Language

Zagreb is big multi-ethnic centre where people from all over the world meet and communicate every day, so most citizens have at least basic knowledge of English and normal communication shouldn’t be a problem at all. Official language is Croatian, and basic understanding of Italian and German is also pretty common.

Currency

The official currency used in Croatia is the Kuna (KN or HRK). One Kuna is divided into 100 Lipas.
1 EUR (€) ≅ 7,5 kuna
1 USD ($) ≅ 5,5 kuna
1 GBP (£) ≅ 8,6 kuna
(These values are subject to change due to currency fluctuation)

Time Zone

Croatia uses Central European Time. (GMT +1 hour)

Electric Current

European plugs are used with 2 pins with 220 volts AC at 50 cycles. Croatia uses the standard European (round-pronged) plugs. This is the plug used in most other European countries. Visitors from outside Europe will need the appropriate adapters to use their electrical appliances in Zagreb. You will need a voltage converter in order to use US devices and appliances.

Climate

Zagreb is a continental city with significant difference between summer and winter temperatures. Summers are hot, moist and humid, and winters are cold, snowy and foggy. The average temperature in May is very mild at 16.1°C (60.98°F) and the weather is dryish with intermittent rain. The website of the Croatian Meteorological Service is: http://meteo.hr/index_en.php

Public Transportation

Zagreb’s public transportation system is called ZET, short for Zagrebački Električni Tramvaj. It is made up primarily of buses and trams that zig zag throughout the city and extend beyond to neighboring cities including Velika Gorica where the airport is located. The system is extensive with 19 tram lines and 117 buses. Plus Zagreb is a very walkable city, so one could easily live or visit without a car.
Trams and buses run 24 hours a day, although not all lines run all the time.

Trams:
Trams are undeniably the best way to get around Zagreb – a (reduced) service even runs at night. There are 15 routes in Zagreb, and many stop either at Trg bana Jelacica (the main square) or at the main train station. Full details of the tram system can be found at the Zagreb Tram website. Get all the tram timetables here. View the day Tram Map here, and the night Tram Map here.

Almost all visitors are puzzled as to how to obtain tickets for trams as they are not sold on-board. Walk to the first newspaper kiosk and ask for a “tramvajska karta” (tram ticket) which are sold singly or in packs of ten. Once you board the tram, you must remember to validate your card in the machines.

BUS:
There is also an extensive bus service in the city, with a few routes also operating at night. For daily buses, get the timetables here. For nightly buses, get the timetables here.

Zagreb’s public transport system includes two tourist bus routes that operate a hop-on/hop-off service. The red route operates in the heart of the city, whilst the green route operates on a much longer route, taking in places such as Maksimir and Lake Bundek. Both routes operate several times a day, although these (open-air) buses only run from May to October. Tickets cost 70 Kunas (approximately £8/€9/$12) for adults or 35 Kunas (£4/€4.50/$6) for children 7 and over for a full day; tickets can be purchased from the driver.

There is also a “Tourist Train” that runs on a small route in the centre of the city, starting and ending on Ban Jelacic Square. It runs every day at half past the hour from 9.30am to 7.30pm; tickets cost 10 Kunas for adults and 5 Kuna for children.

Funicular Railway:
This isn’t really a way of ‘getting around’ Zagreb as it only runs on a 66m track from the Lower Town to the Upper Town. However, we’ve included it here firstly as a reminder to visit it, and secondly because the funicular railway is in fact the oldest Zagreb public transport component. Visit it for a ride (by Ilica in the Lower Town, or near the Lotrscak Tower in the Upper Town). It runs every 10 minutes from 6.30am to midnight daily and the price is only 4 Kuna.

Taxi:
Taxi in Zagreb is not expensive. You can find taxi everywhere, especially in the central part of Zagreb. The cost of taxi in Zagreb: city services of taxi in Zagreb are taking 6 kn for every km, or about 0,6 euro. One hour of waiting of taxi in Zagreb costs around 40 kn. There are no additional payments for luggage. On the web of Zagreb’s taxi “Radio Taxi” you can download the free app for Android and iPhone, which will help you to order a taxi faster.

Exchange

Inform yourself about commissions before exchanging money, this could save you some money. Besides exchange offices, you can also exchange money in banks and post offices, as well as in hotels, tourist agencies and sometimes even on the Kiosks, but try to avoid them because they usually charge large commission.

Croatia is now member of European Union but Euro is still not official currency, so take care before buying something and check with the staff if  they accept Euro or only Kuna. Credit card payment is available almost everywhere. Major credit cards are widely accepted.

Health Requirements

In fact there are no special health requirements, with the exception of vaccination certificates for persons coming from areas where yellow fever is endemic.

Medical Care

Clinics and hospitals provide round the clock emergency service. The national emergency phone number is 112.

Smoking

Unless there is note that says the opposite, smoking is strictly prohibited in public transport, public facilities, restaurants and cafe bars, and bigger green surfaces such as Maksimir Park and children playgrounds. Some objects have special departments for smokers.

Tipping

It is not a custom to leave tips in stores and similar facilities, but in restaurants, nightclubs and cafe bars a 10% tip is kind of an unwritten rule. You are not obliged to do so, but if you are satisfied with the service and ambient waiters will be very grateful. Tip is sometimes included in price, but at the most times it is not, so it is quite common to give for example ten kuna if coffee costs eight or nine, or similar.

Working Hours

Most of the fashion stores and similar ones open at 8am and close at 20pm, except Sundays when they are closed, apart from shopping malls that usually work from 8am to 22pm every day except Christmas and New Year’s day. Cafe bars and restaurants are usually open from 7am to midnight, except nightclubs that usually work all night.
Night out usually starts around 11pm/midnight so it is common to see a groups of young people at the streets during those hours.

Security

One of the appeals of visiting Zagreb is how safe the city generally is. Violent crime is very rare. Most common crimes are theft, pickpocketing and another financial-motivated offense.

Important Phone Numbers:
Police, Emergency services, Fire-fighters: 112
Police Department: +385 (0)14563 111
Customs: +385 (0)1 6211 300
Zagreb Airport (Pleso): +385 (0)1 4562 222 – central; 060 320 320 – information
Main Bus Station: +385 (0)1 6157 987 – central; 060 313 333 – information
Main Train Terminal: 060 333 444; +385 (0)1 3782 583 – calls outside Croatia
Public transport (ZET): 060 100 001; 0800 200 060; +385 (0)1 365-14-20 – public relations
Zagreb Tourist Board: +385 (0)1 481 4051, +385 (0)1 481 4052

Zagreb Tourism

For further information about the city of Zagreb, please visit the website of the Zagreb Tourist Board.