Getting from Croatia to Greece
· Updated · BootsnAll
Croatia and Greece are the two great coastlines of the eastern Mediterranean and plenty of trips take in both. They are also about 1,500 km apart with several countries in between, and there is no quick surface route. This is a flying journey unless you have a week to spare.
Flying
Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik all have connections to Athens, direct in the summer season and usually via a hub in winter. Reckon on about two hours direct, and considerably more if you route through Vienna, Munich or Rome.
The seasonal pattern matters here. Croatian coastal airports run a full schedule from roughly May to October and shrink dramatically outside it, so a direct flight that exists in July may simply not exist in February.
If you are heading for the Greek islands rather than Athens, check whether a connection through a hub gets you closer than flying to Athens and then out again.
Overland, which is a trip rather than a transfer
By road it is Croatia to Montenegro or Bosnia, then Albania, then into northern Greece, or the longer inland route through Serbia and North Macedonia. Buses link the capitals and it takes the better part of two days with changes.
The Adriatic coast road through Montenegro and Albania is one of the more spectacular drives in Europe, and the countries it passes through are the least visited part of the continent. If you have the time this is a far better use of it than a flight.
One thing to be clear about: this route leaves the Schengen area. Croatia joined Schengen on 1 January 2023, but Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia, Serbia and North Macedonia are all outside it. You will cross real borders with real checks, and passport control on a bus in the Balkans takes as long as it takes.
By sea, in two hops
There is no direct ferry from Croatia to Greece. What exists is the Italian bridge: sail from Croatia to Italy, cross to the Adriatic ports, and sail again to Greece.
Jadrolinija runs Croatia to Italy, including Dubrovnik to Bari and Split to Ancona. From Bari, Brindisi or Ancona there are frequent ferries to Igoumenitsa, Patras and Corfu, run by Grimaldi, Anek and Superfast among others.
Two overnight crossings and a day in Italy in between. It takes two or three days, it costs more than a budget flight, and you can take a car. It is a genuinely good way to travel if the journey is part of the holiday.
Money and paperwork
Both Croatia and Greece use the euro, Croatia since 1 January 2023, and both are in Schengen, so a direct flight between them is effectively a domestic hop with no passport control.
That changes the moment you go overland. Between the two Schengen members lie several non-Schengen countries, and your Schengen days do not run while you are in them, which is worth knowing if you are managing a 90 day limit.
Which end to start
If you are building a route, Croatia in the shoulder season and Greece in the deeper off season works better than the reverse. Dalmatia is excellent in May, June and September and unbearable in August. The Greek islands hold their season a few weeks longer at both ends.