Getting here: you're closer to your destination than you think
The first day of a holiday often decides the mood for the whole week. When you travel with children, you count not in kilometres but in whinge-minutes – and this is exactly where the region between Split and Trogir has an advantage that is rarely advertised loudly.
By plane: the airport is right on your doorstep
Split airport (SPU) has a slightly misleading name. It isn't in Split but in Kaštela, around 20 kilometres west of the city, between Trogir and the Kaštela towns. For families staying in Kaštel Stari, that is one of the shortest transfer routes on the whole Adriatic: a drive of a few minutes instead of two hours on a transfer bus with tired little ones. Bus lines connect the airport with Split, Kaštela and Trogir; with a pushchair, travel cot and suitcases, though, a hire car is usually the calmer option – and you'll need one anyway (more on that later).
By car from Germany and Austria
The classic route leads through Austria and Slovenia into Croatia. The different toll systems are important:
- Austria and Slovenia work with vignettes. Slovenia's vignette is purely digital and linked to your number plate – you no longer stick anything on the windscreen but buy it online in advance or at a petrol station. There is no sticker to show; checks are made via the number plate.
- Croatia has no vignette. Here you are charged by distance: you take a ticket on entry and pay on exit in cash or by card. Frequent drivers use the electronic ENC transponder. A barrier-free digital system has been announced for March 2027 – until then the ticket system remains.
- On summer Saturdays, longer queues form at the Croatian toll stations and at the border. If you're driving with children, you may prefer to plan the last leg for the early morning hours.
Ferries and island trips
Ferries run all year from Split to the offshore islands. The crossing to Supetar on Brač takes about 50 minutes – a realistic day trip even with small children. Our advice from experience: in high summer, go as a foot passenger. Car ferries have waiting times in peak season, and without a car the trip starts more relaxed.
Beaches with a gentle entry
Dalmatia has a shingle and rocky coast, not sand dunes. But the Kaštela bay is one of the friendlier stretches: the water is shallow, sheltered and warms up early in the year. A long promenade runs along the coast, on which a pushchair rolls along without difficulty.
- Šumica scores with old trees and therefore natural shade – the most important feature of all when you travel with toddlers.
- Baletna škola is regarded as the family-friendly classic in Kaštela, with calm water and places to eat within walking distance.
- Resnik, towards the airport, offers a mix of shingle and sand and plenty of space.
- Towards Trogir, Pantan is worth a visit, with pine shade; further west are the larger beaches near Medena and on the island of Čiovo.
Water shoes are not excessive caution but standard kit – for children and adults alike. If you're travelling with a baby or toddler, you'll find more details in our guide Holiday with a baby in Croatia .
Villa with private pool or hotel? An honest comparison
We rent out villas and still have no interest in selling you something that doesn't suit your family. So here are both sides.
What speaks for your own villa
- The afternoon nap works. A darkened room in your own house, no thin hotel wall, no corridor noise. For families with children under four, this is often the deciding point.
- Your own kitchen. Porridge at half past six, pasta with no waiting, leftovers in the fridge. No buffet scrum, no fixed mealtimes, no arguing about dessert.
- Washing machine. Sounds trivial, but it isn't. You travel with far less luggage if you can do laundry twice a week.
- The evening is yours. When the children are asleep at eight, you sit on your own terrace with a glass of wine – instead of taking turns waiting it out in a dark hotel room.
- Private pool. No towel wars, no strangers' children, and you can see who is in the water at all times. In the afternoon heat it is often more valuable than the beach.
- The dog can come too. In selected properties pets are welcome – the conditions are on our page Holidays with pets .
Where a hotel is the better choice
- You need a car. Without a hire car, a villa holiday in Kaštel Stari becomes inconvenient. Shopping, excursions, a doctor's visit – everything goes by car.
- You cater for yourself. There is no breakfast buffet. If you fundamentally don't want to cook or shop on holiday, you're better off in a hotel.
- No entertainment programme, no kids' club. Older children who find friends in a hotel within an hour may get bored faster in a villa. You are the programme.
- No room service, no reception at three in the morning. We are reachable, but we're not sitting in the lobby.
Our experience after many seasons: families with children up to about ten almost always benefit from the villa. Families with teenagers looking for company should weigh it up honestly. You can find an overview of our houses under Villas with a private pool .
Day trips that really work with children
Trogir: an old town in kid size
Trogir's UNESCO old town sits on a small island, is car-free and can be crossed in a little under an hour – just the right size for short legs. A pushchair copes with the paving, if not silently; a buggy with slightly larger wheels has the edge. The Cathedral of St Lawrence with its roughly 47-metre bell tower and Kamerlengo Fortress are the two classics, although climbing the tower is not for very small children. Park on the mainland before the bridges, not on the old-town island. And go in the morning or late afternoon – at midday the heat stands between the stone walls.
Krka National Park: lovely, but needs planning
Krka National Park can be reached from Kaštela via the A1 in just over an hour and is by far the region's most popular nature trip. Two things you should know beforehand: swimming at Skradinski buk is no longer allowed – if you arrive in swimwear for the famous photo spot, you'll be disappointed. At other points in the park, such as Roški slap, cooling off is possible. And the loop trail of about two kilometres runs almost entirely along wooden walkways with many steps: pushchairs don't make sense here; a baby carrier is the better solution. In season a free boat runs from Skradin to the waterfall; the walk takes about an hour.
Water, boats and rainy days
For a pure fun afternoon, it's worth heading towards Šibenik, where Aquapark Dalmatia is located at Amadria Park – now with a covered area, which makes it interesting even if the weather turns. Please check opening times and prices with the operator on the day. Boat trips to the Blue Lagoon near Drvenik Veli are also popular: shallow, very clear water, ideal for children. In high summer, book a smaller tour instead of a large excursion ship – shorter journey times, less waiting, more shade.
Health, heat and sea urchins
Medical care in the region is good. Kaštela has health centres and pharmacies (Croatian ljekarna ), and the large KBC Split hospital with a children's department is about 20 minutes away by car. Take your European Health Insurance Card; for most German and Austrian cards it is on the back.
- Emergency numbers: 112 (general, multilingual), 194 ambulance, 192 police, 193 fire brigade. Breakdown assistance from the Croatian motoring club HAK: 1987.
- Sea urchins sit on rocky stretches and are the most common holiday nuisance. Water shoes prevent almost all incidents. If it does happen: remove the spines with tweezers, soak the area for 30 to 60 minutes in warm water (about 40 degrees), disinfect – and see a doctor if bits are lodged deep or there are signs of inflammation.
- Heat: in July and August there is little to gain between 12 and 4 pm. Beach in the morning, pool and shade in the afternoon, a stroll through town in the evening – this rhythm saves the mood of the whole family. A hat, a water bottle and a sun sail over the lounging area are more important than any additional destination.
How best to plan
Book early if you're travelling in peak season with several families – larger houses with a private pool are often taken for July and August as early as winter. Tell us in advance how old your children are: a travel cot, high chair, pool fence or a particular bedroom can usually be arranged if we know in good time. Because you book directly with the owner, you talk to us and not to a call centre. We're happy to answer questions via our contact page – in German, and usually on the same day.
