Main airports in Croatia: List and Travel Guide
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Croatia is a small country but spreads on relatively wide land. The capital of Croatia, Zagreb, is in the north. Most tourists, though, especially in the summer months, arrive at the coast. Croatia is a popular travel destination, so good to know in advance how to get there.
Where are the airports in Croatia? Which are the main airports in Croatia with international flights? You can read about it in this article.
Quick links to organise your trip to Croatia:
Ferryhopper for ferry schedules and tickets.
Here for private transfers and guided tours.,
And here to check bus schedules.
How many airports are there in Croatia?
In Croatia, there are 9 civil airports. Island Brač airport is mostly for charter flights. Lošinj island airport is only for domestic flights. The rest of the airports are for standard international flights. Two airports are in the continental part of the country: in Zagreb and Osijek. The rest is on the coast, from Istria, the most northern part of the Croatian coast (airport in Pula), to the airport in Dubrovnik, in southern Dalmatia.
Main airports in Croatia: Zagreb International Airport
Croatian biggest airport with the biggest amount of traffic is obviously the airport in Zagreb, the country capital. It’s full name is Franjo Tuđman Airport and code: ZAG. In 2022, the airport had reached almost 3 million passengers.
There are many big airlines operating at the airport; Croatia Airlines and Ryanair are among them. From the airport, you can get to other domestic airports and many European cities, but also to Dubai, Doha, and Toronto.
It’s easy to arrive from the capital Zagreb airport to the city centre, and you have two options if you want to take public transport.
The first is the Pleso shuttle bus, which takes 30 minutes and will take you to the bus station (Autobusni Kolodvor in Croatian). The bus station is around 20 minutes’ walk and a 5-minute tram ride from the train station and city centre. It’s the best transport option if you plan to take a bus to another Croatian city.
Another option is city local bus number 490, which runs every 35 minutes and connects Velika Gorica (where the airport is) with Kvaternikov Trg in the centre.
Main airports in Croatia: Split airport
The second busiest Croatian airport is Split Airport (SPU). It lies just next to the Adriatic coast, in town Kaštela, around 6 km from town Trogir and 25 km from Split. Thanks to the location, the views when landing are absolutely amazing. You can see the coast (so-called Dalmatian tyle of the coast), sea, and islands.
Choose this airport if you are planning to visit the city of Split and the whole region of central Dalmatia, together with many known Dalmatian islands like Hvar or Brač. To get to the islands, you need to take the bus to Split centre. The bus takes around 30 minutes to the bus station, which is next to the harbour and train station. So it’s easy to get islands if you land in Split. Just check the ferry schedule before, as the timetable changes depending on the time. The bus schedule is available here.
Main airports in Croatia: Dubrovnik International Airport
The third busiest airport is Dubrovnik Airport. Use it if you plan to visit the city of Dubrovnik and southern Dalmatia, like, for example, Pelješac peninsula or one of the most known Croatian islands, Korčula island. This airport is also pretty close to the border with Montenegro, so sometimes charter flights with tourists staying on the Montenegrin coast land at this airport.
Dubrovnik airport is busy, especially in the peak season, with many flights from European cities as well domestic flights.
It takes around 30 minutes to get from the airport to the city centre; however, in the highest season, it can take longer due to traffic. There is a shuttle bus that goes from the airport to the centre; for details check here.
It’s possible to organise your trip using both airports; for example, arrive in Split but leave from Dubrovnik, as it’s easy to travel between two cities. Check all the details in the post: Travel Guide: How to get from Split to Dubrovnik.
Main airports in Croatia: Zadar
The next airport on the busiest Croatian airports list is Zadar airport, so again, Dalmatia. Zadar is the fifth-biggest city in Croatia and is absolutely beautiful and worth visiting. A bit less known than two previously mentioned, but recently getting well-deserved popularity. The city is known for its amazing Old Town and sunsets watched when listening to Sea Organs.
From the airport, you can get to the centre (the bus stop is just next to the walls of Old Town) with the city bus. A timetable is available here. The same bus takes you to the bus station and Gaženica Ferry Terminal.
All practical information about Zadar, as well as information on what you should see in Zadar, you will find in this blog post.
Main airports in Croatia: Other airports on the Croatian coast
Rijeka Airport
We are still on the coast, but more north now, in the Kvarner region. Rijeka Airport is sometimes called Krk Island Airport, as it’s already ‘on the other side of the bridge’, on the island of Krk.
Comparing to Dalmatian airports, both airports on the northern part of Croatian coast have visibly fewer flight connections and traffic.
There is a shuttle bus to Rijeka city, a timetable and all the information you can find on this website. Remember to use only authorised transport here, as this non-authorised transport leaves passengers far from the airport.
Pula Airport
The city of Pula is the biggest city in Istria Penisula, and it has an international airport as well. Again, with much less traffic, there are few domestic and European connections. Here you can find information on the shuttle bus timing.
Islands of Brač and Lošinj airports
Brac airport is used mostly for charter flights; this year (2023), there are, for example, flights from Munich or Slovakian Bratislava.
There is no shuttle bus; you need to get a bus, car, or taxi to arrive there.
Lošinj airport lies close to Mali Lošinj town, the capital of the island in the Kvarner region. It’s used for domestic and international ‘taxi flights’; here you can find more details.
Main airports in Croatia: Osijek Airport
Osijek is a city in Slavonia, in eastern Croatia, with around 100,000 inhabitants. It’s less known because of the location, but it’s a nice city and region. Osijek lies on the Drava River, which divides the city into two parts. There is also a beach at the river. Streets with secession houses, fortress, and old town are among the landmarks that you can see in Osijek. The city is around 4 hours by bus from Zagreb.
The airport code for Osijek is OSI. It has mostly domestic flights to Zagreb and coastal cities. There are also direct flights from Munich and London. There is a shuttle bus to the centre; detailed information regarding transport can be found here.
Main airports in Croatia: Summary
These are all Croatia airports. However, you probably mostly need to look at:
Zagreb, as the main destination or stopover, and Split. Also at Dubrovnik, Zadar, maybe Rijeka, and Pula, which have international destinations flights in the summer season.
Domestic destination flights are conducted by two airlines: Croatian Airlines and Trade Air. If you travel to further destinations, look especially at Croatia Airlines.
Croatia is an interesting and beautiful country with a rich cultural heritage. You will for sure enjoy our trip here.
Interested in reading more about Croatia? Check out these travel posts:
20 Amazing Croatia Coastal Cities To Visit in 2024
What to do on Dalmatian coast?
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