Croatia is a country of stunning landscapes and cities, a rich culture and history, warm and friendly locals. You can explore the country on a low budget, island hopping around the Adriatic Sea, hiking through the mountains and lakes of its national parks, and immersing yourself in its medieval walled cities.
For cheap accommodation, there are plenty of budget hostels available in the country. Croatia is famous for its vacation resorts but has much more to offer than its beautiful coastline and warm waters of the Adriatic Sea. If you are an outdoor enthusiast, you can explore the country’s rugged mountains, pristine lakes and waterfalls, narrow gorges and caves. If you avoid the large hotels located around the Istrian peninsula you can find affordable lodging in small pensions, guest houses, and pensions along Croatia’s coastline. If you are traveling by car, you can also find many campgrounds along the Adriatic coast.
Summertime is the most expensive season to travel in Croatia and you can save money if you travel here off-season. The prices are lower and the place is less crowded as well. Spring and fall are good seasons for traveling in Croatia, the weather is warm and there are still plenty of outdoor activities to enjoy. You can save on your flight to Croatia by going to a cheap gateway city rather than flying directly to Split, Zagreb, or Dubrovnik. A better deal you can have if you fly to Bratislava, Vienna, or Prague and from there take a cheap flight to the Croatian coast.
Another tip to save money on your low budget travel in Croatia is to avoid the most expensive destinations. Zagreb and Dubrovnik are the most expensive cities in the country and Hvar is the most expensive island from Croatian Adriatic Sea archipelago. You can choose instead to have accommodation in one of the villages around Dubrovnik. You can also save money by visiting regions in Croatia that are less famous and offer more authenticity, such as Sibenik archipelago, Vis Island, Cres Island, Karlovac, Kopacki Rit Nature Park, Paklenica National Park, or Dugi Otok.
One of the best ways to immerse into the Croatian culture and save money in the same time is to stay in private accommodations. You can choose from a wide selection of rooms and apartments that can give you more space than in a hotel at a cheaper price. Having access to a kitchen allows you to save money by preparing your own meals. You should be aware that the owners of private accommodations in Croatia have the habit to drop the price if you stay longer but may impose a 30 percent surcharge on short stays. So if you rent for more than four nights you may get a better deal. Before you pack your bags and head out to Croatia, we recommend checking out http://wikitravel.org/en/Croatia and Online-Croatia.com, where you will find all the information you need to know.
Another way to save on accommodation is to book a flight/hotel package. If you come from UK Jet2Holidays have the best deals. From North America you can use the BookingWIZ tool online for comparing prices from Expedia, Orbitz, CheapTickets, Travelocity, and Priceline. You can also consider an all-inclusive package that will help you plan in advance all the costs. The all-inclusive resorts in Croatia provide good value for money and in off-season you can take advantage of big discounts.