Best Time of Year to Visit Croatia

Houses in Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik, Croatia

The best time of year to visit Croatia depends on your reasons for traveling, your preferences for things like weather, and your budget.

If you care about warm temperatures, the best time to go is from mid-spring to mid-autumn. The weather will be pleasant in the shoulder seasons and hot in the summer.

Croatia has a Mediterranean climate of cool, mild winters and hot summers. Most people visiting Croatia plan to do some traveling along the coast, including water sports, sailing, adventure sports, or sunbathing. As such, the best time of year to visit Croatia is in the warm months from mid-April to the end of September.

Summer is the peak season for tourism in Croatia, so if you want to avoid the crowds but still have good weather, consider booking your holiday to Croatia in May or September.

You can also find better deals on hotels, flights, and tour packages during the off-peak season, which makes it one of the best times of year to visit Croatia for those traveling on a budget.

Croatia Passport and Visa Requirements

Croatia visa and passport requirements vary depending on your country of citizenship. Below are the requirements for citizens of various English-speaking countries.

Croatia Visa and Passport Requirements for Australian, Canadian, New Zealand, and American Citizens: Passport required. Visa not required for tourist / business stays of up to 90 days in Croatia. Stays exceeding 90 days do require a visa. Proof of a return ticket is required, and passport must be valid for at least 90 days after date of departure from Croatia.

Croatia Visa and Passport Requirements for South African Citizens: Passport and Croatia visa required for travel to Croatia.

Croatia Visa and Passport Requirements for UK Citizens (including endorsed British Citizen, British National (Overseas), British Overseas Citizen, British Overseas Territories Citizen, British Protected Person or British Subject): Passport required. Visa not required for tourist/business stay of up to 90 days in Croatia. Stays exceeding 90 days do require a visa. Proof of return ticket is required, and passport must be valid for at least 90 days after date of departure from Croatia.

Keep in mind that the requirements are subject to change at any time, so be sure to check the website of your country’s embassy or consulate before visiting Croatia.

Cheap Flights to Croatia

With all of the low-cost airlines in Europe, it’s not hard to find a cheap flight to Croatia. There are several main airports in the country, but most people choose to fly in and out of Dubrovnik Airport (DBV) because it is conveniently located on the coast.

Cheap flights to Croatia’s Dubrovnik Airport are operated by the following airlines from the following cities and airports:

Aer Lingus: Dublin

Air Contractors: Cork, Dublin

Air Mediterranee: Lisbon, Lyon, Nantes, Madrid, Marseille, Paris (Charles de Gaulle)

Atlasjet: Istanbul (Ataturk)

Blue1: Helsinki

Condor: Frankfurt

EasyJet: Berlin, Edinburgh, Geneva, London (Gatwick and Stansted), Lyon, Milan (Malpensa), Paris (Orly), Rome (Fiumicino)

Enter Air: Bydgoszcz, Gdansk, Katowice, Krakow, Lublin, Poznan, Warsaw (Chopin), Wroclaw

EuroLOT: Gdansk, Krakow, Poznan, Warsaw (Chopin)

Europe Airpost: Bordeaux, Cork, Dublin, Lille, Marseille, Paris (Charles de Gaulle)

FlyBe: Birmingham

FlyNonstop: Kristiansand

Germania: Lyon, Munich, Nuremberg, Toulouse

Germanwings: Cologne/Bonn, Hamburg, Hannover, Stuttgart

Israir: Tel Aviv (Ben Gurion)

Jetairfly: Brussels

Jettime: Gothenburg (Landvetter)

Jet2.com: Belfast (International), Edinburgh, Leeds/Bradford, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Nottingham/East Midlands

Monarch: Birmingham, London (Gatwick), Manchester

Norwegian Air Shuttle: Bergen, Copenhagen, Helsinki, London (Gatwick), Oslo (Gardermoen), Stavanger, Stockholm (Arlanda), Trondheim

Primera Air: Malmo, Stockholm (Arlanda)

S7 Airlines: Moscow (Domodedovo)

Smartwings: Prague

South Airlines: Odessa

TAROM: Bucharest (Henri Coanda)

Transaero Airlines: Moscow (Domodedovo)

Transavia France: Paris (Orly)

Vueling: Barcelona

Windrose Airlines: Kiev (Boryspil)

Other large international airlines also operate flights to Croatia, and their prices are sometimes comparable. As such, make sure to compare fares before booking to make sure you get the best deal.