Croatia in July is a 30°C coastline, a cold local beer for under €2 and water clear enough to see your feet. Ryanair are flying there from cities across the UK this summer for as little as £35 return, non-stop.
✈️ The deal
- From: London, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Birmingham
- To: Zadar, Split, Dubrovnik, Rijeka, Pula
- Airline: Ryanair
- Stops: Non-stop
- Price: £35–£65 return
- When: July–August 2026
Check your route:
London – Rijeka →
London – Split →
London – Zadar →
London – Dubrovnik →
London – Pula →
Leeds – Zadar →
Manchester – Zadar →
Manchester – Dubrovnik →
Liverpool – Zadar →
Birmingham – Zadar →
Bournemouth – Zadar →
One thing to bear in mind with Ryanair: you'll want to pack light or plan for bag fees. The vacuum compression backpack trick is worth knowing about before you book.
💰 How far does your money go?
Croatia is no longer a cheap holiday, but it's still a long way from UK prices. A set lunch in a local konoba costs around €10. A cold Karlovačko beer from a supermarket is under €2. Street food, seafood markets and ice cream keep costs low as long as you avoid the tourist-trap spots on Dubrovnik's Stradun, where a coffee alone can hit €8. Eat where the locals eat and you'll go far on not very much.
☀️ The weather
July and August bring reliably hot weather along the Adriatic coast, with temperatures regularly hitting 30–32°C. Rain is rare. The sea stays above 25°C. Zadar and Split tend to get slightly less crowded than Dubrovnik but the sunshine is the same.
🏨 Where to stay
Croatia covers most budgets, from no-frills guesthouses to seafront luxury.
Club Funimation Borik · 8.2/10 · From £45/night
Large beachfront resort near Zadar, popular with families and good value for the location. Direct sea access and multiple pools.
Hotel Peristil · 8.7/10 · From £85/night
A small hotel tucked inside Diocletian's Palace in Split. Wake up inside a 4th-century Roman ruin. Genuinely one of the most unusual hotel locations in Europe.
Sun Gardens Dubrovnik · 9.1/10 · From £220/night
Panoramic Adriatic views, private beach access and a spa. One of the best-rated properties on the Croatian coast. The kind of place that justifies keeping the food budget low.
🎯 What to do
Croatia in summer is walls, islands, waterfalls and very cold drinks.
Walk Dubrovnik's city walls — 2km of medieval fortifications with sea views on one side and terracotta rooftops on the other. Go early in the morning before the cruise ships dock.
Diocletian's Palace, Split — A Roman emperor built a retirement palace here in 305 AD. People still live inside it. Walk the labyrinthine streets and you'll find bars, restaurants and market stalls all within the old walls.
The Zadar Sea Organ — An architect cut pipes into the seafront steps in 2005. The sea fills them and plays music. It sounds exactly as strange and good as it sounds.
Island hopping from Split — Ferries to Hvar, Brač and Vis run daily through July and August. Hvar is the busiest and most scenic. Vis is quieter and worth the extra crossing time.
🗺️ Where to go from here
Croatia's coastline is long and well connected. Pick one city and use it as a base.
Krka National Park — A string of waterfalls and pools through limestone gorges, around 1.5 hours from both Zadar and Split by car or bus. One of the most-visited sites in Croatia, for good reason.
Plitvice Lakes — Two hours from Zadar. Sixteen cascading lakes connected by boardwalks through forest. UNESCO-listed and genuinely spectacular. Book entry tickets in advance in summer.
Hvar — 1 to 2 hours by Jadrolinija ferry from Split. Lavender fields, clear coves, old stone towns and enough nightlife to fill a few days.
Korčula — 3 to 4 hours by ferry from Split. Often called the mini-Dubrovnik. Far fewer crowds, same old town charm, and a Marco Polo connection the locals are proud of.
Eleven routes, most of Europe's summer left. Check prices now before the seats go.
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