trip to Croatia assuming that daily expenses would be similar to countries like Italy or Hungary. I was wrong.

Croatia adopted the Euro in January last year, abandoning its previous currency, the Kuna. The country also has the second-highest VAT in the EU — 25%, the same as in Denmark and Sweden. On average, my meals added up toaround 15 euros per person.

And although I wasn't surprised that people have topay to enter public toilets, I was surprised that most entries cost 1 euro — or half the price of a cup of coffee in any nearby café.

Still, there are ways to see the city on a budget. We signed up for pay-as-you-wish walking tours, bought day passes to take the public bus and see attractions at a lower cost, and stayed in affordable guest houses that cost around $50 a night. We also explored outside tourist hot spots to try food targeted at locals, which I found to be more authentic and wallet-friendly.

The temperature in early October ranged from 63°F to 72°F, so it was mild enough to chill on the beach and bask in the sun.

Croatia has some of the most beautiful beaches I've seen. The waters were crystal clear, and I was excited to dive right in. But I soon learned the hard way that Croatian beaches are not sandy. Most shores were rocky