Taking the Overnight Ferry from Italy to Croatia!

Another out-of-order post, but I thought this info might be helpful for people trying to take the same ferry from Italy to Croatia this summer!

We needed to get out of the Schengen. I’d been in Budapest for a month, Krakow for a month, and, well, dabbled in Spain and Italy for a couple weeks each. Since Americans only get 90 out of 180 days in this part of Europe, it was time to move on. So what country is close to Italy but NOT in the Schengen? Croatia! It also happens to be beautiful and beachy… Done and done.

After looking up flights and buses and boats, we found that the ferry was actually the easiest way to Croatia from Italy. Specifically, we’d need to take the train from Bologna – where we were at the time – down to Ancona and make the overnight ferry crossing to Zadar, where we planned to spend our next month. Despite it being a 9-hour overnight trip, it was still shorter, more comfortable, and cheaper than most flights (which routed through Vienna and took all day).

And boats are WAY cooler, obviously.

How far ahead should you book the ferry from Ancona to Zadar?

We planned a few weeks ahead for this journey, but you probably don’t have to – our ferry was nowhere near full. But you certainly do need to plan at least a little bit since the ferries do not leave every night of the week and they do run out of cabins in the high season.

If you plan to pay online with a credit card, you may also want some time to find a place to print off those receipts. (You don’t have to – the email confirmation says you can just show the PDF on your phone to receive your boarding passes – but hey, you never know! I like to pretend like I’m laid back about this kind of shit, but I am not. I print it off.)

You’ll also need to plan early enough that you can get to the port city in time, which meant we needed to book train tickets to Ancona and accommodation too.

Heading to Zadar? Check out my post on Zadar Travel Tips and Living in Zadar for One Month!

Got extra time? Stop in Ancona for a couple days!

Most of the ferries for our journey – Ancona to Zadar – departed at 10PM, so you really have all day to make it to Ancona if you don’t want to spend the night there. But since we had time, we decided to explore this little Italian beachside town for a few nights, and yeah, it was well worth it!

We thought it might just be an ugly port city, but Ancona is really laid back, walkable, non-touristy, and pretty beautiful. We went swimming at the nearest beach – Passetto – on a lazy Sunday and watched all the families hanging out, cooking, fishing, playing cards, and jumping off the rocky cliffs. We walked down to the port and had a little aperitivo with some beers at Locanda del Porto while watching the boats head out to sea. Then we made it to a popular little spot that our host recommended for sunset and some fabulous fresh seafood – fritto misto and seared tuna – with cold white wine (all for shockingly cheap). If you’re in Ancona, don’t miss the very casual yet chic Anguì.

The next day, we wandered around the main part of town, did a little shopping and a little more eating (street-side seafood at Al Chiosco Da Morena) as we said goodbye to Italy.

Buying a Ferry Ticket from Italy to Croatia

Book your ticket online through the Jadrolinija website (be sure to switch it to the English version unless you happen to read Croatian!). If you’re leaving from Ancona, Italy, like us, you can choose to go to Zadar, Split, or Hvar, Croatia. Considering that you’d have to fly to Zadar and then get a cab to the city or fly to Split then take a ferry Hvar, all of these routes are super convenient, even if their website leaves a little to be desired…

Find your date (I believe we left on a Tuesday) and click BUY. You’ll then have to select the number of passengers and whether you want just a general “deck” seat, “reclining seat,” or “cabin.” If you’re traveling alone and don’t mind sleeping with strangers of the same gender, you can also choose “bed in cabin.”

Important Note: Do not choose “reclining seats.” Literally nobody was sleeping in them. You have to pay extra and the photo below is what you get. Technically, they’re reserved but we sat in them the next morning as we were waiting to pull into port. Thanks to the folks behind this blog post for that hot tip!

Pardon the iPhone pics and fluorescent lights as I show you around the Jadrolinija ferry…

It seemed that most people chose “deck” tickets. They brought sleeping bags, boarded early, and posted up on the limited number of couches. If you choose this option – I mean, it is the cheapest – you’ll want to get there early to stake your claim. You’ll be competing for space with everybody from old Croatian men to whole families to backpackers. Here’s a look at some of the spots you can claim with your basic “deck” tickets.

As for the cabins, they were fab. What a great decision! We’ve done lots of overnight buses, so this felt like a dream. It’s definitely nothing fancy but with that rocking motion of the boat and no windows, we slept amazingly and got a full night’s rest – especially compared to literally every other form of public transportation.

And even though the ferry website said “outside sh/wc” when I booked our cabin tickets, they must have had extra space because we had our own private bathroom with a shower! Bonus!

Upon entering the boat, you have to haul your bags up some stairs and check in with a receptionist who will give you the keys to your cabin. Other than sleeping, we explored the boat a bit. There are several lounge areas, a bar, a dining area (closed at night, but a few folks ate breakfast there), and what looks like it could be a jazz club on a good night. We didn’t find any entertainment, but we did sit up on the top deck and drink our wine with lots of other people and watch as the lights of the Italian coastline disappeared.

Total Cost of Jadrolinija Ferry Ticket from Ancona to Zadar?

We paid 1,008HRK ($152.45 USD) for two people and a cabin. If you need a cost breakdown, the tickets themselves were only 135 HRK each, while the cabin was 520 HRK.

That amounts to $76 USD each for transit and accommodation (plus the cool ferry experience!) and honestly it felt like awesome value for money! You find a better way to hop across the Adriatic. I’ll wait…

The Details: Getting to the Jadrolinija Ferry Offices in Ancona

You do not just get straight on the boat.

Do not underestimate this part of the ordeal. You think a 10PM departure time is late, and it is, but it’s a bit of a walk from the center of town to the Jadrolinija ferry ticket offices. They are NOT where the boats are but nearly a 20-minute walk away (to the left when facing the water). That’s a pretty sweaty walk when you’re carrying all of your bags, so either give yourself time or grab a taxi.

Find the check-in offices on Google Maps by searching for Terminal Check-in Traghetti Ancona or Porto Di Ancona, Biglietteria. Yeah, that’s totally intuitive right?

After hustling to check in, we showed the Jadrolinija lady our receipts and passports and she printed off our boarding passes. Then she pointed us to the waiting area where a free shuttle bus to the ferry soon showed up. (In hindsight, it’s possible that these buses run both ways, but we were just grateful we didn’t have to lug our stuff all the way back.) These shuttles run pretty frequently and they will drop you off next to the immigration offices at the port where you can get your passport stamped and board the ferry.

Once you’re here, you’re golden. Just follow the signs.

Remember, if you need to get out of the Schengen like me, you need to be sure to get your passport stamped at some point. Don’t worry, I’m pretty sure you can’t get on the boat without this happening. (You will also go through immigration again when the ferry reaches Croatia.) According to this blog post, the passport offices open two hours before the ferry leaves – so don’t try to be an eager beaver.

This is the part where you can send someone to get snacks or wine for the journey – if you’d like. Marko wandered off and found a bottle of cheap wine. You’re totally allowed to bring your own food and drinks on the boat, and they’ll be much cheaper than anything you can buy onboard. We saw men with beers and giant tubs of strawberries playing cards. You will need to scan your bags when you go through passport control, but that’s for security purposes rather than trying to seize all your beloved liquids. Yet another perk of not flying!

If you’re arriving in Zadar…

Joke’s on us. The ferry does not stop in Zadar Old Town! Of course, we could have easily learned that by reading our ticket – it clearly said “ZADAR (GAŽENICA).” Yes, in all caps just like that.

There ARE ferry offices in the Old Town, but they’re for boats that go to smaller Croatian islands. We used them when we made a day trip to Sakarun.

This big boy arrives at the port of Gaženica. (Ours got in a bit earlier than the scheduled 7 AM.) You exit with your luggage and walk through an immigration checkpoint. Then you can either take one of the awaiting taxis or walk to the road and take an Uber (we did the latter). It was about 55HRK ($8.62 USD) to our apartment in Old Town Zadar. Just make sure you can check into your accommodation early or store your luggage somewhere since you’ll be arriving early!

Staying in Zadar or heading to this part of Croatia? Check out my post on Zadar Travel Tips and Living in Zadar for One Month!

Are you a fan of boats?!