Flying to Croatia

General Information

Croatia has around ten airports with varying degrees of international service. However, as is often the case with highly touristic countries, most have traffic limited to seasonal activity (charters, low-cost, or regular flights) or, at best, serve the capital Zagreb. Additionally, given the number of possible air entry points (including via neighboring countries like Montenegro or Venice), the seasonality of much of the traffic, and the fact that many visitors choose other modes of transport to reach the country, Croatian airports ultimately have relatively low traffic by European standards.

Overall, the capital's airport handles the most passengers, with around 2.5 million per year (2.431 million in 2014). Logically, it offers numerous year-round European destinations, including low-cost flights and routes served by the national carrier Croatia Airlines, which has made it its base, along with some charter or seasonal activity. Split (1.750 million passengers in 2014) and Dubrovnik (1.585 million) are the country's other "million-passenger hubs," with traffic largely concentrated in the summer. Next come the airports of Zadar, Pula, Rijeka...

Types of Flights

Local Airlines

Croatia has three carriers bearing its colors, with Croatia Airlines being by far the most significant.

Croatia Airlines: The national carrier, with Zagreb as its main base and Split and Dubrovnik as secondary hubs. It is a member of Star Alliance and serves major European cities (some seasonally), as well as a small domestic network. In total, around thirty destinations.

European Coastal Airlines: Small seaplanes providing local routes from Split, primarily to nearby islands.

Trade Air: Primarily a cargo airline but recently began operating regular flights between five Croatian cities (Rijeka, Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik, and Osijek).

Charters, Regular, and Low-Cost Flights

Croatia is one of the European countries with the most seasonal flights, to the point that, except for the capital, this type of traffic represents the vast majority of air activity at the main airports. Note that these flights are not just charters arranged by foreign tour operators but also include regular and low-cost airlines that schedule routes for the duration of the tourist season each year.

Promotions and Special Offers

Given the unique air travel landscape of the destination, promotions and special fares are quite common for Croatian cities. These can be found through airlines or tour operators, and sometimes include packages with other services alongside airfare that are well worth considering.

From France

From Paris

While direct flights from Paris (and other French cities) are numerous during the season, the rest of the year, you’ll mostly find a regular flight from Roissy to Zagreb. Expect roughly a 2-hour journey for 150 € to 350 € round trip.

Paris-Beauvais: Zadar (Ryanair, seasonal)

Paris-Orly: Dubrovnik (easyJet, seasonal), Split (easyJet, seasonal), Zadar (Transavia, seasonal)

Paris-Roissy: Dubrovnik (charters + ASL Airlines, Croatia Airlines, seasonal), Pula (charters), Split (charters + easyJet and Croatia Airlines, seasonal), Zagreb (Hop! + Croatia Airlines)

From Other French Cities

Although regional France has fairly good connections to Croatia, almost all of the service is seasonal. The rest of the year, you’ll need to consider flights with a layover in Paris or another European city with direct connections to Croatia.

Bordeaux: Dubrovnik (charters + Volotea, seasonal), Split (charters)

Lille: Dubrovnik (charters + Thomas Cook, seasonal), Split (charters + Thomas Cook and XL Airways, seasonal)

Lyon: Dubrovnik (charters + easyJet, seasonal), Pula (charters), Split (charters + Croatia Airlines and easyJet, seasonal)

Marseille: Dubrovnik (charters), Split (charters), Zadar (Ryanair, seasonal)

Mulhouse/Basel: Pula (charters), Split (charters + easyJet, seasonal)

Nantes: Dubrovnik (charters), Pula (charters), Split (charters + Volotea, seasonal)

Nice: Dubrovnik (ASL Airlines and Croatia Airlines, seasonal)

Toulouse: Dubrovnik (charters)

Choosing Your Flight

Since the country is relatively small, those planning to visit a large part of Croatia may not need to focus on a specific arrival city. It’s best to compare offers (regular, charter, low-cost; direct or with layovers) and prices for Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Split, or even Zadar. Note that some flights with layovers can take (much) longer to reach your destination.

From the Rest of Europe

During the season, countless charters and seasonal flights—primarily from the UK, Germany, Scandinavia, and Eastern Europe—flood into Dubrovnik, Split, and Zagreb. The latter also benefits from year-round regular flights to major European cities.

Belgium & Luxembourg

Brussels: Dubrovnik (Brussels Airlines, Jetairfly, and Thomas Cook, seasonal), Split (Thomas Cook, seasonal), Zadar (Jetairfly, seasonal), Zagreb (Brussels Airlines + Croatia Airlines)

Charleroi: Pula (Ryanair, seasonal), Rijeka (Ryanair, seasonal), Zadar (Ryanair, seasonal)

Luxembourg: Dubrovnik (Luxair, seasonal)

Switzerland

Basel/Mulhouse: Pula (charters), Split (charters + easyJet, seasonal)

Bern: Rijeka (SkyWork, seasonal), Split (SkyWork, seasonal), Zadar (SkyWork, seasonal)

Geneva: Dubrovnik (easyJet, seasonal), Split (easyJet, seasonal)

Zurich: Dubrovnik (Croatia Airlines, seasonal), Split (Croatia Airlines and Edelweiss Air, seasonal), Zadar (charters), Zagreb (Croatia Airlines + Swiss)

From Elsewhere

While Croatia is a major tourist destination, its air connections remain primarily European. There are only a few direct routes, notably to the Middle East with seasonal flights to Israel and Lebanon, as well as regular flights to Doha and Dubai (for Zagreb). Outside of these, you’ll need to take a connecting flight.