Hey all!
My girlfriend and me have seen incredible pictures from Croatia and plan to travel there in the end of February 2026 for 7 days (including flying). After doing some research online there are still a lot of questions from our side, which is why I am reaching out to you for help :)!
First and foremost, people share varying opinions about public transport, some say the bus is fine, some say a rental car is a must.
Secondly we are nature lovers! We love to hike, fish and visit picturesque places. If you have any suggestions on the places we have to visit, or stay, available charters or fishing lakes, hikes, or anything else you feel could help us making this holiday magical then please comment!
I want to thank you all who comment, I sincerely appreciate everyone helping :)!
Hey, using the bus is really easy, but since you are going in February, I would specifically recommend a car, you can have unexpected weather as Feb is not the best time to visit Croatia but if you get sunny weather you will be lucky :). Using Bus to get around is possible you will just spend alot of time on waiting and have to arrange your schedule around the bus instead of being free to go sightsee something else which is close by but not reachable on foot.
CROATIA TRAVEL 101 (Great info for first-time travelers)
Should you rent a car in CROATIA ? (Guide to Pros and Cons)
During summer time there are more frequent lines as the demand is increased by locals and also by tourists/travelers.
There are great nature locations in Croatia check the list to know what interest you,
Top 5 National Parks to visit in Croatia
To be able to fish on the sea you need to buy a license which you can purchase online. I would suggest going to the coastal region since you only have 7 days but if you rent a car you can sightsee much more and easily land in Zagreb-Plitvice Lakes-Zadar-Split-Omis-Makarska etc. plenty of things to see and highway is great to get around the country. Just as I said Feb can be hit or miss and you wont get anywhere close to the feel you can have in May-Oct.
From Zagreb to Split drive (Best stops on the way) Guide
Best things to do in Makarska, Croatia (Guide)
Doubt there are any charters going in Feb but if a sunny weather permits you might find some company but again none will go if they didn't fill a certain capacity so this is best to check with tour companies directly.
Here are some guides for inspiration, this will help you decide on where you want to land in Croatia:
10 Most Beautiful Cities in Croatia to visit
10 Most Beautiful Small Towns in Croatia to escape the crowd!
If you will need any other city guides, restaurant guides, sightseeing, beaches in Croatia check this subs Megathread here which has all links compiled, this CROATIA TRAVEL GUIDE, or this Croatia Travel Map