4 Ways To Get From Italy To Croatia With Italy To Croatia Ferry Info

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Post author SJ

Written by our local expert SJ

Sarah-Jane has lived in Croatia for 10+ years. SJ, as she is known, has been traveling the Balkans & beyond since 2000. She now shares her passion for traveling with her husband & kids.

This detailed transportation guide tells you how to get from Italy to Croatia and from Croatia to Italy. It includes all the ferries from Italy to Croatia.

Croatia Travel Blog_How To Get From Italy To CroatiaWhy visit one location when you can check out several during the space of one holiday? Or you might be hopping around Europe and wondering how to get from place to place.

If you’re keen to get from Italy to Croatia, there are several options in front of you. That means you can enjoy Italy’s delicious food, culture, and beauty and then hop over to Croatia and check out the history, local delicacies, and amazing beaches.

Croatia To Italy Distance

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Well, depending on your mode of transport, that is a hard question to answer. By road, from Zagreb to Rome is 885 km (550 miles), which takes around 9 hours to drive. The flying distance from Rome to Zagreb is 321 miles (517 km).

So now, you want to know “how can I get from Italy to Croatia,” right? Let us show you how.

Flights From Italy To Croatia

Croatia, Hvar island, Bol. Aerial view at the Zlatni Rat Beach, Croatia

Of course, the easiest way is to fly, and that’s especially easy during the summer months. Many airlines service several Italian cities and connect to different parts of Croatia, many of which are low-cost airlines, too – bonus!

Some airlines also provide services during the winter months, although these are less frequent.

FLIGHTS FROM CROATIA TO ITALY

Croatia Airlines

EasyJet

  • Milan Malpensa to Zadar and Split
  • Venice to Dubrovnik
  • Naples to Split and Dubrovnik

Ryanair

  • Rome Ciampino to Zagreb (this service is year-round)
  • Rome Ciampino to Zadar and Split
  • Milan Bergamo to Zagreb (this service is year-round)
  • Rijeka to Zadar
  • Milan Malpensa to Zadar
  • Bologna to Zadar
  • Naples to Zadar
  • Turn to Zadar
  • Bari to Zadar

Wizzair

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Driving From Italy To Croatia

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If you want to drive from Italy and Croatia, it will undoubtedly be a very scenic affair! You can take your own car or hire one, with Avis, Europcar, Maggiore, and Sixt allowing rental vehicles to be taken from Italy to Croatia. Some will let you do a one-way rental, but do check and know that it will be a LOT MORE expensive.

The easiest route is from Trieste in Italy to Koper in Slovenia, and then driving into Istria, Croatia, from there.

As you are crossing borders, you’ll need to have all documentation ready to show at the border crossing, and now that Croatia is a part of the Schengen Zone, the long waits to cross the borders during summer are now avoided. 

Ferry From Italy To Croatia – Italy To Croatia Ferry

Can You Take A Boat From Italy To Croatia?

Yes, and there are several options you can take to get to Croatia from Italy by ferry. They vary in time, according to the operator and the route you choose. Most ferry routes only operate in the summer months, but some are year-round. If you’re opting to travel by ferry during the winter months, be prepared for delays and cancellations at the last moment due to bad weather.

Ferry To Croatia Options

From Venice To Croatia

  • Venice to Piran
  • Venice to Umag
  • Venice to Poreč
  • Venice to Rovinj
  • Venice to Pula
  • Venice to Mali Lošinj
  • Venice to Novalja (appears to be on the island of Pag)
  • Venice to Rab
  • Venice to Zadar

From Trieste To Croatia

  • Trieste to Pula
  • Trieste to Rovinj
  • Trieste to Rijeka

From Ancona To Croatia

  • Ancona to Zadar
  • Ancona to Split
  • Ancona to Hvar (Stari Grad)
  • Ancona to Dubrovnik

Other Ferries From Italy To Croatia

  • Cesenatico to Mali Lošinj
  • Pesaro to Mali Lošinj
  • Civitanova Marche to Split

Jadrolinija launched a new ferry line connecting Italy and Croatia in 2023. They started in May, connecting Split, Croatia, and Bari, Italy, once a week until October.

FERRY TO CROATIA ROUTES

Busiest Ferry Routes From Italy To Croatia

  • Italy to Dubrovnik
  • Italy to Zadar

Common Departure & Arrival Cities

  • Venice to Pula, Rovinj, Umag & Porec
  • Ancona to Zadar & Split
  • Bari to Croatia ferry arrives in Dubrovnik & Split (new as of May 2023)
  • Trieste to Rovinj, Mali Losinj, Porec
  • Cesenatico to Mali Losinj, Rovink
  • Pesaro to Mali Losinj

On the flip side, the same return ferries from Croatia to Italy operate. 

Despite some sites claiming there to be a ferry Hvar to Italy – sadly, there is not one. But you can reach the island of Hvar easily once you arrive in Split. 

To give you an idea of the times, the ferry from Venice to Porec takes 2 hours 45 minutes, with four crossings per week. Trieste to Rovinj with Liberty Lines takes 2 hours 30 minutes, and there are two crossings per week.

But if you choose to sail from Ancona to Zadar with Jadrolinja, there are two sailings per week, which will take you 8 hours. Similarly, Bari to Dubrovnik is another long one, at 10 hours and three crossings per week.


Croatia From Italy By Train

Traveling between Italy and Croatia by train is the less popular option, but it can be done if you’re not short on time. The train isn’t direct as you’ll need to connect in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

The Trieste to Zagreb via Ljubljana service departs twice daily and takes about 8 hours, costing around 20 euros for a one-way ticket.

In our opinion, the best way to travel from Croatia to Italy is to take a ferry from Italy to Croatia. Either that or fly into Italy and get a private transfer from Venice to Pula or Zadar.

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