Croatia has nine passenger airports and hundreds of places people actually travel to. A table linking popular destinations to the nearest airport and a realistic drive time, islands reached by ferry included.
Checked: 4 September 2026
Search engines log queries like flights to Premantura, flights to Privlaka or flights to Rastoke every day. Those places have no airport and never will: Premantura is a village on a cape, Privlaka a peninsula next to Nin, Rastoke a hamlet of some twenty houses. The question behind the query is entirely reasonable though, and it is: where do I land, and how long is the drive after that.
The nine airports
Passenger traffic runs through Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik, Zadar, Pula, Rijeka (on the island of Krk), Osijek, Brač and Lošinj. The first five take almost all low-cost flights; Brač and Lošinj are small and seasonal. For northern Istria, Trieste is also worth checking, and for the far south Sarajevo or Tivat, depending on the fare.
| Destination | Airport | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Premantura, Rt Kamenjak | Pula (PUY) | ~20 min |
| Fažana, Brijuni | Pula (PUY) | ~15 min |
| Rovinj | Pula (PUY) | ~40 min |
| Motovun | Pula (PUY) | ~50 min |
| Poreč, Umag | Pula (PUY) | 50 bis 75 min |
| Opatija | Rijeka (RJK) | ~45 min |
| Privlaka, Nin | Zadar (ZAD) | 30 bis 40 min |
| Novalja, Pag | Zadar (ZAD) | ~90 min |
| Plitvice | Zadar (ZAD) | ~105 min |
| Rastoke, Slunj | Zagreb (ZAG) | ~90 min |
| Makarska, Brela | Split (SPU) | 60 bis 75 min |
| Omiš, Primošten | Split (SPU) | 45 bis 60 min |
| Trogir | Split (SPU) | ~10 min |
| Hvar | Split (SPU) | + Fähre / ferry / trajekt |
| Vis | Split (SPU) | + Fähre / ferry / trajekt |
| Korčula | Dubrovnik (DBV) | + Fähre / ferry / trajekt |
| Cavtat | Dubrovnik (DBV) | ~15 min |
Times are approximate and apply outside peak hours. In July and August, especially on Saturdays when rental changeovers overlap, add up to half an hour on the coastal road.
Islands: a flight plus a ferry
Only Brač and Lošinj have airports of their own, and small ones. For every other island the route runs through a mainland airport and a boat: Hvar and Vis from Split, Korčula from Split or Dubrovnik with a change, Krk by road over the bridge since Rijeka airport is on Krk anyway. Book a car ferry ahead; a catamaran is faster but takes no vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Premantura have an airport?
- No. The nearest is Pula, about 20 minutes by road. Premantura is a village on Cape Kamenjak in southern Istria.
- How many airports does Croatia have?
- Nine for passengers: Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik, Zadar, Pula, Rijeka, Osijek, Brač and Lošinj. The first five take almost all low-cost flights.
- How do you fly to the Croatian islands?
- Only Brač and Lošinj have airports. For the other islands you fly to the mainland and continue by ferry or catamaran, usually from Split or Dubrovnik.
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