Surfing for Hotels
In Croatia, the larger hotels and some of the hotels in the country's new National Association of Small and Family Hotels at Obala Hrvatskog Narodnog Preporoda 7/3 in Split (tel. 021/317-880; fax 021/317-881; www.omh.hr) accept online reservations. Note: In the summer of 2005, almost none of the hotels we booked online -- large or small -- required credit card information to hold reservations, but that could change as the country's tourism industry grows.
Surfing for Rental Cars
Croatia has many independent car rental outlets and all of them are expensive. The average cost for a compact, air-conditioned car with manual transmission is $50 per day plus gas. The car is usually well-used, too.
Internet Access Away From Home
Travelers have any number of ways to check e-mail and access the Internet on the road. Of course, using your own laptop -- or a PDA (personal digital assistant) or electronic organizer with a modem -- gives you the most flexibility. If you don't have a computer, you can still access your e-mail and your office computer from cybercafes. Croatia has embraced the Internet in a big way, and connection to the Internet is available through cybercafes; in hotels; and in Wi-Fi areas in central Dubrovnik, Split, Zagreb, and other places.
