The Croatian coastline, protected from the continental influences further inland by the Dinaric Alps, has a typical Mediterranean climate: sum­mer is dry and hot, spring and autumn are mild, winter is cool and rainy. In contrast, the mountains backing onto the Dalmatian coast have hot sum­mers and cold, snowy winters. The tourist season is from April to October. For hiking and biking the best months to visit are April and May, when the countryside is at its most vibrant and temperatures we not too high, and also in September and October. The sea is warm enough for bathing by mid-May. If in search of lively nightlife and sunbathing, go in July or August. However, remember that it does get very hot, and many hotels and private rooms are booked well in advance.

By car                                                                                                

The coastal road is breathtakingly beautiful, but can

prove tiring for motorists. The road surface is notori-           

ously slippery when wet, and the Croatian police are

vigilant in their search for speeding motorists. The max-        

imum speed in towns is 5O kph (30mph); out of town           

 80kph (SOmph); and, on motorways 130kph (80mph).     

 The speed limit for cars towing caravans or trailers is   

 80kph (5Omph). Drunken driving is severely punished.                              

Tolls are payable on a number of motorways. Parking                    in the coastal towns is difficult, especially during the  

peak seasons. Also, a car can make “island hopping”              

complicated, especially during August, as motor vehi-                  

cles often have to queue up for hours for the ferries,

with no warantee of boarding. If you are platuuna

to drive in Croatia during the winter months.

especially in the mountainous reeions.

remember that winter tyres are essential.

In extreme weather conditions, snow chains are sometimes needed. too.

By bus/coach

A comprehensive coach network connects the entire coun­tn, from major cities to the smallest and most remote villages. However, coaches can become busy in summer, and some journeys are slow and tiring. For information, contact Zagreb main bus station (tel: 060 313-333).

By train

The internal rail network is limited, though Hrvatske Zeljeznice (Croatian Railways, tel: 014573-238) operate a slow but comfortable overnight service, with sleeper compartments, between Zagreb and Dalmatia, tenninat­ing in Split. The samejourney by day is rather long: the line passes through Lika, formerly part of the Krajina, an area still suffering from the effects of the war. There is no line to Dubrovnik. A daytime service runs between Zagreb and Rijeka, passing through beautiful forests. General h~ain information can be obtained on tel: 4414111.

By ferry

Jadrolinija operates a coastal line from Rijeka down to Dubrovnik, stopping at Zadar, Sibenik, Split, Stari Grad, Koraula and Sobra en route. Misleadingly called brze linje (fast line), this journey is in fact very slow. However, the beauty of the sea and islands, and the qual­ity of the cabins and restaurant make this trip an expe­rience in itself. Jadrolinija also runs local ferries between most of the inhabited islands and the mainland. In the summer, SEM (tel: 021 338.267) run a daily catama­ran service from Split to the islands of Vis and Hvar. The Dubrovnik-based company Atlas (tel: 020 442.574) organises boat excursions.

From the airport

Croatia Airlines runs a regular bus service to and from Zagreb airport, with departures every 30 minutes. In Split and Dubrovnik, airport buses leave 90 minutes before the plane's take-off, while buses from the airport leave shortly after the plane's landing.