Overspend on transportation from Dubrovnik airport to the city

Overspending on transportation from Dubrovnik airport to the city is a mistake that people who fly to Dubrovnik airport often do so try to avoid it if you can. When you arrive at Dubrovnik Airport, as soon as you pass the passport control and luggage collection,  you will be bombarded by local taxi and minicab drivers offering you the best rates for transfer to the city.

That can be quite confusing as landing in a foreign country can be, at least for me, a bit disorientating (I get wound up by foreign language and unfamiliar surroundings :/ )

Dubrovnik Airport ‘Cilipi’ is only 20 km from the Dubrovnik city center (Old Town).

I would suggest that first of all, if you consider taking a taxi to your accommodation, you should check the prices in advance – look for a yellow sign in the airport lobby and at the taxi station in front of the airport that displays current and official prices.

The sign looks like this:

The sign shows all currently official prices and your taxi driver should ask you to pay your fare according to them.

Above photo: ^^ this photo of fares was taken years ago when prices were cheaper

Additionally, as Uber is now operating in Dubrovnik it is actually cheaper to use Uber to take you from the airport to any location in the town than to take a taxi.

I just checked the price on my smartphone and Uber is quoting me between 185 and 235 HRK (Kuna) which is 25 to 31 Euro for a one-way transfer. That’s a much better alternative bearing in mind you don’t have to have cash ready to pay for your ride. This is also a better option if you did not bring any local currency with you as Uber rides are paid directly via the application.

In my opinion, unless you have mobility problems and if you are not in a terrible hurry (and don’t mind using public transport) there is no reason at all to use a taxi.

There is a cheaper alternative – a regular bus service that runs from the airport to Dubrovnik city which charges just a fraction of the price. You can book it here.

If you use that bus, instead of 40 Euro you will pay just 10 Euro). You will arrive in the town at the approximately same time (20 kilometers is about a 30-minute ride, depending on traffic).

Popular routes: Split to Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik to Split, Hvar to Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik to Hvar

The buses are comfortable, air-conditioned and offer much better views (as you are sitting higher) than small cars. Note – views should not be ignored as the road that leads from the airport to the town runs along the nice coastline and on several points, you will see the Old Town walls from your window.

On your way back to the airport you can use the same service as the bus leaves the town for 1 hour and 30 minutes before each flight departure.

You can find more details about this bus service in my previous post here + Check other tourist mistakes in Dubrovnik

Also see: Taxi in Dubrovnik; Uber in Dubrovnik and pre-arranged transfers from Airport to Dubrovnik town center & how to visit Dubrovnik on a budget