10 Days in Croatia

The people of Croatia have been through a tumultuous history of conflict and have remained a strong and proud group of people. Their language, Croatian, has several dialects in different areas of the country but is all part of a Slavic group of languages. Travelers usually find it tough to speak, but don't worry, there is a very large understanding of English in Croatia, especially in the areas we'll be visiting. We always encourage travelers to learn at least a couple words while you're here so ask your trip leader to teach you something!

The Roman Catholic church still has a sizeable influence on the country, but LGBT rights here have been advancing quite quickly in recent years with LGBT couples now with almost identical rights to those of heterosexual couples. In 2015, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) ranked Croatia 5th in terms of LGBT rights out of 49 observed European countries. The gay community in Croatia isn't as large and visible as some areas of the world, but there is nightlife in the city of Zagreb and pride festivals in Zagreb and Split.

Croatian cuisine tends to change quite substantially depending on the region, with all kinds of delicious flavors reminiscent of the countries nearby. Pasta is quite popular inland, while seafood is all over the coastline. Think black pepper, paprika and garlic flavors inland, and olive oil, rosemary and sage at the coast. And to wash it all down there are hundreds of wineries all over the country offering both reds and whites, as well as many different varieties of beers. Want something stronger? Try Rakija. Detours doesn't believe in limiting your choices by including all of your meals at pre-decided restaurants as part of the trip package. Instead, we include all of your breakfasts to start your day off, then we explore all of the different restaurant options available for lunch and dinner. This way we can eat when we want, where we want, and spend what we want! Your trip leader definitely has their favorite spots so if you'd like some advice on the best in each location, just check with them.

Our advice is simple. Pack your bag, then take half of those things out and leave them back home. It’s common to hear people wishing they’d packed less stuff, but we’ve never heard anyone complain that they didn’t bring enough. Even if you realize you forget to pack some crucial item you can always pick up a replacement once you arrive in Croatia. We'll include some trip-specific packing advice based on expected weather as part of our update email to you, sent 90 days prior to your trip.

These days it seems that banks find every opportunity to ding us with fees from home and at each ATM we use. That's why we suggest using a credit card with no international fee, and bring some EURO cash with you too (Croatia started using the Euro as their currency in 2023). You still may need to use an ATM along the way, but it's best to try to minimize the number of visits. Travelers checks are a thing of the past so we don’t recommend them any more.

Tipping isn’t a native Croatian custom, however, it is always appreciated by local service staff and has become more expected in tourist areas in recent years. We suggest tipping for any services that go above and beyond expectations. That extra bit on top of your dinner bill is very appreciated by the service staff.

We have pretty high standards when it comes to choosing our accommodations, and trust us, we’ve done plenty of room-sniffing, pillow-patting, bed-jumping and bathroom inspections to make sure we stay at quality spots. To be approved as a Detours accommodations provider, a hotel/guesthouse must: be locally owned (to support the local community), be in an amazing location (close to the beach or other hot spots), AND be gay-owned or gay-friendly. We won't be staying in 5-star Ritz-Carltons but we also won't subject you to anything we wouldn't want to stay in ourselves. Clean, comfortable, well-located spots that'll put a smile on your face, you can count on that! 

All Detours trips are led by one of our own Detours trip leaders.  They're there with you every day and their job is to help ensure that this is your trip of a lifetime by taking the hassle out of your trip and enabling you to experience everything you came to Croatia for.  Consider them like a friendly concierge that's traveling along with you.  All of our trip leaders are gay and all are well-traveled and experienced in the destination they're leading in, so they'll be a great part of your experience!

We do absolutely everything possible to avoid needing such a mundane awakening. A world without alarm clocks is one we want to be part of, and your “rise and shine” while in Croatia should come from the sound of crashing waves or church bells in the distance. You can sleep soundly knowing there are no early departures/flights scheduled on this itinerary. 

Our Detours groups are run with a maximum of 16 travelers. Ages of group members vary but most of our travelers are between 40 and 60 years. Whatever the ages on our trips everyone's already got something in common, an exciting new experience in a new country. Each group is led by a Detours trip leader who is there to ensure everything goes off without a hitch, allowing you to focus on having the time of your life! We welcome both men and women onto our trips although it’s important to know that most groups are 100% gay men.

The areas of Croatia that we'll be visiting are more open-minded than the rural countryside and most people will be welcoming of homosexuality. That said, public displays of affection are not common here for the gays or the straights so as some respect for the locals we just suggest that you keep your affection for your partner to more private areas - such as your hotel. :)

Traveling solo? Great! Lots of our travelers come solo and our trip will provide plenty of chances to meet great people both inside and outside of our group, including other solo travelers. As far as your accommodations go, you’ve got two choices. We can either pair you up with another solo group member in a room with two beds for no extra charge, or you can have your own room for a reasonable surcharge. 

Croatia uses a "type C" and "type F" plug, the same as most European countries and several other places in the world. The voltage is 230V with 50 Hz frequency. These days, the majority of items that are plugged into an outlet are built to handle varying voltage and frequency levels, but just to be sure, we suggest checking your item for its accetable range.