Looking to beat those peak season border queues from BiH to Croatia?
The television cameras were out on the BiH side of the Doljani border crossing near Metkovic on July 22, 2015, as they filmed the frustration of passengers in more than 100 cars waited in baking temperatures waiting to cross the border into Croatia. With Croatia’s inviting and pristine Adriatic coast providing cool refreshment, increasing queues at border crossings coming into Croatia in peak season are a necessary evil at this time of year.
Or are they?
Acting on a top picked up in Mostar, TCN took a different route home to check out if the rumour was true – that there is in fact a border crossing into Croatia from BiH which is almost traffic-free, even in peak season, and we are delighted to confirm that this is indeed the case, with a waiting time of just three minutes behind two other cars.
This would seem to be a regular occurrence, as TCN asked a border official if the border ever gets busy in peak season. His relaxed smile indicated that the opposite is in fact the case.
So where is this mysterious border crossing, and how does one reach it?
The most direct route to the coast from Sarajevo and Mostar is of course through the Doljani crossing near Metkovic, but if you are looking to avoid the queues, head instead to Medjugorje and the new A1 motorway. Rather than continuing on to Split along the motorway, some 500m after the toll booth (price 1.20 KM), there is a turning to Ljubuski. Take that turning and turn left at the corssing towards Metkovic through Prud and Zid. The turning is signposted as 18km from Metkovic, but appears shorter.
Simply drive along the road until the most relaxed crossing on the BiH – Croatia comes into view, and soon afterwards, Metkovic. And just a few minutes after that, the cool and refreshing waters of the Adriatic…
