April the 10th, 2023 - If you've spent any time on the road anywhere in Croatia, and especially on the motorway, you'll definitely have noticed the large green Flixbus vehicles heading up and down the country, and indeed across its borders. Varazdin bus station however, has not allowed the company access.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, this week, the incredibly popular Flixbus vehicles weren't permitted to enter and use Varazdin bus station, local portal Varazdinske vijesti/Varazdin news reports.  According to that portal, the Flixbus international bus vehicle fleet was greeted by a lowered ramp for the platforms of Varazdin bus station during late hours of the night.

Passengers also got off the bus yesterday in the area in front of Varazdin bus station and not actually inside it. Flixbus stated that the bus station had previously sent them a letter stating that they do not have the necessary approval to use the bus station or its services, and that from April the 6th, their buses will not be able to enter Varazdin bus station because there is no possibility of acceptance at that time.

According to Flixbus, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs Transport and Infrastructure, headed by Oleg Butkovic, has confirmed that the inspection had gone out to the field to try to work out what is going on with this particular situation, but it is not yet known what was clarified or otherwise.

It seems that until clarity on this situation can be reached, Flixbus passengers getting on or off these large green buses will have to do so outside of the property owned by Varazdin's proper bus station.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated news section.

ZAGREB, 2 Dec 2021 - The German-based bus company FlixBus and Croatia's Čazmatrans signed a strategic partnership agreement on Thursday.

Under the agreement, in the first phase, Čazmatrans and FlixBus will integrate their bus services to provide travelers with greater mobility and availability of Croatian and international destinations.

The agreement provides for the digitalization of bus tickets, which will facilitate the online purchase of tickets. Over 30 continental destinations in Croatia will be included in the FlixBus network, and some towns, such as Đakovo, Kutina, Petrinja, and Sisak, will become FlixBus destinations for the first time. 

In the second phase of integration, which begins in the spring, a portion of the Čazmatrans fleet will start operating according to FlixBus standards.

For more, check out our dedicated business section.

September 10, 2021 - FlixBus, the leading bus carrier in international passenger transport in Croatia, recorded a strong increase in the number of passengers on all routes in the summer season of 2021, returning more than 70 percent of passengers from the record 2019.

HrTurizam reports that the German company Flixbus, a leader in the bus market that connects destinations within Croatia as well as the rest of Europe, has achieved very positive numbers and that they have little to envy a record season like that of 2019. FlixBus, as announced before the season, connected all international destinations that it connected in 2019, and in the period from June 1 to August 15, it carried 40 percent more passengers than in the same period in 2020.

The most pleasant surprise of the season were domestic passengers, who traveled within Croatia in almost the same number as in 2019. From other countries, most passengers were recorded from Germany, whose return is in line with the total figures, at a level higher than 70 percent from 2019. In the top 10 are Austrians, Slovenes, Italians, Hungarians, followed by travelers from Serbia, the Czech Republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovakia, and Switzerland.

From Italy, extremely affected by the pandemic, four times more passengers were recorded this year than in 2020. Despite stricter epidemiological measures for the entry of citizens from outside the European Union, and the severance of connections with Croatia in 2020, all tourists returned this season. Serbia with additional growth of 8 percent compared to the record 2019 when FlixBus connected Serbia and Croatia for the first time.

"The results of FlixBus during this year's summer season have once again confirmed that there is no successful tourism without quality transport connections. It is my great pleasure that as a company that brings together Croatian carriers, we have enabled a large number of foreign and domestic tourists to travel safely and comfortably on vacation, as well as to confirm the business justification of connecting all previous destinations, including those due to the 2020 pandemic. "It didn't work," said Ante Grbeša, director of the FlixBus CEE South region.

Unfortunately, in the year of recovery from a significant drop in traffic in international and domestic transport last year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, some domestic carriers this year continued to use the option of keeping non-operating lines for epidemiological measures.

This resulted in poorer connectivity for passengers, while at the same time carriers such as FlixBus and other Croatian carriers were not allowed to introduce new routes and new destinations within Croatia that were in demand. This situation caused negative consequences for the freedom of market competition, and above all for the mobility of Croatian citizens, but also their guests in the middle of the tourist season.

The positive trend in passenger transport is due to strong growth in demand, especially since mid-July. In that sense, the decision of the MMPI on the application of the European Regulation on Internal Transport is certainly to be welcomed, according to Flixbus.

Thanks to their efforts and the application of the legal provisions of EU regulations that deal with the area of ​​passenger transport within the EU, it is possible to purchase tickets and transport passengers between Croatian cities on international routes, which was previously prohibited. Such a possibility strengthens the connection of domestic destinations, offers more departure options for passengers and certainly better prices, and has a positive effect on the environment due to the greater efficiency of the bus, conclude Flixbus.

New lines announced

From September 15, FlixBus will introduce new European lines in addition to the existing ones, so it will be possible to reach Dalmatian cities via Split directly from Brussels and Hanover, while Zadar will be connected with Berlin and Maastricht. It will also be possible to travel to Zagreb from Antwerp and Amsterdam, and from Amsterdam, it will also be possible to travel directly from Slavonski Brod, which also connects with Frankfurt. The county will be connected with Antwerp and Bonn.

Since entering the domestic market in 2016, FlixBus, with its 12 local partners, more than 140 buses, and 700 drivers, has connected more than 250 destinations across Croatia and Europe and enabled direct travel to 12 countries, which has encouraged higher inflows and mobility tourist.

For more information on bus travel in Croatia, take a look at the Total Croatia page.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

July 1, 2021 - New bus lines from Rijeka are now available for booking, as FlixBus announces new destinations from the main city of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County.

The German bus company FlixBus announced today that passengers can now travel to four new destinations from the city of Rijeka. Among these cities are mainly three destinations in Serbia, and Karlovac in Croatia.

The company founded in 2013 in Munich has been operating for several years in Croatia and is considered one of the most important on the continent, due to its large number of lines that connect various European cities.

In addition to connecting '' the city that flows '' with the rest of Croatia, passengers departing from Rijeka can choose from a wide variety of international destinations and even directly, such as Ljubljana, Trieste, Venice, Milan, Sarajevo, Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Munich, and more.

Now, FlixBus announces that its passengers will also be able to reach three destinations in Serbia from Rijeka, including the capital Belgrade, which are specified below:

• Rijeka - Mačvanska Mitrovica

Overview of the Rijeka-Mačvanska Mitrovica FlixBus route (Flixbus.com)

• Rijeka - Sremska Mitrovica

Overview of the Rijeka-Sremska Mitrovica FlixBus route (Flixbus.com)

• Rijeka - Belgrade

Overview of the Rijeka-Belgrade FlixBus route (Flixbus.com)

Additionally, FlixBus announces Karlovac as a new Croatian destination from Rijeka. Commonly, the route between Zagreb and Rijeka has Karlovac as the only stop along the way, but now passengers will be able to choose a direct bus to Karlovac from Rijeka, and vice versa. The price of the Rijeka-Zagreb route is € 12.50 euros, and that of Rijeka-Karlovac is € 11.

• Rijeka - Karlovac

Overview of the Rijeka-Karlovac FlixBus route (Flixbus.com)

To book your tickets to these four new destinations and to find more information about bus travel with FlixBus, check their website.

Taking the bus in Croatia is still the most popular way of getting around. The routes are extensive, even in 2021. Find out more about routes, tickets, tips, and timetables in Total Croatia's guide HERE.

You will find everything you need to know about the beautiful city of beer, four rivers, promenades, parks and 10, 000 trees on Total Croatia's Karlovac in a Page guide HERE.

For more, follow our travel section.

May the 13th, 2021 - Following an entire year of coronavirus pandemic induced absence, the Zagreb-Belgrade Flixbus line will be reintroduced, facilitating cheap road travel between the two capital cities.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Darko Bicak writes, thanks to the increasingly favourable epidemiological situation and the growing vaccination rate here in Croatia, as well as in neighbouring Serbia and various other European countries, the need for movement is finally increasing again.

Consequently, the Zagreb-Belgrade FlixBus line will re-establish international bus lines to Serbia up to four times a week as of this month, more precisely as of May the 20th, thus connecting the Croatian and Serbian capitals regularly and cheaply once again.

"We intended to start opening the network of lines to Serbia earlier than this, as we did with other European countries where epidemiological conditions allowed for that earlier. Unfortunately, this wasn't possible before now, but the demand of passengers for travel, which is visibly growing as the epidemiological situation gradually improves, prompted us to start with the Zagreb-Belgrade Flixbus line again anyway,'' explained Ante Grbesa, the director of the FlixBus CEE South region.

Given the optimistic expectations surrounding the improving epidemiological situation more or less all across Europe, FlixBus will launch all of the international lines in May and June on which it operated back in pre-pandemic 2019.

This season, Flixbus will once again connect Croatia with fifty destinations in eight countries, which are also key emitting markets for Croatia. These include Germany, Slovenia, Poland, Austria, Italy, the Czech Republic, and neighbouring Hungary and Serbia.

''The epidemiological measures are easing across many European countries and together with our bus partners, we're looking forward to returning on an ever-increasing scale. We hope that the situation will allow us to do that, and that the planned opening of most of the network of lines from the record year of 2019 will be completely fulfilled again,'' concluded Grbesa.

For more, follow our travel section.

April 18, 2021 - A new FlixBus campaign, "Explore Croatia with FlixBus," launched earlier this week, encouraging travelers to explore the beauties of Croatia but also to promote Croatia as a tourist destination.

HRTurizam reports that FlixBus launched the new campaign in cooperation with Croatian private landlords, hostels, restaurants, and cultural institutions. 

The campaign aims to encourage domestic travelers to explore the beauties of Croatian cities and towns, emphasizing numerous local tourist attractions. Through FlixBus social networks that bring together a large community of travel enthusiasts, not only in Croatia but also in Europe, the campaign aims to promote Croatia as a desirable tourist destination.

"The past year has been a challenge for everyone, and despite the great desire to travel, we have had to adjust our life habits to the many restrictions imposed. At the moment, it is a bit more difficult for us to decide on some long-distance trips, but at the same time, we have the opportunity to get better acquainted with what is closer and easily accessible to us. For this reason, we have decided, in cooperation with numerous Croatian partners, to launch a campaign that celebrates the beauties of cities and towns throughout Croatia," said Petra Trojko, communications manager for FlixBus CEE S region. 

In cooperation with local partners, 10 destinations throughout Croatia will be presented across 10 weeks. Every week, two lucky travelers will be able to win a weekend trip with accommodation and other facilities in the destination.

The campaign began on April 15 with the message 'Everywhere is beautiful, but traveling in Croatia is the most beautiful.'

The campaign starts in Split, and the perfect weekend for two can be spent in Zagreb, Varaždin, Zadar, Rijeka, Knin, Imotski, Plitvice Lakes, Karlovac, and Osijek.

Namely, every week one destination will be presented, which will become a weekend destination for two happy passengers with provided transport, accommodation and interesting facilities of local partners. Thus, all those who join the campaign will have the opportunity to find out which city lies on seven rivers surrounded by nine mountains, which has the most beautiful sunset, how the Egyptian Sphinxes arrived in Dalmatia, and more.

An excellent example of cooperation and synergy between FlixBus and other partners in the destination, from the accommodation, museums, restaurants, and tourist boards, working together to promote the destination.

To learn more about taking the bus in Croatia, follow our Total Croatia page.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

July 17, 2020 - FlixBus proves once again that it is an essential segment in the development of Croatia's tourist offer with the addition of new destinations.

HRTurizam reports that by re-establishing a green network throughout Europe and connecting Croatia with numerous European destinations, FlixBus returns as a crucial member to bus passenger transport this tourist season.

Although Flixbus is not welcomed by the ministers of the Croatian government, in line with the increased interest of passengers traveling in the direction of Kvarner and Istria, FlixBus is introducing new destinations from July 17 and increasing the frequency of departures.

Rijeka, Crikvenica and Opatija are additionally connected with Munich and Berlin, and passengers have day and night lines at their disposal that connect Pula, Rovinj and Rijeka directly with Vienna and Budapest, while on the route Prague - Rijeka, they are looking for more seats.

˝FlixBus, as a strong European brand, thanks to its wide network, high frequency and affordable and quality service during all these years, has established itself as an important segment in the development of Croatia's tourist offer. And in these challenging times for all of us, we strive to respond positively to the needs of our passengers for travel and to update our offer while respecting all safety measures constantly," said Ante Grbesa, director of FlixBus CEE South region.

The cities of Istria and Kvarner are currently connected with Slovenia, Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic and Hungary. Direct connections with destinations such as Ljubljana, Maribor, Munich, Berlin, Prague, Vienna or Budapest provide passengers with easy access at affordable prices, and Rijeka, along with Zagreb and Split, is the most frequent hub of FlixBus this season as well.

HRTurizam writes that perhaps the Croatia National Tourist Board could see this opportunity to advertise open lines to the same markets through cooperation with FlixBus. Apart from being a European brand and an extremely extensive network, this year, Croatia's advantage as a car destination has been expressed like never before. 

Until this year, the increase in the number of tourists arriving from abroad by FlixBus buses, from season to season, has grown by up to 80% to certain destinations. The FlixBus green bus network extends to 29 European countries and connects 2,000 destinations with 350,000 daily lines.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

As Novac writes on the 11th of June, 2020, after new concessions to the measures set out by the National Civil Protection Headquarters in regard to bus passenger transport, and in accordance with the conditions of travel within individual European countries, FlixBus is set to re-establish its international bus lines and re-connect Croatia with Slovenia, Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic and Luxembourg.

In this way, travellers will once again be able to travel for either tourist, family or business purposes through one part of Europe as of (as things stand) the 18th of this month.

''Demand for international travel has been shown since the very beginning of the re-establishment of public transport. We've adapted all of our departures to the current epidemiological situation in Europe. We will add new destinations and countries as the situation and market demands continue to develop further,'' said Ante Grbesa, the director of the FlixBus CEE South region.

As of next Thursday, up to 30 European destinations will be available to travel to once again from the Croatian cities of Zagreb, Split, Sibenik, Zadar, Rijeka, Pula, Rovinj, Varazdin, Osijek, Vukovar and other cities. All available destinations and departures from the 18th of June onwards can be checked via the official FlixBus website or application, from which you can also buy tickets.

Passengers are encouraged to think about their safety when buying their tickets and use the online method of purchase through a free mobile application or website. This will reduce unnecessary physical contact and long queues. Special attention is being paid to enhanced contagion prevention, hygiene and disinfection of the bus area for passengers and drivers, protective equipment for drivers as well as the regulated boarding and disembarking of passengers has been arranged. Preventive protection measures remain in place for the safety of passengers.

"The demand for travel within Croatia still exists, and with daily departures to central and southern Dalmatia, we have added destinations such as Plitvice Lakes, Rijeka, Slavonski Brod and Imotski, while respecting safety recommendations for our passengers,'' added Grbesa.

Given the importance of road and bus traffic in the tourism sector, the opening of borders and the relaxation of anti-epidemic measures will ensure a new influx of tourists arriving in Croatia by FlixBus in significant numbers. The increase in the number of tourists arriving from abroad on FlixBus buses, from season to season, has grown by up to 80 percent in certain Croatian destinations.

For more, follow our travel page.

May 22, 2020 - After the Croatian Civil Protection Headquarters relaxed coronavirus measures and adopted new rules and instructions on behavior in public inter-county passenger transport, FlixBus returned to the roads on May 11, 2020, and connected Zagreb and Varaždin with cities such as Zadar, Split and Trogir in Croatia.

However, HRTurizam reports that from May 28, the southern part of Croatia will be connected even further, and the popular green buses will be able to travel all the way to Omiš, Makarska, Ploče, Opuzen, Metković and Dubrovnik.

"The opening of the first lines clearly showed us the great demand and need for passenger migration within Croatia. Accordingly, it was decided to start with bus lines to extreme southern Croatia," said Ante Grbeša, director of the FlixBus CEE South region.

“Bus transport of passengers, even after the coronavirus situation, should remain an important part of a sustainable and affordable way of traveling. The permitted capacity on existing FlixBus bus lines is mostly full. We expect further easing of the measures of the Civil Protection Headquarters in order to continue with unhindered traffic throughout Croatia and enable passengers to realize their planned tourist or business trips," added Grbeša.

By the way, the increase in the number of tourists arriving from abroad by FlixBus buses, from season to season, has grown by up to 80% to certain destinations. The FlixBus green network of bus lines extends to 29 European countries and connects 2,000 destinations with 350,000 daily lines.

Passengers are encouraged to think about their safety when buying their tickets and use the online way of purchasing them through a free mobile application or via the company's website. This will reduce unnecessary physical contact and long queues. Special attention is being paid to enhanced hygiene and to the disinfection of the bus area for passengers and drivers, protective equipment for drivers has been made available, as has the regulated boarding and disembarking of passengers.

"The safety of passengers and drivers is paramount at the moment. Therefore, we immediately closed the sale of the first row of seats to be able to protect the driver, and we're distributing passengers according to the instructions placed diagonally to the seats. Drivers are obliged to wear masks and gloves as well as disinfect their space, while passengers are recommended to wear their own masks for additional protection according to the given instructions and measures,'' added Grbesa.

Further preventive protection measures relate to the disinfection of the bus that will be performed at the end of each journey as well as the placement of disinfectant that will be available to all passengers upon entering the bus area.

In addition, passengers will enter the bus via the back door, passenger tickets will continue to be registered without physical contact via QR codes and through the use of the mobile phones of drivers, and toilets in the buses will be closed for use until further notice.

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

As of the 11th of May, the popular FlixBus will be active on Croatian roads once again, connecting Zagreb, Varazdin, Zadar, Biograd na moru, Trogir and Split.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 7th of May, 2020, following the relaxation of the anti-epidemic measures put in place by the National Civil Protection Headquarters of the Republic of Croatia and the adoption of new measures, as well as new instructions on behaviour in public and inter-county passenger transport, FlixBus will return to Croatian roads in a few days.

FlixBus will only be travelling within the borders of Croatia until further anti-epidemic measures are announced.

''Our goal is to continue to provide a green and affordable travel service to everyone. We'll adapt to the current situation in order to transport our passengers comfortably and safely to their destinations, and we'll begin with operating within the borders of the Republic of Croatia,'' said Ante Grbesa, Director of FlixBus CEE South region.

FlixBus will return to Croatian roads with its domestic bus partners, connecting Zagreb, Split, Varazdin, Gospic, Zadar, Posedarje, Bibinje, Sukosan, Sv. Filip i Jakov, Biograd na moru, Kastel Sucurac and Trogir, respecting all safety measures put into place during the coronavirus epidemic.

Passengers are encouraged to think about their safety when buying their tickets and use the online way of purchasing them through a free mobile application or via the company's website. This will reduce unnecessary physical contact and long queues. Special attention is being paid to enhanced hygiene and to the disinfection of the bus area for passengers and drivers, protective equipment for drivers has been made available, as has the regulated boarding and disembarking of passengers.

"The safety of passengers and drivers is paramount at the moment. Therefore, we immediately closed the sale of the first row of seats to be able to protect the driver, and we're distributing passengers according to the instructions placed diagonally to the seats. Drivers are obliged to wear masks and gloves as well as disinfect their space, while passengers are recommended to wear their own masks for additional protection according to the given instructions and measures,'' added Grbesa.

Further preventive protection measures relate to the disinfection of the bus that will be performed at the end of each journey as well as the placement of disinfectant that will be available to all passengers upon entering the bus area.

In addition, passengers will enter the bus via the back door, passenger tickets will continue to be registered without physical contact via QR codes and through the use of the mobile phones of drivers, and toilets in the buses will be closed for use until further notice.

For more, follow our travel page.