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Croatia Travel Guide
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It's hard to know just how much money you'll need when travelling, So here are some tips to help you prepare for a successful trip to Croatia.
The Croatian word "kuna" means "marten", a small animal that represents Croatian currency, in memory of the time when the skins of these animals were used as units of value in trading. The kuna is still the country's currency, even though Croatia became a member of the European Union on 1 July 2013. However, the euro is increasingly accepted particularly for large amounts. If you travel to Croatia by car, you'll find that you can also pay toll charges in euros. When it comes to changing currency, you'll get a better deal if you change your sterling once you get there (but avoid the bureau de change at the airport) or use euros. Change your money in town or simply use your bank card to withdraw cash. There are ATMs everywhere in the cities and in the airport. You are likely to be charged a service fee, so check with your bank before leaving to find the cheapest option. Remember to change enough money and make sure you always have cash on you, because some small shops and businesses, particularly in rural areas, don't accept card payments.
There are 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 lipa coins and there are 100 lipa to the kuna. Then there are 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 kn notes.
The exchange rate in April 2016 was 1 Kuna = £0.11 or €0.13, £1.00 = 9.48 Kuna and €1.00 = 7.50 Kuna.
Although we still don't know what impact Croatia's entry into Europe has had, it has remained an affordable country with consumer prices less than half that in the UK. Accommodation will take a major part of your budget, but it's easy to find rooms in little B&Bs or even homestays, which are very widely available. Eating out is much cheaper than in the UK. You can eat like a king for about £30 and a meal in a restaurant costs between £8 and £12. With direct flights and low-cost airlines operating from the UK to Croatia, you can get a return flight from about £100. There are several airports served by UK airlines including Pula, Split and Zadar.
A three-course meal for two: £22
A cheap meal in Dubrovnik: £6.35
1 night in a hotel: £25 to £65, depending on the time of year and the standard of the hotel.
1 coffee: 8/10 kn approx. £0.85 to £1.05.
1 bottle of water: 15 kn approx. £1.60
1 cocktail: 30 kn approx. £3.20
