Good to know about Croatia
Table of contents
Food and drink
You get the standard fare as in many other central European or Mediterranean countries, that is, pizza, pasta, meat dishes, and fish. All food is safe to eat as restaurants are regularly inspected, and the tap water is safe. Along the Adriatic Coast, it would be a shame to miss out on the seafood specialties.
Croatian beers are of excellent quality. Try Zagreb's Ozujsko pivo or Karlovacko pivo. The Croatian word for beer "pivo", you'll get to know this well. Certain Dalmatian red wines, such as Faros or Dingac, are exquisite. You should also try Croatia's favourite brandy sljivovica, made from plums, or travarica, which is a herbal brandy.
Money
Kuna is the Croatian currency, and each Kuna is divided into 100 lipas. When printed as a price, the Kuna is abbreviated to Kn.
The Kuna comes in dominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000 as notes and 1, 2, 5, 25 as coins. The Lipa comes in coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50.
Other currencies
If you're arriving with Euros, you'll find that a number of establishments are happy to be paid with these
Exchanging money
You can easily exchange British Pounds, US Dollars, or Euros in almost any city. However, avoid changing money in hotels, as the exchange rates are universally awful.
Rather than exchanging money before arriving, or exchanging cash in Croatia, use your ATM card instead. Just remember to make sure you are using a 4-digit PIN (used in all of Europe) and that your bank has approved use in a foreign country, if you're travelling from America.
Visas
Most tourists don't require visas to visit Croatia. Those with passports issued by the United Kingdom, USA, the EU counties, New Zealand, and Australia DON'T need visas.
For all other countries, please check the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' webpage. Should you need a visa, contact the Croatian Embassy in your country for information on how to obtain a visa to Croatia.
Health
The hospitals and health system in Croatia service is of a high standard. There is a fee to see the doctor or for hospital treatments. However, some countries like the United Kingdom have bilateral health care agreements so that emergency treatment is free. Make sure to show your passport / identification and mention this.
As healthcare can be very expensive, ensure that you have good travel and health insurance whether you can get health care for free or not.
Safety
Croatia in general is a very safe country, and robberies and petty theft is only a minor problem. Being out at night is safe in most areas, and tourist areas especially. Pickpockets can always be an issue in tourist areas, so keep your wits about you.
Single women are likely to attract attention, wanted or not, so be prepared for being whistled and have men come on to you. Just say no and and walk on, you won't be bothered further.
If you experience any sort of more serious issues or harassment of any kind, approach a policeman or soldier for help. Croatian men are proud and protective of women, and both the army and police are well trained and disciplined.