Slow Travel Croatia Tour October 2026
Please take the time to read the following information carefully and feel free to contact us if you still have questions.
General Disclaimer - The information package is a guide only and there may be changes that need to be made when on the ground in Croatia.
ARRIVAL - ZAGREB
For tour members arriving on Saturday, 10 October at Zagreb Airport, we will organise a taxi to collect you at your arrival time.
The driver will be holding a sign displaying either ‘Slow Travel Croatia Tour’ or ‘your name’.
He will have your flight details and will keep an eye on your flight arrival time in case of delays. So rest assured, you’ll be met and transported to the hotel, even if your flight is delayed!
Please note: If a number of people are arriving at similar times, you may need to wait a little for others to arrive, but the taxi driver will be there to meet you when you arrive.
The journey from Zagreb airport to the hotel will take approximately half an hour. Check-in at the Hotel Esplanade is 3.00 pm, but hopefully you will be able to check in if you arrive earlier (obviously, depending upon how early in the day!). If not, you can certainly store your luggage at reception and relax in the bar :) or take a stroll around the area. Your room will be booked under Slow Travel Croatia or your name.
NOTE: There is a 100 EUR per night security deposit that is normally required, but my tour group is exempt from this. It should not happen, but if they do happen to ask for it, DO NOT pay it and immediately send me a message using Whats App and I will sort it out.
There are plenty of ATMs at the airport, therefore getting money (EUR) is not a problem.
Arrival on any other day is not covered by the tour. Zagreb airport is relatively small and a taxi is easy to find.
Taxi fares to the hotel are approximately 35 EUR to 40 EUR - this is just an estimate. If you prefer, we can organise a driver to meet you, but you will need to pay the taxi fare. Please let us know if you would like us to do that (you may have already informed Charles)
TOUR BRIEFING
We will meet in the lobby at 5:30 pm on Saturday 10 October for a rundown of the tour and to meet one another, before we head out for dinner.
We will hand out a hard copy of a summary of the Tour Itineraryto everyone at the briefing.
DEPARTURE - DUBROVNIK
Not that we want to be talking about the end of the tour before we have even started, but here are departure details!
You will be transported to the Dubrovnik airport by taxi on Friday, 30 October at the appropriate time for your flight. Please note, departures after this date are not covered by the tour.
OUR TRAVEL GROUP - in no particular order
Philip Sellick
Leanne Sellick
Annamaria Marchese
Andrew Bell
Carolyn Lehmann
Nada Setka
Jillian Greskie
Jan Jacklin
James Bate
Bronlyn Jones
Kerry Kingma
Anne Maggs
Grant Maggs
Lily Sluga
Charles Sluga
NOTE: Nancy is unable to make it on the tour this year, so Lily (our daughter) will be joint tour leader this year. She has led a number of tours with Charles in the past, is very professional and is looking forward to meeting you all. She is also great with any tech issues you may have 😀
CONTACT/COMMUNICATION
Contact me through the WhatsApp Group or email ivancsluga@gmail.com
VERY IMPORTANT!
We have set up a WhatsApp Group for communication pre-tour and it will be the main method of communication with the group during the tour. We have found it a great way to keep in contact during the tour, which is very important. It is very easy to use (similar to a Messenger group) and allows us to send brief daily messages to everyone as well as maps and information needed during the tour. We can also see if messages have been seen and we can all have little ‘chats’.
If you have not already done so, it is very important and a condition of joining the tour (as per T&C’s) that you create a WhatsApp account and join the group.
You set up a WhatsApp account with your phone number in Australia (please do this before you leave). You can still use WhatsApp overseas, even if you change your SIM card to another card, such as a travel SIM - so no need to change your WhatsApp number.
You can see instructions on how to set up a WhatsApp account on this video. Here is the link to join our WhatsApp group for the tour
HOTELS
An important word about rooms: All hotels are different and the rooms within each hotel vary - some small, some large, some with views and some without.
No preference is given to any individual or couple and the room you are allocated is by chance.
So please accept the room you receive and note that there is no option to change rooms (particularly in the smaller hotels).
If you are a single traveller, you will have a single room in two of the hotels and please note that these are quite small rooms.
Hotel Esplanade - Zagreb
Sat, 10 - Wed 14 October
Address: Mihanoviceva 1, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Phone: +385 (0)1 456 666
Email: info@esplanade.hr
Hotel Ambasador - Opatija
Wed, 14 - Sun 18 October
Address: Feliksa Peršića 5, 51410, Opatija, Croatia
Phone: +385 51 710 444
E-mail: reservations@liburnia.hr
Hotel Peristil - Split
Sun 18 - Thu 22 October
Address: Poljana kraljice Jelene 5, 21000, Split
Phone: +385 (0)21 329 070
Email: hotel.peristil@email.t-com.hr
Heritage Hotel Dea - Hvar
Thu 22 - Mon 26 October
Address: HV bratovstina 4, 21450, Hvar
Phone: +385 (0)21 274 188
Email: info@dea-experience.com
Hotel President - Dubrovnik
Mon 26 - Fri 30 October
Address: Iva Dulcica 34, Babin Kuk, 20000, Dubrovnik
Phone: +385 (0)52 465 100
Email: information@valamar.com
Please note: As with most European hotels, rooms are not equipped with tea/coffee making facilities, except for the Hotel President in Dubrovnik.
LOCATIONS VISITED
If you wish to do a little research before the trip, here is a list of places we stay or visit. Note: that the destinations visited during day trips may change. We have local guides (brimming with knowledge) for tours of Zagreb, Split, Hvar and Dubrovnik.
www.croatia.hr is a good source of information.
GENERAL INFORMATION
MONEY
Currency
As of 2023 the official currency of the Republic of Croatia is the Euro.
Exchange Rates
The exchange rate is continually changing and factors such as bank charges come into effect when trying to work out the cost of something.
Tipping
Tips are not included in the tour cost. Although not essential, it is customary to tip drivers, tour guides and waiters. The amount can vary depending on the service provided, but 10% is a general suggestion. Tips to drivers/guides can be between 2 to 5 EUR, depending again on the quality of the service. Use the 10% rule at restaurants.
How Much Extra Money to Take
This obviously depends on how much you wish to treat yourself! When buying your own meals, they can be as simple or extravagant as you wish and of course this will be reflected in the price. You can spend anywhere between 10 EUR or less, to 60 EUR or more on a meal. Buying picnic provisions from a supermarket is another option for meals. Apart from meals, you may want to shop for souvenirs or other items.
Zagreb
Opatija
Hum
Groznjan
Plitvice Lakes
Zadar
Split
Hvar
Dubrovnik
WHAT TO TAKE
Credit Cards
Since ATMs are ubiquitous in Croatia, using a credit card to withdraw cash at ATMs is the most convenient way of getting cash. You can also use it to make payments and purchases. The exchange rate is generally good. It is a good idea to have two credit cards, just in case you have trouble with one of them, or lose one.
All major credit cards (American Express, Visa and MasterCard) are accepted. Make sure you have a 4-digit pin. Most hotels, restaurants and shops accept major credit cards. For travel cards we recommend a WISE card. This is what we use and we have found them very good with relatively good exchange rates.
Cash
You can choose to purchase some Euros in Australia before you leave, but, as stated, getting cash in Croatia is not a problem as there are many ATM’s.
CLIMATE
The entire Adriatic coast has a Mediterranean climate. Spring and Autumn are mild along the coast and Hvar has more hours of sunshine than anywhere else along the entire coast. Of course, we cannot guarantee good weather, but we can tell you that in October the average maximum temperature on the coast ranges from 18 - 21 Celsius.
We find the weather quite mild and find we are most comfortable in light clothing during the day. 2024 and 2025 were very warm and participants swam in the ocean while there. Having said this, we have also experienced some cooler temperatures, in particular the inland places like Zagreb and Plitvice Lakes can be quite cool (even cold) compared to the coast. Last year, although it was warm, we did encounter a bizarre day when it snowed :). So basically, it is best to be prepared for all weather conditions.
CLOTHING
We suggest a raincoat and layers of clothing, rather than large bulky jumpers or coats.
Shirts, t-shirts, blouses and comfortable jeans/pants and maybe a pair of shorts/skirt for warmer days.
A brimmed hat.
Comfortable walking shoes.
Neat clothes for when we eat out at restaurants.
Swimming togs for immersion in the Adriatic.
LAUNDRY
Locations of laundromats:
Zagreb - a self-service laundry is located 450m from the hotel (we have not used this laundry).
Opatija - serviced laundromat 850m from our hotel (we have not used this laundry).
Split - serviced laundromat 600m from hotel. We always use this service.
Hvar - serviced laundry 400m from hotel, however hours are random and it’s expensive, so we cannot recommend it! Best to wash clothes in Split.
Dubrovnik - 6 km and it’s a bus ride! Expensive, but most things are expensive in Dubrovnik. Recommend using the hotel service, or wash in your room.
ELECTRICITY
Same as the rest of Europe - you will need the European adapter with two round pins.
TIME ZONE
Croatia is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time - 9 hours behind Australia.
COMMUNICATION
Phone
We suggest you buy a travel SIM card before you leave Australia.
If you have a modern phone you may be able to use an e-sim, otherwise a physical sim card will work.If you have a phone that is compatible with e-sim, we have found people have had a good experience with these.
NOTE: to use an e-sim, your phone needs to be unlocked.
We have found that people that have plans with Telstra (or others) were unable to use e-sim.
If you have an older phone or if your phone is not e-sim compatible, you will need a physical sim card. This is a possible option.
NOTE: I find it best to just get a card with data only, as I use WhatsApp or Messenger to phone people.
Please have your e-sim or sim card activated before we have our first meeting on Saturday October 10.
PAINTERS
This is not a painting tour, or a workshop situation - this is a holiday, however, if you are a painter, there are plenty of opportunities for you to satisfy your artistic needs and obviously lots of subject matter to paint.
On this tour Charles will be mostly taking photographs for reference and filming for Youtube and promotion of the tour, but he may take a watercolour sketch pad and a small travel kit of paints. It is up to you how much gear and what gear you bring, but we would suggest you keep it manageable, as you are the one who will be carrying it!
If you have done plein air painting or urban sketching before, you probably have your gear sorted anyway.
Here is a video Charles made a number of years ago about the painting gear he takes when travelling. It is still relevant today, but as stated, he will be spending his time photographing, taking videos and editing on this tour.
COVID
All COVID-19 entry restrictions have been removed. You are no longer required to present proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to enter Croatia.
However, we would strongly request participants who do experience Covid/cold/flu symptoms to consider other travellers and wear a mask when in group settings, especially during bus transfers when we’re in a small enclosed environment.
LANGUAGE FUN
You don’t need to speak the language, but knowing a couple of words does help:
“Thank You” - “Hvala” (you can pronounce it ‘FALA’ to make it easier - that will work.
“Hello” - “Dobar dan” ( pronounced kind of like ‘Dob - are - Done’)
Two great apps to download are:
Say Hi - you can speak to the app and it will translate as audio
Google Translate
A FEW FINAL WORDS
Here are just a few miscellaneous notes and reminders to help you enjoy the tour.
Some of you may already know Charles. When in Croatia, he uses his given name ‘Ivan’. It would be exciting to say he is a spy and lives a double life, but it’s not the case - it’s just the first name on his passport. It is OK though, you can still call him Charles. The contacts in Croatia and the staff at the hotels will mostly call him Ivan (the terrible!)
A reminder of what is not included in the tour:
Gratuities to drivers/waiters/guides/porters, etc.
Drinks (including tea/coffee) at meals.
Meals, travel, entry fees, etc, not stated in the Itinerary.
There is NO refund for any part of the tour not used.
This may sound obvious, but please remember that you are in a different country, so things will not be the same as at home. By this, we mean things like:
The coffee will not be as hot.
Tea with milk is not as common and you may need to ask for milk.
Splitting bills at cafes and restaurants is often not an option.
Most hotels do not have tea and coffee making facilities.
Many shops are closed for siesta in the early afternoon.
So please be flexible when travelling, and as the saying goes, “when in Rome/Croatia …” and you and we will enjoy the experience much more. We are looking forward to having a great holiday and experience with you all.
Finally, it is a legal requirement that all hotels in Croatia take a copy of your passport. Please have your passport readily available when we arrive at hotels (not in the bottom of the suitcase! 😀) Reception will keep them for a short period to copy them. Usually by the time you have finished unpacking, they are ready to collect.
Charles (Ivan) and Lily
Tour Leaders