Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Travel from Dubrovnik to Hvar


Dubrovnik and Hvar are two of the most popular destinations in Croatia, but unfortunately there is not an easy direct route to travel between the two of them.  However, it is possible to make the trip in one day using 3 different options.  The following is an overview of each:

1.)   Coastal Ferry:  The Jadrolinija coastal ferry operates twice per week between June 1st and September 30th and runs from Dubrovnik to Rijeka (in both directions) with stops along the way in Mljet, Korcula, Hvar, and Split.  You can view more information on this ferry in the following article: Jadrolinija Coastal Ferry to Operate in 2012 and can view the schedule online at: Jadrolinija Costal Ferry Schedule.

2.)   Bus to Split and ferry to Hvar:  Though the coastal ferry is the most direct form of transportation, it is actually faster to take a bus to Split and then a ferry or catamaran to Hvar.  There are 15 bus departures per day from Dubrovnik to Split and the journey takes 4 to 4.5 hours (view schedule here).  The bus leaves from the main bus station in Gruz harbor and arrives at Split’s main bus station, which is conveniently located just across the street from the ferry terminal.  You do not need to book bus tickets in advance.

Once in Split there are several options for getting to Hvar: 

If traveling by car you will have to take the car ferry from Split to Stari Grad (on the island of Hvar).  You can view that schedule here: Off-season: Split – Stari Grad Ferry Schedule Peak-season: Split – Stari Grad Ferry Schedule.  Reservations for cars should be made in advance at a Jadrolinija office in Croatia or at an authorized travel agency abroad.  You can find a list of travel agencies on the Jadrolinija website.

If traveling without a car, you can take the faster catamaran service directly to Hvar town.  There are a few catamarans per day from Split to Hvar.  You can view the schedules here:

Off-season: Split – Hvar – Vis Catamaran
Peak-season: Split – Hvar – Vis Catamaran

Off-season: Split – Hvar – Vela Luka (Korcula) Catamaran
Peak-season: Split – Hvar – Vela Luka (Korcula) Catamaran

There is also Catamaran service from Split to Jelsa (on the island of Hvar):

Off-season: Split – Bol – Jelsa
Peak-season: Split – Bol – Jelsa

3.)   Travel from Dubrovnik to Drvenik and ferry to Sucuraj (Hvar)

A slightly faster way of getting to the island of Hvar is to travel from Dubrovnik to Drvenik and then take the local ferry to Sucuraj on the island of Hvar.  The ferry operates up to 20 times per day during the summer season and 6 or 7 times per day in the off-season.  However, this way is best suited for those with a car.  The ferry goes to the town of Sucuraj, which is on the opposite end of the island from Hvar town.  There is a bus from Sucuraj to Hvar town, but I have not been able to find a reliable schedule online and I have heard that it only operates twice per week.  If you have a car this is not a problem and it should work out faster than driving all the way to Split.  For those traveling by bus I suggest taking the bus to Split and then traveling to Hvar by ferry or catamaran.



Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , , ,

34 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for all of your information on Dubrovnik and surrounding areas, it has been most useful in planning my upcoming trip.
    I was wondering if you had any insight into the seaplane service connecting the islands. I sent an inquiry via the ec-air website but have not heard a reply.
    I am hoping you might know how I can book.
    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Unfortunately, I don't know anything about the seaplane service. I had heard about it a couple of years ago, but to be honest I don't know if it is still operating. I am sorry that I can't be of more help!

      Delete

  2. Andy and Michelle,

    Your blog is so useful thanks very much! I am travelling to Dubrovnik on sunday 16th sept and flying out of Split on the evening of saturday the 22nd sept. I have booked accommodation in Duvrovnik from 16th - 18th inclusive and plan to make my way to Hvar on wednesday the 19th sept. From your blog I can see the only way to do that on a wednesday is to get the bus / or rent a car to Split and then get the catamaran to Hvar. I plan to leave Hvar on friday the 21st and stay my last night in Split. From the link to the timetable on your blog I think the only catamaran leaving Hvar is at 7am and i would quite like to spend the morning /afternoon in Hvar and then make my way to Split later on - is this possible? are there other ferrys / boats?

    would you recommend staying the extra night in Dubrovink and then getting the ferry to Hvar on the thursday - would it be less hassle?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. I do not know if there are any other ferries from Hvar to Split later in the day. I checked the Jadrolinija schedules as well and they all seem to leave in the morning. There might be some other private companies that offer local transfers, but I have not yet found them online.

      I do not think it is worth waiting an extra day to take the ferry from Dubrovnik to Hvar. It is a long 8+ hour ride and it is actually faster to go through Split by bus.

      Delete

    2. thats great guys thanks so much I will go with my orginal plan then and if there are no private ferries I will just get the early ferry. Do you recommend anything to do in Split??

      Delete

    3. To be honest I have not spent a lot of time in Split. The historic center is very nice and the town of Trogir (about 30 minutes to the north, near the airport) is also very nice. Otherwise, I don't know the surrounding area very well.

      Delete

  3. Dear Andy and Michelle,
    Your blog is amazing! The best one I found to get info so far! Well done!!
    I really need your advice:
    I'm flying to Dubrovnik Aug 27th, arriving around 1pm and I have hotel booked in Hvar for the next 4 nights, than I'll go back to Dubrovnik to spend another 3 nights before flying back home on Sept 3rd. I didn't know that Dubrovnik was so far away from Hvar ...
    Do you think it's crazy to do all the trip in the same day? Is it possible to get the bus to Split, then the Catamaran to Hvar from 2pm approximately? I saw the link with the bus timetable but I didn't understand what time I would arrive in Split.
    Any suggestion?
    Is there a way to fly from Dubrovnik maybe?

    Thanks a lot!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. If you arrive in Dubrovnik at about 1 pm you might be able to get a 2 pm or 3 pm bus to Split. The bus takes about 4 to 4.5 hours so you will between 6 pm and 8 pm. I do not believe there are any ferries to Hvar that late in the evening. I suggest that you book a hotel in Split for 1 night and then take an early ferry to Hvar the next morning. You won't have as much trouble getting from Hvar to Dubrovnik in 1 day on the return trip because you can make an early start.

      Delete

  4. Hi! Thanks so much for yr blog the info is great, just wondering because the time table of the catamaran ferries is a bit confusing - is the one from split to Hvar and then vis running every day to Hvar or only on tuesdays? Weare trying to get all the way from kotor in Montenegro to Hvar on Monday 27th august so worried we might miss the ferry from split if there is only one. Thanks heaps

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. The ferry schedules can be confusing! That is correct that that ferry only stops in Hvar on Tuesdays. It is difficult to travel all the way from Montenegro to Hvar in one day as it is a long trip.

      Delete

  5. Hi, your blog is really helping me plan my trip in croatia. I am actually heading to dunrovnik this friday and staying tehre for 2 nights and then heading ti Hvar, i was thinking of getting the ferry, judging by the time table it leaves dubrovnik at 8.30 on suday morning which is teh day i am travelling to hvar, does the ferry then stop in mijet and korcula for a couple of hours each?? Im finding the timetable slight confusing!!
    I am staying in hvar for a couple of nights then going to supetar, is the best way to do this by taking the caterman back to split and getting another one to supeter??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. The ferry leaves Dubrovnik at 8:30 on Sunday and stops in Mljet and Korcula before arriving in Hvar at 16:40. The stops in Mljet and Korcula are only about 20 minutes; just enough time to load more passengers.

      I think that you have to go to Split to catch the catamaran to Supetar.

      Delete

  6. Hello, I'm really hoping you can help us. We are flying to Dubrovnik on Saturday 22nd Sept and arrive at 21.15. We stupidly didn't realise how far it was to Hvar and are booked into a hotel that night (in Hvar).

    Is the best thing to do to try and get the 10pm bus on the 22nd which should get us to split for about 2.30pm then hang around for the ferry at 5am? Do you know if there would be anywhere to wait? Or should we book a hotel in split or dubrovnik?

    Many thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. If your flight arrives at 21:15 you will not make the 22:00 bus. The Dubrovnik bus station is 30 to 35 minutes from the airport and it will take some time to get through baggage claim and customs.

      Once in Split the bus drops you off just across the street from the ferry terminal. You might be able to wait at the terminal, but there wouldn't be anything open at that time.

      You might want to book a hotel in Dubrovnik for the night and then catch a very early bus to Split the next morning.

      Delete

    2. Thanks so much. We have decided to stay overnight and catch the 6 am bus to Split then get on the 11.30 catamaran to Hvar.

      Do you you think this sounds sensible?

      We also haven't got any tickets and are just planning on turning up. Do you think we will be ok getting in the Bus and Boat without a ticket? We we're planing on getting to the Bus about 5.30 am.

      Thanks again.

      Delete

    3. That sounds like a good plan. You should not need tickets in advance. You can just buy them at the bus station and ferry terminal before your departure.

      Delete

  7. This time of year the catamaran leaves Hvar at 6:35 am. Here is the schedule you would consult: http://www.jadrolinija.hr/pdfs/9604.ljeto.2012.en.pdf.

    ReplyDelete

  8. Hi, I am planning a trip to Hvar in August next year. Our flight arrives into Split at 8pm so we will spend 1 night in Split and catch the ferry to Hvar in the morning. Our flight back to London is at 2pm on Monday. Can we get a ferry on Monday morning from Hvar to Split in time to make our flight or will we need to come back to Split on Sunday? The timetable is very confusing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Assuming the schedule will remain the same next year, there is a catamaran departure at 6:35 am on Monday. That will get you back to Split with plenty of time to spare.

      Delete

  9. Hello Great blog and lots of help We are planning to spend two days in Dubrovnik thhen would like to go to Hvar for two days then take the ferry to RIJEKA to continue to Austria In mid November Are there sleeping accomodations on the ferry? Is this trip feasible? I believe I'd rather take the ferry than drive the coast Edward in New orleans

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. I do not believe that the coastal ferry runs in November. The last ferry ran on September 30th. I think you will have to travel along the coast by car or bus in order to reach Rijeka. To get to Hvar from Dubrovnik you can travel along the coast to Split by car or bus and then take the local ferry to Hvar.

      Delete

    2. Thanks again for the hrlp and info.

      Delete

  10. Hi
    Great blog so far. We are planning a trip for next September so plenty of time to get the detail right. We are planning 3 nights in Split, 4 nights in Hvar and then 7 nights in Dubrovnik. I have looked at the ferry service and it looks good, though in your opinion would you consider hiring a car at Split airpott and catch the car ferry to Hvar and then to Drvenik and drive down to Dubrovnik or would you ditch the car use ferries from Split via Hvar to Dubrovnik? Thanks, Chris

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. If the coastal ferry schedule from Split - Hvar - Korcula - Dubrovnik suits your itinerary then that is probably the easiest way to go. You won't really need a car in most locations and a car can be a liability in places where parking is difficult (such as Dubrovnik's Old Town). If you want to get out and explore a bit by car, you can rent a car by the day on Hvar and in Dubrovnik. It will work out much cheaper that way. It also gives you the flexibility to take the faster passenger-only catamaran service between the islands rather than only taking the car ferries.

      Delete

    2. Thanks very much. Where is the best place to have a look at the schedules for the passenger only catamarans to see how this would work out?

      Delete

    3. Most of the catamarans are also operated by Jadrolinija and you can find the schedules online at www.Jadrolinija.hr. You can also find links to most of the schedules in articles here on my blog. Just look through the history for posts during 2012.

      Delete

  11. Is the ferry from Dubrovnik to Hvar still available? I cannot seem to find this information on the ferry website. I am currently planning on being in Dubrovnik July 25th through the 28th and was trying to plan my travels up to Split or Hvar. Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. The Hvar - Dubrovnik ferry will probably run this year, but Jadrolinija doesn't release the schedule until April or May and it has a June 1st start date. If it turns out that the ferry is not running, there are several ferries and catamarans per day from Hvar to Split and to Drvenik on the mainland and then you can drive or take a bus to Dubrovnik.

      Delete

  12. Hi! I am planning a trip to Croatia this September. I'm flying in and out of Dubrovnik (Friday-Thursday) and also would like to visit Split and Hvar. Is 5 days enough to see all these sights? Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. 5 days is a short amount of time to see Dubrovnik, Split, and Hvar considering the travel time between the 3. The trip from Dubrovnik to Split takes about 4 to 5 hours and it is another hour or 2 to Hvar, depending on which ferry you take. I would suggest a couple of days in Dubrovnik and a couple of nights on Hvar, with maybe just a couple of hours in Split to explore the historic center.

      Delete

  13. Hi Andy and Michelle,
    As already stated, great blog.
    I am staying in Hvar on Saturday May 11th and need to travel by Ferry back to Split to catch a flight that leaves at 10:15 on Sunday morning (12th May) from Split.
    All the Sunday ferry services seem to depart later than on the other weekdays.
    Do you have any idea if my requirement is possible?
    Your assistance is much appreciated
    Tom

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. There is a daily ferry from Stari Grad on Hvar to Split that leaves Stari grad at 5:30 am and arrives in Split at 8:30 am. You can see the schedule here: http://www.jadrolinija.hr/pdfs/635.2013.zima.e.pdf. You would have to travel from Hvar town to Stari Grad very early in the morning (or spend the night in Stari Grad) but it may be your only option. However, that will still be close because when the ferry arrives (assuming it is on time) you then need to get to the airport, which is 30 minutes from the ferry port. Any delays at all and you could miss your flight.

      Delete

  14. Hi, we are looking to do the drive from Dubrovnik to Hvar via Drvenik in June. I have noticed that we need to travel through Bosnia for a few km's however. We are from the UK and driving a hire car so i take it we won't need any special permissions to do this?
    Thanks in advance
    Gary

    ReplyDelete

  15. Sorry just seen you have already answered this and its no problem! :)

    Thanks
    Gary

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)