In the stages of planning a Central Europe trip and am kinda stuck on this one leg of the journey. Wanting to leave Budapest May 23, 2025. As near as I can tell my options are:
1. Fly from Budapest to Dubrovnik.
- no direct flights
- no budget airlines
- get diverted to places like Munich, Frankfurt etc.
- 5 -6 hours
- kinda expensive
2. Take the train all the way
- recommended by Man in Seat61
- train to Zagreb, either night train to Split (not keen on it) or day train, then bus to Dubrovnik. Apparently it's quite scenic ride to Split
- would require overnight stay in Zagreb if catching day train
- lengthly, but quite inexpensive. (I enjoy travelling by train)
- We would be reversing this trip on way back, since I need to end up in Zagreb (so not keen on doing that)
3. Take train to Zagreb, then plane direct to Dubrovnik
- would require overnight stay in Zagreb (most likely)
- inexpensive, short flight using Croatia Airlines
- general hassles with airports, getting there early, possibility of delays/cancellations etc.
(this was and still is my original plan)
4. Take train somewhere else closer than Zagreb and fly to Dubrovnik
- Just looked at Vienna, flights are more
5. Car from Zagreb.
- Don't want to deal with it in Dubrovnik
6. ???
Look forward to any suggestions.
Posted by
4763 posts
So much depends on how much time you have.
5. If you rented a car, you could always drop it off on arrival in Dubrovnik. This is a better option if you have time to use it. You can always take a faster route back to Zagreb at the end of the trip.
4. I am partial to the two-hour train to Vienna and direct flight option, because time is money. Maybe Skyscanner would show some other options.
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8297 posts
I agree about the train to Vienna and flying inexpensively on Ryanair on a regularly scheduled flight.
Dubrovnik is a strange place to fly into. Regular scheduled flights are few. But it gets to be a very busy airport "seasonally." I assume that means in the Summer.
Posted by
Brooklyn, NY
4139 posts
In the past we’ve taken the bus then flown. We have also driven. Driving is easy in Zagreb if you rent a car. It’s about an 6 hour drive to Dubrovnik. You can drop the car in Gruz and taking a 10 minutes taxi to the old town.
Posted by
Magyarország / Rep of Texas
19511 posts
I would fly from Budapest to Podgorica, Montenegro on Wizz Air. I would spend the day visiting Kotor and Perast on the way to Dubrovnik. No wasted time. Sight seeing from the moment you arrive. With no stops its about 3 hours, but there are great stops about every 45 minutes. Truthfully, I would spend a few days in Montenegro. Sort of like Croatia before the tourists and high prices; but even as a drive-thru its worth it for the views of the Bay of Kotor.
If the idea lights your fire, I can recommend someone for the transfer and guided trip along the way.
MORE IDEAS
I wouldn't screw with the train to Vienna. A lot of work and time to save $50. Just fly Budapest to Vienna to Dubrovnik.
Also you can do Budapest to Belgrade to Dubrovnik. Maybe even stay the night or two and see a new place. Belgrade is well worth a few nights.
I did Budapest to Belgrade to Sarajevo a few weeks ago. Belgrade airport is easy. I came home Sarajevo to Vienna to Budapest. I could have saved $50 by switching to the train in Vienna, but why?
Last option, if the flight out of Vienna is in the early evening, use Daytrip.com and visit a few places on the way to Vienna. I've done this recently too.
But my money is on Podgirica.