Your Travel (Money) Guide to Croatia!
In this episode, the Travel Guides explore the stunning coastlines and glowing waterfalls of Croatia with an intimate cruise along the Dalmatian Coast.
In case you missed it, Travel Money Oz Currency Pass is the official currency card of this Logie Award-winning show, so we’ve been following the Travel Guides on their worldwide tour to give you the complete itinerary, exclusive clips, and tips on everything travel and money along the way!
You can read our first recap here:
Croatia was a wildcard in 2022 Euro Summer, and this once off-the-beaten path country is now one of the hottest destinations in Europe.
Not only that, but it also got much easier for travellers to manage their money, because this year Croatia switched to the Euro!
In this episode, the Travel Guides discovered the main Croatian travel destinations (hello Croatia beaches and islands!), as well as the hidden gems in Croatia too, with some unique cultural encounter (swashbuckling swordsmen, anyone?).
So, say 'zdravo' (a formal hello) to the Fren Family (Mark, Cathy, Jono and Victoria), the Boys (Kev, Dorian and Teng), the Snobs (Kevin and Janetta), the Husbands (Matt and Brett), and the Outback Siblings (Stack and Josh), who will be your Croatia Travel Guides!
Because Travel Money Oz is an official sponsor of Channel Nine’s Logie-award winning Travel Guides TV series, we get some exclusive behind the scenes content!
Watch the video below to see the Fren Family learn to create some delicious Croatian desserts!
Sundrenched Croatia sees about 300 sunny days per year, and this stunning country boasts 6000 kilometres of coastline and 700 islands.
It’s no wonder people – 15 million of them – travel from all over the world to soak up the sunshine by the sparkling Adriatic sea each year.
And the Travel Guides did so by visiting several Croatia islands on an island-hopping cruise along the Dalmatian coast!
From visiting ancient Croatian cities, seeing the striking waterfalls of Krka National Park, learning to swim as a mermaid (more on that later!), and seeing traditional sword dancing, the Travel Guides showed the best places to visit in Croatia in one week by journeying from Dubrovnik to Zagreb by sea.
For their Croatia vacation, the travel guides made it very easy to see all the most spectacular highlights of this Adriatic jewel by having it all bundled neatly in a premium yachting experience with Travelmarvel Cruises.
Their intimate cruise north along the Dalmatian coast from Dubrovnik to Zagreb took the Travel Guides to all the best places to visit in Croatia, with all the accommodation, most meals (seven breakfasts, six lunches, and four dinners), transport, and a couple guided excursions included in the 8-day Croatia travel package.
Sailing on the Princess Eleganza, there are only 36 passengers on board with a dedicated Cruise Director and about 7 crew members for each passenger – so the Travel Guides were well taken care of.
Travelmarvel’s eight-day Adriatic Coastal Cruise from Dubrovnik to Zagreb costs anywhere from $3495AUD to $4495AUD depending on the date you set sail.
This includes most meals, but you’ll want to have some money set aside for one lunch and three dinners that won’t be included, as well as spending money for additional tours and activities, snacks, and souvenirs!
As mentioned before, Croatia has switched from the Croatian Kuna to the Euro, so you’ll want to have your Travel Money Oz Currency Pass loaded in Euros (EUR), and some foreign cash as well! We’ll go into this in depth later, when we’ve broken down all the costings of this trip!
Explore Old Town Dubrovnic with a Guided Walking Tour
Dubrovnik is old. Really old. 1400 years old. So for people who “love old stuff” like the Outback Siblings, this medieval town is a gem – or pearl – to explore.
Take the legendary Dubrovnik Maskeron for example – an owl-like gargoyle carved from stone in the Old City near the Pile Gate. According to legend, if you jump on the maskeron facing the wall, and maintain your balance as you take off your top and turn around, luck in love will follow you!
As chaotic as it looks, it must’ve worked for the Fren Family, because Victoria is now engaged and planning her wedding!
This guided walking tour takes you through Dubrovnik’s World Heritage-listed fortress, through ancient, narrow, lime-stone and marble alleys, to see the Gothic-Renaissance architecture of Rector’s Palace, explore centuries-old Franciscan and Dominican Monastaries, and see the 16th century Sponza Palace (also known as Divona).
COST: FREE!* A Guided Tour of Dubrovnik is included as a Travelmarvel cruise activity.
Game of Thrones Guided Walking Tour
The Travel Guides visited several Game of Thrones filming locations in Croatia with a Dubrovnik Game of Thrones Walking Tour!
From Cersei’s “Walk of Shame” (which, if you watched the episode, you would have seen the Boys experience in full fledge with shoes and other belongings hurled at them as they descended the famous stairs), to Blackwater Bay, the Red Keep, all the way to the Iron Throne in King’s Landing, this tour has it all.
In fact, the Dubrovnik Travel Guide who took them on their Game of Thrones tour even featured in the world-renowned series as an extra for a whopping nine seconds!
COST: €25EUR, plus €15EUR for entrance to St. Lawrence Fortress, and gratuities on top of that. Totals to €40EUR plus a €4EUR or €5EUR tip to round up to the nearest banknote (around 10%-15% should suffice!) brings it to €45 Euros in total – which is about $80AUD per person.
Korčula Guided Walking Tour
On Day 2 of the cruise the Travel Guides set sail for Korčula – Croatia’s 6th largest island. This was complete with a guided tour of Korčula’s Old Town, dating back to the 10th century, with a maze of narrow cobblestone streets leading to medieval noble palaces – including St Mark’s cathedral, which was built in the 15th century in the Gothic-Renaissance style in honour of Korčula’s Patron Saint.
You can climb up to the belltower like the Travel Guides, and see gorgeous views of the ancient town, mountains, and sea, but be warned - it is very loud so “time” it well!
PS: Marco Polo, one of the most famous travellers and explorers in history, is believed to have been born in Korčula in 1254!
COST: FREE!* A Guided Tour of Korčula is included as a Travelmarvel cruise activity.
Watch Traditional Sword Dancing
Another day in beautiful Korčula! This time, the Travel Guides visited the small village of Blato – population: 4000. Here, they watched a traditional sword dancing ceremony, with this unique battle dance depicting the bloody clash between pirates and the local defenders of the village 500 years ago.
COST: Watching the Kumpanjija Sword Dancing Troupe is FREE!
Ethno Museum Barilo
Afterwards, the Travel Guides visited a nearby 13th century town to see Ethno Museum Barilo – a home-turned-family-museum preserving traditional Croatian life. From old tools, clothes, furniture, baby walkers, donkey-tools, it has a tonne of unique items as interesting and eccentric as the owner – nicknamed Joy – of the museum. After all, it’s been in her family for over 300 years!
The Fren Family had a drink of traditional Croatian spirits wither her afterwards, and as Victoria put it “it’s like sipping fire – Joy’s a hardcore girl!”
COST: €3 EUR, or about $5.30 AUD.
Agroturizam Antunovic Farm Experience
Next stop on the Croatia Itinerary was visiting a traditional farm for some agro-tourism with Agroturizam Antunovic.
Here, in the fertile countryside of Croatia lends itself to self-sufficiency, and the Travel Guides got to learn many new skills.
One, harvesting grapes from the vineyard to make the traditional Croatian spirit known as Rakija, and two, drinking it. Both require skill, because this Croatian spirit is 45% in strength – as the Frens found out before, it can be a little hot to handle. But not for Croatians – some even use it to help wake up in the morning! Like a shot of espresso… but intense.
As the Croatians cheers goes, “Živjeli!”
The Travel Guides also learned how to milk a donkey. And as it turns out, these “four-legged utes of Croatia” as the narrator put it, have incredibly nutritious milk – one of the most nutritious in the world – full of vitamin D, probiotics, and protein. This is reflected in the price, with Donkey milk being 10x the price of regular cows milk at about $40 per litre.
COST: This particular place the Travel Guides went to was shown on screen to be around $60AUD per person, but there are plenty of agrotourism experiences in Croatia and prices can vary!
Hiking in Krka National Park
One of the most famous of Croatia’s national wonders are the waterfalls in Krka National Park. More than a million people visit these cascading azure Croatian waterfalls each year, and the Travel Guides made up 14 of those as they took a guided walking tour with their Travelmarvel cruise.
After exploring the falls, the Travel Guides went for a swim at a nearby beach just five minutes down the road… the Frens practising sun safety by channelling their favourite muses: Casper the Ghost and Mary Poppins.
COST: FREE!* A Guided Tour of Krka’s Waterfalls is included as a Travelmarvel cruise activity.
Exploring Šibenik Old Town
The Travel Guides’ next stop was 500-year-old St Nicholas’ Fortress in Sibenik, which is only accessible by boat. This was another Game of Thrones filming location in Croatia – for you fans out there, Šibenik’s St Nicholas fortress doubles as Bravos.
Fun Fact: This Croatian fortress was so imposing it was never once attacked!
COST: According to Travel Guides, the St Nicholas’ Fortress Guided Tour $82AUD per person. A self-guided tour is $32 per person. The exact tour wasn’t given, so you’ll have to shop around!
Mermaid Experience in Rab
The last couple days were spent in magical Rab, swimming in the crystal clear waters of the island’s 30 beaches… like a mermaid.
Why? As Ancient Greek legend would have it, Odysseus frolicked with mermaids during his travels around Croatia’s islands – back then known as Arba.
The locals have brought this to life with some mermaid diving lessons, which the Travel Guides experienced for themselves with a Kron Diving Mermaid Course, discovering the undersea world of Croatia’s mythic island.
COST: Kron Diving Mermaid Course is €55EUR (about $97AUD) per person.
Exploring Opatija
The last port was the coastal town of Opatija, one of Europe’s original resort towns. The guides explored Angiolina Park, which has a mural of all the most famous people to pass through, and the Travel Guides got their shopping on with some delicious desserts at Kaokakao Patisserie and some fancy post-cruise drinks at Abbazia Dolce and Cocktails.
COST: However much you want to spend!
Captain’s Dinner
After this week-long cruise through the crystal blue Adriatic sea and island-dotted Croatia, the Travel Guides said “doviđenja” (goodbye) with the Captain’s Dinner – a formal dining event with all the Travel Guides dressed to the Nines – especially The Boys.
“Get rid of Land Kev, Land Kev is gross, poor and ugly. I just wanna be Boat Kev because Boat Kev is cool.” – Kev, from The Boys.
Wise words. Make sure to bring that energy when it’s your turn to visit Croatia!
We stock Euros – in fact, we guarantee to have it in stock!* - so come and see us before you jet (or cruise) your way to Croatia.
We have zero fees and zero commission – because we’re travellers too and wouldn’t want that either.
Don’t forget to take advantage of our Best Price Guarantee*, Rate Move Guarantee*, and Cash Commitment* so you leave with the most money in your pocket.
Of course, you can’t travel Croatia like a Travel Guide without using our Currency Pass prepaid foreign currency card – the official multicurrency card used by the Travel Guides!
You can load up to 10x currencies, and there are 0x conversion fees, plus you can manage your money on-the-go via the app, and lock in your exchange rate!
There’s a reason this card is trusted by the Travel Guides – it makes managing foreign currency a breeze.
For your Croatia trip, load up Euros (EUR) – just make sure to select “LOCAL CURRENCY” when paying to avoid hefty dynamic conversion fees.
CASH OR CARD IN CROATIA?
Credit, debit, and travel cards are accepted in most places, and so it’s a good idea to load up Euros on your Travel Money Oz Currency Pass for your day-to-day affairs. However, smaller villages and tips will often require foreign cash, so make sure to grab Euros in cash before you go.
The general rule of thumb is to have a prepaid travel card (like Currency Pass) for everyday spending, cash for tips and smaller vendors, and a credit card for security deposits at hotels and car rentals.
TIPPING IN CROATIA
Tipping in Croatia isn’t as common as, say, other Western countries, however many service worker wages are on the lower end on the scale so certain services it’s considered etiquette to tip.
However, unlike other Western countries, it can be perceived as an insult or flaunting your wealth, rather than appreciated, if you overtip – with the exception being skippers and luxury excursions and services.
Also, it’s best to tip in cash – card processing eats up a lot of what the workers would be earning from the tip.
Croatian Expressions for Tipping to Listen Out For: bakšiš, napojnica, manča, and trinkgeld.
Here are the common tips as laid out by Expat In Croatia:
Tipping in Croatian Café Bars: 5% or round up the bill.
Tipping in Croatian Restaurants: Check the bill first to make sure a tip hasn’t already been applied (look for the phrase Napojnica uračunata u cijenu – this means a gratuity is already included). The tip amount can vary from 5% to 15%, so it’s best to ask a local what’s customary!
Tipping in Croatian Hotels: Tipping isn’t required for hotels, but if you have a porter, a two to three Euros should suffice each time they provide the service (for housekeepers, this can change daily hence the daily tip rather than a bulk sum at the end).
Tipping Tour Guides in Croatia: You should pretty much always tip your tour guide, but this can vary based on the length of the tour, how much it cost, and how much you enjoyed it. Tipping 10%-15% should do the trick. If it’s exceptional of course you can give more, but you don’t have to be too lavish.
Tipping Taxis in Croatia: It’s not really customary to tip taxis in Croatia, however you can round up a couple Euros.
Tipping Skippers in Croatia: It’s expected to tip your crew – especially as gratuities can make up anywhere from 30% to 50% of their income. Plus it’s a tough job, and pretty well deserved. 10% to 15% of the total cost is the usual amount. This can add up, so make sure to factor this into your travel budget!
Tipping on Cruises in Croatia: The recommendation varies. DiscoverCroatia recommends tipping the Cruise Director and the Crew separately in separate envelopes, with each passenger tipping the Cruise Director tipped around €4 - €6EUR per day, and the Crew as a group tipped €10- €15EUR per day, or UnforgettableCroatia recommends €5EUR per crew member.
ATM ACCESS IN CROATIA
It’s easy to find ATMs all over Croatia, from resorts, towns, banks, supermarkets, and even small islands (though not all) will usually have at least one ATM available. Again, not all do though, so especially if you plan to visit smaller villages, lesser-known island, or otherwise travel off the beaten track, you might want to carry some cash on you.
If you were to do all the activities we saw the Travel Guides do in the Croatia episode, it would look a little something like this:
8-Day Travelmarvel Cruise: $3495AUD to $4495AUD (we’ll go with the higher end for good measure).
Travelmarvel Cruise Tips for Cruise Director and Skippers: €40EUR for the Cruise Director and €120EUR for the Crew. €160EUR total ($282.20AUD).
Dubrovnik Guided Walking Tour: FREE (included in cruise cost).
Dubrovnik Game of Thrones Tour: €45EUR including tip ($80AUD).
Korčula Guided Walking Tour: FREE (included in cruise cost).
Korčula Traditional Sword Dancing: FREE
Ethno Museum Barilo: €3EUR ($5.30 AUD).
Agroturizam Antunovic Farm Experience: $60AUD
Hiking in Krka National Park: FREE (included in cruise cost).
St Nicholas’ Fortress Guided Tour: $82AUD per person
Kron Diving Mermaid Course: €55EUR (about $97AUD) per person.
Opatija Shopping: However much you want to spend!
Plus Four Meals on land: Average €8.10 EUR ($14.20AUD) at an inexpensive restaurant x4. Rounds out to about $60AUD per person for food.
In total, your Croatia Holiday comes to $5161.50 Australian Dollars.
Of course, that doesn’t cover any extra snacks, shopping, flights, or insurance, so factor that into your Croatia travel budget too!
We’re as friendly as the Fren Family and savvy as the Snobs. Come and see us in-store for your foreign currency needs, and our Travel Money Experts will help guide you through the whole process!
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DISCLAIMER:
Published April 28, 2023. This blog is provided for information only and does not take into consideration your objectives, financial situation or needs. You should consider whether the information and suggestions contained in any blog entry are appropriate for you, having regard to your own objectives, financial situation and needs. While we take reasonable care in providing the blog, we give no warranties or representations that it is complete or accurate, or is appropriate for you. We are not liable for any loss caused, whether due to negligence or otherwise, arising from use of, or reliance on, the information and/or suggestions contained in this blog. Terms and conditions apply to Best Price Guarantee, Rate Guard and Cash Commitment. See travelmoneyoz.com for more details.
