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Dubrovnik to Split by ferry

Has anyone ever done this before? It seems like a 6-7 hour ferry ride, about $100 USD, and stops at a few islands. And nice to avoid the Bosnian border. We're backpacking it around the country.

Posted by
4217 posts

This is a catamaran--just for those who are unaware, it takes passengers but not cars. You may or may not have outside access (depends on the ship) Unless you just like the idea of being on a ship that long (views are nice), I would look at doing a catamaran ride from Krilo (or perhaps a different Jadrolinija route). That would probably be a lot faster. The stops are not long enough for you to see anything, so it may make more sense to just get where you are going.
For comparison, the bus takes about four hours--and it a lot easier on the budget.

Posted by
3777 posts

I would take the bus, much cheaper, BUT how many people are you? We were six adults so price wise it was an easy decision to hire a private driver.

Posted by
184 posts

It's just the two of us. We realize it's faster and cheaper to do the bus, we'll already be doing a few other legs by bus. We're just thinking of the fun of a different type of transportation up the coast. My wife loves being on the water so this makes her pretty excited.

I'm more interested in the experience of the trip, what it may be like, what the boat is like, etc...

Posted by
4217 posts

If it is the type of catamaran that has outside access, then I would consider it. Find out from Jadrolinija. I have only been on catamarans with no outside access, but I have read that some have decks now. If not, I think it would be miserable.
Also find out if there is cafeteria--but it would be better to bring your own snacks.

Posted by
184 posts

Good points, thanx. I presume you can't find out what cataraman you'll be on until much closer to the journey. The website has pics of all their transport but of course you can't tell what access or what amenities are on it without asking, correct?

Posted by
4217 posts

Right--I would just keep checking the website until the ship name appears.
Or, no harm in shooting an email to Jadrolinija.

Posted by
11294 posts

The point raised by valadelphia is important. On many high-speed boats, you have to sit inside the whole time - going out on the deck is not permitted.

Posted by
3777 posts

We took the catamaran from Split to Korcula one year. It was like a modern ferry. Has some outside space for standing no sitting, and a snack/drink bar. It was a lovely ride, they have a place to put your luggage. Don’t use Jadrolinija, go to gv-line.hr. Or croatiaferries.com. if your wife wants to go by water, it is worth the money. We always ask ourselves, will we pass this way again? if it is probably not, we always splurge.

Posted by
3039 posts

There's no way that the ferry costs $100 USD. It's more like $20-30 USD. And the full transit time is about 4 hours, not 6-7.

It's amazing what that "google" thing can do. I googled "dubrovnik split ferry" and found out fares, times, etc immediately.

Posted by
184 posts

Jadrolinija is 220 kuna each, 440 total, so $84 Canadian. We can split the difference ;)

But departure is at 7 a.m. arrival at 12:55 p.m. so that's 6 hours to me, unless you see diffferently.

Posted by
763 posts

Keep in mind that things will slow down when docking on the islands, you'll wait for a short time while people disembark, and embark, then pull out into the open sea again. That probably accounts for the time differences. Our catamaran had comfortable outdoor seating as well as indoor. It was a bit breezy when chugging along, but very nice to stand there while entering the ports. If you like water transport, or crave a more spacious and comfortable trip than a bus provides, I'd highly recommend the catamaran (but not the car ferry) option.

Posted by
23 posts

Both companies, Jadrolinija and Kapetan Luka (krilo.hr) run catamarans that are closed, there are no outside seating areas. Here is an updated article and timetable of the ferries and catamarans that connect Dubrovnik to Split https://www.tourdesksplit.com/dubrovnik-to-split-ferry-and-catamaran-guide/
At the moment, a catamaran called Krilo Lux was just built and released in Spain. This one should have outdoor seatings.