It also confirmed continuation of flights from Belgrade to Dubrovnik (launched in 2011).

This year’s flights to Dubrovnik Airport will start in mid June, while flights from Belgrade to Pula and Split Airport will start at the beginning of July.

The routes will operate twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays afternoon.

More info and schedules / timetables are here

Pula Airport has also started to welcome flights from the German cities of Dresden, Leipzig, Rostock, Berlin and Erfurt, as well as Paris, France.

In May, Pula Airport will have direct flights to Cologne, Amsterdam, Moscow, Newcastle, Eindhoven, Bordeaux, Nantes, Manchester and Edinburgh, while flights to Stockholm and Yekaterinburg will be available from early June.

At the end of that month, flights for Belgrade, Copenhagen, Göteborg, Kiev, Barcelona and Madrid will be introduced, enabling tourists from many European cities to arrive quickly in the middle of the Istrian peninsula.

Pula Airport is only a few minutes by car from the center of the Pula town that has existed for three millennia and represents a treasury of cultural wealth. With its distinctive Arena, which transforms into a stage for culture & entertainment, and its numerous cultural monuments, Pula has obtained the status of a cultural tourism destination.  Istria tourist facilities are situated in the abundant forests along the sea, with magnificent beaches stretching for a hundred kilometers. Modern roads will quickly take you from Pula to any other tourist destination on the coast or in Croatia’s interior.

The new ferry line, which will be a seasonal one, already got approval from Croatian authorities and is now in process of obtaining accreditation of concession.

In the summer months, roads in area around Pula are getting very buzy with daily traffic jams and lack of parking places, so it is expected the new ferry line will improve traffic conditions around Pula as well as in the whole Istria. Check Istria Map for location of Pula, Fazana (Brijuni) and Rovinj.

For all future updates on this and other Croatia ferry lines, stay tune here at Croatia Ferry News

Beograd-Pula flights will start on 19th of June, operating twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays.

Due to non existing air traffic agreement between Croatia and Serbia, the Belgrade to Pula flights schedules are not yet visible at Jat’s website.

In addition to the agreements reached for the said destinations, Pula Airport is still negotiating with Scandinavian countries, Slovakia and Czech Republic, and they also plan to offer flights to certain Spanish cities and Belgrade.

The director of Pula Airport pointed out that one of the objectives of the flights is to provide passengers with point to point flight options instead having to fly cheap via Italy.

All these projects require improvements of the Airport’s technical status and efforts to improve the infrastructure. They also plan to raise the level of passenger comfort with maximum government aid, and make numerous reconstructions on the runway, the platform and the airport building. The airport management believes the passenger safety and traveling quality are very important, and that the airport will be much more competitive on the market after the said works.

In 2007, over 385 000 passengers traveled via Pula Airport, which is 30 percent more as compared to 2006. In 2008, they expect ten percent more passengers than in 2007.

After Ryanair’s flights to London start on 1 April, and to Dublin soon afterwards, flights to Cologne will be offered as of 1 May. The Cologne flight season will last seven months, with flights available twice a week, Thursdays and Sundays.

Exceptionally affordable tickets for these flights are already available for online booking – click here

This year, from January till end of October, Croatia was visited by 644.2 thousand cruising passengers (12% more than in same period of 2006) who spent in Croatia 934 nights (increase by 20.4 percent comparing to same period of 2006).

The most visited places in Croatia were:

• Dubrovnik with 523 cruising visits
• Korcula with 107 cruising visits
• Zadar and Split with 80 cruising visits each
• Pula with 55 cruising visits
• Hvar with 39 cruising visits
• Mljet and Ploce with 20 cruising visits

Cruisers were from various countries around the world – 140 from Bahamas, 76 from Italy , 64 from Panama, 52 from Portugal, 24 from UK etc..

Visit Croatia with Croatia Airlines holidays and enjoy everything it has to offer during this period of winter magic.

Come to Zagreb, the capital of Croatia and a center of arts and culture with its numerous museums and galleries.

Visit the miraculous Dubrovnik and celebrate New Year’s Eve in a magnificent atmosphere of this unique pearl of South Dalmatia, famous for its cultural heritage and beauty.

Split, a city with a 1700-year old tradition, a variety of archaeological, historical and cultural monuments, among which the well-known Palace of Diocletian is particularly attractive in this time of year.

Zadar, in the very centre of the Croatian Adriatic, and Pula, an Istrian destination, would also make an excellent choice

Croatia Airlines have prepared some special offers for this winter:

• Amsterdam – Zagreb from € 153
• Brussels – Zagreb from € 148
• Frankfurt – Zagreb from € 150
• London (Gatwick) – Zagreb from GBP 106
• London (Heathrow) – Zagreb from GBP 112
• Munich – Zagreb from € 146
• Paris – Zagreb from € 158
• Rome – Zagreb from € 138
• Sarajevo – Zagreb from € 134
• Skoplje – Zagreb from € 154
• Vienna – Zagreb from € 148
• Zurich – Zagreb from CHF 254

The prices include the airport taxes. Terms & Conditions: Min. stay: 3 days or weekend + Changes: allowed, fee: € 50 per segment + Refund: restricted  + Check Croatia Airlines’ web at : www.croatiaairlines.hr for more info..

The MS Arion cruises from city to city, island to island along the Croatian coast including Dubrovnik, Split, Korcula, Kotor in Montenegro, and Corfu, Corinth in Greece and Istanbul, and Kusadasi in Turkey.

Owned by Arcalia Shipping of Portugal, MS Arion has an intimate feel with only 320 passengers on board, and her size is particularly suited to explore the unspoiled small ports of Croatia unreachable by today’s mega liners.

The 8-day cruise follows the Dalmatian coast to the Croatian gems of Dubrovnik, Split, Korcula, Pula, Zadar and on to Kotor and Kotor Bay in Montenegro.

Starting in the Slovenian port of Koper you cruise through the Bay of Koper between Italy and Croatia to the Croatian towns of Pula and Zadar. From there cruise the Dalmatian Coast to historic Split, the island of Korcula and Dubrovnik, the ‘pearl of the Adriatic’.

A highlight is the visit to the Montenegro medieval city of Kotor in its picturesque bay location.

The cruise calls in at the Croatian port of Ploce before returning to Koper. http://www.sterlingvacations.com/cruises/cruise_01_arion/rates.html

Why not leave the stress of Christmas behind with this unique offer to get away from it all and experience both the luxury of a five star hotel in Zagreb and the comfort of your very own villa in the Istrian countryside, complete with log fire place.

Arrive in style at Zagreb where you will be transferred by a stretch limousine to the luxury five star Regent Esplanade Hotel. Once there, tuck the kids up in bed while you enjoy a relaxing massage followed by a candlelit dinner.

The following morning there will be a personal family tour of Zagreb, with one of local guides offering a unique experience of the old town, and visiting many of its historic sites along the way. In the afternoon, after a short flight to Pula in Istria you will be transferred to a secluded Croatian villa – complete with Christmas tree and plenty of wood for the log fire.

Any children staying will be excited to know that Father Christmas is in the area and will be happy to bring gifts for them. A Christmas turkey can also be arranged for Christmas day if requested.

Offer subject to availability at time of booking. Prices start from £599 per person based on eight sharing. Price includes flights, transfers and accommodation. For more information or to book visit Hiddencroatia.com.

These are the German companies Germanwings and TUIfly, the Hungarian air carrier Wizzair and the Danish Sterling.

Direct connections to Pula are currently maintained by three low cost air carriers that operate during the peak tourist season – the Irish company Ryanair which links Pula to London and Dublin, Norwegian Air Shuttle and the Scottish Fly Globespan. These three companies will run their last flights to Pula in this season at the end of this month. 

The Pula Airport – at which tourists whose destinations are located across all of Istra – is only a few kilometres from the town of Pula, into whose historical edifices and cultural monuments three thousand years of history have been built.  With its recognisable antiquity period amphitheatre, the sixth largest in the world, which plays host to numerous cultural events and performances by artists from around the world, Pula has found its place among interesting cultural destinations.

In the vicinity of the town are the Brijuni islands with their national park, located on three kilometres from the mainland coast. Distinct by its specific types of flora and fauna, and archaeological excavations that bear witness to the settlement of ancient civilisations, Brijuni National Park is also the site of top class cultural and sports events, congresses and meetings.

Near Pula, that has fast road connections to all the towns of the Istrian peninsula, there are also other attractive tourist destinations interesting at any time of the year. More info on Istra County Tourist Board: http://www.istra.hr/ and Pula Tourist Board : http://www.pulainfo.hr/