Our comprehensive guide to the most reliable operators and the best places to stay in Croatia, from small family-run affairs to city hotels and villas.
Croatia 2008 holiday planning guide
The best operators for activity and special interest tours
In pictures: Best of Croatia
Dubrovnik riviera
Hotel holidays
The main tour operators tend to concentrate on the Istrian peninsula and the Dubrovnik riviera.
Croatia has few sandy beaches, so most hotels have created beaches on concrete jetties, using imported sand, and built swimming platforms out over the rocky foreshore.
A good guide to inspected smaller hotels and b&bs is Alastair Sawday’s Special Places to Stay: Croatia (http://www.sawdays.co.uk/).
Our selection
Bond Tours (01372 745300, http://www.bondtours.com/) Tailor-made holidays all over Croatia, including the national parks. Good choice of upmarket and characterful accommodation on the rivieras and 10 islands.
Holiday Options (0844 477 0452, http://www.holidayoptions.co.uk/) The biggest operator to Croatia with a wide selection of hotels countrywide, from small family-run affairs to five-star resort hotels.
Has the best range of flights from regional airports and can arrange two-centre holidays. Also features island-hopping itineraries, apartment rentals in Dubrovnik, Cavtat and Hvar, and coach tours.
Other options
Balkan Holidays (0845 130 1114, http://www.balkanholidays.co.uk/) Keenly priced packages to three- five-star hotels on the coast and islands of Korcula, Bol and Hvar. Good-value Dalmatian cruise on 300-passenger ship from Venice, coach tours and tailor-made short breaks.
Cosmos (0871 423 8560, http://www.cosmos.co.uk/) Features hotels in the Dubrovnik riviera and Istria with flights from Gatwick and Manchester. There are flexi-stays (minimum three nights) for short breaks or a multi-centre holiday. The company’s online accommodation booking service, www.somewhere2stay.com, has further options.
Croatia Choice (02380 254287, http://www.croatiachoice.com/) Small boutique hotels in all coastal areas plus villas and apartments.
Croatia for Travellers (020 7226 4460, http://www.croatiafortravellers.co.uk/) Island-hopping fly-drives a speciality.
Croatian Affair (020 7385 7111, http://www.croatianaffair.com/) A new programme of boutique hotels, both coast and country, with flexible stays to create a touring itinerary.
Hidden Croatia (0800 021 7771, http://www.hiddencroatia.com/) Three- to five-star resort hotels in Istria, the Makarska and Dubrovnik rivieras plus the main islands.
Indus Tours (020 8901 7320, http://www.industours.co.uk/) Mid-market hotels in Istria and around Dubrovnik.
Med Hotels (0871 472 5256, http://www.medhotels.com/) Large resort hotels in Istria.
Thomas Cook (08450 772288, http://www.thomascook.com/) Focuses on Istria and the Makarska riviera including Bol on the island of Brac, which has a lovely beach of small white pebbles.
Thomson (0871 231 4725, http://www.thomson.co.uk/) The company’s Italy and Croatia brochure has a good choice of family-focused resort hotels in Istria and the Dubrovnik riviera, including the new five-star Rixos Libertas hotel and spa.
The Dubrovnik Palace is a top-selling Platinum property; packages include 25kg free luggage and priority check-in at British airports.
Thomson’s subsidiary Portland (0870 241 3172, http://www.portland-holidays.co.uk/) also features Croatia.
Travel One (0207 392 8988, http://www.travelone.co.uk/) Hotel-based singles holidays in Istria.
Villa holidays
Our selection
Croatian Affair (020 7385 7111, http://www.croatianaffair.com/) Wide choice of properties across Croatia, notably Istria, the Dubrovnik and Makarska rivieras and the islands of Brac, Hvar, Korcula and Mljet. Many have private pools and air-conditioning.
My Croatia (0118 961 1554, http://www.mycroatia.co.uk/) Lovely characterful properties including a castle on Korcula and a 19th-century lighthouse on remote Lastovo island. Trips are tailormade with extras such as private day-long sailing trips and visits to winemakers. Also some boutique hotels.
Other options
Abercrombie & Kent (0845 0700 618, www.abercrombiekent.co.uk) Villas on Vis and Brac.
James Villas (08700 556688, http://www.jamesvillas.co.uk/) Seaside villas and country homes in Istria.
Croatian Villas (020 8888 6655, http://www.croatianvillas.com/) Big choice of coastal villas and resort town apartments.
Dalma Holidays (020 8677 2655, http://www.dalmaholidays.co.uk/) Villas and apartments in two coastal villages near Zadar.
Individual Travellers (0845 604 3978, http://www.individualtravellers.co.uk/) Coastal houses and apartments.
Inghams (020 8780 7777, http://www.inghamsvillas.co.uk/) New programme with big choice of coastal properties, including five-star Ballota Nigra villa in Porec where rental includes a speedboat, sauna and babysitting.
Inntravel (01653 617906, http://www.inntravel.co.uk/) has waterfront apartments and houses on Korcula.
Interhome (020 8891 1294, http://www.interhome.co.uk/) Big choice of privately owned houses and apartments countrywide.
In the Med (08707 605 633, http://www.inthemed.com/) Properties booked direct with owners, mostly on Dalmatian coast.
Luxury Retreats (0207 101 9219, http://www.luxuryretreats.com/) in Pula and Dubrovnik.
Sanctuary Villas (01242 547906, http://www.sanctuary-villas.com/) Luxury specialist with concierge service to sort the detail.
Simply Travel (0870 166 4979, http://www.simplytravel.co.uk/) Cottages and apartments in Dubrovnik, nearby islands and Istria, plus a few hotels.
Istria specialists include
Croatia Villa Book (0845 500 2000, http://www.thevillabook.com/)
Istria Rural Life (00 385 52 522 920, http://www.istria-zivot.com/),
Style Holidays (0870 442 3661, http://www.styleholidays.co.uk/)
Villa Retreats (0800 988 5586, http://www.villaretreats.com/) and Vintage Travel (0845 344 0420, http://www.vintagetravel.co.uk/), which has quality houses with private pools.
Croatia 2008 holiday planning guide
The best operators for activity and special interest tours
In pictures: Best of Croatia
Dubrovnik riviera
Hotel holidays
The main tour operators tend to concentrate on the Istrian peninsula and the Dubrovnik riviera.
Croatia has few sandy beaches, so most hotels have created beaches on concrete jetties, using imported sand, and built swimming platforms out over the rocky foreshore.
A good guide to inspected smaller hotels and b&bs is Alastair Sawday’s Special Places to Stay: Croatia (http://www.sawdays.co.uk/).
Our selection
Bond Tours (01372 745300, http://www.bondtours.com/) Tailor-made holidays all over Croatia, including the national parks. Good choice of upmarket and characterful accommodation on the rivieras and 10 islands.
Holiday Options (0844 477 0452, http://www.holidayoptions.co.uk/) The biggest operator to Croatia with a wide selection of hotels countrywide, from small family-run affairs to five-star resort hotels.
Has the best range of flights from regional airports and can arrange two-centre holidays. Also features island-hopping itineraries, apartment rentals in Dubrovnik, Cavtat and Hvar, and coach tours.
Other options
Balkan Holidays (0845 130 1114, http://www.balkanholidays.co.uk/) Keenly priced packages to three- five-star hotels on the coast and islands of Korcula, Bol and Hvar. Good-value Dalmatian cruise on 300-passenger ship from Venice, coach tours and tailor-made short breaks.
Cosmos (0871 423 8560, http://www.cosmos.co.uk/) Features hotels in the Dubrovnik riviera and Istria with flights from Gatwick and Manchester. There are flexi-stays (minimum three nights) for short breaks or a multi-centre holiday. The company’s online accommodation booking service, www.somewhere2stay.com, has further options.
Croatia Choice (02380 254287, http://www.croatiachoice.com/) Small boutique hotels in all coastal areas plus villas and apartments.
Croatia for Travellers (020 7226 4460, http://www.croatiafortravellers.co.uk/) Island-hopping fly-drives a speciality.
Croatian Affair (020 7385 7111, http://www.croatianaffair.com/) A new programme of boutique hotels, both coast and country, with flexible stays to create a touring itinerary.
Hidden Croatia (0800 021 7771, http://www.hiddencroatia.com/) Three- to five-star resort hotels in Istria, the Makarska and Dubrovnik rivieras plus the main islands.
Indus Tours (020 8901 7320, http://www.industours.co.uk/) Mid-market hotels in Istria and around Dubrovnik.
Med Hotels (0871 472 5256, http://www.medhotels.com/) Large resort hotels in Istria.
Thomas Cook (08450 772288, http://www.thomascook.com/) Focuses on Istria and the Makarska riviera including Bol on the island of Brac, which has a lovely beach of small white pebbles.
Thomson (0871 231 4725, http://www.thomson.co.uk/) The company’s Italy and Croatia brochure has a good choice of family-focused resort hotels in Istria and the Dubrovnik riviera, including the new five-star Rixos Libertas hotel and spa.
The Dubrovnik Palace is a top-selling Platinum property; packages include 25kg free luggage and priority check-in at British airports.
Thomson’s subsidiary Portland (0870 241 3172, http://www.portland-holidays.co.uk/) also features Croatia.
Travel One (0207 392 8988, http://www.travelone.co.uk/) Hotel-based singles holidays in Istria.
Villa holidays
Our selection
Croatian Affair (020 7385 7111, http://www.croatianaffair.com/) Wide choice of properties across Croatia, notably Istria, the Dubrovnik and Makarska rivieras and the islands of Brac, Hvar, Korcula and Mljet. Many have private pools and air-conditioning.
My Croatia (0118 961 1554, http://www.mycroatia.co.uk/) Lovely characterful properties including a castle on Korcula and a 19th-century lighthouse on remote Lastovo island. Trips are tailormade with extras such as private day-long sailing trips and visits to winemakers. Also some boutique hotels.
Other options
Abercrombie & Kent (0845 0700 618, www.abercrombiekent.co.uk) Villas on Vis and Brac.
James Villas (08700 556688, http://www.jamesvillas.co.uk/) Seaside villas and country homes in Istria.
Croatian Villas (020 8888 6655, http://www.croatianvillas.com/) Big choice of coastal villas and resort town apartments.
Dalma Holidays (020 8677 2655, http://www.dalmaholidays.co.uk/) Villas and apartments in two coastal villages near Zadar.
Individual Travellers (0845 604 3978, http://www.individualtravellers.co.uk/) Coastal houses and apartments.
Inghams (020 8780 7777, http://www.inghamsvillas.co.uk/) New programme with big choice of coastal properties, including five-star Ballota Nigra villa in Porec where rental includes a speedboat, sauna and babysitting.
Inntravel (01653 617906, http://www.inntravel.co.uk/) has waterfront apartments and houses on Korcula.
Interhome (020 8891 1294, http://www.interhome.co.uk/) Big choice of privately owned houses and apartments countrywide.
In the Med (08707 605 633, http://www.inthemed.com/) Properties booked direct with owners, mostly on Dalmatian coast.
Luxury Retreats (0207 101 9219, http://www.luxuryretreats.com/) in Pula and Dubrovnik.
Sanctuary Villas (01242 547906, http://www.sanctuary-villas.com/) Luxury specialist with concierge service to sort the detail.
Simply Travel (0870 166 4979, http://www.simplytravel.co.uk/) Cottages and apartments in Dubrovnik, nearby islands and Istria, plus a few hotels.
Istria specialists include
Croatia Villa Book (0845 500 2000, http://www.thevillabook.com/)
Istria Rural Life (00 385 52 522 920, http://www.istria-zivot.com/),
Style Holidays (0870 442 3661, http://www.styleholidays.co.uk/)
Villa Retreats (0800 988 5586, http://www.villaretreats.com/) and Vintage Travel (0845 344 0420, http://www.vintagetravel.co.uk/), which has quality houses with private pools.
