bus in croatia

Generally I've found that buses in southern Europe (including Croatia in 2015) tend to make stops every 2 to 2-1/2 hours so everyone can take a break. That works for both the smokers and those who need to use the toilet.

Most of the European buses I've been on in the last 2 years did not have toilets. Of the few that did, 1/3 to 1/2 didn't seem to have any door knobs on them, so I think they were being kept locked (odor control?) except in emergencies. I've found the toilets at the spots where the drivers choose to take the breaks to be generally quite clean. They're often located at road-side cafes or shops. Toilets encountered at bus stations are occasionally really, really grim, so I recommend taking advantage of the toilet breaks announced by the driver.

Although the driver (if older) may not speak English, there will be younger folks on the bus who do, and they will be able to tell you how long the break is. If the driver makes any sort of announcement after stopping the bus somewhere, there's a good chance he's announcing a break, so that's your cue to seek info from one of the young people on the bus (unless you yourself speak a Slavic language).

It's possible that some buses on the Split-Dubrovnik run have toilets you are allowed to use, but I would not count on it.

European Coastal Airlines have had their licence revoked months ago and didn't look like getting it back anytime soon, so that's not an option.

Thanks, folks. Hmm. Doesn't sound good. Will look into train possibilities.

No trains to Dubrovnik.

Yes, just realized that. I guess it's the bus. Or, has anyone ever hired a driver to go from Split to Dubrovnik or back?

Assuming that you are travelling in the summer, the other option is a catamaran, see http://www.krilo.hr/en/ .

The busses and the catamaran will get you between Split and Dubrovnik in about four hours. With the catamaran, you have the freedom to be up and about of course. The busses are fine and for longer routes will make a stop so that everyone can stretch and those who need to use the bathroom can. Usually the stop is about 15 minutes.

I've taken that bus and had a positive experience (there may be several companies running that route since the time I was there...I don't recall the one I used). The bus stopped for a snack/bathroom break every two hours (only one stop since the trip was about 4 hours). I don't remember if there was a bathroom on the bus, but the stop made the issue practically moot. The bus was cheap and comfortable (everything you can ask for in a bus). I personally would not pay a premium for a hired transfer. You can easily drive yourself with a rental if the bus option doesn't work.