Lodging

You can find any type of accommodation you like in Croatia, including five-star hotels, hostels, private villas, or a room in a family home, plus resorts, more than 500 campsites, and a handful of boutique wineries. In Zagreb, Istria, and Dalmatia, standards (and prices) are high, while in less busy regions, such as Slavonia, you might not be spoiled for choice but you can always find something suitable and reasonably priced.

On the coast, prices are at their highest in July and August and hotels are often fully booked far in advance. Outside of the high season, you can usually find a good bargain for places that might be out of your budget through the summer (another reason to consider traveling to Croatia in the shoulder season).

All foreign guests have to pay a tourist tax for each night they stay in a hotel or private accommodation. It’s a negligible amount, between 2 Kn and 7 Kn per night depending on the hotel category and the season, and it's most often just added to your bill.

Apartment and Villa Rentals

Until a decade or so ago, the best way to find local accommodations was to show up at the bus station, where a local person would wait with faded photos of their room for rent. In recent years the number of private beds has skyrocketed; you can now find everything from a single bed in a family home to a deluxe five-star apartment online. They vary greatly in size, standard, and amenities, but are generally a safe and unique way to stay in a quiet neighbourhood and interact with locals. Private villas are also very popular in Istria and Dalmatia, and a great option if you're traveling in a group or as a family since they have more space and facilities than a hotel room.