Booking Croatia Ferries

Booking International Ferries to Croatia

Car Ferries

If you're bringing a car onto a ferry you certainly will want to book in advance. Passengers can nearly always find a space but cars are limited.Most international car ferries to Croatia travel at night (except in the summer when there are a few day routes) so you'll need to book sleeping arrangements as well. There are varying degrees of comfort from airline-type reclining seats to cabins with private facilities. Online booking for international car ferries includes:

• Bari to Dubrovnik
• Ancona to Split
• Ancona to Zadar
• Ancona to Pescara

See a list of all companies with international car ferries to Croatia.

Passenger Ferries

It's wise to book your seat on a passenger ferry in advance. It's essential in July and August and but a good idea at any time. If you wait, you'll have to find the local agency that sells the tickets and make sure you're there when they're open (i.e. not Sundays!). Online booking for passenger ferries includes the popular ferries from Italy to Croatia:

See a list of all companies with international ferries to Croatia.

Booking Local Ferries in Croatia

Car Ferries    

There are three kinds of car ferries in Croatia:

• Coastal Ferries that run twice a week more in summer) from Rijeka to Dubrovnik, stopping at Split, Hvar, Korcula and Mljet. (see the schedule). Jadrolinija runs these ferries and you may book them through their website.

• Local Ferries such as those that run from Split to Hvar Island or Brac Island. These ferries cannot be booked online. You must go to a local Jadrolinija office to buy these tickets. You can buy ferry tickets for any Jadrolinija route at any Jadrolinija office. See Jadrolinija for all local ferry schedules and local offices.

• Local Ferry Shuttles such as those that run from Ploce to Trpanj for example (see all ferry shuttles at Jadrolinija). Usually these are only for cars because there is no local transportation to or from the ferry embarkation points which tend to be tiny villages. These are very short routes (about 1/2 hour on average). Tickets cannot be bought in advance at all. You must go to the embarkation point with your car, get in a line and buy the ticket at a small stall that opens about 1/2 hour before the crossing. These ferries are frequent all year and non-stop from morning to night in the summer. If it fills up you wait for the next one. In July and August, you could wait on line a couple of hours for the most popular routes.

Passenger Ferries

Jadrolinija runs a few passenger ferries (Rijeka-Rab-Novalja for example) and you can buy tickets at any Jadrolinija office (but not online). It's a good idea to buy in advance.

Popular passenger boats that run from Dubrovnik to Mljet or between Korcula, Hvar and Split cannot be booked online. You must buy from a local travel agency. It's wise to buy as far in advance as possible. Local tourist offices can tell you who handles ticket sales. 

If you're taking a ferry in Croatia,  I strongly  recommend that you buy trip cancellation insurance. Find out why.

Related Pages

Getting Around Croatia by Ferry

Getting to Croatia by Ferry

Croatia Ferry Blog --the latest ferry news

Croatia Ferries Forum  --questions & answers

In a Ferry Frenzy? I can help!

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