Croatia is a popular tourist destination during the year and especially during the peak summer season.
There’s nothing more important than one’s safety while on a trip, so understanding how safe Croatia is will allow you to truly experience the country’s beauties.
So, is Croatia considered a safe state?
Croatia is safe both during the day and night, on a Global Peace Index Croatia holds 14th place from a total of 163 states as one of the most peaceful states in the world. Crime and scam rates are low, and there are minimal natural disasters or dangerous animals.
In this article, I’ll guide you through safety precautions and provide you with tips that will ensure you remember Croatia with only the happiest memories.
How bad is a crime in Croatia?
Low crime rates and high safety during daylight and night are the factors Croatian people are proud of.
While these facts are most important for tourists who are staying short term, the state’s biggest problem is corruption and bribery (68.95 index).
While corruption and bribery aren’t as high as in states such as Bosnia and Hercegovina (80.16), Serbia (81.81), Bulgaria (76.51), Venezuela (93.46), or Nigeria (85.55), corruption and bribery still decrease the quality of life for long-term citizens.
While, this is mostly a concern in political circles, running businesses, and similar cases it indirectly affects the citizens.
Is it safe to walk around Croatia at night?
Croatia is very safe for walking on the streets at night, but some basic safety precautions are always recommended.
For instance, while all popular tourist destinations are nested in safe environments, pickpocketing or accidents with drunk people can still occur from time to time.
More serious crimes are extremely rare, but the reason why they are rare is because people are aware that they should keep with the basic safety standards to even further increase the odds of safety.
What I am trying to say here is, don’t go to an obviously suspicious dark alley alone where you see a group of suspicious men who might be drunk or drugged.
With just basic safety precautions, Croatia is super-safe even during the night.
Personally, I walk everywhere during the night whether I am in Rijeka, Zagreb, Zadar, Split, or Dubrovnik, and have never experienced any serious altercation.
Is Croatia safe to travel alone?
Croatia is safe for traveling alone, especially if you plan to travel to popular tourist destinations where there are many people on the streets.
The only instances when I’d recommend not traveling alone is to some rural areas populated by only local people.
However, even then, most people are friendly and welcoming.
There are always a few bad apples, and they can usually be found in rural, non-tourist areas, so being alone isn’t an advantage, yet your life is hardly in any danger even in such cases.
Is Croatia safe for solo female travelers?
Solo female travelers are safe in popular tourist destinations just like everybody else.
However, solo female travelers should always be aware of their surroundings and extra careful during the night, especially at nightclubs.
While Croatia is very safe for female travelers during the day and night, it’s to be expected that unlucky women could bump into men who’ll try to take advantage of them.
Safety tips for female travelers
The first thing that gets to my mind is the classic danger of someone putting something in a drink in nightclubs.
Don’t accept drinks from suspicious people, and always watch your drink, especially at popular nightclubs with lots of people.
Moreover, don’t jump into a car with strangers, and always call an official taxi or travel by bus if you can’t drive.
And finally, watch your belongings such as a bag, a wallet, and a phone! Last summer I met a German girl who lost the bag with all her documents and money after leaving her bag in some random guy’s car after a party at the beach.
Is public transportation in Croatia safe?
Public transportation in Croatia such as buses, streetcars, trains, ferries, and taxis are all generally considered safe, but buses and streetcars are associated with the risk of pickpocketing.
Pickpocketing is a risk you should be aware of whenever you find yourself in a crowd of people. The problem with buses and streetcars is that a pickpocketer can steal your belongings and jump out of the vehicle before you realize what happened.
Don’t keep your belongings in an easily accessible back pocket or a bag, keep it in front of you with a safe zip mechanism.
Moreover, the bus, streetcar, and train stations are also risky places as the pickpocketer can take something out of your hand and get lost in the crowd!
Are taxis safe in Croatia?
Taxis in Croatia are safe, taxi drivers aren’t under a bad reputation for overcharging tourists or being involved in suspicious and dark shenanigans.
However, to be safe it’s essential to drive in official Croatian taxis such as Cameo and Eko Taxi or local taxi brands that operate within each big city.
Private taxis might have higher prices, but they are generally safe. It’s difficult to speak in the name of every private taxi driver, as I am sure while there are many good private taxi drivers there could also be some bad ones in some regions of Croatia.
Just to be sure, ask how much is the ride going to cost you in advance and watch the taximeter.
Is Croatia safe for LGBTQ+ travelers?
Croatia is overall a safe country for everyone, including LGBTQ+ people.
However, the further you go away from big, urban areas, to rural areas, the lesser the tolerance.
This is not to say that LGBTQ+ people are under prosecution or anything like that, and as a matter of fact, most people in Croatia simply don’t mind someone’s different appearance and behavior as long as it’s got nothing to do with them.
Yet, from time to time, just like everywhere else, there are people with a low tolerance for LGBTQ+, especially in areas with strong traditional and religious values.
Is the food in Croatia safe?
Food is generally safe wherever you go in Croatia.
From restaurants to big shopping chains and small local stores, it’s unlikely to find unsafe or spoiled food.
Croatia is in European Union, which is yet another reason for a store, and restaurant owners to keep up with the high standards.
Moreover, you can find fresh and safe food in farmers’ markets in towns and villages.
Is tap water safe to drink in Croatia?
I recently covered the topic where I explained how tap water is safe to drink in Croatia, as Croatia has excellent and unpolluted water sources.
It’s common for travelers to satisfy their thirst from public taps as they are safe and the water tastes good.
Don’t forget about insurance
While Croatia is considered a very safe state, it’s never smart to walk around a foreign state without insurance.
There might not be many dangers lurking in Croatia, but unfortunately, certain risks follow us wherever we go and in case of an emergency, good insurance will have you covered from big expenses.
SafetyWing will provide you with peace of mind while you enjoy the Croatian beauties.
Avoid These Scams
1. Restaurants and Bars Overcharging
Tourists dining at restaurants in popular tourist destinations are sometimes victims of overcharging. Dishonest establishments may not provide menus with clear prices, leading to unexpected, exorbitant bills.
However, very often the prices will be written on menus, but the tourists won’t bother to check them out, expecting the prices can’t be much above the average of other similar places.
My advice is to always check the prices before ordering if you are unsure, and this is especially important in luxury tourist areas such as it’s the case with Dubrovnik.
For example, sometimes you’ll find a coffee for twice the price in a bar close to popular historical monuments like Dubrovnik walls, or other sightseeing spots, then in a bar hundred meters away.
To counter this problem, check online Google reviews or ask locals you befriended for assistance.
2. Taxi Fare Manipulation
Taxi drivers manipulating fares is another concern for travelers. Some may take longer routes or tamper with meters, leaving tourists with inflated charges.
However, this is rarely the case with official taxis such as Cammeo or Eko I previously mentioned, and rather the thing with some private taxi drivers.
3. Street Vendor Scams
Street vendors, while adding vibrancy to Croatia’s streets, can sometimes be involved in scams.
From selling counterfeit souvenirs and making claims that a certain brand is legit, while it’s a cheap copy of it to misleading pricing tactics you shouldn’t easily fall on their shady attempts.
To be sure you are buying a legit item, ask about certifications and if you are for instance looking for expensive branded sunglasses, don’t expect to find them in a small unbranded kiosk in an alley.
Moreover, street vendors often try to sell their goods to tourists for a higher price, so it’s useful to haggle and lower it.
I once faked that I was an Englishman in Dalmatia, and was offered double the price for a souvenir, while later my friend got it in almost half the price.
4. The Distraction Technique
The distraction technique involves diverting a tourist’s attention to facilitate theft.
Scammers may work in teams, with one person causing a distraction while the other snatches belongings.
Being aware of such possibilities in big crowds or suspicious situations can be helpful.
5. Fake ATMs
When withdrawing money, use ATMs located within banks or reputable establishments to minimize the risk of card skimming.
While fake ATMs aren’t common, in theory, they can happen and there had been cases in the past.
I recommend that you always check the legitimacy of ATMs before proceeding to withdraw money.
6. Malicious WIFI connections
WIFI scams are among the easiest scams to employ when you connect to a fake WIFI network in an attempt to go online, the bad guys can steal your precious data from a phone.
While I haven’t ever experienced such a scam, nor have heard of it being a danger in Croatia, I am sure there are bad guys involved in such scams somewhere in the country.
To be sure you avoid this scam don’t connect to suspicious WIFIs, but rather look for authentic WIFI from nearby restaurants, hotels, bars, or official public WIFI the cities provide.
Every legit public WIFI should take you to the official webpage where you’ll have to confirm the connection.