Fast Facts

American Express -- Atlas Travel is the agent for American Express in Croatia. It has agencies in most major cities and tourist areas.

Area Codes -- Croatia's country code is +385.

Business Hours -- Banks and post offices generally are open from 7am to 7pm Monday through Friday without midday breaks. Public offices are open Monday through Friday from 8am to 4pm. During the tourist season, post offices generally are open until 9pm, including Saturday. Shops and department stores stay open from 8am to 8pm and to 2pm Saturday without a midday break. Note: Hours in some new urban shopping malls are from 9am to 9pm daily.

Customs -- What You Can Bring Into Croatia: Visitors can bring in foreign currency in any amount, but anything above 40,000kn ($7,400) must be declared in writing. One liter of spirits, 2 liters of wine, 2 liters of liqueur and 1 carton of cigarettes can be brought in duty free.

What You Can Take Home from Croatia: Returning U.S. citizens who have been away for at least 48 hours can bring back $800 worth of merchandise duty free once every 30 days. Canada allows its citizens a C$750 exemption; Australia sets a A$400 limit; New Zealand allows NZ$700 in duty free items.

U.S. Citizens: For detailed information on what you can bring back and the corresponding fees, download the invaluable free pamphlet Know Before You Go online at www.cbp.gov. (Click on "Travel," and then click on "Know Before You Go! Online Brochure.") Or contact the U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP), 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20229 (tel. 877/287-8667) and request the pamphlet.

Canadian Citizens: For a clear summary of Canadian rules, write for the booklet I Declare, issued by the Canada Border Services Agency (tel. 800/461-9999 in Canada, or 204/983-3500; www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca).

U.K. Citizens: For information, contact HM Customs & Excise at tel. 0845/010-9000 (from outside the U.K., 020/8929-0152), or consult their website at www.hmce.gov.uk.

Australian Citizens: A helpful brochure available from Australian consulates or Customs offices is Know Before You Go. For more information, call the Australian Customs Service at tel. 1300/363-263, or log on to www.customs.gov.au.

New Zealand Citizens: Most questions are answered in a free pamphlet available at New Zealand consulates and Customs offices: New Zealand Customs Guide for Travellers, Notice no. 4. For more information, contact New Zealand Customs, The Customhouse, 17-21 Whitmore St., Box 2218, Wellington (tel. 04/473-6099 or 0800/428-786; www.customs.govt.nz).

Drugstores -- Croatian drugstores are called Ljekarna. They are open from 8am to 7pm weekdays and until 2pm on Saturday. In larger cities, at least one ljekarna stays open 24 hours.

Electricity -- Croatian electricity is 220V, 50Hz; the two-prong Continental plug is standard.

Embassies & Consulates --U.S.: Andrije Hebranga 2, Zagreb; tel. 01-66-12-200. Australia: Krsnjavoga 1, Zagreb; tel. 01-48-36-6000. United Kingdom: Vlaska 121, Zagreb; tel. 01-45-55-310. Also Obala Hrvatskog Narodnog Preporoda 10, 21000, Split; tel. 021/341-464.

Emergencies -- 911 equivalent: tel. 112. Police: tel. 92. Fire: tel. 93. Ambulance: tel. 94. Roadside assistance: tel. 987. (When calling from abroad or by cellphone, call +385-1-987.) General information about international numbers, tel. 902. Weather forecast and road conditions: tel. 060/520-520.

Etiquette & Customs -- Appropriate Attire: Croatians, especially Croatian women, take pride in their appearance. In cities, both men and women usually dress in business casual while on the coast and countryside, the "dress code" is more relaxed. You will never see Croatians wearing immodest or sloppy clothes in public places. If you plan to visit museums or churches anywhere, plan to wear tops with sleeves and pants that go to at least the knee.

Gestures: Dobar dan (good day) is the way Croatians generally greet each other. Handshakes are appropriate for first meetings and between business associates. Good friends will kiss on both cheeks in the European style.

Avoiding Offense: Religion and politics are topics to avoid universally. In Croatia, stay away from discussing Croat-Serb relations or anything related to the Homeland War unless you know what you're talking about and have lots of time for debate.

Holidays -- Croatian shops and banks are closed on public holidays, which are: January 1, New Year; January 6, Epiphany; March or April, Easter Monday; May 1, Labor Day; May, Corpus Christi; June 22, Anti-Fascist Day; June 25, Croatian Statehood; August 5, Thanksgiving; August 15, Assumption; October 8, Independence Day; November 1, All Saints Day; December 25 and 26, Christmas.

Hospitals -- Zagreb: Sisters of Mercy Hospital Clinic (Klinicka Bolnica "Sestre Milosrdnice), Vinogradska cesta 29 tel. 01-37-87-111. Split: Split Hospital Clinic (Klinicka Bolnica Split), Spinciceva 1, tel. 021/556-111. Dubrovnik: Dubrovnik General Hospital (Opca Bolnica Dubrovnik), Toka Misetica bb, tel. 020/431-777.

Language -- Most residents of major Croatian cities speak English. Most movie houses and programs on Croatian TV are in English with Croatian subtitles. Check out the glossary in the back of this book for basic phrases and words. For more specific vocabulary, see the Langenscheidt Universal Croatian Dictionary.

Laundromats -- Self-service laundromats are few and far between in Croatia, though many hotels have laundry service and most family-run establishments will wash and iron your clothes for a price. In larger cities, you can take your clothes to a kemijska Cistionica (dry cleaner) or use one of very few praonica rublja (self-service) laundromat. In Zagreb, you can find Lahor at Stupnicka Ulica 16, tel. 01/6061-483. Mon-Sat 9am-8pm.

Legal Aid -- Consult your embassy if you get into legal trouble in Croatia.

Liquor Laws -- The minimum age for purchasing liquor is 18, but there is no minimum age for consuming it. Croatia has a zero tolerance law regarding drinking and driving; the legal limit is 0.0% blood alcohol. Package liquor (wine, beer, spirits) can be purchased in markets, wine stores, and some souvenir shops, and at almost every gas station in Croatia.

Lost & Found -- Be sure to tell all of your credit card companies the minute you discover your wallet has been lost or stolen and file a report at the nearest police precinct. Your credit card company or insurer may require a police report number or record of the loss. Most credit card companies have an emergency toll-free number to call if your card is lost or stolen; they may be able to wire you a cash advance immediately or deliver an emergency credit card in a day or two. Keep a copy of this number separate from your credit cards. International collect phone numbers for credit card companies are: Visa and MasterCard: tel. 605/335-2222; American Express: tel. 336/393-1111.

If you need emergency cash over the weekend when all banks and American Express offices are closed, you can have money wired to you via Western Union (tel. 800/325-6000: www.westernunion.com).

Mail -- It costs 3.50kn (65¢) to send a postcard to the U.S. and 5kn ($1) to send a letter weighing up to 20 grams ( 3/4 oz.). The post office is fairly reliable, but very slow. It takes about 10 days to 2 weeks for postcards to arrive in the U.S. from Croatia and up to a month for regular mail and packages. Other carriers are available (DHL, Fedex, UPS) in major population centers, but the cost is prohibitive (about $50 per pound).

Measurements -- Weights and measures are metric.

Newspapers & Magazines -- English-language newspapers and magazines are a rarity at Croatian newsstands, even in Zagreb. Some of the better hotels supply faxed copies of various U.S. publications. Algorithm bookstores in major population centers are the only common outlets for English-language publications. Look for the International Herald Tribune and USA Today if you crave English-language news.

Police -- Call tel. 92.

Restrooms -- There are no free-standing public restrooms in Croatia, but most restaurants and public buildings have them. But keep in mind that it's considered impolite to use a restroom in a restaurant if you're not eating or drinking there.

Smoking -- There are no restrictions on smoking in restaurants or public places in Croatia, though many hotels offer nonsmoking guest rooms and a few restaurants have nonsmoking areas.

Taxes -- Croatia's VAT is 22%. Refunds of VAT are made to foreign nationals when they leave the country for goods purchased in Croatia for amounts over 500kn ($93) with a tax check form. Salespeople will provide this form when you make a purchase over 500kn. There is a 10% nonrefundable tax on excursions and tax on hotel rooms, too. For further information, go to www.carina.hr.

Time Zone -- Croatia is 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, 6 hours ahead of New York (Eastern Standard Time), and 9 hours ahead of Los Angeles (Pacific Standard Time). Daylight Saving Time is observed from late March to late September, when clocks are advanced 1 hour.

Tipping -- A 10% to 15% gratuity is expected in upscale restaurants. Otherwise, it is considered polite to leave any coins from your change on the table in cafes and restaurants. A 10% tip for other service providers (taxi drivers, hotel personnel, and others) is the norm, as is a tip for anyone who helps you carry your luggage or conducts a tour.

Useful Phone Numbers -- U.S. Dept. of State Travel Advisory tel. 202/647-5225 (manned 24 hrs.). U.S. Passport Agency tel. 202/647-0518.

Water -- Tap water is potable throughout Croatia -- feel free to order tap water at restaurants.