Best ways to spend travel money in Croatia: Debit & prepaid cards

Whether you’re into medieval ramparts, breathtaking coastline or island-hopping adventures, Croatia is one of the most fashionable holiday destinations right now, and for good reason. But before you jet off on your travels, you’ll need some travel money to take with you.

What currency is used in Croatia?

Kuna is the local currency, the exchange rate for which is fixed to the euro. This allows the government to make kuna more expensive during the summer tourist season, which it does every year.

Cash machines are widely available all over the country and Visa or Mastercard cards can be used in most shops, supermarkets, cafés, restaurants, bars, hotels, hostels and when buying transport tickets too.

Travel money options for Croatia

Promoted for

Low overseas fees

Promoted for

No fees travel card

Promoted for

Welcome bonus

Promoted for

Low overseas fees

Using prepaid travel cards

There are few travel cards which allow you to load, withdraw or spend kuna – one of them being WeSwap.

• Tip: When you’re making a purchase over the counter with your card, if you’re asked whether you want to pay in sterling or kuna, always pay in the local currency. You’ll lose out on the exchange rate otherwise.

Using credit cards

Visa and Mastercard credit cards — the majority of cards issued in the UK — are widely accepted in Croatia. The currency conversion fee (or lack thereof) is what to look for.

There are a handful of credit cards which let you spend in another currency without paying the extra 3%. Check with your credit card provider to see if this is a favourable option for you. But be sure to watch out for cash advance fees and charges if you make a withdrawal on credit, it’s one of the most expensive ways to get cash.

• Tip: Some credit cards offer complimentary international travel insurance when you charge the cost of your travel ticket to your card.

Using traveller’s cheques

Avoid traveller’s cheques if you can – this travel money product is more hassle than it’s worth in Croatia. Card payments are the norm and provide a money back guarantee if you’re the victim of fraud. These features have made traveller’s cheques redundant over the last few years.

Using an ATM in Croatia

ATMs, called bankomats, are easily found all over Croatia. Croatian ATMs use the four-digit PIN and chip system so all UK debit and credit cards will be easily accepted. If you are withdrawing a large sum of money, you may get stuck with large bills.

The 500 kuna, and even rarer 1,000 kuna will be tricky to change, especially from smaller coffee shops, bakeries and boutiques. If you find yourself stuck with larger notes, try getting them changed at a post office, or in the bank of the ATM you used to make the withdrawal.

Can you use euros in croatia?

While visitors will find that prices are often quoted in euros, and euros are widely accepted, using euro cash rather than kuna will almost certainly leave you short-changed. Our advice is to use kuna rather than euros, either by exchanging foreign currency, withdrawing from an ATM or by using credit or debit cards to make purchases.

How much kuna should I take to Croatia?

It’s true that a holiday in Croatia is no longer as affordable as it once was, but you’ll still find it noticeably cheaper than the rest of Western Europe. If you’re travelling during summer, especially along the coastal stretch, expect to fork out more money than you would for a holiday during the rest of the year.

But if this can’t be avoided, there are other ways. If you’ve got a more modest budget, say if you’re travelling with friends, you could save on accommodation fees by staying in hostels and cheap hotels.

But on the other hand, if you have cash to splash, there’s no better place than Croatia to let loose and live that glamorous life, even for just a week…

Dubrovnik service	Budget	Mid	Top
Accommodation	Hostel: 150 – 300 kn per night	Hotel / Motel: 500 kn per night	5 star hotel / Superior suite: 2500 kn per night
Food	Fast food: 50 kn	Restaurant: 100 – 200 kn	5-star restaurant: 300 kn a plate
Entertainment	Free walking tour	Mt. Srd cable car: 110 kn per adults one-way ticket	Dubrovnik City Walls: 250 kn

Exchange rate history

Over the past 12 months, on average, £1 would have got you about HRK8.50. While it’s extremely difficult to predict where forex rates will move in the future, over the past couple of years rates have fluctuated between 8HRK and 10HRK.

Should I use a travel card, a debit card, a credit card or a digital bank?

In Croatia, you should have little trouble with Visa and Mastercard acceptance. American Express is accepted in some places, but not others, so make sure to bring an alternative form of payment with you.

If you want to avoid extra bank fees, make use of a variety of cards and use each one for a specific purpose. For example, choose a card that won’t charge you for currency conversion for over-the-counter payments and a different card for ATM withdrawals — even better if you can find a card that suits both purposes.

A great option for this is to use a challenger bank like Monzo, Starling, Revolut or N26, offering no transaction fees and free ATM withdrawal. You can find out more about digital banks here.

Pros and cons of different travel money methods in Croatia

Now that you know what currency you’ll be needing and how much of it to take, find out whether to use debit and credit cards, traveller’s cheques, cash or prepaid cards on your trip.

Digital banking apps

Bank cards

Credit cards

Using credit cards in Croatia

Traveller’s cheques and cash

Exchanging cash

Exchanging cash is a simple affair in Croatia. Exchange booths (Mjenjacnica), banks and post offices will change euros, American dollars, Australian dollars, Pounds, Serbian dinar, Hungarian forint and Swiss francs.

Post offices and banks are usually the most dependable places to get your money changed.

• Exchanging currency on the Islands. If you’re heading to one of Croatia’s many beautiful islands, it’s best to exchange foreign currency into the kuna on the mainland (or just use an ATM — operator fees apply). Tourist agencies and exchange offices are plentiful on the islands, but the rate is often unfavourable.
• For road-trippers. If you are arriving to Croatia by car, one of the first things you see once you cross the border will be exchange booths. Just change enough to get you to the nearest town unless you are absolutely sure of the exchange rate as these roadside exchange booths are unlikely to give you a good rate. Even if you are arriving from neighbouring countries that don’t use euro, make sure you have euro to change. It is by far the most accepted foreign currency for exchange. You will be surprised at the unwillingness of exchange booths to accept Serbian Dinar on the Croatian/Serbian border or Hungarian Forint on the Hungarian/Croatian border, for example. In emergency situations or if you don’t have kuna, euro cash always speaks the loudest.
• For jet-setters. True for almost everywhere in the world: do not get your money changed at the airport. If you need cash and you don’t have kuna, just change a small amount to get you into town.

Buying currency in the UK

Croatian kuna is a relatively common currency in the UK, and providers such as Travelex will usually stock kuna to collect before you go.

Exchange rates

It’s worth getting a good exchange rate, as this will leave you with a little more to spend on your trip. Compare your options and make sure you’re getting the best exchange rate possible.

Why you’ll need a combination of travel money options

Taking a prepaid card is a good, safe option for your holiday, as is a debit card with no transaction or withdrawal fees, but it’s also worth taking some cash for small payments such as bus journeys or snacks, as they may not take cards.