Travel & Leisure

Depending on what kind of holiday you are planning in beautiful Croatia, the country’s bus network connects almost everywhere and is a great option, especially on a budget. If you’re touring the coast, you can hop on ferries to reach mainland cities and the islands. Driving is fairly straightforward, and lets you reach destinations that aren’t well-served by public transportation. Flights and trains are useful for hopping between Zagreb and the coast.

Remember though, transportation does vary seasonally. In buzzing July and August, it’s worth booking ahead or turning up early for buses and boats, and you may nd yourself stuck in tra c on the way into and out of resort towns. Between November and March, timetables for buses and ferries are reduced, and you may need to plan your route more carefully. Here’s everything you need to know about traveling around Croatia.

Bus services are excellent and relatively inexpensive. You can explore most of Croatia car-free, although Istria (once you’re o the main coastal route) and the islands have patchier networks. Most bus stations are located fairly centrally (and conveniently near ferry ports) making getting around straightforward. One exception is Dubrovnik, where the bus station is around 5km (3.1 miles) from the Old Town – hop on a local bus or taxi.

Di erent companies often operate on the same route, so prices can vary. Luggage stowed in the baggage compartment under the bus costs extra (around 10KN a piece). Buses between Split and Dubrovnik pass through Bosnian territory so keep your passport or ID handy.

At large stations, bus tickets must be purchased at the

Trains and boats and planes ... in Croatia

o ce, not from drivers, and it’s worth booking ahead in high season. Major companies include Arriva, FlixBus and azmatrans. Getbybus is a useful website o ering schedules and bookings.

Boats connect the main coastal centres and the surrounding islands year- round, with services extended in the tourist season. Many visitors nd cruising the blue waters and rocky shores of the Adriatic one of their trip highlights. e major hubs are Split, Dubrovnik, Šibenik, Zadar and Rijeka. Locals use ‘ferry’ to refer exclusively to car ferries (which can also be used by foot passengers) and ‘catamaran’ for the faster, passenger-only services.

Boats are comfortable, with seating inside and out on the deck. e larger boats have restaurants and bars, and almost all have at least a snack counter. Most o er free wi- , though the signal is variable.

You can usually buy tickets online (Jadrolinija is the main operator), but pre- booking doesn’t guarantee you a space on a particular sailing, so it still pays to get to the wharf early in peak season if you’re traveling with a car. Foot passengers pay less, have more exibility and can generally hire a car, scooter or bicycle on arrival.

Driving is an excellent option if you’re in a family or group, or if you want to tour several destinations in a short trip, like the hill towns and resorts of Istria, or the Dalmatian coast and nearby Paklenica and Krka national parks.

Croatia drives on the right, and roads are mostly excellent, although there are stretches where service stations are scarce. Still, with most places within a few hours of each other, most trips are short. At around six hours, Zagreb to Dubrovnik is the longest drive you’re likely to take, and one of the few major routes that isn’t entirely on a multi-lane highway (the last section through southern Dalmatia is yet to be upgraded). e Hrvatski Autoklub has a live dashboard on works and congestion.

Car hire is available in all major towns and airports. Local companies are often cheaper, but the big chains o er one-way rentals. You may get a lower rate by booking from abroad or getting a y-drive package. To rent a car you must be 18 and have a valid license and a credit card to cover insurance excess.

Hitching is not

Five cities to check out inSpain

1. Valencia

No visit to Spain is complete without having the iconic Mediterranean rice dish, paella. And there’s no better place to have this authentic dish than in the home of paella: Valencia. In fact, Valencia is home to a number of great foods that you’ll de nitely want to try on your trip. e city is best known for Las Fallas, a fun ve-day festival in March when giant papier-mâché puppets are paraded through the streets. Be sure to visit the City of Arts and Sciences, and especially the Oceanogrà c aquarium inside, wander through the beautiful Old Town streets, see inside the 13th century Gothic cathedral, and take time to enjoy the beautiful beaches.

2. Sevilla

Sevilla is, without a doubt, one of the most spectacular Spanish cities. is beautiful city in Spain is lled with iconic landmarks such as the Torre del Oro, the mesmerising Real Alcázar Palace, and the Plaza de España.

Seville is well known as a food-loving city; in fact, there are more than 3,000 tapas bars in Seville. Just spending a whole day wandering from one bar to another, sampling the Solomillo al Whisky, Pringa (sandwiches), and churros is enough entertainment for me!

Enjoy the smell of citrus as you walk through the picturesque Barrio de Santa Cruz, or take in unmatched views from the Setas de Sevilla, the biggest wooden structure in the world.

Fun fact: e Plaza de España and Real Alcázar Palace were used as lming sites in the popular series Star Wars and e Game of rones. Roman, and Muslim in uences are woven into the architecture and culture that makes Granada so unique. You won’t want to miss a tour of the Alhambra, a Moorish fortress, and the picturesque Generalife Palace Gardens.

During the afternoon, be sure to stop by one of the many bars where your only task is to order a drink, which will come with a tapa. Or visit one of the many tea houses in the Albayzín neighbourhood to get an authentic taste of Granada’s culture.

You’ll also want to take a stroll through the cobblestoned streets, and admire the Renaissance, Baroque, and Neoclassical churches, convents, monasteries, hospitals, palaces, and mansions.

4. Barcelona

Most visitors to Barcelona are rst drawn to the work of art that is the Sagrada Família, designed by Antoni Gaudí. Besides the beautiful basilica, you’ll nd mesmerising architectural landmarks like Casa Batlló, Casa Vicens, Park Güell, and the opulent Palace of Catalan Music.

As the capital of Catalonia, you’ll also nd slightly di erent foods in Barcelona, so a tapas crawl is high on the list. La Boqueria market is great for a food stroll.

e Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter) is a stunning area of the city that you have to witness. It’s one of the most atmospheric medieval quarters in the world, with magical old-world ambience.

5. Córdoba

If you’re planning a visit to this city, be sure to time it around May to witness the yearly Courtyard Festival. You’ll get to take in the sights and smells of hundreds of owers and plants as homeowners open and display their ornate courtyards with pride.

Of course, the courtyards aren’t the only reason that Córdoba is one of the prettiest cities in Spain. e ancient architecture serves as indicators of the di erent eras and people who have inhabited this city.

Walk across the Roman Bridge, admire the striped arches in the Great Mosque, and wander through the decorated streets of the old Jewish Quarter.

recommended, but carpooling is an option – BlaBlaCar has a good local presence. ere are tolls on all highways and some other routes. e rst set of booths you come across when you enter a highway dispenses tickets. Present them at the booths when you leave the highway to calculate and pay the toll.

Trains and ights are good for crossing the country e train network is limited, and often slower than buses. But it’s not a bad bet if you’re exploring inland Croatia, or heading between Zagreb and coastal cities such as Rijeka, Pula or Split. Croatian Railways has schedules and prices.

Flying is the quickest way between Zagreb and the coast, and, while connections between the coastal cities are less frequent, the connection between the Istrian capital of Pula and Dubrovnik, for example, can be useful if you time it right. ere aren’t many ights to the islands – most visitors just get a boat from the nearest mainland port – although you can reach Bra Island from Zagreb. e national carrier is Croatia Airlines.

Bicycles are a great way to explore the islands

Bikes are easy to rent along the coast. Relatively at islands such as Pag and Lošinj o er the most relaxed cycling, but the winding, hilly roads on other islands have more spectacular views.

Cycling requires caution: many roads are busy highways, with no bicycle lanes. You’ll see Nextbike’s hire stations in many cities, especially Zagreb, which has decent cycling infrastructure – download the app to get started. Some tourist o ces, especially in the Kvarner and Istria regions, have maps of routes and bike-rental info.

From Long Island to Kilkenny as Martine and Jeremy exchange vows at St Mary’s Cathedral

e marriage register in St Mary’s Cathedral stretches back to 1754. From near and far thousands of couples have walked the beautiful aisle of St Mary’s to celebrate the sacrament of marriage. e past two years have been quiet – Covid forced many to change plans and dates. is year 17 couples will add their names to the story of St Mary’s and the register of marriages.

Originally booked for November 2020 Martine Phelan Roberts and Jeremy Beutler nally managed to tie the knot on June 1st. is was their fth date change...the last being within the last seven days when the wedding had to switch from Monday 20th to Wednesday 1st due again to Covid. A wedding party of 25 made their way to the Marble City from San Francisco, Chicago, Long Island, England and a few of their Irish cousins for the celebrations that began in the Cathedral and ended in Langtons. e wedding ceremony took place at 4pm and was followed by photos in Cathedral before moving to the reception in John’s Street. Martine’s brother and sister, Allessandra and Wills, read the readings and Jeremy’s nieces, Ari and Chloe, read the prayers of the Faithful. Music was from James Rice and Soyna Cadogan. Fr Scriven welcomed the group and was the celebrant. e reception in Langtons was wonderful and full of ‘facetime’ calls back to the States, high ves and kisses across the internet to friends and families who had not been able to travel. Stories of the week were exchanged: learning to play hurling in Stoneyford, Irish dancing in Malzards, Visiting Kilkenny Castle and Bike Riding around Kilkenny before climbing St Canice’s Round Tower. e guests made the best of their time in Kilkenny and even managed to visit Galway and the Cli s of Moher!

We wish Jeremy and Martine all the best as they begin their married life together and are delighted that they have become part of the story of St Mary’s Cathedral.