Herald by UNESCO as a world heritage site and providing refuge to Croatia’s most renowned national park, the Plitvice Lakes make up a coveted destination that you simply must visit if you set foot on the Dalmatian coast. They are a true marvel of mother nature at her pinnacle with the water bodies forming an assortment of beautiful waterfalls snaking their way across endearing vegetation before cascading into delightful waterfalls. If you’d like to experience this and many more other treasures that the enchanting area has to offer, here is a brief breakdown of how to travel from Split to Plitvice Lakes.
1) Renting a car
There are two possible routes of travel by road, the first being a foray via the A1 and E71 motorways and the other being a longer journey traversing Knin D1. You can make the trip through either route by leasing a car in Split and taking on the open road yourself. The entire journey will take about 2 or 3 hours and the fun part about renting a car is that it affords you greater freedom to explore as you please. Oh and, on that note, don’t forget to water your taste buds with a delightful delicacy of janjetina along the way.
2) Travelling via bus
Leasing a car can be quite costly so if you are not big on spending too much cash or don’t have a lot of it to spend in the first place, then taking a bus isn’t a bad option as it avails the cheapest means of transport. For buses traversing the daily route between Split and Plitvice Lakes, you’ll need to go to the town’s main bus station located off the shoulder of the train station in Split harbor. You can book your ticket in advance via the station’s website to avoid inconveniences and, in the same spirit, it’s also important to note that making the journey to and from in a day is highly unlikely so you might need to spend a little extra on accommodation.
3) Taking the train
There is no direct train that makes the trip but you could still travel by rail by connecting across different destinations. The train in Split will take you to Gospic which is just a stone’s throw away from Plitvice Lakes and 3.5 hours from Split and, alternatively, you could opt for a second option that detours at Knin from where you can bridge the distance with another train. This option of travel is quite cumbersome and is ideal for the experienced traveler who knows his way around the region.
4) Travelling by means of a private transfer
Taking a private transfer is the next best thing to air travel and what’s even better is that it provides a complete package taking care of transport and accommodation needs as well. It is quite pricey in comparison to the aforementioned alternatives but it is well worth even penny and much more.
5) Taking a day tour
Don’t own a car and can’t afford to lease one? No problem! For an individual price of €80, you can take a day tour which comes with features such as transportation, an exclusive tour guide and a couple of other perks.
That basically sums up the various travel options of the journey between Split and Plitvice Lakes.