HVAR ISLAND FAQ'S

How do I get from the airport to my hotel?

Visitors will fly into Split Airport (IATA code SPU), 12 miles west-northwest of Split and 40 miles northwest of Stari Grad on Hvar Island. It is the second-largest airport in the country, and is a hub for flag carrier Croatian Airlines. Car rental companies are located on the first floor of the arrivals hall at Split Airport. TripMasters recommends that you reserve your car rental during the booking process, as chances to rent automobiles are few and far between on Hvar Island. If you book a car through TripMasters, you will pick it up as you arrive at Split Airport and not on Hvar Island.

Driving directions from Split Airport: Turn left onto Cesta Dr. Franje Tudmana. In about half a mile, turn left onto Skabrnjska. In about 0.4 miles, you will turn right onto Setaliste Pape Ivana Pavla II. After crossing the Jadro River, this road will change names to Ulica Zbora narodne garde. After Vukovarska ulica, keep right and turn right onto Poljicka cesta. After KBC Split Hospital, keep right onto Ulica krajla Zvonimira. When reaching the ferry terminal entrance, follow signs for the car ferry to Stari Grad and buy a ticket for you and your rental car. The ferry to Stari Grad will take an hour and 12 minutes. The D116 road is the main road in town and connects Hvar with Sucuraj 40 miles to the east. The Stari Grad ferry terminal is located right on D116; turning right takes you toward Hvar, turning left takes you toward Vrboska, Jelsa, Pitve and the southern towns, and Sucuraj.

How do I get from the train station to my hotel?

Taking a taxi or train from Split Airport: Take a taxi from the arrivals hall to the nearest train station, which will be called Kastel Stari. The fare to Kastel Stari should cost no more than 50 kuna. Trains leave thirteen times daily and ten times on weekends from Kastel Stari to Split train station, which is located directly across from the ferry terminal. The train ride takes between 20 and 25 minutes and costs roughly 15 to 20 kuna. You can also take a taxi directly from the airport to the ferry terminal, which will be faster but will cost more, in the neighborhood of 300 kuna. Walk across from Split train station to the ferry terminal and buy either a ferry ticket for Stari Grad or a catamaran ticket to Hvar or Jelsa. Within two hours, you should be close to arriving on Hvar Island, if not already there! Taxis are available to call on Hvar Island, and during the day you may encounter some in a queue near your port of arrival.

How do I get around Hvar Island using public transport?

Cazmatrans Otok Hvar is the company which operates daily bus routes on Hvar Island. Buses travel between the cities of Hvar, Jelsa, Stari Grad, Vrboska, Dol and Vrbanj; in addition, there is bus service between those cities and the Stari Grad Ferry Harbor. There is also a connection (thrice weekly) between Hvar, Jelsa and Stari Grad with Sucuraj, with an optional add-on ferry to Split. Tickets may be purchased on the bus.

How do I call/hail a taxi?

There are few taxis on Hvar Island, so you probably won`t encounter one that is vacant for you to hail from the street, but there are no particular rules against doing so. Most locals would tell you to call ahead for a taxi and have it come to you.

There are two major taxi services on Hvar Island, and both are based in Hvar: Hvar Taxi (+385 91 602 7177) and Tihi Hvar (+385 98 338 824). Expect to pay at least 300 kuna for a ride from Hvar to Stari Grad, 500 kuna to Vrboska and Jelsa, 800 kuna to Sveta Nedilja, and 1200 kuna to Sucuraj. There are also taxi companies that will include water connections to the mainland; oft-requested destinations are Dubrovnik and Medugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina (both at least 3000 kuna). Taxis are open to haggling as you are expected to agree on your fare before departing.

I will have a car on Hvar Island. Where can I park?

Parking will be difficult in Hvar Town as most of the town is pedestrianized. The D116 passes near Dolac and there is a large pay parking lot, open to the public, that is by all accounts a safe place to leave your car. There are three major parking lots in Stari Grad (Novo riva, Put Kriza and near Trg Stjepana Radica), and one in Jelsa on Strossmayerovo setaliste. Ask during the booking process if your accommodations include parking and inquire about any possible fees for parking at hotels.

Is Hvar Island a dangerous area? Are there any places I should avoid?

Hvar Island is a popular tourist destination. With that said, you should keep in mind basic rules for safety: always walk in well-traveled, well-lit areas, always look purposeful and don`t look lost (even if you may be lost), and keep your valuables on your person in different places.

As of late, Hvar Island is concerned with the behavior of tourists, so keep in mind that police are not only keeping you safe, they`re looking to see if you are abiding by the law also. If you go shirtless outside of a resort or beach area, you can be fined as much as 4000 kuna. If you walk around town while still in your swimsuit, you can be fined 5000 kuna. Drinking alcohol on the street (and away from bars and cafes) can set you back 6000 kuna in fines. Be casual, but not too casual. It's the law!

Can I pay/tip in U.S. dollars?

Croatia's currency is the euro (€), like Slovenia and most of the other countries in the European Union. Croatia joined the Eurozone on January 1, 2023. The kuna, the former currency, will be accepted by businesses for only two weeks, until January 15, 2023. After January 15, 2023, you will have to pay using euros at businesses nationwide and not kunas. If you have spare kunas from past trips to Croatia, they can be exchanged at Croatian banks for euros until December 31, 2025.

Credit and debit cards are widely used in Croatia and you will find most businesses accept them. Bank and currency bureau hours are usually 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, with an hour break for lunch typically taken at noon or 1 p.m. ATMs are widely available in Croatia; many of them do not charge fees themselves, but note that your home banking institution may charge a fee for withdrawing money abroad.

I don't speak Croatian. Will many people speak English?

Croatians are some of the most multilingual people in Europe. It is estimated that 81% of adults can speak English at least conversationally, by far the most popular foreign language. Hvar Island is a very popular tourist destination, so you should be able to get by with English in tourist-driven businesses in the main towns. If you cannot communicate with someone, show them this sentence and they will most likely happily assist you: Da li itko ovdje govori Engelski? (Does anyone here speak English?)

Are there any basic Croatian customs or etiquette tips I should be aware of before arriving?

If you are going into an area that isn`t primarily geared toward tourists, try not to dress too skimpy or revealing. Croatians will consider this inappropriate. Casual dress is fine, but not too casual. If you pass someone on the street, nod, smile, or say a quick hello. Croatians respond very favorably to greetings, even from strangers. Croatians love coffee (kava), so if you make friends here, you will most likely be called to someone`s house or a cafe for a coffee date. Please be on time, though; Croatians value promptness!

If visiting a home, bring a bottle of wine or spirits, or possibly a bouquet of flowers. (Note: A bouquet with an even number of flowers is considered taboo, as even-numbered flower bouquets are reserved for presenting to the dead at the cemetery. Make sure the bouquet has an odd number of flowers.) Even if you are not feeling hungry or thirsty, happily accept any refreshments offered by the host; it is rude not to. Croatians will fill plates and glasses once they are emptied, so if you are full, tell your host `nema vise`. It means `no more`.

With Croatia being a very Catholic country, you will find that many people say grace before beginning a meal. As a foreigner, you aren`t expected to know how to say prayers in Croatian, but a nice bow of the head is respectful, even if you are not personally Catholic or Christian yourself. Finally, keep your hands on the dinner table; it is considered indecent to keep them folded in your lap. (This rule is not as stringent when seated around a coffee table.)

Note: Do not refer to the Croatian language as `Serbo-Croatian`, don`t refer to Croatians as `Yugoslavians`, and don`t call Croatia `Yugoslavia`. Many reminders of the former Yugoslavia are evident all over Croatia, which is not surprising considering Marshal Josip Broz Tito was a Croat. However, the Croatian culture and identity have undergone their latest resurgences in the years since independence in 1991, and reminders about `the time before` could sit quite awkwardly with people to whom you have just become acquainted (especially older people). Unlike in Slovenia, where their war of independence lasted a handful of days, Croatia`s was protracted and lasted four-and-a-half years. If a newly-acquainted person brings the topic of Yugoslavia first, be respectful, listen, and ask questions but not rude or prying questions. Some people miss the life in Yugoslavia, some do not, and many are now not even old enough to remember it. It is a sensitive topic.

What time do Croatians usually eat? Do I need to make reservations to fancy restaurants in advance?

Croatians eat four meals a day. The first meal is usually very light, such as coffee or brandy (rakija) with bread, and eaten very early, as Croatians go to school and work early (usually beginning at or before 8 a.m.). For those who work or go to school early, a smaller version of lunch is served, called either gablec or marenda. The main meal is lunch (rucak), which is eaten anytime between 12 and 3 p.m. Traditionally this includes a salad course and a dessert in addition to the main course (meat, potatoes or noodles, and a vegetable). Dinner (vecera) is eaten late, beginning around 8 p.m. If dinner is a social occasion, you will find that Croatians love to share tapas, cheese plates and a charcuterie platter. Establishments open for dinner are called konobas and restorans: a restoran that is well-recommended in Hvar Town, Stari Grad or Jelsa will most likely require a reservation, which you can request via telephone. As far as snacks are concerned, Croatians love coffee, and their cafes are usually within close proximity to (and sometimes in the same building as) a pastry shop or ice cream shop, two other establishments Croatians love to visit on a regular basis.

Note: Smoking is forbidden in restaurants in Croatia, but in bars and cafes, smoking is permitted as long as the establishment has met ventilation guidelines with regard to cigarette and cigar smoke. On Hvar Island, like the rest of Croatia, cafe windows will have a green sign if you can smoke inside; red signs mean that smoking is not allowed.

What is nightlife like on Hvar Island?

Hvar Island is a well-known nightlife mecca in the Adriatic. Especially in the summertime, bars and nightclubs are filled with tourists from Europe, in particular Germany and the United Kingdom. Hvar Town in particular is where people can see and be seen; even Prince Harry has been seen clubbing there! If you want bars that are quieter, go to Stari Grad and Jelsa. You can`t go wrong with a lot of the bars and nightclubs located in Hvar`s pedestrian zone and along the water. Some bars close in the early hours of the morning, but the nightclubs are open through the night and until the sunrise. Make sure to save what many call the best for last -- Veneranda Nightclub, located to the west of the harbor in a repurposed Venetian fortress. That`s where the paparazzi caught Prince Harry!

Where are the best areas for shopping?

Hvar Town was not always well-known for shopping, but its reputation is changing, especially in the past few years, when Hvar`s boutiques were even written about in Italian Vogue! The best shopping can be found right in the center of town, from the waterfront to Ulica Matija Ivanica. This includes St. Stephen`s Square to the east where it meets Dolac. In the smaller towns, you will find fewer options for shopping apart from grocery shopping at Konzum (ubiquitous throughout Croatia -- even on Hvar Island!).

Where can I rent a bicycle on Hvar Island?

Bicycle rentals are available in Stari Grad, Hvar and Jelsa; highly-recommended businesses include Hvar Life (Stari Grad, +385 95 556 5567); Luka Rent (Hvar, +385 21 742 946); and KGM Rent-a-Car (Jelsa, +385 91 300 4050).