Start making your travel plans early, as mid-June is already the beginning of the tourist season in Croatia and (especially airplane) tickets may be more difficult to get for a specific date. Also, nationals of some countries need a visa to enter Croatia - if you need a visa, make sure to apply well in advance.

Visa requirements

Citizens of some countries need an entry visa for the Republic of Croatia. Current visa regulations, as of February 2005, are given at the Web site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

If you need a visa, make sure to apply for one well in advance. Use this list of current visa requirements and list of embassies and consular offices to find a Croatian diplomatic mission nearest to you.

Helping IEEE members from less rich countries in Region 8

IEEE Region 8 Voluntary Contribution Fund may help IEEE members from less rich countries in Region 8 for travelling to ConTEL 2005 if they have accepted papers. For more information, please visit Region 8 IEEE Voluntary Contribution Fund site.

Getting to Zagreb, by air

Useful links:

• Croatia Airlines - national airline company, since December 2004, Croatia Airlines became a regional member of Star Alliance (partner airlines Air Canada, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, bmi, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Spanair, TAP, Thai Airways International, United, US Airways and VARIG).
• Zagreb airport - Zagreb Airport is called Pleso (airport code: ZAG). It is located 17 km from the centre of the city (about 25 minutes by car or bus).

Transportation to/from the airport

The cheapest option to get to the city is by public transportation. There is a airport shuttle bus, operated by "Pleso prijevoz". Please note that public transportation fares are only payable in Croatian Kuna (HRK). A one-way ticket costs 25 HRK and may be bought from the driver. (Approximate exchange rate as of May 2005 is 1 EUR = 7.4 HRK and 1 USD = 5.8 HRK.)

The bus has two terminals, one located at the Airport, and the other, located at the Central Bus station in Zagreb (Autobusni kolodvor, Avenija Marina Drzica). The bus terminal at the Airport is located just outside the airport building. Buses run at half-hour intervals. See bus schedule.

Once at the Central bus station, you can either walk, or take a tram to your hotel. The Sheraton Zagreb Hotel is located within walking distance (10 min walk) from the station. An annotated map of bus and tram lines may be found here.

If you decide to take a tram, a single tram ticket costs 6.50 HRK when bought in advance (kiosk or newspaper stand - "Tisak", "Duhan"), and 8.00 HRK when bought from the driver. Remember to validate (stamp) your ticket once you get into the tram (look for an orange stamping machine). Stamp the ticket only once. The ticket is valid for valid for 90 minutes when traveling in one direction. [Do NOT use trams without a valid ticket -- if caught, you pay a fine of 150 HRK on the spot.]

A more comfortable and more expensive option to get to the city from the airport is to take a taxi.

The taxi terminal at the Airport is located just outside the airport building, but BE WARNED: the drivers often take advantage of arriving travelers and may charge you as much as a double normal fare to get to the city.

If you prefer to take a taxi, we suggest that you pre-order one to pick you up from the airport at a fixed price of 180 HRK (or 25 EUR). Taxi may be pre-ordered a few days before you leave for Zagreb by sending an e-mail to Mr. Milan Jesih at milan.j@vip.hr or by phone +385 91 200 30 40. In your e-mail, please note that you are attending ConTEL 2005, and specify your name, the date and time of your arrival and your flight number. You should receive an e-mail confirmation that your request is accepted.

Getting to Zagreb, by train

Useful links:

• Croatian Railways

Getting to Zagreb, by bus

Useful links:

• Zagreb Bus Terminal (domestic and international bus lines)
• A-Tours Agency (international bus lines)

Getting to Zagreb, by car

A driver's licence, car papers and all relevant insurance documents (except for countries that have other regulations) are necessary to enter Croatia with a vehicle.

If you decide to rent a car, you can do it at any major airport, as well as in the city, but it is generally a good idea to make your reservations in advance.

Croatian National Tourist Board has more information. For your convenience, here (61kb) is a roadmap from their site.