Croatia has used the euro since 1 January 2023. The kuna is gone, and if you find kuna prices in an older guidebook, you can ignore them. What hasn't changed is that a few things work differently here than at home. This is what we usually send our guests before they arrive.
Cards work almost everywhere
Visa and Mastercard are accepted in supermarkets, petrol stations, most restaurants and shops, contactless and with Apple Pay or Google Pay. American Express is accepted less often, so bring a Visa or Mastercard as your second card.
What you need cash for
A small amount of cash is still useful:
- the fruit and veg market (Pazar) and the fish market in Split
- small konobas and beach bars
- sunbeds and parasols on the beach
- parking meters, if you're not paying by text or app
- tips
For a week, a few notes are enough for most families; the rest goes on the card.
Cash machines: they're not all the same
In tourist areas there are lots of machines run by independent operators. They often charge high fees. Machines at a bank branch are the better choice.
If your card is in a currency other than euros, say from the UK, Switzerland, Poland, the Czech Republic or Scandinavia, the machine or the till will often ask whether to charge in euros or in your home currency. Our answer is always: in euros. The conversion on offer is almost always the worse rate.
Tipping
Tipping isn't compulsory, but it's normal. In restaurants, around ten per cent is usual for good service. In cafés, people round up. The same goes for taxis; with Uber you do it in the app. A service charge on the bill is rare. If there is one, that covers the tip.
Small things worth knowing
- Deposit: drinks bottles and cans carry a ten-cent deposit, refunded at the machine in the supermarket.
- Tourist tax: charged per person per night. With us, it's included in the price.
- Tax free: if you live outside the EU, you can reclaim VAT on larger purchases. Ask the shop for the form.
- Sundays: many shops only open on selected Sundays. More in our insider tips.
Paying us
When you book direct on this website, you pay by credit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. The price is the final price: final cleaning, electricity, pool heating and tourist tax are included. The €500 security deposit is only pre-authorised shortly before departure and released afterwards.
What a villa holiday here costs overall, from flights to dinner, is written up in detail in What a villa holiday in Croatia really costs. And why booking direct pays off is in Book direct instead of Airbnb or Booking.
