June 3, 2019 - A new fast catamaran service linking Split Airport to downtown Split, Brac (Bol) and Hvar (Stari Grad) began on Saturday. TCN's Rhona Crosbie was among the first Split Express passengers.
It is a few years now since the demise of the European Coastal Airlines seaplane service, which briefly offered quick transfers from several points on Croatia's mainland and islands, as well as flights from Croatia to Italy. The service was never the most reliable, but when it worked, it was a dream. Fifteen minutes from Resnik, the bay by Split Airport, to downtown Jelsa was a dream for me personally when I lived in Jelsa.
Since then, there has been no affordable and quick transfer option to Hvar from the airport, unless you wanted to shell out 350 euro plus on a speedboat or perhaps a helicopter.
A new service, Split Express, started two days ago, offering connections between Resnik, a short 500-metre walk from the airport terminal, to downtown Split, Bol on Brac and Stari Grad on Hvar. TCN contributor Rhona Crosbie flew into Split from Scotland and decided to try the new service, cost 199 kuna one way (299 return).
As you can see from the timetable below, the daily sailing schedule has both direct connections with the airport from Stari Grad, and indirect connections via Bol. The direct afternoon connection from Stari Grad taking just one hour to the airport is a dream compared to the need to get the 2-hour ferry to Split and then the bus/taxi to the airport from there.
The new service has only just started, and Rhona said that the company were in the process of setting up portacabins and a booth at the airport. She wandered down to the bay (a straight walk from the airport terminal) and found plenty of space on the new service. There were about 20 passengers in total, most of whom alighted at Bol. The service was extremely comfortable, included a free drink, and took 1 hour 50 minutes with the stop in Bol, still much quicker than going into Split and taking the ferry.
One more option to reach both Bol and Stari Grad, and if you fancy a quicker and less congested option to downtown Split than taking the bus, 99 kuna will buy you a one-way transfer - see the timetable below.
To learn more about the island of Hvar, check out the Total Croatia Hvar in a Page guide.
