Dreaming of the Adriatic, but don’t want to fly? There are a few ways to get from London to Croatia by train or ferry.
I’m currently on a journey to and from Croatia without flying, so I can detail all of these options for you!
Why Croatia?
First, why overland to Croatia?
This country quickly became the tourist capital of the Balkans a few years back, and it’s easy to see why. With over 3,500 miles of beach, it’s not hard to see what makes Croatia most famous. But tourists stay for the UNESCO sites (including Dubrovnik, an entire UNESCO city!), the castles and palaces (Split is a highlight) and the waterfalls (don’t miss Krka National Park!).
But do factor in plenty of time at the beaches too. If you want to explore the coast and islands on your own terms, there are over 6,000 boats available for charter in Croatia, from small motorboats to sailing yachts and catamarans; we’re going to discuss the best way to get to coastal Croatia in this post!
Step one: Eurostar
First up, the Eurostar!
The most sensible route is to Paris; London to Paris trains take around 2 hours 15 minutes and prices start from £35 one-way, if you purchase when they’re on sale. I update my Instagram stories when Eurostar tickets are on sale, but there’s no guarantee when the sales will happen, so don’t hold out too long to wait for them!
I’d recommend buying your Eurostar ticket as early as possible, preferably around 3 months before your travel date. This will help you get the cheapest possible rates! You can see more Eurostar tips in this post.
Now, I say “most sensible” route, because I did something different. I took the Eurostar to Amsterdam, which takes around four hours.
This was because I wanted to try the Twiliner sleeper bus, a new lie flat sleeper bus that travels between Amsterdam and Zurich. It also stops in Brussels, so you could take the Eurostar there too – I just wanted maximum light as I was making a video!
I’ll be posting about this soon!
Step two
If you want to take a night train to Croatia…
So, Twiliner could be an option, or you can take a train from Paris to Zurich. At the time of writing, it looks like most trains are leaving from Gare du Lyon (a 10 minute journey on the RER from Gare du Nord, where the Eurostar arrives) and changing in Basel.
There is one direct train that leaves at 18:22 and arrives in Zurich at 23:00. This would be easy to do with the Eurostar – you wouldn’t even need to take a particularly early train from London – but it would be a long travel day!
You’d arrive in Zurich and need to spend the night. It’s not a city renowned for its cheap accommodation, but here’s something I found close to the station.
The night train will leave the following evening, so you have the day to explore Zurich.
If you want to avoid night trains…
Another option is to take a train from Paris to Munich. Again, there aren’t many direct options, although one seems to leave at 15:55 most days and arrives at 21:46. You’d be able to make this if you took a relatively early Eurostar.
Accommodation is cheap in Munich, but you’ll need to either head off straight the next day or pay for two nights, as there aren’t any sleeper trains from Munich to Croatia.
Step three
So, you’ll wake up in either Zurich or Munich.
From Zurich…
Spend the day exploring the city. I have done just that literally today, and loved taking a dip in the lake and all the historic buildings with a view of the Alps. It helps that it was 35 degrees today, too!
Then, there’s a night train that leaves Zurich at 21:32. It takes 13 hours to reach Croatia, arriving into Zagreb at 10:30 the following morning.
You’ll be in darkness for much of the journey, but if you wake up early enough (at certain times of year) you’ll catch sunrise over the Austrian Alps, and in Slovenia you follow the Sava River Valley.
From Munich
There is a day train from Munich to Zagreb. This is very scenic, as it crosses the Alps, traversing through Austria and Slovenia before arriving in Croatia. It departs at 10:16 and arrives at 19:20, so you’ll be in daylight for the most scenic parts anytime of year!
Step four
However you’ve done it, you’ve arrived in Zagreb! You have a few options here, depending on where in Croatia you want to go to:
First, Zagreb is worth spending a day in. Home to the Museum of Broken Relationships, the Lower and Upper Town and one of the shortest funiculars in the world!
The next day, you could hop on board a train to Split, a five-hour journey which is one of Europe’s most scenic railways. From Split buses depart to Dubrovnik and other destinations. There is also a sleeper bus between Zagreb and Split.
Or, you could take a seven-hour train (it’s modern and has AC!) to Pula!
Island hopping in Croatia
While Crotia has a lot to offer tourists, its coastline and islands arguably come out at number one.
There are so many gorgeous places to visit on Croatia’s coast; and one of the very best ways to do so is to charter your own boat!
With Boataround, you can charter a boat from almost any marina and sail between islands. Finish your adventure in style by sailing from Split to Hvar, or see the Elaphiti archipelago independently.
The ferry option
If you’re keen to take to the water, another option is to go to Croatia by ferry!
Do step one as detailed. Unless you want to overnight in Paris, you’ll probably want to take as early a train as possible.
Step two
Head to Milan on a high-speed train. There is a train that leaves at 15:25 and arrives at 22:07. If you have daylight going through the Alps, this can also be a very scenic journey!
Step three
The next day, take a train to Ancona. This can take as little as three hours, although train times vary.
Step four
Take an overnight ferry from Ancona to Split! You’ll end up right on the Croatian coast, in striking distance of Dubrovnik and Hvar.
There are a few ways to get from London to Croatia without flying, which would you choose? For overland travel vlogs throughout Europe, don’t forget to follow me on YouTube!
