During our trip to Split we took a day-trip to Supetar (Brac island) on the Jadrolinja ferry. The trip was seamingless, with the staff at Split harbour as well as Supetar harbour speaking perfect English and with no queues at during our departure at 9 am from Split and 15 pm from Supetar. In both harbours, it took us less than a minute to be ready with our 33 kn (one-way) tickets with boarding also being no hassle for us. The trip on the ferry was peaceful, with great views from the top-deck. There is also a little cafe located on the Supetar ferries that serves drinks as well as snacks for a reasonable price. You are free to consume the drinks (incl. alcohol) outside on the deck. Strongly recommend Jadrolinja due to the on-time schedule and modern fleet of vessels!
We took the Jadrolinija passenger ferry from Split to Korcula via Hvar. I was very impressed with the value for money that it offered at about EUR8 for the two and a half hour trip. The passenger ferry is laid out like an aeroplane inside and there is no option of sitting outside but we enjoyed looking out of the window and briefly going on deck to view the island of Hvar from the harbour. We travelled back to Split on the car ferry from the other side of the island and this trip was even cheaper! Being a car ferry we could go on deck which made the journey more interesting. Passengers enter and leave the ferry via the car entrance which is a bit of a nightmare, especially when the car and lorries start moving as you are walking. I would prefer a separate pedestrian entrance, for safety reasons. Other than that, the trip was remarkably successful. Because it was April we did not need to book ahead, instead we bought the tickets on the day and the lady in the kiosk was very helpful at pointing us in the right direction. Korcula is a beautiful island and the service offered by Jadrolinija makes it a cheap excursion.
We took Split to Hvar and stayed in Hvar for four days and took the return back to Split. Just on an hour journey and very very cheap. Gets you into Hvar port instead of the further Stari Grad. One tip get in line early as you could miss out on a seat and baggage room!
This was an utterly lovely way to get from Dubrovnik to Korcula. The journey was peaceful, easy and quiet with breathtaking views.It was so quiet many people were asleep on the deck outside with just enough sun and the breeze.It took roughly three hours with only one stop before we got off. I couldn't fault it at all.NOTE - get there early as you will what to get a seat in an area that is shaded, they go very quickly and there aren't many shaded outdoor areas.
If you will be tired from the trip and you need to go more to the south It's a worthed to travel by boat. You can also put your car inside and enjoy. Only problem it's that the trip it's slower than travel by car.
We used Jadrolinja three times during our recent European trip. We crossed from Ancona to Split (RT overnight ferry) and from Dubrovnik to Split. On the trips across the Adriatic we booked a cabin and the trip from Dubrovnik to Split we booked "deck". In general, on all three trips the boats were relatively clean and the common areas appeared to be in good shape. Our cabin was small with typical ferry type bunks. The sheets were clean. The heating/air conditioning is "controlled" through a twisting vent in the ceiling. Hard to regulate and we did not notice a difference in room temperature however we twisted the vents. We spent our time not sleeping in the common areas because the cabins are tight. There are individual lights above the bunks for those who want to read. The shower worked well, had plenty of hot water and really strong water pressure. One tiny towel for each person though. With a cabin purchase breakfast is included. It's a breakfast buffet with eggs, and salamis/ham, coffee, cheeses, breads, juice, etc. Nothing lavish but it was good enough and it was helpful knowing we did not have to find food right when arriving in port but could go straight on to the train station. It's kind of a hassle going from the Ancona train station to the Jadrolinija ticket office and then back to the port. The ticket office is not near the port and we had to take a taxi. There is a free bus from the ticket office back to the port but it does not start running until closer to the time of departure so we had time to kill unless we wanted to take a taxi back to the port area and the center of Ancona. We were going to do so but could not find a taxi stand at the ticket office. I supposed we would have called one but there was a small outdoor bar/cafe with shaded tables wo we just stayed, had some drinks and waited until it was time for the bus. The ticket agents we encountered were friendly and efficient and helpful in Ancona, Split, and Dubrovnik. The trip from Dubrovnik to Split along the coast of Croatia was pleasant although not speedy by any means. It's about 8 hours compared to 5-5-1/2 hours by bus. We took the bus one way but found it very unpleasant so opted for the longer boat ride. You could sit anywhere you liked, on deck or inside. It was pretty hot so we opted to sit in the air conditioned interior. Comfortable. We wandered around on deck at times, took a few photos and watched the coast. The boat stops for short times in Korcula and Stari Grad. We took some food with us but if I do this trip again in the future I would take a bit more. There are stores near the port in both Ancona and Dubrovnik where you could grab food. There are sandwiches available on board but not a great selection and not as inexpensive as you could find in the stores near the port. All the trips were relatively hassle free. It's not luxury travel by any means but it got us from point to point in relative comfort.
Jadrolinija runs reliable ferry services all over Croatia. From our experience in the Dubrovnik archipelago I just can't commend them enough. Captains who maneuvre their ships I n and out of narrow harbours expertly and always on time. Seaworthy, well maintained vessels. Friendly crews. And prices nobody can complain about. Our ship even had a cafeteria with a working Italian espresso machine. For an old sailor and self- confessed coffee addict: Heaven on the Adriatic Sea!Trustworthiness is a big word in the maritime world. Jadrolinija deserves it.
On our last trip to Dubrovnik, we thought it would be fun to take the ferry, and cross the Adriatic to Bari, Italy. Fun is the last word I would use to describe this trip. Although the Jadrolinija boats are very nice, and the staff at the Dubrovnik office were polite and helpful, you should be aware that there are many variations of tickets for purchase, and taking the "deck" seating, as we did, is not recommended. It was sunny, and hot, on sailing day. The view of Dubrovnik is spectacular. Once on open sea, the warm wind turned cold, and no more views. We headed inside. The entire boat was full of an Italian religious group who couldn't have been louder, or ruder. No reflection of the Jadrolinija line, though. If doing it again, I would try and get a night crossing, and pay for a sleeping berth, or cabin. The trip is eight hours long, so be prepared if you choose to get the cheaper tickets. Tip #1: when you leave your car on the lower decks, you WILL NOT BE ALLOWED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES to return to your vehicle once the ship is at sea. So, take your sweater/jacket, food, drinks, reading material, pillows, earplugs, with you before you head upstairs. If you are travelling with a motorhome, just stay in the vehicle and sleep. Don't bother going upstairs. Tip #2: Bring your own food. Buy your groceries in the local Konzum store, and bring onto the ship. The restaurants on board have unpalatable food, and are expensive to boot. Once the ship docks, get your video camera ready. The unloading of the ship was so funny that we videotaped it. No orderly unloading of this ship. It was like being on a bumper car ride. Every vehicle starts trying to manoeuvre past the other, and it took a long time to get off the boat.
Water served at the restaurant is not mineral water. It is served on opened bottles and smell of cloro. 0.5 l costs more than 2 euro. It is a business if you think that every day they have around 50/60 customers. I already sent my complains to the company. Ask closed bottles be careful.
We used Jadrolinija numerous times during our stay around Split/Hvar and eventually back to Ancona. Basically everything works, but this is basic in every sense of the word. The fleet is very old and extremely tired, with bathroom facilities like very average public toilets.From lining up in Split waiting to cross to Hvar, where "window washing guys" posing as traffic directors relieve you of twenty Kuna (or thirty if they can get away with it), apparently sanctioned by uniformed staff members, to foot passengers disembarking amongst moving vehicles. Nothing at all in the way of safety instructions on the shorter inter-Island trips.From what I saw, most passengers take their own food onboard with them rather than pay high prices for a poor selection.