Croatia ferry routes & timetables — island crossings

It depends where you want to stay. The passenger-only catamaran from Split reaches Hvar Town directly in about an hour, which is ideal if you're staying in the car-free old town. The car ferry carries vehicles but lands at Stari Grad on the other side of the island, so you'll then need to drive over to Hvar Town. Catamarans do not carry cars.

Two ways. Jadrolinija and Krilo (Kapetan Luka) run fast catamarans from Split straight into Hvar Town (roughly an hour, passengers only). Jadrolinija's car ferry takes vehicles and foot passengers to Stari Grad, a longer crossing of around two hours. Choose the catamaran for the town centre, the car ferry if you're bringing a vehicle.

Jadrolinija's car ferry runs frequently from Split to Supetar, Brač's main vehicle port, in under an hour. It's one of the shortest and busiest crossings in Dalmatia, carrying both cars and foot passengers, with several sailings a day in summer.

Fast catamarans (Jadrolinija and Krilo) call directly at Korčula Town, the walled old town, in a couple of hours. Jadrolinija's car ferry instead serves Vela Luka at the island's western end, about 45 minutes by road from Korčula Town. Take the catamaran for the old town, the car ferry if you have a vehicle.

Often not. Hvar Town, Korčula Town and central Dubrovnik are effectively car-free, so a catamaran drops you right where you want to be, and local buses, taxis and boats cover the rest. A car is useful for exploring an island's interior or remote beaches, but it also commits you to the vehicle ports and summer ferry queues.

Jadrolinija is the national operator, running both car ferries and catamarans year-round, including the lifeline lines that keep islands connected in winter. Krilo (Kapetan Luka) is a private company running seasonal high-speed catamarans on popular coastal routes like Split–Hvar–Korčula–Dubrovnik. For a car crossing you'll use Jadrolinija; for a fast passenger hop, compare both.

Yes, a vehicle reservation is strongly advised in July and August. Car spaces on the popular Split routes fill quickly and the port lanes can back up for hours. Booking online secures a specific sailing; without it you risk waiting for the next departure with an available space.

Very. Split is Croatia's busiest passenger harbour, and in July and August both the catamaran seats and the car-ferry vehicle lanes come under heavy demand. Arrive early — Jadrolinija recommends being at the port around an hour before departure with a vehicle in high season — and book ahead where you can.

Yes. Dubrovnik has its own local crossings toward nearby islands such as Mljet and the Elaphiti, and in the summer season fast catamarans link it up the coast to Korčula, Hvar and Split. Many of these southern catamaran lines are seasonal, running roughly spring through October.

Vis is reached from Split. Jadrolinija runs a reservation-based car ferry to Vis Town, and a faster passenger catamaran also serves the island in season. Because Vis is further out, sailings are less frequent than to Brač or Hvar, so check the timetable and book vehicle space ahead in summer.

No. All the fast catamarans in Croatia — Jadrolinija's, Krilo's and TP Line's — are passenger-only with no car deck. They usually accept foot passengers and bicycles, but for any vehicle you must use a Jadrolinija car ferry, which lands at the island's vehicle port.

Dramatically. The dense summer network contracts to lifeline frequencies once the season ends: sailings become far less frequent, some seasonal catamaran lines pause entirely, and private operators like Krilo largely wind down. Jadrolinija's year-round car ferries keep the islands connected, but always check the current off-season timetable before travelling.

Mljet is served mainly from Dubrovnik and, seasonally, from Split via catamaran calling at the island's ports such as Sobra and Pomena. There's also a car ferry connection from the Pelješac peninsula (Prapratno) to Sobra. Frequencies are modest and heavily seasonal, so plan Mljet trips around the published timetable.

Split connects to the central Dalmatian islands: Brač (Supetar), Hvar (Stari Grad by car ferry, Hvar Town by catamaran), Šolta (Rogač), Vis, and Korčula (Vela Luka by car ferry, Korčula Town by catamaran), with onward links toward Lastovo. It's the single best hub for island-hopping in Dalmatia.

For catamaran seats and any summer vehicle crossing, online is safer because these sell out; a booked ticket guarantees your sailing. For frequent short car-ferry hops like Split–Supetar outside peak weeks, buying at the port is usually fine. In July and August, book ahead wherever a vehicle or a popular catamaran is involved.

As a foot passenger, most central-Dalmatian crossings from Split cost under €10 — Split to Supetar is about €6.50, Split to Hvar around €6, Split to Vis €7.20 — and the Dubrovnik routes to Mljet and Korčula are similar. Bringing a car changes everything: the vehicle is ticketed separately and usually costs several times the passenger fare.

For a foot passenger the Jadrolinija car ferry is normally the cheapest option, while the faster Krilo and Jadrolinija catamarans cost a little more and carry passengers only. If you have a car you must take a car ferry, and it is the vehicle fare, not the seat, that drives the total up.

Travel as a foot passenger and leave the hire car on the mainland — vehicle fares dwarf the walk-on ticket — and use the Jadrolinija car ferries rather than the catamarans where time allows. Fares are stable through the season, so the saving is in the boat and whether you bring a car, not the date; just reserve car spaces online for July and August.