Getting Around, Rijeka Travel, Transport and Car Rental

(Rijeka, Primorje Gorski Kotar, Kvarner, Croatia)

Rijeka has impressive travel links with the rest of Croatia and into neighbouring countries, being well connected by both road and rail transport. However, direct access by air can often prove difficult, since the city's airport mostly supports seasonal flights by charter airlines.

Around the city and fronting Kvarner Bay are numerous local bus routes, while taxi transport is to hand, providing both an efficient and cheap way to get around Rijeka. Croatian rail travel is also well coordinated, with regular trains running to both domestic and other European destinations.

Rijeka Airport (RJK) / Arriving by Air

Address: Krk Island, Rijeka, Croatia, HR
Tel: +385 051 842 040
Although Rijeka has its own international airport, it is set on the small island of Krk, some 30 km / 19 miles from the city. Accessible by a toll bridge, the airport handles just over 225,000 passengers a year via seasonal summer charter flights to and from European destinations such as Bonn, Cologne, London, Oslo, Stuttgart and Zurich. Croatia Airlines is the main airline and is a recent addition, along with budget carrier Ryanair. A shuttle bus travels from the downtown district to the airport and this route takes around 45 minutes.

If you choose to fly into Zagreb Airport (ZAG), then you can catch one of the shuttle vans into Rijeka. Two buses depart each day, at 15:30 and 21:00, with the journey time lasting two hours, or thereabouts.

Car Rental

As befits a major industrial and commercial city, car rental is easily arranged in downtown Rijeka. Hiring a car is a popular option for travelling to the resort towns along the bay, and Croatian roads are efficient and far-reaching. Major highways such as the A6 and A7 link the city with Zagreb and Trieste respectively, along with the Slovenian border, and bypasses and connecting roads are now in use. Car rental can be arranged at the bus station, while Nationalcar has an outlet on the Demetrova road.

Book your Rijeka Car Rental here.

Buses and Coaches

Rijeka has excellent bus connections with major cities in Croatia itself, as well as with Slovenia and the rest of Europe. The inter-city bus terminal is located right in the centre of the city, on the Trg Zabica. Long-distance bus transport to Zagreb is inexpensive and regular, making this the better option over train travel. Various buses link the city with almost every town in the country, including Baska (two hours and 15 minutes), Dubrovnik (up to 13 hours), Porec (two hours), Pula (two hours and 15 minutes), Rab (three hours), Rovinj (two hours and 30 minutes), Split (eight hours) and Zadar (four hours and 30 minutes).

The central bus station is to be found on the Jelacicev Trg. Tickets can either be purchased at newsstands or directly from the driver. There is also a popular sightseeing bus to hand, touring the main sights within Rijeka, Opatija and Trsat, with hop-on hop-off tickets.

Trains

The city's railway station is located on the Kresimirova, being just a short stroll from the centre. Seven trains travel each day to and from Rijeka and Zagreb, roughly a four-hour journey, and on to the Hungarian border. The Ljubljana to Rijeka service runs several times a day and takes three hours, while the train route from Split involves an inconvenient change, making the bus journey preferable. Direct trains to Munich, Osijek, Salzburg, Trieste and Vienna also leave from the city's train station. Do note that some business trains known locally as 'poslovnis' will require reservations in advance.

Taxis

Rijeka boasts well-organised, cheap taxi facilities covering the entire city and out along the bay. Online and telephone bookings are available and involve only minimal waiting times. Taxis are a useful facility if nightlife is part of the agenda, since the city's entire public transport network shuts down at 22:30.

Boats and Ferries

Although Rijeka's port is one of the largest on the Adriatic, it deals mainly with cargo and there are no direct international ferry connections. Ferries leave twice weekly to Split, running along the coastline as far as Dubrovnik, Hvar Island and Korcula Island, with some ferries continuing all the way to Italy. Daily ferries connect with the offshore islands, being highly suitable for day trips.