Since the word about Croatia’s breath-taking nature went out in recent years, this tiny country situated on the Balkanic Peninsula saw its touristic sector skyrocketing. 

Last March, we went on a roadtrip in Croatia for 10 days with our orange van and it has been a blast!

In this blog post, we tried to create a “worry less, travel more” guide with ALL the info you might need to travel to Croatia with your campervan or motorhome 🙂

Enjoy 🙂

Planning to Visit Croatia with an RV?

Let’s Get you Ready for your Trip!

Among all of the Balkanic countries, Croatia is surely the most popular and touristy!

The incredible waterfalls, the quiet lakes and the sunny Croatian coastline are sights the every year attract more and more travelers from all over Europe! This, also goes for RV lovers and Van enthusiasts 🙂

We decided to travel Croatia in March, as part of our Complete Balkans Tour from Italy to Turkey, and we can only confirm what people say about this tiny European country: Croatia is just sooo stunning, we loved it! 🙂

Said that, for wild camping lovers such as us, it has not always been easy. 

Croatia is yes camper-friendly, but only if you plan to spend your time in campings (which are closed in winter, and quite expensive in the summer!).

Wild camping on the other side is mostly forbidden, to the point when sometimes it is forbidden even sleeping in your vehicle outside of campings! (don’t write off Croatia from your travel list yet! We slept and parked for free everywhere we went anyway, and I’ll tell you more in this Guide 😉 ).

Let us go with order, and start with the summary!

Happy reading! 🙂

1. Entering in Croatia with a Motorhome: Visa and Documents

TIPS FOR ENTERING IN CROATIA WITH A MOTORHOME:

•  You don’t need a Passport if you’re an EU citizen. You need to bring your ID card (although the passport might be helpful if you plan to visit nearby Balkan countries such Albania, Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia or Kosovo (which are all outside of the EU).

• Check if you’re eligible for Visa-Free Travel or Visa-on-Arrival: Click Here

• If you’re not eligible, or you want to stay more than 90 days, you can apply for an E-Visa: Click Here

• If you’re driving your motorhome to Croatia from Slovenia or Hungary, there are no barriers at the border (EU countries).

• If you’re driving your motorhome to Croatia from Montenegro or Bosnia, you will be checked: in most non-EU borders we crossed in the Balkans, they just asked us for passports and insurance (be sure to check your Green Card in advance!), open the vehicle, look inside 30 seconds, close it and go: easy, fast and beautiful 🙂

2. Safety in Croatia: Crime Rate and Road Safety

TIPS FOR STAYING SAFE IN CROATIA:

• The Safety Phone Numbers in Croatia are:  General Emergency (112), Police (192), Fire Department (193), Ambulance (194), Road  Fire (128), and Help on the Road (129)

• It’s better to Travel during the Day: Croatia is synonym with gorgeous nature, and if you travel by night you’re going to miss the beauty of the road. Said that, although all roads are properly paved, they are also very curvy and street lighting is pretty poor between cities on the coast, and almost non-existent in the rural areas between Zagreb and Plitvice. 

• Water from the Tap is safe (if you find a tap!): water in Croatia is generally safe to drink, and if it’s not it will be well-advertised. Said that, there are not many “free” taps or fountains around, so you’ll be lucky if you find one 😉

• Use Common Sense to avoid petty theft: keep your items in front in crowded places, travel in group where possible, don’t park in sketchy/isolated/dark areas, be mindful of your surroundings and where you are at all times… I know it’s the usual advice you hear for every travel destination, but using Common Sense is the main rule you should follow to stay safe 99,9% of the time! 😉 

• If you’re in Doubt where to Park, ask the locals: Croatians are very friendly, they are used to tourists and so the vast majority of them speaks a very good English. If you feel something is out of place with a parking, you can always ask some locals/shop nearby for advice 🙂

• Ask locals for Tips to visit the surroundings: if there are some dangerous neighborhoods (like there are everywhere!) locals know it better. If you happen to chat with someone (at the hotel, on the street, bar, etc.) ask them for safety tips: they will be happy to help you both stay safe and get the best experience of your time there!

• Know the Costs of Goods, Attractions, and Services before you Travel there and you buy them: Croatia is expensive, especially in the main season: tickets to the main attraction (es. Plitvice Lakes, Krka waterfalls or Dubrovnik’s Walls to quote some) are around 30Euros/person, while a simple Espresso in Dubrovnik center could cost up to 4 Euros (crazy!!). Plan in advance what you want to do in Croatia and don’t order anything before knowing the price. 

• We had a flat tyre with our van, and we brought it to repair in Sibenik. The Tyre Center we went, saw we were tourists and stopped everything they were doing to help us. They repaired the tyre in less than one hour (it had a large hole!), changed our spare tyre back, checked the pressure of all tyres and charged for everything they charged us only 12 Euros (very vey honest and cheap!).

3. Money in Croatia: Currency and Credit Cards

TIPS FOR SAVING MONEY IN CROATIA:

• Check your Bank Contract for Hidden Fees: before entering the country, I suggest you to check whether your bank charges commissions for withdrawal or card payments, to know which is the best way to manage your money. (If your home currency is not the Euro, it might be better for you to change cash in a exchange house (many charge 0% commission) instead of withdrawing from the ATM (that might charge you 3% for changing currency).

• Have a little bit of cash with you: on all our roadtrip through Croatia, we almost never payed with cash. Said that, having a little bit of cash on hands can be good for tipping especially great services.

• Tipping in Croatia is accepted (although nor required!). If you really liked the service in bars or restaurant, rounding up the bill adding a 10-20% will be received as a wonderful compliment!

• Download the free app XE Currency Converter (iOS, Android) to have an offline currency converter always with you (if you’re planning a roadtrip through all the Balkans, believe me that it will save your mental sanity, thank me later!
• If you Smoke or Drink Beer, know that Croatia has very good prices! You can get a large beer in a bar for less than 3 Euros and a Cigarette packet for 3,80 Euro. 

• Avoid Overpaying or Falling into Tourist Traps: Get an idea of the prices in Croatia to estimate what you should be paying for the things you need (check Numbeo)

4. Motorhoming in Croatia: Campings and Fuel Prices

MOTORHOMING IN CROATIA – GENERAL TIPS:

• Roadtripping through Croatia is the best way to visit the country: ok, we wouldn’t exactly call Croatia a “camper-friendly” country (as they’ll try to charge you for almost anything – I can’t imagine in the high season 😉 ), but motorhoming THROUGH Croatia is actually one of the best ways to visit the country! You’ll be amazed of how many scenic pic-nic tables you’ll find on your way 🙂

• Download Maps.Me for an Offline Map: visiting a new country might mean having very few mobile data on your phone. For this reason, I suggest you to install the free app Maps.Me (iOS, Android) on your smartphone and download the entire map of Croatia. In this way, you’ll never get lost, even without an internet connection! 🙂

• Croatia, seems a small country, but it’s pretty long!  The coastline of Croatia is extensive (1880km just the mainland!), and in the inner regions the roads are slow and curvy. Plan ahead of time where you are going to be sleeping next, and plan carefully also the time you need to get there 🙂

• Drive Careful and Respect the Rules! If you self-drive, remember to always switch on traffic lights (mandatory), respect the speed limits (there are a lot of police controls!), always have with you your driving licence and the vehicle documents, don’t drink when you drive (the limit is 0,5g/l, so don’t drink more than one drink if you planning to drive 😉 ).

5. Wild Camping in Croatia: Rules, Bans and Fees

TIPS FOR WILD CAMPING IN CROATIA:

• • Sleeping in a Vehicle or Tent during the Night, in unregulated toll-free areas can be fined up to 400Euro! Wild camping ban is no joke, and although in low season police seemed tolerating us, the presence of police could be strongly felt already in March. If you plan to sleep in your vehicle, try to be as discreet as possible and avoid taking anything outside of your motorhome!
• • Among all Balkan countries, we found Croatia to be the one trying to rip-off RV travelers the most! 🙁 We saw paid parkings in Dubrovnik in low season for 5Euro/hour. Camping prices are out of the roof (maybe good for a short holiday, but not affordable at all for people living and traveling with a van full-time like us 🙂
  • Said that, in Low season we successfully paid 0Euro (yes, zero!) for parkings and we traveled all touristic hotspots: carefully planning and a bit of walking are the key. In march, we were lucky that most campsites on the coast were closed and so police was closing an eye on RV/vans parking discretely outside city centers. As for national parks, parkings were almost entirely empty and free in low season 🙂
  • To find the best places for wild parking, I strongly suggest you to use the app Park4Night: we tried Caramaps and other popular apps but don’t seem to be of any use in the Balkan region. Park4Night on the opposite, helped us finding awesome free parkings everywhere in the Balkans (we stopped in more than 90 places while on our Balkans Roadtrip, and you’ll maybe find all of our reviews on the app too! ;D

6. Camper Service: Where to Refill Water and Waste Disposal

TIPS FOR WATER AND WASTE DISPOSAL IN CROATIA

• Plan, plan, plan! Croatia almost doesn’t offer any free, official facility for water filling or grey/blackwater waste for RVs and campervans. Design your roadtrip and plan your route with this concept in mind 🙂

• Be Respectful of your surroundings! Not because there are no facilities, we are allowed to do whatever we want. Every country has its rules in terms of motorhomes, and those should be respected. Trying to save some money is always a good habit, but it’s also important to understand when the circumstances and see when it’s ethically worth it, and when it’s not. Paying a camping to dispose of your waste and refilling water won’t ruin you, and for sure you’ll be be sure of doing the right thing 🙂

• If you need a free shower, check on the beaches! On the beaches in Croatia is common to find public showers. You normally cannot use shampoo there, but it’s still a great way to refresh yourself after a day at the beach without consuming the water of your vehicle.

7. Interacting with Locals in Croatia

GENERAL TIPS FOR INTERACTING WITH LOCALS IN CROATIA:

• Learn a few basic Croatian phrases: Even if you don’t really need them to go by, learning a few basic phrases like “hello” (zdravo), “thank you” (hvala), and “please” (molim) will show locals your interest in their culture and they will appreciate the effort you make to communicate with them in their language 🙂

• Try the Local Cuisine: You’re in the Balkans, which is synonym with “EATING”! Croatian cuisine is diverse and delicious, so make sure you try some of the local specialties (grilled lamb and meat in general are very typical and awesome!). Food can also always be a great conversation starter!

• Be aware of the history and politics of the region: Croatia has a complex history and a recent history of war (as most Balkans do have…),  so it’s important to be aware of the political sensitivities of the region. Be respectful when discussing these topics, and try to understand different perspectives.

• Take part in local activities and events: Whether it’s a music festival, a sports game, or a cultural event, participating in local activities is a great way to connect with locals and learn more about their way of life. Don’t be afraid to join in and have fun, Croatian people is very welcoming and warm!

• Keep your hosting land clean! Croatia is one of the cleanest country in the Balkans, but still rubbish is somewhat present outside of touristic areas. For us travelers keeping tidy (or give a fast cleanup) of the spot hosting our motorhomes or campervans is a small deed, that locals will surely notice and appreciate, and a way to improve the respect of locals for our travel community.

8. Motorhome Roadtrip in Croatia: When Should you to Travel?

WHEN TO TRAVEL TO CROATIA WITH A MOTORHOME:

• Spring is great for outdoor activities and discover Croatian Nature! Spring is the best period to visit the stunning Plitvice Lakes National Park (from April the snow should be entirely melted) and witness the Krka waterfalls in their full glory, or explore the charming streets of Zagreb during the Light Spring Festival.

• Summer in Croatia means sea, beach and Mediterranean life!  The beautiful Adriatic coast (Istria, Dalmatia etc.) breathes life in summer! If you’re planning to visit the sandy beaches of Split, Primosten or Dubrovnik, or simply go island hopping and discover hidden coves and secluded bays of Croatia, summer is the best period! Of course, for a roadtrip with a campervan/motorhome, keep in mind that this is also the most expensive period to travel.

• Autumn colours in Croatia are stunning! Croatia is full of nature, and nature in autumn explodes with colours! Organizing an RV Roadtrip through Croatia in autumn is thus surely a good idea! A scenic drive through the picturesque Istrian countryside, visiting the Paklenica National Park, enjoying the colorful foliage while still being able to take a last bath in sea, are all good reasons why Croatia in fall might be a worth visit. 🙂

• Winter in Croatia is low season: most facilities on the coast are closed and the weather is cold. National parks stay always open though, and ticket prices are a fraction of what they are in summer! We visited both Krka and Plitvice National parks and we were basically alone during our visit, with really nobody around: it’s cold, but it’s also winter magic! ;D

9. Top Places to Visit in Croatia – Roadtrip Itinerary

HOW MUCH TIME DO I NEED FOR A COMPLETE RV ROADTRIP OF CROATIA?

To saviour all the beauty that mainland Croatia has to offer, we believe it will take you between 10-14 days.

Of course, plan a bit more time if you plan to visit any of the gorgeous Croatian islands.

We spent 11 days in Croatia before entering Montenegro, and we feel we could have stayed couple of days more.

We thus wouldn’t recommend driving your motorhome to Croatia if you only have a week or less, unless you’re fine with focusing in just one region 🙂 

WHAT TO VISIT IN CROATIA?

Here after you find the best hotspots to add to your Roadtrip in Croatia. Just above this paragraph I left you an useful map to localize them and plan your itinerary (with our roadtrip itinerary highlighted too, in case you’d like to follow our footsteps 🙂

As you can see, the points of interest are spread all over Croatia, and that’s why I believe self-driving the country with a van/camper is the best way to truly savior its different locations and particularities.

1. ZAGREB

The capital city of Croatia. Zagreb is a modern and vibrant city, with tons of bars, restaurants and malls. Here life feels much faster than on the coast.

2. PLITVICE LAKES

National Park with 16 lakes, 90 waterfalls, 18 hiking trails. A must-visit destination in Croatia! (in winter due to snow only about half park is open for visits).

3. KRKA WATERFALLS

The waterfalls of Krka are not so tall as the ones in Plitvice, but the quantity of water they bring is enormous! We loved this park, and the wooden path build right through the waterfalls. Pity it’s not possible to swim anymore here, since 2022 (for safety and preservation reasons).

4. SIBENIK

Sibenik is the less touristy town in the Dalmatian Coast and it was an unexpected surprise! Here we felt very “local”: the view of the city and the fortresses are gorgeous, the beach is gorgeous and the food… I just say I put up two kilos! 😀

5. PRIMOSTEN

Tiny town immersed in emerald water. Great for a couple-hours tour and a summer bath in clear waters. A must-see if you’re driving down the Dalmatian Coast. 

6. DUBROVNIK

Most expensive city in Croatia, but also drop-dead gorgeous. Famous for the giant walls that enshrine the old town, a walk on the walls costs 35Euro and takes 2 hours, but it’s surely a memory for life!

7. ISTRIA REGION

Famous food region of Croatia, and home of many wineries, orchards, truffle forests, and medieval hilltop towns famous for their outstanding food products. 

8. DINARIC ALPS REGION (aka “LOST LANDS”)

Between Zagreb and Plitvice, driving the regional road brings you through the Dinaric Alps. It’s an incredibly rural region, with green fields, tiny villages and “micro-churches”. 

9. SPLIT CITY

In addition to have an old town belonging to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, this vibrant city is also the main hub to take boat trips to nearby islands (such as Brac, Hvar, Bisevo, Korcula and many more!).

10. PREVLAKA

Southern Most Peninsula of Croatia, on the border with Montenegro. Here there is no highway, and so tourism is lower. We found this place extremely quiet for some wild camping and locals very friendly 🙂

10. Food in Croatia: Typical Dishes, Supermarket and Prices

GENERAL TIPS FOR EATING IN CROATIA:

• LIDL is the cheapest, Plodine is the most expensive: kif you are taking a roadtrip through Croatia with your motorhome, probably you also plan to use your stove! Know that Lidl supermarkets are the cheapest places you can get grocery, while Plodine are the more expensive. We were to Plodine one time, and we haven’t found it much more “local” than Lidl. Buying by local producers is also a great way to get quality products for less 🙂

• Try local specialties like cevapi, pasticada, and seafood dishes. Cevapi is a meat-based dish with meat sausages and bread (my favourite dish of the Balkans!), you can find it virtually everywhere in the Balkans peninsula and in Croatia too! 🙂 Pasticada is a beef-stew normally served with gnocchi or black risotto, all delicious plates to stay warm when travelling out of season. As for summer month, seafood restaurants on the coast are everywhere 😀

11. More Tips and Cusiousities of Traveling in Croatia with an RV – Our Experience by Van

Following, we would like to share with you some brief curiousities and tips from our roadtrip experience through Croatia with our orange campervan 😀 So…well… where can we start? Mmmmh…

LET’S START FROM BEER! – Beer in Croatia is tasty and affordable also in bars (3/3,50Euro for a pint). If you like beer and you would like to try something typical Croatian, I can recommend you trying at least one Karlovacko (Lager) and one Ozujsko (Pilsner) ;D

ROADTRIP IS THE BEST WAY TO EXPLORE THE COUNTRY: Croatia is a small, but long country! Driving the regional road on the coast is awesome: plenty of different panoramas, mountains and seaside. We never got tired driving there. Personally, I suggest you driving during the day to not lose the chance to live the many sceneries Croatia has to offer 🙂

ALL HYDRANTS ARE BLUE! In Croatia you will be amazed by the number of hydrants on the streets (there’s literally one every second house!). They are coloured blue (and not red like almost anywhere else in the world), and personally we thought they look cool. It’s just amazing how much water Croatia has, and the system of hydrants they created to show it off 😉

CROATIA IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE OF THE BALKANS AND THE “LEAST-FRIENDLY” BALKAN COUNTRY FOR WILD CAMPING. If you plan to sleep “free standing” in the main season, or park in the middle of nature, Croatia might not be the best Balkanic country for you. Almost all other countries are much more permissive compared to Croatia. If you are looking for a quiet place to wild camp, We would recommend you to try the neighbouring Albania, which is awesome for that (guide coming soon).

POLICE IS NOT EVERYWHERE, BUT ALMOST. We notice more police here in Croatia, than in any other Balkan country. Just keep that in mind, respect the speed limits and park only where it is allowed.

12. Campervan Gear you Might Need on your Croatian Journey

Here is a list to help you making sure you are ready for your motorhome roatrip thrsough Croatia:

ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY IN THE CAMPERVAN

• Insurance Papers
• Spare Wheels and Tools to Change it (we broke one, good we had everything 😉
• Reflective Jacket
• Warning Triangle
• First Aid Kit

 GOOD TO HAVE

• Suncream and Water Bottle!
• GPS Navigator or Offline Map
• Two different Cards (if one doesn’t work)
• Mosquito Repellent
• Mosquito Machine for Campervan
• Pic-Nic Ultra-Foldable Blanket
• Lonely Planet Travel Guide – World
• Lonely Planet Travel Guide – Croatia

INTERNET IN CROATIA

• Free Wi-Fi Hotspots are easy to find in all Major Tourist Areas
• We used the Starlink on the roof our van on our roadtrip and we had fast internet connection anywhere.
• If you have an EU mobile contract, you will have Free Roaming GB which you can calculate roughly by dividing the cost of your national offer (Euro) by 2 (ex. you pay 20Euro/month, you will have roughly 10Gb available).
• Alternatively, you can buy any local prepaid SIM with a data package. 🙂

13. Travel Croatia with a Motorhome – Ultimate Guide

Conclusion

Here we are at the end of our article for today.

I truly hope you got all the essential info you plan and organize your campervan roadtrip in Croatia and make the most out of your upcoming adventure! 😀

After talking about how to enter in the country, how to stay safe, how to move around, when to travel, water, waste, money tips, custom, food, hotspots and itinerary; all is left is giving you my last very personal advice.

If you ask me to tell you something about Croatia, I’d say you this:

“Croatia is gorgeous. Sometimes it can be stressful or expensive finding somewhere to park, but once you’re parked it’s all about enjoyment! Locals are welcoming, panoramas are awesome! The country is very diverse: coast is touristy, parks are a dream for nature lovers, and the inland is as rural as it gets! On your roadtrip through Croatia your eyes will glimmer with fascination, and personally, I believe that’s a huge enough reason to travel there! ;)”

As every time, I ask you to let me know if the article as been useful to you in the comments below (it motivates me a lot to write more! 😉 ). In the same way, let me know if you have other tips that you would like to see added to the article, or you if you found some mistakes (can always happen too!) 🙂

I wish you a life full of happiness and happy travels!

See you in the next article! 😀