How to get to Dubrovnik, and around it once you’re there!
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- Ragusa, Pearl of the Adriatic, King’s Landing – welcome to Dubrovnik!
- Dubrovnik Croatia weather
- When to visit
- How to get to Dubrovnik
- How to get around Dubrovnik
- 5 best things to do in Dubrovnik 2021
- Where to stay in Dubrovnik
- Best Dubrovnik wellness and spa
- Where to eat in Dubrovnik
- What to do in Dubrovnik: festivals, events…
- Best day trips from Dubrovnik
- Dubrovnik for kids
- Game of Thrones and other filming locations
- 5 things you never knew about Dubrovnik
- 5 moments in history that shaped Dubrovnik
- How to be a Dubrovnik local
- Digital nomads in Dubrovnik
- Dubrovnik Shopping & Downloads
- Real Estate in Dubrovnik
- English Speaking Dubrovnik
- More information
How to get to Dubrovnik
Map of Dubrovnik
By Car
Compared to the rest of Croatia, Dubrovnik is a LONG way south. And, if you’re driving from anywhere else in the country in 2021, you’ll still have to go through another country. Because Bosnia and Herzegovina has a thin slice of the Adriatic coast near the town of Neum.
However, the Peljesac Bridge project is nearing completion. It’s a Chinese-built bridge that will circumvent Bosnia’s strip of sea. No more time-consuming border crossing! Follow the bridge’s progress on this dedicated TCN page. For the best advice on getting to Dubrovnik from Split, here is the comprehensive Total Croatia guide. Catamaran information is included. But, there’s also the option of arriving in Dubrovnik by car ferry from Bari. Learn more in our Italy to Croatia section.
Flights to Dubrovnik 2021
More tourists than ever are now flying to Dubrovnik. Accordingly, the airport has improved facilities and the number of flights. Also, many use the airport to access neighbouring Montenegro. Routes and numbers of flights remain in fluctuation, as the pandemic of 2020 eases its grip. But, updates are happening all the time. All you need to know about Dubrovnik Airport and getting to Dubrovnik is in our Total Croatia guide. There are also some useful tips about crossing the border to Montenegro. It includes why it makes sense do to so via Bosnia in season.
Dubrovnik Airport
Dubrovnik Airport (DBV) was established back in 1936 in Gruda village in Konavle Valley. In the 1960s it moved to the present spot close to village of Cilipi. It is the most important traffic hub of Croatian south. In the year 2019 dubrovnik Airport recorded almost 3 million passengers that came and went through it. Considering Dubrovnik’s small size, this number is quite impressive. Majority of the guests staying in Dubrovnik fly into the city. This is why the airport, which is not too big, needs to be very efficient and safe. Dubrovnik airport is both these things. Strong northern wind called Bura sometimes causes problems. On especially windy days Dubrovnik Airport can be tricky to land on. The planes sometimes need to re-route to one of the other airports in the area. Check out our complete guide to Dubrovnik Airport for more info.
By Boat
When travelling internationally, you can get to Dubrovnik by Jadrolinija ferry from Italy’s Bari. Direct ferry line connects the two cities for quite some time. This line is a car ferry line and runs for much of the year. For the exact timetable and pricing, check out Jadrolinija’s website.
When travelling within Croatia, Dubrovnik is connected by high speed catamaran to Split. Kapetan Luka Shipping Company operates these two lines. Find detailed information on these option here:
Split – Milna, Brac – Hvar – Korcula – Pomena, Mljet – Dubrovnik
Split – Bol, Brac – Makarska – Korcula – Sobra, Mljet – Dubrovnik
To travel within the local archipelago, you can turn to Jadrolinija local lines or G&V Line for traveling to Mljet Island or Korcula Island.
Is there a Train to Dubrovnik?
Unfortunately, there are no train lines running to Dubrovnik. The city was connected by train up until 1976 when the popular train called “Ciro” connected Dubrovnik to Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina. More info about the old train line to Dubrovnik. When travelling by train from Zagreb towards Dubrovnik, the easiest route would be to go to Split and then change to a bus, airplane or a high speed catamaran. For more information on train lines around Croatia check out Croatian Railways’ (Hrvatske zeljeznice) website.
How to get from Dubrovnik to Hvar, Korcula, Kotor, Mostar & more
Finding updated and accurate information on how to get to and from Dubrovnik from several popular destinations is sadly not as easy to find as it should be. In an effort to help rectify this, here is the TC 2021 guide on how to go From Dubrovnik to Hvar, Korcula, Mljet, Kotor, Budva, Tivat, Mostar & Medjugorje, Split, and Zagreb.
Looking for a fast, reliable and trouble-free transfer to or from Dubrovnik? Contact TC transfer partner Adriatic Transfers for your one-stop solution.
How to get around Dubrovnik?
Dubrovnik Public Transportation
Dubrovnik Public transportation company is Libertas. Libertas operates all Dubrovnik bus lines, both within the city limits and around most of Dubrovnik-Neretva County. Their buses are fairly new, clean and efficient (depending on the city’s traffic). You can purchase bus tickets on many Libertas kiosks around the city and local newspaper stands. Details on the individual lines are available on the company’s website, as is the current price list.
Taxis and Uber
Taxi companies have been multiplying in Dubrovnik in the past few years. Biggest three are: Plavi taksi (Blue Taxi) – a local taxi organisation, Eko taksi, and Cammeo – both chapters of national taxi companies. There are also a number of smaller taxi companies on the market. All of them will compete for clients with low prices during the quiet parts of the year, while the peak season (June – August) will traditionally be more expensive. All of the biggest companies have their mobile apps that you can use for easier access and ordering. Check out their websites for more information: Plavi taksi, Eko taksi, Cammeo.
Of course, the picture of city mobility would not be complete without Uber. Uber is present in Dubrovnik for the past several years and it has become very popular, especially during the summer. While thought of as the cheapest option, Uber’s prices change dynamically based on demand and supply, so they range from the cheapest to some of the most expensive on the market, depending on the time of day and period of the year.
Rent a Car, Car Sharing
Renting a car in Dubrovnik is popular, although best used when staying outside of the historical centre or the city limits. Traffic around the busiest areas of Dubrovnik can be tricky during the summer season, but also during certain days in autumn or spring. On the days when big cruise ships are visiting the city, the traffic can get quite jammed at certain periods. The road from Gruz Harbour to the historical centre is best avoided at these times. When it comes to car hire options, many of the major global companies like Sixt, Avis, Hertz will have their affiliates in the city and on the airport. Nationally strong Oryx is also present and offers good prices in off season periods.
Recently, the first car sharing company started operating in Dubrovnik. Avant2Go is a new company that is trying to make life on crowded Dubrovnik parking lots a bit easier by offering a car sharing option. This solution, popular in bigger cities around Europe, is very new for Dubrovnik and we are yet to see how it plays out. On the other hand, Avant2Go’s electric cars are brand new. They still don’t have many users so you will find available cars easily. They are a possible solution for those needing their own vehicle for only a portion of the time spent in Dubrovnik. Their website contains more details.
Scooters and Motorcycles
Motorcycles and scooters are very popular among the locals. Scooters like Piaggios, Vespas and Yamahas up to 49ccm can be operated by anyone with a car driver’s license. Anything on two wheels with a bigger engine than 49ccm will require a motorcycle license to operate. As mentioned in our safety section, if you do decide to rent a motorcycle or scooter, know that the rest of the people on the road will expect you to be as skilful as the locals. So, practice away from the traffic. Motorcycle rental places are not very popular in Dubrovnik, but you will find several options for scooter rentals. These machines are pretty basic and sturdy, but many under-skilled and under-experiences riders use them. Make sure to inspect them properly before renting.
Dubrovnik Parking
The main benefit of motorcycles is the parking. There is ample motorcycle/scooter parking around the historical centre, especially in the vicinity of Pile Gate and Buza Gate, and it is all free of charge. With cars, it is a very different story. Car parking in Dubrovnik is one of the city’s burning problems. Outside of the historical centre area there is street parking which is charged per hour. If you get a parking ticket, it will be in the form of one day parking ticket. Meaning, you have paid for 24hr of parking by paying the ticket.
There are parking meters around the parking zones which you can use to pay for the parking. Most popular method with locals is to pay via mobile phone. This system works only with mobile operators that provide this service. Lately, the city’s parking company Sanitat has come out with a Dubrovnik Parking App which is available for download as well. Check out their webpage for more information. Parking in the historical centre area is even trickier with only two parking lots available to non-locals and they are both quite expensive during the busier half of the year.
For more detailed instructions on how to navigate the complex world of Dubrovnik’s public parking, follow the link to our Dubrovnik Parking Page on Total Croatia News.
How to get From Dubrovnik to Montenegro?
Montenegro is the most popular destination out of Dubrovnik. It is a beautiful country of rugged landscape and picturesque bays. Traffic between Dubrovnik and Montenegro is very active and it can get slow. For all the information on how to get to Montenegro, turn to our dedicated page.
