Split to Starigrad
 

My wife and I have just booked some accommodation on the Croatian Island of Havr for a romantic week in July. Talk about putting the cart before the horse, we have also gone ahead and booked a flight to arrive at Split airport Tuesday 13th July, and I am now starting to worry because I cant find any information about either prices or a timetables for the Car Ferry for a Tuesday in July. Has anyone done this journey before and could you give me an idea of ;
1. How easy is it to get from the airport to the ferry terminal ?
2. Do we have to book ticketts in advance or can we just turn up ?
3. Approx how much should it cost me for a small car and 2X adults.
4. Is Havr a good choice or would you reccommend somewhere else within an hours drive of split that has character, not too busy but something going on ?

I would be grateful of any advise as this is our first visit to Croatia and we just need some assurances........thank you !

The ferry from Split to Stari Grad normally runs three times a day in winter, with extra sailings in summer. I can't find next summer's schedule on Jadrolinija's website, but they have this winter's fares. The summer fares will be higher.
www.jadrolinija.hr/pdfs/st.kn.pdf
It's currently 38 kuna for a passenger and 257 for a car.
There are buses from Split airport to the city. On Hvar, buses and taxis wait on the quayside at Stari Grad to take people to Hvar town and other parts of the island.

Starigrad or Stari Grad. This is greate post, but if you want to read some different post's obout Starigrad then you go to this site http://mystarigrad.com

Ovaj post je super napisan za Starigrat ili Stari Grad, ali ako želite još više informacija o Staromegradu onda vam priporučujem ovu stranicu mystarigrad.com

Hvar is interesting and beautiful but I don't know if you need a car there. Stari Grad is the older and smaller of the main towns, but I am pretty sure there are buses if your lodging is withing convenient distance of town. Perhaps Starigrad's site will help you make up your mind. I do not remember a lot of parking in Hvar town, where most of the action is, but I could be wrong.

I arrived in Split by train, so can't help you with the airport-to-town transportation. Imagine there must some quite easy way to get into Split from the airport.

I took the ferry from Split to Stari Grad. There were buses at Stari Grad waiting to transport ferry passengers for the 1/2 hour or so ride over the mountains to Hvar. It was very easy transferring from ferry to bus.

At Split, you arrive at the pier and just purchase your ticket from the small kiosk that's located on the pier.

You really don't need a car in Hvar. Could you not get a car for this portion of the trip? Hvar isn't that big and you need to walk the seashore and old town, not drive around in a car.

Yes, you can get a bus from Split Airport easily to the waterfront/Riva area of Split (which is basically center of town, at the Riva and adjacent to where you pick up boats and ferries). Croatia Airlines runs direct buses between the airport and town; departure of these buses is timed with the arrival of most Croatia Airlines flights, but anyone can just buy a ticket on board - doesn't matter how you arrived at the airport. There's also a city bus that's cheaper and only slightly longer, but finding the bus stop at the airport might be challenging.

I took the catamaran from Korcula to Split and we stopped in Hvar. Split to Hvar the other way would be simple. In Summer, there are more ways to travel between them by boat.

Hvar can get pretty crowded in July, but you could always stay elsewhere on the island. Within an hour of Split, there are probably thousands of places that would be nice, but for a first trip to Croatia I think Hvar is a fine choice.
I do think you will want a car with a whole week on the island, but not until you get to the island (to avoid having to take it on the ferry). The island is huge, and while bus transport between Stari Grad and Hvar is great, if you want to leisurely explore the rest of the island, a car will be needed. You could just rent one for day trips, not necessarily the whole week. So, spend a few days enjoying Hvar and Stari Grad, take a boat trip to the Pakleni islands or along the coast, do a day trip back to the mainland via ferry, and then decide if you want to rent a car.