Advent Zagreb is one of the biggest and best Christmas markets in Europe, with all kinds of activities and live entertainment on offer around the stalls set up in the city’s main squares and streets.
If you fancy a last-minute dash over for Yuletide fun in Croatia’s lively capital, here are a few tips:
Zagreb Airport is Croatia’s busiest, accommodating Ryanair flights from London-Stansted, Dublin and at least a dozen other hubs in Europe. Croatia Airlines and British Airways offer services from London-Heathrow, Air France from Paris, KLM from Amsterdam, and Lufthansa from Frankfurt and Munich.
Pleso Prijevoz buses run every 30 minutes from outside the terminus to Zagreb bus station (€8 single) in town, tickets available online or from the driver. Journey time is around 40 minutes.
A taxi doing the same journey should charge a fixed fee of €28, a couple of euros extra if your journey is further into the centre.
Overland journeys to Zagreb are best made by bus such with as the international company Flixbus. The Zagreb bus station website has a full schedule of departures and arrivals, as well as online ticket purchase. Train services are few and far between – there are currently none direct from Budapest, for example.
City transport consists of trams and, for outlying districts, buses. Much of the centre is walkable – though you’ll need a tram from the bus station to the centre. Tisak kiosks and ZET outlets distribute chip cards for travel. On top of the initial fee (€1.33), add the amount you would like to load onto it. A single journey of 30 minutes daytime costs €0.53 but indicate you require the 30-minute option when you touch into the machine on board – otherwise you will be charged €1.33 for a 90-minute journey.
If you prefer paper tickets, these are also sold at kiosks for €0.93 (valid for 90 minutes), as well as day passes (€3.98).