Dubrovnik A Day Out, what to know before you go

Dubrovnik A Day Out, Arrival tips

Things you should know before you go to Dubrovnik. Not quite a day out but a guide to a holiday in Dubrovnik. I am going to give you my version of a holiday in Dubrovnik, from arriving at the airport to leaving. This page concentrates on the Arrival part, like Transport and things you can pre-book before arrival.

I did a lot of research before going to Dubrovnik and found that although the information is out there on the Internet. Not all the information was in one place or easily accessible on some Websites. After much searching, I was able to put the information I required together and then pinned it all to a Google map I also downloaded or saved the pages I needed to assist my break. So in a simple sentence, what is Dubrovnik about? Dubrovnik is a city along the beautiful Croatian coast and is famous for its Old Town and Fortress.

The Airport (Arrival)

You have a choice of transport from the Airport to get you to Old Town Dubrovnik or at least to the City walls. The easiest and cheapest way is by Bus. Go to the Official Bus Transfer Website Plantus Buy an Open Return Ticket for 80.00 KN per person £9.21 (That’s a fair price).

Choose the Ticket Airport Dubrovnik –>>> Old Town–>>Main Bus Station. Select Departure date. It’s an open ticket so if you are early or late it does not matter. Choose the number of people and type of ticket, Return. Buy the ticket and fill out your details and you will be emailed the ticket. Probably best to print it out. You can save it in emails and use it when you get there on your mobile, depending on your internet connection when you arrive. We printed ours. There is a QR code on the ticket. You can purchase a ticket from the Airport Kiosk on arrival right-hand side after baggage claim, or from the bus Plantus bus driver. It’s easier to buy online in advance.

The Plantus Bus From the Airport

The Bus leaves 30 minutes after every arrival. To find the bus, Exit the Airport Terminal and turn right, the bus should be about 200 yards up on the road to your Left, parked straight outside on the first road, you may not see a Plantus sign on the side of the bus, but you will see a sign in the front window saying Plantus.

The driver will QR code scan your ticket for your journey, and keep the ticket for your return. Depending on where you are staying you need to know when to get off. I would advise that you take the first stop the Eastern City Gates as the Main bus station is way out the other side of Dubrovnik. Vrata od Ploča (The Eastern gate to the Old Town) is where you should get off the bus. See map below. I have highlighted Konzum on the map, the bus normally parks across from this supermarket. If you do not get off here then you are off to the City Port and the main bus station, this is OK if your accommodation is there, or you are going on a cruise. It is not OK if you are staying near this end of the City Walls.

The Plantus Bus Drop off point Vrata od Ploča Look for the Konzum Supermarket

No Cars are allowed inside the walls

For those of you thinking about getting a Taxi from the Airport, please be aware that there are no cars allowed inside the city walls. If you have booked a place inside the walls then you will have to walk from one of the City gates to your accommodation. Those taking hire cars please be aware that if your accommodation does not provide parking, then you are going to pay a lot of money to park in a car park. Car parks are few and very expensive. Do your homework on this one.

Accommodation

Accommodation is entirely up to you, You can stay inside the walls of the Old Town or choose something just outside, prices obviously vary quite a bit. We chose to stay near the drop-off point. We booked through Air B and B. Just to the right of where the bus drops you off there is a hill, This hill contains lots of accommodation, most have a view, the higher you go the more you see of the Walls and the Old Town of Dubrovnik. I think our walk up the hill was about 200 steps, easy to do as it’s a slight gradient.

What you have to remember is that after your day out inside the City Walls you will have climbed quite a few steps, so this little climb is just a bit more exercise added to your day. We stayed Here at Apartment Dubrovnik DUBROVNIK Apartment MALA. The Apartment and the view are amazing. You can see all the details on the web link. Another good point about this apartment is that it is very close to the Plantus bus stop that takes you back to the airport. It’s not the same stop that you got off from.

Apartment Dubrovnik (Red Marker)

The Dubrovnik Card (For your days out)

Dubrovnik Card (Link) is well worth buying for your days out. You will save money on Museum entrance fees and you get some local bus travel tickets to use. They sell them in 1 day 3 days, and 7 Day day cards. Buying the card online in advance of your trip will also save you money. You get an online discount. Then take your email/receipt to the City of Dubrovnik Tourist Office at the Pile gate, and exchange it for your passes. They are activated the first day you visit a museum, the bus tickets can be used any time you wish.

Daily Dubrovnik Card

Valid for one day (24 hours) – from the time of activation when visiting the first cultural-historical site. Enables entry to two museums, 2 galleries and City Walls. 24-hour bus rides on public transport.

3 day Dubrovnik Card

Valid for 3 days – from the time of activation when visiting the first cultural-historical site. Enables entry to 5 museums, two galleries and City Walls. 10 bus rides on public transport.

Weekly Dubrovnik Card

Valid for 7 days from the time of activation when visiting the first cultural-historical sight. Enables entry to 5 museums, two galleries and City Walls. 10 bus rides on public transport.

The main benefits of the Dubrovnik Card are:

It is great value for money, Save money and time.

Free guidebook with 160 pages together with a plan of Dubrovnik and Cavtat.

Free public transport, Special offer discounts.

You will see people on the internet saying the Dubrovnik Card is not worth the money. Value wise they are, We visited every Museum and used all the bus rides. The Museums are good, We also had some discounts at a few more Museums. This is our personal opinion. Read the information on the museums and decide if they interest you. Bus fares are cheap to Cavtat and local busses are also cheap.

We found the bus tickets useful, we did 2 trips to Cavat, and also used the local bus to get back from the Cruise ship Port Port Gruz, and from Lapad after walking around the coast. You can do all the museums in 3 days but we thought the 7-day card was better as it is a bit of a rush doing everything in 3 days,

List of Museums for The Dubrovnik Card.

The Dubrovnik Card allows free entry to 9 city attractions:

• Dubrovnik City Walls
• Cultural Historical Museum (located in the Rectors Palace!)
• Art Gallery Dubrovnik
• Dulcic-Masle-Pulitika Gallery
• Rupe Ethnographic Museum
• Natural History Museum
• Marin Drzic House
• Maritime Museum
• Friars Minor Franciscan Monastery Museum

South of Dubrovnik in a town called Cavtat, the Dubrovnik Card includes free entry/discounts to:

•  Vlaho Bukovac Home (Free with 3-Day and 7-Day card)
• Konavle Heritage Museum (Free)
• Racic Family Mausoleum (30% discount with 3-Day and 7-Day card)

The Plantus Bus departure point

The Plantus Bus departs Dubrovnik to the Airport from a different Bus stop. This is due to the One-way system that it takes around the town when arriving. So DO NOT go to the drop-off point. Instead, head up the hill from the place where the bus dropped you off. Head for the Cable car just by the entrance is a bus stop.

Across from the Bus stop to your left is the Platanus Bus Ticket Office (Airport Shuttle Bus). If you do not have a ticket you can buy one here. They also keep a list of the bus departure times, these are only published a few days in advance. You can check departure times on their website. We only had to walk a few minutes from our apartment to this office, so we checked a few days before. Our bus back was around 6:00 am and the office does not open that early.

Hotel Accommodation Dubrovnik Croatia