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Solo Travel Tips For Croatia

Written by  The Dubrovnik Times Apr 06, 2020

Croatia is a beautiful place to visit on vacation. It's also a beautiful place to live - but if you live there already, you already know that! The internet is full of travel guides for people who want to visit Croatia, but most of them focus on couples traveling together for a romantic break or families with children looking for advice on entertainment options and things that they can do together. People who do their traveling alone are often left out of such guides, and so we'd like to present you with this one.

Millions of people travel alone all over the world every year. They’re often younger people, seeing as much of the world as they can before they settle down into lives, careers, and families of their own. Croatia has just as much to offer to a solo traveler as it does to any other kind of traveler - it’s all about knowing what to see, where to go, and what to do. Hopefully, by the time you’ve reached the end of this article, you’ll know more about what it can offer on that front than you did at the start!

While we’re confident that almost any major destination in the country has plenty to offer for someone who’s come to the country alone, these are our picks for the places most suited to those people - and, of course, the reasons why.

Dubrovnik

You can accuse us of bias by listing Dubrovnik first all you like, but we don’t do so without very good reasons! The incredible beauty of Dubrovnik was once a well-kept secret, but then the mass popularity of ‘Game of Thrones’ happened. Dubrovnik became the setting for the iconic ‘King’s Landing’ destination in the show, and it resulted in a whole new wave of tourism for the town.

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Dubrovnik at night - Photo - Shutterstock 

You don’t have to be a ‘Game of Thrones’ fan to enjoy Dubrovnik, though. This old medieval town has been recognized by UNESCO for its significance, history, and beauty. It’s a place where time appears to have stood still for centuries, with stunning architecture and dramatic cliffs and beaches. We strongly recommend taking a kayak around the coastline if you want to see the scenery at its best. It isn’t as cheap as it used to be, but rest assured that you’ll get what you’ve paid for.

Zagreb

The country's capital city might seem like another obvious choice, but it actually gets fewer visitors than it deserves. That's probably because most Croatian tourism is geared toward the beaches and the coastline, and so Zagreb misses out on those visitors because it's positioned a little further inland. That's a shame because it's the artistic and creative hub of the whole country. We hesitate to use the word 'hipster' because of its frequently negative connotations, but there are more than a few hipsters here. Don't let that put you off - they're lovely people.

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Zagreb - the Croatian capital - Photo - Shutterstock 

While you're in Zagreb, if you have a little money to spend, you might want to visit one of the city's thriving casinos. Croatia is a low-key gambling haven, home to many online slots websites and brick-and-mortar casinos. It's not quite Las Vegas, but if casinos, online slots, card games or the most popular game Fluffy Favourites UK online slot interest you, you'll have plenty of opportunities to scratch that itch while you're there. You could even practice your skills on the online slots sites and then put them into practice in the real casinos. Don't fret if that isn't your thing, though - the coffee shops, bars, clubs, and live music venues offer plenty of other entertainment, and artisan craft shops are everywhere.

Split

Split is where one of Croatia’s largest international airports is, and so many people use it as an entry point and then head elsewhere once they’re safely inside the country. That’s a mistake. Split is far more than a ‘jumping on’ point - it’s a thriving city in its own right with enough entertainment on offer to keep you there for weeks if you have the time and the budget.

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The coastal city of Split - Photo - Shutterstock 

Those of you with an affinity for ancient history will particularly enjoy Split. It’s where you’ll find the Diocletian’s Palace, which was built by the Ancient Romans and yet is still inhabited today. You can't say that about most Ancient Roman palaces! You can check out the islands of Brac, Hvar, and Vis by boat, and the range of minimalist hostels in and around the beach is perfect for those traveling on their own and on a budget.

Pag

Let’s be honest. Many solo travelers do their traveling to meet people, have fun, and let loose. That means they’re on the hunt for a good party, and Pag is where they’ll find one. Pag is the closest thing that Croatia has to a city that never sleeps. You might not have heard of Pag before, but you might have heard of the Hideout Festival. Pag is where it’s held every summer. Even when the venues in the middle of town close down, the revelers head out onto the beach and party all night. Think Ibiza, but with more class and less debauchery. Zag parties just as hard, but it does it with more class.

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Reflections on the island of Pag - Photo - Pixabay 

 

Away from the beaches, Pag is largely undeveloped, and so it presents an excellent opportunity to stretch your legs, do some walking, and gather your thoughts alone. Because of the lack of development, the waters close to the beaches is pure and clear, and the sands are undisturbed. It's clean, it's beautiful, it's exciting - it's everything you could conceivably ever want from a holiday destination. The hostels are used to dealing with solo travelers, and as they're all in competition for customers, they offer some excellent package deals and rates.

We could go on. There are many other cities and towns in Zagreb that merit your attention and deserve your custom, but we don’t want to provide you with too many options in case it becomes too difficult to pick. We’d suggest booking for a week or two, coming into Split, spending a few days there and then heading out elsewhere - but that’s just our take on the matter. You might have an entirely different plan. Don’t sit on the fence, though - Croatia is waiting to welcome you, so come and see it!

And check out this website for driving tips in Croatia - Croatia Driving Guide

 

 

The Voice of Dubrovnik

THE VOICE OF DUBROVNIK


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