Despite being a relatively small country, Croatia boasts 7 international airports that operate both seasonal and year-round flights to other countries and continents.
Yep, I did say SEVEN international Croatia airports!
The super even distribution of airports on the country's map makes sure there is always an airport pretty close to your final destination.
When planning your visit to Croatia, check out the map to figure out the most convenient one for your trip.
This will help you save time and money, especially during the peak season of summer when Croatia's roads can be a little overwhelmed.
Read on to learn more useful information about Croatia's airports.
Croatian Airports
The airports in Croatia are dotted around the country fairly evenly and they are located around the major cities and main tourist destinations.
There are 2 inland airports serving Zagreb, the capital, and the largest city in the east, Osijek.
The other 5 airports are located along the Adriatic coast in Dubrovnik, Split, Rijeka, Pula, and Zadar.
Each of them serves an important coastal region of Croatia.
f your final destination is Brac Island or Losinj Island, you can actually fly directly there since each of them has an airport.
But routes are very limited.
Read this next: Croatia Travel Guide (Visiting Croatia Properly!)
Croatia International Airport Codes
As you get ready for your trip to Croatia, it would be of great use to spare some time to learn the international airport codes.
This will help you distinguish between local airports and remove confusion between countries.
Here are the codes of airports in Croatia.
Zagreb Airport
Also known as Pleso Airport, it is located 17 km away from Croatia's capital.
It's the largest airport in the country in spite of being positioned inland.
In 2017, it experienced some major upgrades which allowed it to offer better connections to many cities around the world.
Zagreb Airport serves as the main hub for the Croatian giant - Croatia Airlines which operates flights to and from the cities located on the Adriatic Coast.
You should choose this airport if you are planning to visit to, Plitvice Lakes National Park, the northeastern region of the country or you just want to visit the historic capital itself.
Split Airport
If you intend to explore the Dalmatian region beyond its sea attractions, you may want to land at Split Airport.
The city and its surrounds are the most popular tourist destination on the Croatian Adriatic coast.
It provides a combination of beautiful sea scenery and amazing city and town attractions.
Once you land, you can visit the Kastela Riviera which is just 2 km away from the airport, and the picturesque town of Trogir located 5 km southwest of the airport, which is known for its well-preserved beauty.
Trogir is becoming a very popular place for international visitors.
Split's center is 24 km away from the airport.
The airport experiences the highest passenger traffic in the summer months. In the peak season, there can be more than 120 national and international landings daily.
Dubrovnik Airport
Dubrovnik has a pretty remote location from the rest of the country and other major cities.
That's why the best way to reach it is by plane.
Dubrovnik Airport is the 3rd busiest airport in Croatia, taking pride in the longest runway.
It offers connections with all the big cities in Croatia and most of the European countries.
It serves both regular flights and charters.
The airport is located 22 km from Dubrovnik
Zadar Airport
This small airport is located in the village of Zemunik Donji, within a 10-minute ride from the Zadar center
Zadar is the closest airport to Novalja, Pag Island.
It operates two internal flights, to Zagreb and Pula.
Also, it offers connections with some European countries, particularly between April and October when the number of tourists reaches a peak.
During this period, there are direct flights to Zadar from London, Paris, Stockholm, Zurich, and other major European cities.
After the low-cost airline, Ryan Air, opened its base in Zadar, the small airport became a top destination for people looking for low-price tickets.
This makes many travelers use Zadar as their entrance gate to Croatia, even if their final destination is a faraway city or island.
Pula Airport
Located in Liznjan about 8 km from Pula, this Croatia airport is the only of its kind on the Istrian Peninsula.
It has both internal and external flights.
During the peak tourist season, Jet2 offers flights from Manchester, London, Leeds and other UK cities directly to Pula.
Seasonal flights from France and Belgium are also operated.
Being the only airport in the area, it has experienced impressive growth over the years.
This is also due to the development of tourism in the region and the popularization of Istria as a must-see Adriatic destination.
Rijeka Airport
This Croatian airport is located on Krk Island which is 17km from Rjieka.
It has year-round connections with Dubrovnik and Zagreb as well as seasonal connections with European countries.
The highest traffic is definitely during the tourist season when some low-cost airlines use the airport to transport people from the continent to the northern part of the Adriatic coast.
Rjieka used to have its own airport in the past, called Grobnic, but the hills located close to the runaway made the landing of large aircrafts risky and difficult.
This led to the decision to move the airport onto Krk Island.
Read this next: Travelling to Novalja
Croatia Airports: Takeaway
As you can see, Croatia's airports are so conveniently placed on the map that the plane will always take you close to your final destination.
This is definitely an argument for choosing a plane over a car or bus when traveling to Croatia.
And while a certain airport may be the closest to your final destination, we recommend you to look for low-cost flights available at other airports in the region.
It may be more reasonable in a small country like Croatia to fly to a farther airport cheaply than reach your destination by car.