Book a villa in Croatia early: secure your week, 50% deposit, balance 60 days before, free cancellation up to 60 days before. Cheaper when you book direct.
If you're an early booker looking for a villa in Croatia, you usually want two things: to lock in the week you want, and not to transfer the full amount six months in advance. That's what this page is about – honestly, with no made-up discount percentages. We rent out three private pool villas in Kaštel Stari, between Split and Trogir, and explain why booking early with us mainly gets you one thing: choice.
Why booking early matters more for villas than for hotels
A hotel has a hundred rooms; we have three houses. Each villa exists exactly once per week. And in summer we usually rent from Saturday to Saturday – which means high season has only a handful of weeks, and each one is gone after the first booking.
On top of that, the most sought-after weeks are tied to the school holidays. If you're travelling with children in July or August, you have less room for manoeuvre than a couple who can also go in June or September.
Two houses side by side – Alive and Light are right next to each other, together up to 20 guests. Getting both free in the same week works out far more often with plenty of notice
Flights and hire cars at prices that don't yet look like high season
Unhurried planning – room allocation, baby equipment, a dog: sort it all out calmly rather than two weeks beforehand
What about an early-booking discount?
To be honest: we don't promise a fixed early-booking percentage on this page. Our price advantages lie elsewhere and apply whenever you book:
At least 5% cheaper direct than on any platform (best price guarantee). If you find the same villa cheaper elsewhere, let us know – we'll match it and usually beat it by at least 5%.
Discounts for longer stays are already automatically included in the price. Details under Long Stays & Discounts.
A final price with no surprises: final cleaning, tourist tax, pool and hot tub heating in season, electricity, water, linen, Wi-Fi and parking are all included. Only a dog costs €79 per stay – shown in the final price before you book.
Early bookers tie up money a long way in advance – that's a fair objection. That's why our payment is split in two:
When
What happens
On booking
50% of the final price
60 days before arrival
the remaining 50% is taken automatically
Shortly before departure
€500 security deposit pre-authorised on your payment card (not charged), released automatically a few days after departure
Payment is made securely via Stripe by card (incl. Amex), Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, Klarna, SEPA direct debit or bank transfer – which methods are available depends on the amount and country (PayPal only up to a maximum amount) and is shown in the payment step. Important for last-minute bookers: if you book within 60 days of arrival, you pay the full amount straight away.
Free cancellation up to 60 days before arrival
This is the real early-booking advantage: you can cancel free of charge up to 60 days before arrival and get the full amount back. So if you book in autumn for next summer, you have months of certainty without being committed for good. After that, no refund is possible – but if special circumstances arise, do still talk to us and we'll look for a solution together.
The best weeks – and when you can be flexible
July and August: classic swimming season, Saturday to Saturday, booked up fastest. This is where booking early pays off most.
June and September: for many, the best weeks – warm sea in September, green landscapes in June, fewer crowds. Our seasonal guide points out that autumn in particular can book up quickly.
April, May and October: the large saltwater pool is heated from the end of March to October at no extra charge – which turns the shoulder season into swimming season too. More in our guide Heated Pool in the Shoulder Season.
From around 14 nights, we're much more flexible about arrival and departure days.
November to April we rent by the month (minimum stay one month). Then only the hot tub is heated; we heat the large pool on request for the cost of the electricity.
Incidentally, shifting your trip by a single day is often enough to make a week work – try a few different dates.
4.5Trustpilot(15)TrustScore 4.5 out of 5 on TrustpilotTrustpilot is an independent review platform. Guests review us there publicly – we can neither delete nor change reviews.See all 15 reviews on Trustpilot
Reviews updated daily – only guests who completed a stay can leave a review. We never delete or edit reviews.
SStefanOctober 2026 · Just be HappyAirbnb
Ein wunderschönes, sehr gepflegtes und super sauberes Haus mit einem tollen Pool/Whirlpool! Wir haben uns rundum wohlgefühlt und unseren Aufenthalt sehr genossen. Alles war tipptopp und hat keine Wünsche offengelassen. Bei Fragen haben wir immer eine schnelle Rückmeldung erhalten. Wir können die Unterkunft absolut weiterempfehlen und würden jederzeit wiederkommen! ☀️🏡
RRobbieOctober 2026 · Just be HappyBooking.com
Lovely villa just needs to be moved
Positive: The villa is beautiful with excellent facilities. Also, any issues were handled quickly eg. Notified two broken sun loungers - two new ones arrived the following day.
Negative: Location is 15-20 minutes walk away from anything and the walk back is mostly in the dark. However, Ubers reasonable and very efficient and local transport also very cheap.
MMarkusSeptember 2026 · Just be HappyAirbnb
Check-in was very easy and extremely flexible, as there is a key box on site and the access code is sent to you directly. This means you are completely independent in terms of your arrival time.
The house was very, very clean and well kept when we arrived. The pool was also exceptionally clean and made a very good impression overall. We felt at home right away and can definitely recommend the accommodation.
Translated · original in German ·
MMariaSeptember 2026 · Just be HappyAirbnb
An incredibly lovely house that truly lived up to expectations! We had a wonderful stay, plenty of space, and it felt luxurious with a private bathroom for every room. Beautiful pool and nice outdoor area. Always a friendly and quick response when contacting the host. However, we had hoped that someone would meet us when we arrived, but unfortunately no one showed up.
In addition, we were told that a pool attendant would come during the week, but none came. It would have been good if the pool had been cleaned at some point during the stay. One of the sun loungers was broken when we arrived; we informed the host immediately and got a quick reply.
This doesn't lower the rating significantly, though, since we had such a wonderful stay – we didn't want to leave! The whole group thanks you for a really lovely week! ☀️
Translated · original in Swedish ·
BBrentSeptember 2026 · Just be HappyAirbnb
Had a great stay, friendly host, responds quickly, a few small defects but fixed right away, the beach is within walking distance, only a pity that there aren't that many restaurants nearby, otherwise everything top
Translated · original in Dutch ·
FFlorenceAugust 2026 · Just be LightAirbnb
Beautiful house. But lots of flaws in the finishing (shutters that don't work, a technician had to be called to repair the air conditioning in one bedroom, we had to ask for kitchen utensils as well as towels and pool mattresses, the toiletries and basic essentials such as oil described in the listing were non-existent…). The railing of one balcony had given way, so it was inaccessible. The code for the front door lock didn't work. We had to make do with one key even though there were nine of us in the house. Be warned, the quiet surroundings described don't exist, as the house is under a landing flight path. The sea view doesn't exist either; instead there's a view of a construction site of terraced houses right up against the pool. When we arrived, several bags of rubbish were strewn around the garden. In short, very disappointed.
Translated · original in French ·
VVeronicaAugust 2026 · Just be HappyAirbnb
The house was nicely furnished and well equipped with what we needed. The location was also very nice, with a short distance to the airport and a convenient position between Trogir and Split. Also a short distance to the beach, restaurants and the grocery store. There was some construction work going on on one side of the house, so there was a bit of noise from there, but otherwise we had a very nice stay. We'd be happy to come back 😊
Translated · original in Norwegian ·
BBenAugust 2026 · Just be HappyAirbnb
Very good communication with the host. Responded kindly and quickly. Good service.
The house looked beautiful. Everything was neat and well organised
Translated · original in Dutch ·
MMetinJuly 2026 · Just be AliveAirbnb
We were warmly welcomed by Julian and given a tour. The house was super beautiful and clean and spacious enough for 10 people. The house is even more beautiful in reality than in the photos. We had a wonderful time here and would like to thank Julian for the super friendly service and hospitality. We would recommend this house 100%.
Translated · original in Dutch ·
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should I book for July or August?
There's no fixed figure. Since each villa can only be let once per summer week, the rule is: as soon as your holiday dates are set, it's worth checking the calendar. With free cancellation up to 60 days before, you're taking very little risk.
When is the second half paid?
Automatically, 60 days before arrival, using the payment method you booked with. You don't need to do anything else.
Do the cancellation terms also apply to early bookings?
Yes, whenever you book: free up to 60 days before arrival, no refund after that.
Will the price get cheaper later?
We can't promise that. The only certainty is that booking directly with us, you pay at least 5% less than on the platforms, and long-stay discounts are automatically included.
