Welcome to the city elected European Best Destination 2016!
The Entertainment Capital of the Adriatic, as it was defined by the “Times“, is a city that will win you over from the first glance, a splendid combination of past and present. The city boasts a first-rate historical and cultural heritage: everywhere there are, and well impressed, the testimonies of the past, and, despite the devastation suffered, the city has always been able to recover.
Today, Zadar, known by the Italian name of Zara, is one of the most lively centers of Dalmatia, especially during the summer, when, unmissable, cultural events, concerts and reviews are organized. Beautiful, suggestive and wonderful, Zadar was awarded, by a selected jury of experts in the sector, as BEST EUROPEAN DESTINATION 2016. One more reason to spend a holiday discovering the city, and, above all, the surrounding area between islands, Natural Parks and National Parks.
Zadar has a small airport, located in Zemonico, about 8km from the city. Air traffic is rather limited. Croatia Airlines guarantees two weekly flights from Zagreb all year round; otherwise, connections are concentrated exclusively in the summer period.
Split airport (about 130km away) can be an excellent compromise, being very well connected with direct flights to the main European destinations. Once landed in Split you can continue by car or bus (via Trogir). There are numerous rental agencies at the airport.
Zadar’s railway station is very well connected to the most important cities in Croatia, a little less so to destinations beyond the border. From the main European destinations, on average, two or more changes are needed to reach your destination. Also taking into account the fact that trains are anything but frequent and efficient, this means of transport is recommended only if you intend to visit the hinterland. The official website of the Croatian Railways, moreover, is not very usable.
From the Port of Ancona, in Italy, from June to September, Jadrolinija, operates direct connections, by sea, with the port of Gazenica, operational since March 2015. From here, ferries to/from Ancona and local ferries to the peninsula and the islands dock.
The crossing to Ancona lasts 7 hours. It is also possible to embark your own car.
Alternatively, you can reach the port of Split (from Ancona, Bari or Brindisi) and then reach Zadar by bus.
From Italy, taking Venice as a reference, you have to travel about 470 kilometers to get to Zadar, of which about 310 kilometers on the highway. From Munich (Germany), it is over 700 kilometers to travel, crossing the A8 and the A1. From Vienna, it is just over 600 kilometers and from Prague, over 900. Remember to buy the motorway vignette if you cross Slovenia and Austria.
The Croatian road section, being mostly coastal, is traveled slowly. Be careful and cautious especially in the evening: in these areas the signs and lighting leave much to be desired.
Autotrans is the main transport company in Western Croatia. Since 2017 it has been part of the Arriva group. The company provides numerous daily connections with Istria, Kvarner, Dalmatia, Gorski kotar, Zagreb…
Thanks to Autotrans it is possible to reach Zadar by bus from the main Croatian destinations. Every day there are at least 3 connections to Split. The bus takes about 3 hours and the standard fare ticket costs €16 per person. From Zagreb the journey takes 3 and a half hours, and the standard fare ticket costs €15. Trogir is just under 3 hours away.
Tickets can be purchased online on the official website of the Arriva group. For each route there are promotional (non-refundable) tickets available for a limited number; in this case the fares are offered with discounts of at least 30% on the standard fare.
*all information contained herein, including timetables and prices, is for information purposes only and is not to be considered official. Always consult the official channels. All names and brands herein belong to their respective owners.
© 2015, Gianluca De Falco. Even partial reproduction of all contents is prohibited. The names and brands on the site belong to their respective owners
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