Sunset view of drive from Split to Dubrovnik

17 Rookie Mistakes to Avoid: What NOT to Do in Split and Dubrovnik Croatia

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If you’re visiting Croatia for the first time, there are some things you should know. Yes, the basics: currency is Kuna; most everyone speaks English well; they produce quality wine and olive oil (did you know?); it’s hot as hell in August.

But also, the tips and tricks one becomes familiar with by experiencing the trip itself. No matter how much I plan in advance, I pick up new tips every time I’m on the ground actually visiting a place. Heed the warnings below as you plan your own trip to Split and Dubrovnik.

Seriously, people I’ve got you covered on these. Read through and take notes so you can make your own mistakes when you visit instead of recreating ours!

Planning a trip? Use my go-to resources:

Where to Stay in Split Croatia

I love staying at apartments when traveling and VRBO is great for finding a comfortable and convenient stay. Here are some of my recommendations for places to stay in Split

Where to Stay in Dubrovnik

I mention this below as well but if you’re looking for the best places to stay in Dubrovnik, consider looking outside of the city center. We stayed in Lapad and it was lovely and well connected. Here are some recommendations for where to stay in Dubrovnik:

Of course, if you prefer to stay in hotels as I sometimes do, I use booking.com for the best rates.

Money-saving tip! Sign up with Rakuten to get 4% cash back from booking.com! Rakuten helps me earn cash back across my online purchases, I love it as an easy way to save money on things I need. 

What NOT to do in Croatia

1. Attempt to set up your rental car’s GPS by yourself

Unless you read/speak Croatian, we highly recommend you ask the person setting you up with your car to set this up for you. Make sure it’s in a language that suits you before you hit the road.

2. Fall asleep on the drive between Split and Dubrovnik

Obviously, if you’re the driver keep those eyes peeled! But even if you’re in the passenger seat you won’t want to miss the stunning views.

There are two driving route options between Split and Dubrovnik — the coastal road and the A1 motorway. The coastal road will offer great views but takes an hour longer and is especially busy in the summer months.

The A1 motorway still gives you views of the coast and also takes you through gorgeous mountain terrain. It’s also the faster route.

We went with the A1 motorway and were treated to majestic eye candy, from towering mountains and cliff-sides, to charming valley towns set by water.

If you can, plan your drive to overlap with sunset. We left Split at around 6pm on an August day and arrived that night in Dubrovnik a little after 9.

Sunset view of drive from Split to Dubrovnik Croatia

3. Forget your passport for the drive between Split and Dubrovnik

Yes, Split is in Croatia.

Yes, Dubrovnik is also in Croatia.

But, you have to LEAVE Croatia in order to get from one to the other. For a short span of time (about 10 minutes) you’ll find yourself driving through Bosnia.

There are border control stations at each end, so you’ll show your passport upon entering Bosnia and then again on the other side to re-enter Croatia. Each stop took only about 5 minutes.

While we’re at it, make sure you have some cash on you as well for the tolls you’ll come across.

Bosnia border on drive from Split to Dubrovnik

4. Be determined to stay in Dubrovnik’s city center

When traveling somewhere new, it’s easy to feel a pull toward staying in the heart of the city. Dubrovnik’s Old Town is a tourist favorite, and is fun to explore. But when deciding where to lay your head to rest each night, consider Lapad.

Our stay in Lapad was extremely convenient. It included a free parking spot, had a beach and restaurants within a 5-min walk, and had both bus and taxi stands directly outside the front door. Staying in Lapad allowed us some reprieve from the hustle and bustle of tourism, and we were only a 10-min ride away from Old Town.

5. Find yourself without the right beach gear

I went into detail about this in my Croatia packing list post, and I’ll say it again for emphasis. Prepare and pack well before you go so you’re not wasting time and money on this stuff while on vacation!

6. Skip Sveti Jakov beach

There are plenty of beaches to choose from in Dubrovnik, including one that was a 5-min walk from where we were staying. However, we I decided to find a more unique option and that’s how we found ourselves on a hot, 20-min cab ride to Sveti Jakov beach.

About a mile away from Old Town (you can walk or take the 5 or 8 bus from there) you’ll see Sveti Jakov church. Just behind the church, you’ll see approximately 160 stairs waiting to carry you down to one of Dubrovnik’s most beautiful beaches (try not to think about the climb back up!).

Once down, you’re rewarded with a smallish yet gorgeous beach complete with sun chairs, a tiki bar, an outdoor restaurant and a floaty rental stand.

You’ll even have a clear view of the walls of Dubrovnik as you swim. If you like to branch out from tourist hotspots then this is the beach for you, as it’s more popular with the locals.

If you’re traveling with someone who doesn’t do stairs, contact [email protected] about possibly setting up ferry transfers instead.

Sv Jakov Church in Dubrovnik Croatia
Stairs down to Sveti Jakov beach in Dubrovnik
Sveti Jakov beach in Dubrovnik, Croatia

7. Ignore that [not-so] funny feeling

Okay, folks. This is a good rule of thumb no matter where you are. On our second morning in Dubrovnik, I woke up with a funny twinge in my stomach which I promptly ignored — it was beach day!

We hopped in a cab on the super-hot day and headed to Sveti Jakov. We spent hours at the beach swimming and cooling down with drinks at the shaded bar before the twinge returned. Full. Force.

I’ll spare you the details, but I was going to be sick and there was no stopping it. Somehow, I made it back up the stairs (thank God I had a plastic bag at the ready…) and into a car all the way back to our Airbnb. Where I proceeded to be sick 3 more times that night. Yay, honeymoon!

On that journey back from Sveti Jakov I cursed myself for not being content with the beach 5 minutes away from our Airbnb — how much easier that would have been! But in retrospect, I’m still glad we got to spend some happy hours at Sveti Jakov.

So idk, maybe DO ignore that feeling for as long as you humanly can!

8. Get caught in the tourist crush

I heard two things before our trip to Croatia. 1. What an unusual choice of destination! 2. Dubrovnik is touristy af. While it sounds conflicting, it does make sense after some thought.

For one, we noticed that most of the tourists we came across were not American. Croatia certainly still seems to be more of a tourist hub for Australians and Europeans than for Americans.

And for another, Dubrovnik has a cruise port. This is the source of stagnant crowds taking over Old Town during cruise season (May-October). If you’re visiting in this timeframe, plan to visit Old Town after 4 or 5pm, when the cruise crowds have returned to their motherships.

Dubrovnik Old Town

9. Miss the Walls of Dubrovnik and Cafe Buza

Unfortunately, this is something we actually did miss out on because I got sick. But, next time we go we will definitely plan to walk the city walls (at least partly) and check out Cafe Buza. This is a well-known, literal hole-in-the-wall you won’t want to miss.

10. Miss out on a day trip or locally guided experience

Another one we missed out on this trip but don’t feel bad for us, really. *looks up at you with watery eyes*

We were all set to explore Lokrum island as a half day trip. It’s where the Game of Thrones show donated its Iron Throne, which now sits in the monastery. There’s also a ‘mini dead sea’ to float in and tons of nature and pretty peacocks.

Basically it’s supposed to be a really cool place that we’ll hopefully someday make it to, and you should definitely add to your itinerary.

I love taking advantage of locally guided experiences or day trips as a way to get to know a destination more deeply, broadly or both! Here are some of the experiences I have bookmarked for myself for my next visit to Croatia that you might enjoy, too!

 

11. Be turned off by the setup at Diocletian’s Palace

Diocletian’s Palace is beautiful, historic and…full of shops and restaurants. We were expecting an empty monument, and instead we found the lively city center. If you set your expectations properly, you’ll spend less time dismayed about the seemingly overrun historical setting and more time admiring it as the heart of Split.

Diocletian’s Palace is, in fact, home to about 3,000 people and is also one of the main sites to visit in Split (along with the nearby Riva promenade).

Diocletian's Palace in Split, Croatia

12. Skip the seafood

There’s a lot of great food to be had in Croatia (more on that here, under ‘where to eat’) and something that should definitely be on your list is fish on the grill.

Fresh, tender, delicious.

Grilled fish dinner in Split, Croatia

13. Expect sand beaches 

In Croatia you’re far more likely to find pebble-filled beaches than sandy ones. The beaches have beautiful water that’s great for swimming, but you might need water shoes to get painlessly past the pebbles and into the water. 

14. Assume Split isn’t safe

You might wonder, is Split safe? Are there places to avoid in Split? In general, violent crime is rare in Croatia as well as in Split. Split is safe for tourists, especially those who are mindful of their surroundings and belongings. 

15. Turning your nose up at Croatian wine

Sure, Italy and Spain are known for their wines and oils. But although Croatia is lesser known for it, Croatia also produces great wine and olive oil.

16. Worrying about not speaking the language 

While it’s always good manners and culturally competent to learn key words in the language of your destination country, you shouldn’t let not speaking the native language fluently keep you from visiting.

English, along with several other languages, is widely spoken in Croatia and you will be just fine navigating through in English. 

17. Attempting to pay in euros 

You might get away with this in some touristy areas, but do note that Croatian currency is the Kuna. 

Have you visited Croatia? Anything you’d add to this list? Tell me in the comments!

Life update! This trip to Croatia was for my honeymoon. We went to Split, Dubrovnik and the lovely Vis Island. I am now divorced (happily!) and a solo female traveler.

Come follow along on Instagram or TikTok for more life updates. And, although this trip was for my honeymoon and I’m no longer married I stand by the tips and the lovely experiences I did enjoy in Croatia!

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