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Euro and Schengen since the same morning, timed tickets at Plitvice, and ferries you book ahead
Croatia changed twice on the same day: on 1 January 2023 it adopted the euro and joined the Schengen area at once, so the currency swap and the border queues both disappeared in one go. What still needs planning is the busy stuff, from the timed tickets at Plitvice Lakes to the summer ferries out to the islands. This guide covers that double change, the national park booking, the ferries, the tax in every price, and what data is for on a Croatian trip.
Plitvice Lakes runs on timed tickets, bought ahead
Plitvice Lakes National Park sells dated, time-slotted tickets through its own official webshop, choosing an entrance and an arrival window, and entry is capped to protect the lakes. In peak season the slots sell out in advance, so buying from the park's official site before you travel is far safer than arriving at the gate and hoping.2
The visit is a set route, not a free wander
The park is toured on marked routes that string together the lake boardwalks with the electric boats across Kozjak and the panoramic road train, and your entrance (1 or 2) sets which routes are practical from where you start. The official site lists the routes by length and time, which is worth reading before you pick a slot so you are not rushing a four-hour circuit into two.2
Our take: take the first entry slot of the day and walk the lower lakes before the coaches arrive. The boardwalks are single-file in places, and by late morning in July the pace is set by the crowd, not by you.
The islands run on Jadrolinija ferries
Jadrolinija is the national ferry operator linking the mainland to the Adriatic islands, running slower car ferries alongside faster foot-passenger catamarans. Car-ferry space is limited in summer and the popular catamaran sailings sell out, so book ahead rather than counting on a same-day space. Timetables are seasonal and thin out sharply outside summer, so check the current schedule for your dates rather than assuming a sailing that ran last August still runs in October.4
Our take: if you are island-hopping, take catamarans and leave the car on the mainland. A vehicle you have to queue for and pay to shuttle across is more burden than freedom once you are on a small island.
The currency is the euro
Croatia adopted the euro on 1 January 2023, becoming the 20th member of the euro area, so the former kuna is gone and prices are in euros. A euro-zone traveller no longer changes money to visit.1
VAT is 25% and already in the price
Croatia's standard VAT rate is 25%, one of the highest in the EU, with reduced rates of 13% and 5% on things like some foods, books and utilities. It is included in displayed prices, so the figure on the menu or the shelf is what you pay.3
Croatia is in Schengen
Croatia joined the Schengen area on 1 January 2023, when checks at its internal land and sea borders with other Schengen countries were lifted; internal air-border checks followed on 26 March 2023. Arriving overland from a neighbouring Schengen country now means no passport queue.1
EES applies, ETIAS does not yet
As a Schengen state, Croatia registers non-EU arrivals biometrically under the Entry/Exit System that started on 10 April 2026, replacing the passport stamp. ETIAS, the separate travel authorisation, is not being collected yet; the EU will announce its start date in advance.5,6
Buy Plitvice tickets from the park, not a reseller
The official channel for Plitvice Lakes tickets is the national park's own website; third-party sites repackage entry at a markup and cannot guarantee your time slot. Booking direct is both cheaper and the way to be sure the reservation is genuine.2
112 reaches emergency services
The pan-European emergency number 112 works from any phone in Croatia and connects you to police, ambulance and fire, free and even without credit on the line.7
Croatia is an EU country, so an EU SIM roams here under Roam Like At Home at no extra cost, and coverage is good along the coast and in the cities where most trips concentrate. The reason you will still want reliable data is logistics: Plitvice tickets are time-slotted and held on your phone, ferry schedules and any last-minute changes live in the Jadrolinija timetable, and an island day can hinge on catching the right catamaran back. Because the country switched to the euro in 2023, there is no currency app to fuss over, but maps and transport apps do the heavy lifting. Coverage thins on the smaller islands, on the open-water ferry crossings, and in the karst interior around the national parks, so download your tickets, your ferry times and an offline map before you set out rather than relying on signal at the quay or the park entrance, where a queue is the worst place to discover you have no bars.
The euro. Croatia adopted it on 1 January 2023, so the old kuna is no longer in use and everything is priced in euros. If you are coming from another euro-zone country, there is no money to change.1
In peak season, yes. The national park sells dated, time-slotted tickets through its official webshop and caps how many people enter, so summer slots sell out ahead of time. Book from the park's own site rather than a reseller, and pick an early arrival window to beat the coach groups.2
Yes on both. Croatia joined the Schengen area on 1 January 2023, so internal land and sea borders with other Schengen countries have no checks. Since 10 April 2026 it registers non-EU arrivals under the Entry/Exit System. ETIAS is separate and not yet running.1,5
Yes. Croatia is in the EU, so an EU plan roams here under Roam Like At Home with no surcharge, and coast and city coverage is reliable enough for maps, ferry timetables and your Plitvice reservation. A non-EU visitor whose home plan charges to roam is the case where a local eSIM keeps data at a predictable price instead of an unknown daily or per-megabyte rate.
Every price, date and rule above is taken from the operator, museum, city or ministry that sets it, and was checked against that source on September 5, 2026. Lines marked "Our take" are our own recommendation, not a sourced fact. Fares, fees and opening hours change — confirm anything your trip depends on before you book.