RIJEKA - GETTING AROUND

On foot

Rijeka`s city center is very compact and it is possible to walk from the Old Town to the waterfront (Riva) in less than ten minutes. The Korzo is pedestrianized and is a great place to take a leisurely stroll. Rijeka`s tourism board has organized a self-guided walking tour of the most important sights in and around the city center; you can view them on a map by visiting www.visitrijeka.hr/documents/Rijeka_mapa.pdf. The tourism office is located at Korzo 14 and you can arrange a guided tour as well. Be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes, as the walk up to Trsat Castle is a bit of an uphill climb (450 feet above the city to be exact).

By taxi

Taxis are quite affordable in Rijeka compared to other Croatian cities. A journey of 5 km (3 miles) or less costs 30 kunas, with each additional kilometer (0.6 miles) priced at 7 kunas. You can call for taxis in advance or hail them on the street, but for the best service while out and about you are better off waiting in line at one of the three taxi stands in the city center. One is located at Rijeka train station (Kresimirova ulica 5), another is located at the city bus station (Zabica Square), and the other is located in front of the Autotrolej commuter bus station (Ban Josip Jelacic Square). There are 13 taxi companies serving Rijeka, with the most-recommended companies being Cammeo (+385 51 313 313, www.taxi-cammeo.hr), Radio Taxi Rijeka (+385 51 585 585, www.radiotaxirijeka.com.hr), Taxi Fiume (+385 51 515 515, www.taxifiume.com), and Taxi Rijeka (+385 51 335 138, www.taxirijeka.com).

By bicycle

Although the city is spread out over varying degrees of elevation, most travelers should be able to find a portion of the city where they can ride their bicycles if they choose to incorporate that into their trip. There are three bike rental shops in Rijeka: Kvarner-rent (Rastocine 6, www.kvarner-rent.com), Bri Rent-a-Bike Service (Krizaniceva 2b, bri.rental@gmail.com), and Cycle and Sea Adventures (Ante Kovacica 23, www.cycleandseaadventures.com). Prices at these business range from 75-100 kunas per day for a regular bicycle; note that the latter bike rental service specializes in electric and race bikes (275 kunas per day).

By bus

Autotrolej (www.autotrolej.hr, website in Croatian) operates the commuter bus lines in and around Rijeka, of which there are 19 daytime lines and 3 nighttime lines. There are five stops in the city center served by three different bus lines: Brajda, near the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art; the Rijeka Skyscraper; Croatian Republic Square (Trg Republike Hrvatske); the Palazzo Modello (the Rijeka Public Library); and Ban Josip Jelacic Square. Of those three lines, Route 7 will take you in the direction of Trsat Castle as well (transfer to Route 1B at the KBC Susak Medical Center stop).

Bus tickets can be purchased from the driver (10 kunas for one zone or 21 kunas for travel to the fourth and farthest zone). Weekly tickets are also available for 80 kunas (160 kunas for all four zones, most useful if you want to spend a lot of time away from the city), which can be purchased at Tisak and iNews newsstands all over town. It is also possible to pay for fares by purchasing a Rijeka City Card, which you can do at the Autotrolej station at Ban Josip Jelacic Square 3 (6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. M-F, 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sat).

It is worth noting that there is also a hop-on hop-off tourist bus which runs through the city center and up to Trsat Castle. It runs daily from early July to late September and makes a loop four times a day (approximately every two and a half hours). For more information, visit the Autotrolej station in Jelacic Square or visit www.autotrolej.hr/turisticki-autobus (website in Croatian). Fares can be paid using the Rijeka City Card which you can also buy at the station.

By ferry

Rijeka is the headquarters of Jadrolinija shipping and ferry company, owned by the Croatian government. Jadrolinija`s ferries leave the Port of Rijeka for the islands of Cres, Ilovik, Pag, Losinj, Rab, Susak, and Unije. Depending on the island visited and distance traveled, one-way tickets can range from 20 to 60 kunas. For more information on ferry routes, visit www.jadrolinija.hr/en.

By car

Many of you will be driving to Rijeka and possibly exploring places around the Kvarner Gulf. It is not necessary to drive to many places while in Rijeka proper, and doing so may be more bother than it is worth. Keep your car at the hotel while you explore the city, and save the drives for exploring areas such as Opatija and nearby Krk Island. Keep in mind that you will be picking any rental car you reserve during the booking process with TripMasters at the airport of entry into Croatia (whether it be Zagreb Airport, Pula Airport, or Zadar Airport), and not in Rijeka proper.