Travelling to The Islands by a Ferry or Catamaran
The ferries in Croatia are very busy in summer season but also very frequent and well organized. You need to be prepared for a crowd in the ports and waiting for two or three hours to board a ferry in the main season (mid of July till end of August). You can expect a big crowd in the port of Split, if you travel to Southern Dalmatian Islands Brač, Hvar, Korčula or Vis.
If you travel by car on weekend, try to board a ferry in the morning, as early as possible – boarding a ferry on weekend afternoon in summer can be very hot, especially if travelling with children.
Boarding a Ferry
Boarding a ferry by car. Try to arrive to a port at least two hours before ferry departs and line your car immediately for boarding. It is higly recommended to buy a ferry ticket on line in advance. If you do not do that, you will have to line your car first and then go to the counter to buy a ticket (and maybe you will miss your ferry and need to wait for the next one). The most ferries operate on basis – first come, first serve. If you don’t make it to board a first ferry by car, take a short walk and explore the port and town while waiting, but don’t miss your ferry ride!
Boarding a ferry without a car. If you are travelling around Croatia by bus or train, ferry terminals in Croatia are usually close to the main bus or railway station and you don’t have to walk a lot to reach the port. If you travel by plane, take a bus shuttle or taxi at the airport that will drive you to the port. Buy your ferry ticket online in advance to avoid a line at the counter – you could miss your ferry while buying the ticket.
No Reservation Tickets For a Vehicle, EXCEPT:
The service of buying a ticket on lines with a reservation implies that the purchased ticket for certain lines also means the reservation of a place for a vehicle on the ferry for the desired departure time. Tickets for lines with reservations can be purchased via the Jadrolinija website, the mJadrolinija mobile application and at points of sale.
Currently, booking tickets for a vehicle for a specific departure time is available on these lines:
Split – Vis, Trogir (Soline) – Drvenik Mali – Drvenik Veli, Split – Stari Grad (Hvar), Split – Rogač (Šolta), Split – Vela Luka (Korčula) – Ubli (Lastovo), Sumartin (Brač) – Makarska
Buying Ferry and Catamaran Tickets
It is not possible to board a ferry without a ticket. There is no ticket sales on the ferry. The best you can do is to buy your tickets on line, in advance, to avoid a ticket line in a port. Croatian ports are very busy and hot in summer and you want to board a ferry asap after long drive.
BUY YOUR FERRY AND CATAMARAN TICKETS ON LINE, IN ADVANCE, especially for catamaran routes because they have very limited space.
The most of coastliners have on line ticket sales, except small local operators.
Ferry and Catamaran Companies and Their Routes
JADROLINIJA is the biggest coastliner and the most frequent Croatian ferry and catamaran company, operating along the coast (except Istria). It sails to majority of Croatian islands, and operates a few lines between Croatia and Italy (Split- Ancona, Zadar- Ancona, Dubrovnik-Bari). Jadrolinija offers online ticket buying.
KAPETAN LUKA coastliner operates catamaran route from May to October connecting Split to Dubrovnik stopping on islands Brač, Hvar, Korčula and Mljet. They operate direct route from Split to Hvar Island, and one more route to Korčula Island with a stop on Hvar Island.
Also, Kapetan Luka connects Pula and Zadar with stopping on small islands Unije, Susak, Mali ošinj, Ilovik and Silba.
TP-LINE operates a catamaran service between Split and Dubrovnik (with stopping at islands Brač, Hvar, Korčula and Mljet)), a route between Split and Hvar and several routes in Dubrovnik archipelago. One of their routes,sail from Dubrovnik to Lastovo Island.
BUY YOUR FERRY AND CATAMARAN TICKETS ON LINE, IN ADVANCE.
Other smaller catamaran/boat companies operate more locally:
Bura Line operates boat routes between Split, Slatina and Trogir – boat and small catamaran fleet.
Mia Tours operates catamaran route from Zadar to the islands of Premuda, Silba and Olib.
Rapska Plovidba is ferry service between the islands Rab and Pag, and island Rab and the mainland.
What to Do On a Ferry?
Once you board a ferry, you are almost there! Your island is now closer than ever. The moment you step onto a ferry, your sea adventure has just begun.
Generally, the ferries in Croatia are in comfortable and clean with an airconditioned lounge/salon in the middle and sitting area on the decks. The biggest ferries operate in Southern–Dalmatian Archipelago, sailing to the islands Brač, Hvar, Korčula, Vis and Lastovo. When you board the ferry, you can grab a drink and snack from a bar in the lounge.
After you hear the ship engines turn on, the ferry will depart any moment, and now it is time to go to the deck and see the city and the port from the sea perspective. Sailing to your island on the ferry is a fantastic experience where you are surrounded by blue sea and sky, and seagulls saying hello over your head.
As you get closer to your island, you excitement gets bigger, and you think about all the wonderful things you plan to do and see. If you still haven’t plan your holiday activities and adventures, now it is a perfect time to relax and find out about exploring your destination. You can book many fantastic experiences on VIATOR – HERE.
Jadrolinija – the biggest national ferry company
International Ferry Routes From Italy to Croatia
The only international ferry routes are from Italy to Croatia- there is no ferry or catamaran route connecting Croatia with any other country.
Besides few routes operated by Jadrolinija (Split-Ancona, Zadar-Ancona, Dubrovnik-Bari) you can travel from Italy to Croatia and reverse using services from other ferry and catamaran companies – Venezia Lines, Adriatic Lines, Blue Line, SNAV.