Travelers Agree This Aspect Of Visiting Croatia Isn't As Good As It Used To Be

Croatia is one of the most beautiful countries in Europe. If you mixed together the rocky coasts of Greece, the walled towns of France, Italian mountain ranges, Spanish beaches, Caribbean waters, and Austrian attention to detail, you'd get something like Croatia. Word has gotten around, too; more than 20 million people visited Croatia in 2024, and the phrase "Dalmatian Coast" now rivals "Loire Valley" and "Swiss Alps" for conversation starters among dreamy travelers. Thanks to the capital's well-connected Zagreb Airport and Dubrovnik's busy cruise port, tourists easily pour into the country every day, eager for picturesque seascapes and platters of fresh shellfish. Croatia joined the European Union in 2013, and most visitors cross the border with ease.

Yet not everyone is happy about Croatia's growing popularity. The modern nation is still fairly new; Americans avoided this region during the Cold War, and Croatia became a deadly war zone after the collapse of Yugoslavia. By the early 2000s, many Americans and Europeans still struggled to distinguish one Balkan nation from another, and Croatia attracted a minor influx of indie travelers. Enthusiasm for the country spread, and each year seems to bring more tourists than ever before. People clamor to see the 11 most beautiful places in Croatia.

The result: rising prices. Hotel prices ballooned more than 50 percent between 2022 and 2025, and the country's hospitality industry has struggled to provide enough beds for all this demand. Croatia was once considered a budget alternative to coastal hotspots like Cinque Terre, but no longer. Dubrovnik alone has attracted new fans after serving as a "Game of Thrones" shooting location.

Croatia is a medium-sized country, and its borders have an unusual shape, almost like a boomerang or a Pac-Man character eating Bosnia. Its major cities are becoming household names among travelers: Split, Zagreb, and Dubrovnik are all popular stops on the Balkan tourism circuit. In short, such legions of visitors have a visceral impact on a country with only 3.8 million permanent residents and finite space to host them. Meanwhile, Croatia traded its old currency, the kuna, for euros in 2023, and while it is nowhere near one of the five most expensive European countries to travel to, it's no longer the bargain it once was.

Like many countries that struggle with overtourism, Croatia is best enjoyed in the shoulder seasons. Rest assured that summers are hot here, and if you don't plan to swim in the Adriatic Sea every day, spring and autumn are wonderful times to visit. Even the winters are fairly mild, especially on the coasts, although you can expect cold and snow as you venture inland. If you're city-hopping, you can also save money by skipping the rental car and boarding one of its many private bus lines. There are also many destinations across the country that aren't as well known, and thus have thinner crowds; many travelers gravitate toward Zagreb and Split only because they've heard these names before. Alternatives include Croatia's most underrated city, a colorful seaside paradise often compared to Venice.