Summer is finally here and with it the holiday season, which should surpass even the pre-covid season this year. Most Slovaks will go to the popular Adriatic again this year, but some will be really surprised that after the long-awaited transition to the euro, their rest on stony beaches will cost significantly more. We chose to find out for ourselves what you will be paying extra for this year.
A popular destination only for the rich? Inflation makes wrinkles on our foreheads and at home. Nevertheless, we want to treat ourselves to a summer break. According to the annual survey of the ZłavaDňa company, up to 93% of Slovaks take a vacation. Up to a third of them plan to go to Croatia. “Croatia is the TOP destination for Slovaks. Seeing that interest in travel is growing even in complicated times of rising prices,” confirmed the president of the Slovak Association of Travel Agencies and Travel Agencies, Roman Berkes.
However, the stay in Croatia will be quite different this year. Vacationers must prepare for several changes, the biggest of which is probably Croatia’s entry into the Schengen area on January 1 and the change of currency from kunas to euros. At first glance, it looks like a positive change for us Slovaks, since the several-hour queues at the border and the exchange of money will be eliminated. However, the transition to the euro also brought about an increase in prices. Denník Plus JEDEN DEN therefore went to the “Slovak sea” to find out what prices you have to prepare for this year.
We decided to visit Rijeka, which is one of the closest destinations from Slovakia, it is “only” 530 kilometers from Bratislava. We loaded our suitcases, filled a full tank of fuel, checked the documents and set off on Thursday (June 1) at 12:30 p.m. We chose the route through Austria and Slovenia. We therefore stopped at the pump for the Austrian highway stamp. The cheapest, 10-day one costs 9.90 euros, which is 30 cents more than last year. If you plan to buy an electronic stamp, be careful. It can only be purchased online 18 days in advance. Therefore, at the last minute, choose a purchase at a gas station near the border.
We continued without delay until Graz, where a smaller convoy was formed to repair the road. We therefore drove a few kilometers at a reduced speed, but without much delay. We needed another highway stamp to cross Slovenia. The cheapest 7-day ticket costs 15 euros.
A huge advantage of Croatia’s entry into the Schengen area is the abolition of border controls when entering the country. In the high season, this will save you tens of minutes, in some cases even hours. We couldn’t avoid a short stop at the toll gate. We took the ticket and headed to Zagreb on the highway. We paid a toll of 6.70 euros for this section. We took a break for dinner in the capital of Croatia. We paid 6.30 euros for a portion of traditional čevas, and we even found here perhaps the cheapest ice cream of our entire stay, namely 1.32 euros per scoop.
