Dubrovnik Travel Guide

Getting There By Air

DubrovnikAirport(DBV)
Tel: (020) 773 171.
Website: www.airport-dubrovnik.hr

Dubrovnik’s modern single-runway airport is located 20km (12.5 miles) south of the city. There are currency exchange facilities, a business lounge, bars, a souvenir shop, telephones, ATMs, car hire offices and an information desk within the terminal building. The airport also has a Wi-Fi hotspot, which means passengers with laptops can access the Internet through a credit card payment facility. Shuttle buses meet all incoming scheduled flights. Taxis are available outside arrivals (journey time to city center - 30 minutes).

Getting There By Road

Road quality in Croatia has improved greatly over the past two decades, although smaller inland roads can be less well maintained. Cars drive on the right. To rent a vehicle in Croatia, you must be over 18 years of age and have been in possession of a license for more than a year. Speed limits are 130kph (80mph) on motorways, 110kph (68mph) on dual carriageways, 90kph (56mph) outside built-up areas and 50kph (30mph) in built-up areas. An International Driving License and a minimum of third-party insurance are required to drive in Croatia. Further relevant information can be found on the website of the Croatian Motoring Organization (Hrvatski Autoklub) (tel: (01) 464 0800; www.hak.hr).

Emergency breakdown services
Hrvatska Autoklub (tel: 987).

Routes to the city
The Adriatic Highway (E65) links Dubrovnik to Bosnia and the Croatian city of Split in the north and Montenegro in the south. An extension of the Split-Zagreb motorway is underway, which will, when completed, link Dubrovnik to the Croatian capital, Zagreb. At present only certain sections have been finished and political problems mean that the final completion date is uncertain (it was most recently delayed until 2012).

Driving times to the city
From Split - 4 hours; Zagreb - 8 hours.

Coach services
The main bus station in Dubrovnik is located 2km (1.3 miles) to the north of the Old Town at Gruž at Put Republike 19. Long-distance operators include Autotrans (tel: (051) 213 821; www.autotrans.hr) and Korčula Bus (tel: (020) 711 216) who run services north up the Croatian coast.

Getting There By Rail

There are no rail services to Dubrovnik.

Getting Around in Dubrovnik, Croatia

Public Transport

There are no trams, trains or metros in Dubrovnik, but the Old Town is more than easily navigable on foot. All of the city buses are run by Libertas (tel: (020) 357 020; www.libertasdubrovnik.hr). There are a number of bus routes connecting the Old Town with the suburbs; route 1A and 1B are popular with tourists as they connect the harbor and bus station at Gruž with the Pile Gate entrance to the Old Town. Bus 4 is also useful for those staying on Lapad as it connects Pile with the Lapad Peninsula, terminating near the Dubrovnik Palace Hotel.

Taxis

Taxi stands are located outside the Pile and Ploče gates, at Gruž, the bus station and in Lapad. Taxis can be called locally on (020) 423 164, (020) 418 112 and (020) 424 343. Considering the cost of living, taxis in Dubrovnik can be expensive with even the shortest trip subject to a hefty flagfall. Dubrovnik first timers should pretend otherwise when asked if they have visited before to avoid inflated fares and attempts to sell impromptu excursions. For longer journeys (when the meter might not be used), agree a price in advance.

Driving in the City

Driving in Dubrovnik itself can be a nightmare due to the sheer weight of tourist numbers in the high season and a complicated one-way system. Parking spaces are at a premium and the Old Town is pedestrianized.

Car Hire

There is little point in hiring a car for traveling around Dubrovnik as its most interesting district is pedestrianized and congestion and parking are problems elsewhere. Note that the permitted driving blood-alcohol level in Croatia is zero. For exploring the surrounding region, however, car hire can be the most sensible solution. Car rental companies include Avis (tel: (020) 778 811; www.avis.com.hr), Dollar-Thrifty (tel: (020) 773 588; www.thrifty.com.hr), Bingo Rent (tel: (020) 773 136; www.bingo-rent.com) and Hertz (tel: (020) 771 568; www.hertz.hr).

Bicycle Hire

Cycling is not common in a city whose core is ruled by pedestrians and whose roads are dominated by cars. Dubrovnik's Old Town itself is easily covered by foot. Cycling on the busy Adriatic Highway is not recommended. Accordingly, no companies currently rent out bikes in Dubrovnik.