Dubrovnik Croatia
The first stop of our Croatia road trip was Dubrovnik Croatia. We took a flight from Munich at around 2:30pm. We arrived at Dubrovnik airport slightly before 4pm. The flight from Munich to Dubrovnik Croatia is about 1 hour and 25 minutes via Lufthansa airlines. Our encounters in Dubrovnik Croatia began after we stepped out from the plane.
First incidence at Dubrovnik Airport
After passing immigration, we headed to the baggage claim counter to collect our luggage. To our horror, our luggage came out wet and my sister’s luggage had a small tear. We were unhappy with the airlines in handling our belongings. We could file a complaint to the airlines because we bought travel insurance. Ultimately, we decided not to because it would be too time consuming. We found out later that another passenger had her luggage completely destroyed. She had to use a rope to tie her luggage together to avoid her belongings from falling out.
Second incidence at Dubrovnik airport
With this unhappy incidence behind us, we headed to the money changer to change some Kuna. The man at the counter told us to get Kuna from the ATM for better rates . His suggestions stunt us. Thinking that the man did not want our business, we wondered around the small airport looking for another money changer. With Kuna in our hands, w went to the airport bus counter to get tickets.
It is better to get Kuna although Euro is acceptable in Croatia. Local transportation, supermarkets and small restaurants in Croatia still prefer Kuna over Euro. We read in the internet that the best place to change Kuna is at the local banks. The rate at the airport was 1 Euro to 7 Kuna. Not too bad actually.
Dubrovnik airport to Dubrovnik Old Town
We took the airport bus operated by Atlas to the city centre. The bus cost 40 Kuna one way and return is 70 Kuna. You can see the Atlas agency counter on the right-hand side after exiting the baggage claim area. It is possible to buy the bus ticket from the bus driver should your flight arrives late. Do have small notes in hand because the driver do not accept big notes. The bus journey takes about 30 to 40 minutes to the town centre. Do keep your eyes open as the scenery is breathtaking upon reaching the old town in Dubrovnik Croatia.
Gruz Port
The bus then took us to Gruz port after Pile gate. This is the place where we had to change to a local bus, bus number 3, to get to the accommodation we were staying for the next three days in Dubrovnik Croatia. We then went to the bus ticket counter to purchase our bus tickets.
While queuing for our tickets, a local taxi driver came up to us. He offered to drive us to our accommodations for 100 Kuna. He said it would be much comfortable than taking the bus. Moreover, we needed only to pay an extra 25 Kuna for the 5 of us because the bus cost 15 Kuna per person. His offer tempted us because flying more than 16 hours has made us very tired.
As we thought about the offer, an American couple in front of the queue, told us about the 24 hours daily bus ticket. The 24 hour ticket cost 30 Kuna per person and there is no restriction in the number of trips from the first stamping. We took their advice and purchase the 24 hours daily bus ticket. The taxi driver went off with disappointment. Well, that is life! We were really grateful for the American couple for telling us about the 24 hour ticket.
Gruz Port to our accommodation in Dubrovnik Croatia
Bus number 3 came while we were still queuing for the ticket. It did not wait for us and left. We had to wait another 30 minutes for the next bus. Time passed but the bus did not come despite waiting for more than 30 minutes. We started to wonder why? At that moment, my husband noticed a small bus stop just right outside the terminal. He saw bus number 3 stopped at that bus stop. We thus started to argue among ourselves whether to wait outside or inside the bus terminal. While arguing, bus number 3 appeared before us. It was a right decision for us to stay put in the bus terminal.
Accommodation in Dubrovnik Croatia
The accommodation in Dubrovnik Croatia is located near to the UNESCO-protected Old Town. We booked the accommodation here. Apartment Iva, located at Od Nuncijate 9, 20000 Dubrovnik, has a high recommendation rating. The apartment has 2 bedrooms, a spacious kitchen, 2 bathrooms and a living room with a great sea view. The landlady, who speaks little English, gave us beer, lemonade, bread with Italian ham and cheese and a homemade cake. We were really glad to receive all these food as we were really hungry.
By the time we settled down, it was already 9pm in Dubrovnik Croatia. We were dog-tired after long hours of flying and decided to hit the sack. The first 24 hours in Dubrovnik Croatia ended with all us in dream land.
