Road Trip in Northern Croatia: 5-day itinerary

The climate in Croatia is divided into 2 parts: the coast and its islands enjoy the Mediterranean climate while the inland benefits from a continental climate (a bit like Belgium).

The months of May, June, July, August, and September are ideal for enjoying Croatia even if temperatures can sometimes be hot in the centre of the country on certain days. If you have the opportunity, we advise you to prioritise the off-season periods (May/June/September) to avoid tourist crowds and take advantage of low or mid-season prices for activities (prices can quickly soar during peak season).

In our case, we traveled to Croatia by car during our road trip through Central Europe. As explained at the beginning of the article, we want to limit our air travel and prioritize other modes of transport for travel.

Reaching Croatia by car from Brussels is a bit like going to the south of France (between 13 and 15 hours for northern Croatia). You just have to consider the vignette and other tolls of the countries you cross. For example, we found the crossing of Austria very expensive: ± 30€ (2 tunnels + the vignette).

It is possible to take a bus from Brussels to Croatia. The bus company Flixbus offers direct (or indirect) journeys to several Croatian cities. The journeys last between 20 and 30 hours. For travel within the country, the Croatian bus network has a good reputation. The Croatian tourism website gives you all the information for traveling by bus.

The duration of the journeys may seem long, but why not take the opportunity to make a stopover in Vienna or another city along the way?

Train is the preferred mode of transport for a responsible trip because it produces few CO2 emissions. It is possible to reach Zagreb from Brussels by train in less than 20 hours (and with several connections).

Again, this might be a chance to take your time on the journey and stop in one or another major city along the way to Croatia. And why not get an Interrail ticket and turn your journey into a train-based backpacking trip? Find all the information on the Interrail website.

We stayed in one of the studios of Apartments Star, 2 kilometers from the city center of Zadar. Renovated a few months ago, the two studios include everything you need for a few days' stay. The apartment is quiet and we slept like babies (we certainly had a few hours of sleep to catch up on from our previous accommodations).

And the icing on the cake, the owners were lovely. We were treated to crêpes one evening and a bottle of wine from their own production another day. It was very nice to chat with them, about their culture, their passions and the things to see around.

You can book with them via Booking.comBooking.

Since January 1, 2023, Croatia is part of the eurozone. In addition to numerous ATMs, it's easy to pay with a Visa card. To avoid foreign transaction fees, we both have a Trade Republic bank card with Romain.

In Croatia, Croatian is spoken. Communicating in English with the locals can be difficult (not everyone has a very good level). In tourist areas, we didn't have any trouble making ourselves understood.

Day 1: Arrival in Croatia | Overnight in Plitvice

Day 2: Plitvice | Route to Zadar | Overnight in Zadar

Day 3: Visit of Zadar + Sunset from the Sea Organ

Day 4: St. Anthony’s Canal (Walk) + Sibenik + Sunset in Nin

Day 5: Vransko Lake + Beach | Overnight in Zadar

Day 6: Route to Slovenia

For 6 days in Croatia and 5 nights, we spent ± 560 €. This is approximately €46 per day per person. We did few activities and cooked all the meals ourselves, which kept our budget in check.

Accommodation: €280 • Restaurants: €27 • Groceries: €75 • Gas: €60 • Tolls: €45 • Activities (including €7 for parking): €57

Our Croatian adventure begins with a visit to the unmissable Plitvice Lakes National Park. After a day's journey from Budapest and a stop in Tihany, a small village on Lake Balaton (the largest lake in Central Europe), we arrive late in the afternoon

in the Plitvice Lakes region.

We chose to stay the night before to be able to take advantage of the opening of the first Croatian national park. We've detailed our visit to Plitvice Lakes National Park in an article, including practical information and all our tips for visiting it comfortably.

Read the article about our day at the Plitvice Lakes

Once our visit to the Plitvice Lakes is finished, we hit the road. Destination Zadar, for a few days on the Adriatic coast, a 2-hour drive from Plitvice.

For this 3rd day in Croatia, we set out to discover the small fortified town of Zadar. Listed by UNESCO, it offers a rich cultural and historical heritage. We enjoyed a beautiful day walking the streets, alleys and discovering its seaside. We returned late in the evening to watch the sun set (timidly) over the sea. A magical moment to the sound of the sea organ.

📍 The small port of Fosa: to have a beautiful panorama of the port, don't hesitate to go to the Madijevka Queen's park.

📍 The city walls & its magnificent gates. Below, the gate of the Mainland.

📍 The Saint-Donat church, the Saint-Anastasie cathedral and its bell tower right next to it.

📍 The Roman Forum

📍 The Saint-Elijah church

📍 The Square of the 5 wells

📍 The sea organ, from where you can observe magnificent sunsets.

For this fourth day, we had planned a hike to the Saint-Anthony Canal. Unfortunately, the wind was fresh and, like good tourists, we hadn't planned any jacket or sweater for the day. We only did a round trip to the Saint-Nicholas Fortress (which is only accessible with a guide).

To save the day, we headed to Sibenik to discover the historic center. We were completely charmed by this fortified city with its narrow streets, its light stone houses with colorful shutters and its Saint James Cathedral.

📍 Saint-Jacques Cathedral

📍 The Palace of the Dukes (opposite the cathedral)

📍 A walk through the narrow, winding streets and stairways

📍 Château Saint-Michel

We went out towards the village of Nin at the end of the day for the sunset. We didn't get the sunset we hoped for, but some shades of orange and pink brightened the late afternoon clouds. We took the opportunity to wander through this charming little town, passing through the historical gate, the Church of the Holy Cross, its small fishing port and to observe the wildlife in the salt marshes nearby.

Near Nin is the Ždrijac beach. It offers a beautiful sandy bank on one side and a stretch of sea on the other where you can watch kitesurfers!

Vransko Jezero or the Lake of Vrana (in French) is the largest lake in Croatia. Located near the Adriatic Sea, it remains a freshwater lake. It boasts impressive fauna and flora.

We went on a hike in the Vransko Jezero Bird Reserve. Starting from the cemetery of the village of Vrana, we completed a loop on the rocky trails amidst the Croatian nature, with mountains in the background. We walked 2 kilometers through vineyards, olive trees, mountains, and the Croatian countryside.

After a short climb, we discover a 180° view of Lake Vrana and its turquoise waters. The hike continues along the lake shores where we can see some bird species taking flight from the reeds and marshes.

On our route, we were surprised (twice) to encounter a land tortoise. With their brownish shells, they blend into the vegetation, and you have to be careful not to step on them! We were also fortunate to observe some bird, butterfly, and insect species.

After this hike deep in the Croatian nature, we went to the ornithological point of Lake Vrana. We were disappointed with our visit. This area is very busy and tourists are disrespectful (children running, talking loudly, crying, etc). Result: very few birds present. Perhaps it's better to go there early in the morning or in the evening before sunset.

To end this beautiful day, we stopped at the Lumbrak plaza. An opportunity to swim in the Adriatic Sea and cool off after the hike in Vransko Jezero National Park. After putting on our swimsuits, we plunged into this turquoise water at the perfect temperature for the end of May. Around us, some pine trees complete this wild and preserved cove. However, watch your feet, sea urchins and pebbles cover the floor of this beautiful Croatian beach.

It is on this small, wild cove that we end our story in Croatia. We spent 5 incredible days discovering a very small part of this country on the Adriatic coast (and juggling between the showers some days). We will come back, for sure, to discover the islands, the mountains and the other natural, cultural and historical wonders of Croatia.

Don't hesitate to write a small comment at the bottom of this page if you have any other questions! 😉