Guidebook Updates for ‘Rick Steves Croatia & Slovenia’

• Statehood Day, a public holiday across Croatia, is celebrated annually on May 30 (not June 25). June 25 is now Croatia's Independence Day (not October 8), but is no longer a public holiday, so travelers can expect businesses and sights to remain open as usual.
• Shops across Croatia are now closed on most Sundays throughout the year, following a law passed in 2023.

For books printed before August 2023, the following may also apply:

• As of January 2023, Croatia uses the euro and belongs to the Schengen open-borders zone.
• TP Line is another ferry company (in addition to Krilo and Jadrolinija) that runs catamarans between Split, Dubrovnik, Hvar, Korčula, and other nearby islands. Given the many options, we recommend Get By Ferry as a go-to resource for info on Dalmatian Coast ferries. 

For books printed before June 2020, the following may also apply:

• Eurail Select Passes are no longer being sold (but similarly priced Global Passes still are) — see our 2019 rail-travel update.

For books printed before August 2023, the following may apply:

• The Pelješac Bridge has finally opened, making it possible to avoid the little stretch of Bosnian coastline when driving between Dubrovnik and Split.
• The interior of the Dominican monastery church may still be closed for renovation during your visit.

For books printed before June 2020, the following may also apply:

• Vina Matković, one of the four Potomje wineries, has moved.
• Karmen Apartments is now Van Bloemen Apartments.
• Dubrovnik's city walls now cost 200 kn to enter. While it's now possible to make reservations, you'll still have to contend with crowds and heat on top of the wall, so visiting early or late remains the best plan.
• The shuttle bus from the airport no longer stops at the Pile Gate in the Old Town. If you're staying near the gate, ride the airport shuttle to the bus station, then take a public bus (or taxi) to Pile Gate.

• The Rovinj Heritage Museum is closed indefinitely for extensive renovation.

For books printed before August 2023, the following may also apply:

• The Opatija tourist information office has moved down the street to Maršala Tita 146.
• As Autotrans no longer has an office in Opatija, intercity bus tickets must be purchased online. (Tickets for local buses to Rijeka can be purchased in a tobacco shop or on board.)

• The Kanin cable car near Bovec is being rebuilt and will likely not reopen until at least 2026.
• The Hiša Sonca accommodation in Kobarid has closed.

For books printed before June 2020, the following may apply:

• The Planica ski jump's hours are now daily July–Sept 9:00–18:00, March–June and Oct until 17:00, winter until 16:00.
• Hiša Franko restaurant outside Kobarid is now closed Mon–Tue year-round but is no longer closed Jan–March.
• Kotlar Restaurant in Kobarid is now open daily 12:00–23:00.
• Hiša Polonka restaurant in Kobarid is now closed Tue–Wed (open Thu–Mon 12:00–23:00).
• The Kobarid Museum is now open until 20:00 July–Aug.
• Martinov Hram hotel in Bovec has a new email address: [email protected].
• Bovec's tourist information office has a new phone number:  +386 5 302 9647.
• The public bus that follows our driving-tour route over the Vršič Pass from Ljubljana now runs daily July–Aug only at 15:00. Another bus now runs over the Predel Pass via Italy Mon–Sat at 7:30. Bus schedules and info are also available at Get By Bus.

For books printed before August 2023, the following may apply:

• The Škocjan Caves no longer require you to choose between two ticket prices and levels of hike difficulty — now all visitors simply join a tour, after which you have the option of extending it at no extra cost. Also, it's now especially wise to ahead for a summer visit to the caves.

• The Marco Polo House has reopened as an interpretive center (on the same site at Ulica Depolo).

For books printed before August 2023, the following may apply:

• Reservations are now recommended at Vintgar Gorge, as same-day tickets often sell out. Visitors must now follow one of several one-way loops through the gorge.
• Recommended guides Tina Hiti and Sašo Golub are now best reached via email at [email protected] and [email protected].
• There's no longer a hop-on, hop-off bus connecting Lake Bled to outlying towns.

For books printed before June 2020, the following may also apply:

• Tito's Vila Bled has reopened but the Socialist Realist wall murals are not open to the public.
• Penzion Bledec has closed.

• Prebooking a slot for tours of the Jože Plečnik House is now available online; it's no longer possible to book via email (booking over the phone is still ok in a pinch).
• The Kavalirs shuttle is now only for people with limited mobility, and you must call to reserve a ride.
• Cubo Hotel has a new website and email: www.cubogroup.si, [email protected].

For books printed before August 2023, the following may also apply:

• The tourist information office on the main market square has closed.

For books printed before June 2020, the following may also apply:

• B&B Petra Varl has a new phone number: +386 31 851 842.

For books printed before August 2023, the following may apply:

• The Black Dog Pub has closed.
• The Museum of War and Genocide Victims 1992–1995 has moved to Maršala Tita 130 (across the street from the New Muslim Cemetery, +387 60 333 357).

• Plitvice Mirić Inn has a new phone number: +385 98 976 5846.

For books printed before August 2023, the following may also apply:

• Prijevoz Knežević express buses are now operated in conjunction with Flixbus and may be labeled according to either brand. They stop at three spots in the park area: near Entrance 1, Entrance 2, and in the town of Mukinje.

For books printed before August 2023, the following may apply:

• Ptuj's tourist information office has moved to Mestni Trg 4.

• A new tourist information office has opened along the main drag through the heart of the old center at Sarači 8 (daily 9:00–17:00, +387 33 213 222).
• Tram #1 is not running due to renovations.
• The Historical Museum Bosnia-Herzegovina is no longer open until 21:00 in summer. Opening hours are 9:00–19:00 daily.
• Restaurant Aščinica "H.E.M" has closed.

For books printed before August 2023, the following may also apply:

• The tourist information office in the Ottoman quarter has closed. The remaining official office currently operating is a small kiosk in front of the airport. Alternatively, try the Insider Tours office at Zelenih Beretki 30, where staff can answer many visitor questions (+387 33 534 353, mobile +387 61 190 591).
• The Travel Plus tour operator has closed.

For books printed before August 2023, the following may apply:

• As of early 2024, the City Museum's permanent exhibit remains closed for renovations, likely not reopening until 2026 at the earliest.
• Swimming is no longer allowed in the waterfalls at Krka National Park.

• Samobor Museum is closed for renovations, likely through 2026.
• Several recommended restaurants have closed: ManO, Laria & Penati, and Green Point.

For books printed before August 2023, the following may also apply:

• The Ivan Meštrović Atelier is closed for renovations, likely through 2026 or possibly 2027.
• Contrary to a note previously posted here, the Museum of Naïve Art remains open; its plans to relocate have been postponed to 2026 or later.
• As of early 2024, the cathedral remains closed for restoration and stabilization (after being damaged in the 2020 Petrinja earthquake).
• The Arts and Crafts Museum and Mimara Museum are also closed for earthquake-related restoration projects.