Over the years, Zadar has been hugely popular with German, Austrian and Slovenian tourists who have long known about beauty of this region. More recently there has been a spike of tourists from the UK primarily due to the commencement of low-cost carrier Ryan Air flying into Zadar. This year EasyJet will start flying into Zadar, and it is looking like Zadar will have its biggest tourist season yet. With international flights into Zadar at an all-time high and movements between the Dalmatian cities becoming more prevalent we thought we'd take a look at how to get from Zadar Airport to Split.
The journey from Zadar Airport to the centre of Split is around 158 kilometres’ and will take anywhere from 1:45 to 4 hours depending on the route and your mode of transport.
Bus
Travelling by bus is by far the cheapest way, for a solo traveler, of getting to Split from Zadar. You will need to make your way from Zadar Airport to the Zadar Bus terminal which is located 11km from the airport; this will cost around 140 Kuna by taxi or 25 Kuna by bus. You can check the timetable here.
Once at the bus station you have a plethora of choices when it comes to bus companies travelling from Zadar to Split. You won't have to wait very long with departures to Split at least every hour. You can check the bus timetable here. A bus ticket from Zadar to Split will cost you around 86 Kuna. It's worth mentioning that some bus companies also charge a small fee to store luggage under the bus.
Be warned: There are two routes the buses can take to Split. The first is the freeway, the fast route, which takes about 2.5 hours. The second is the old coastal road, the slow route, which can take up to 4 hours and has a number of stops along the way. Also through the summer months many of the buses are full, so book your tickets in advance, or you could spend hours at the bus terminal waiting for another bus.
2. Private Transfer
If you'd like a stress-free transfer from Zadar Airport to Split, a private transfer is your best option. With a private transfer, you will have a driver waiting for you at the arrivals hall, who will take your bags, whisk you away into his modern well-equipped vehicle and have you to Split in a jiffy. Private transfers in Croatia are excellent, where you can expect to get an English speaking professional driver in a safe and reliable vehicle. With the speed and efficiency, you get with a car, you will be in Split in 2 hours from being picked up from Zadar Airport. For more information on Zadar Airport transfers talk to our preferred Zadar to Split Airport transfer company Octopus Transfers, who are also the owners of Chasing the Donkey, a hugely popular Croatian travel blog.
A private transfer from Zadar Airport to the centre of Split will cost you 1015 Kuna for a car which can accommodate 1-4 passengers and 1090 Kuna for a minivan which can accommodate up to 8 passengers. Interestingly with a minivan, a private transfer becomes very affordable with 6 to 8 passengers allowing you to travel in style for the same price as the bus!
3. Train
Is it possible to travel to Split from Zadar by train? Yes, but it will take you the same amount of time as it takes to fly to Dubai from Croatia. Unless you want to kill more than 7 hours with a stop in Knin, I'd say you skip the train ride!
4. Ferry
There is currently no ferry from Zadar to Split which is understandable because of the excessive amount of time it would take. You could, however, rent a yacht, as many tourists do and sail from Zadar down to Split and make a holiday of it!
5. Flights
There are also no flights between Zadar and Split unless you wanted to take a private helicopter or flight, which for most of us is not an option!
So, in short, your two best options for travel from Zadar to Split are by public bus or to take take a private transfer.
And if you decide to spend the night in Zadar, you can do it here.
