CUSTOMER ADVANCE CROATIA A-Z

(1)

CUSTOMER ADVANCE

CROATIA A-Z

(2)

10. Health 10.1 Medical Insurance 11. ID 12. Measuring System 13. Money 13.1 ATMs/Cash Machines 13.2 Cards 13.3 Currency 13.4 Tips 14. Mobile Phones 15. Payphones 16. Pula Sightseeing 16.1 Monuments 16.2 Museums 17. Student Discount 18. Time 19. Tourist Info 20. Travel Insurance 21. Visas 22. Vocab

(3)

1. Business Opening Hours

The general business opening hours of Croatia are listed below. Please bear in mind that they may vary.

- Offices: 8/9am - 4/5pm Mon-Fri and 8/9am - 1/2pm Sat - Banks: 8/9am - 5pm Mon-Fri and 8/9am - 1/2pm Sat - Bars: 9am - midnight

- Cafe: 8am - midnight

- Travel Agents: 8/9am - 9/10pm in high season - Post Offices: 7.30am - 7pm Mon-Fri, 8am-midday Sat - Restaurants: long hours - often midday - 11pm/midnight - Shops: 8am - 8pm Mon - Fri, 8am - midday Sat

- Supermarkets: 8am - 8pm Mon-Fri and 9am - 8pm

2. Crime

The crime rate in Croatia is low by European standards. Your main defence against petty theft/pickpocketing will be to avoid flaunting luxury items. Outlook festival encourages every festival attendee takes out travel insurance (see 20.) and always carry a photocopy of crucial information/ID with them at all times (see 11.). This will help you in the event of an unforeseen situation.

3. Croatian Customs Regulations and

Entry Requirements

Any foreign national entering Croatia must possess a valid passport. For stays of less than 90 days, citizens of EU countries, the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand can enter Croatia without a visa. South Africans need a 90-day visa to visit Croatia.

Personal possession of 2 litres of wine, 1 litre of spirits, 60ml of perfume and 200 cigarettes can be taken into Croatia without any duty to be declared.

Expensive items such as laptops and cameras should be reported to customs officials upon arrival to prevent problems when taking them out of the country on departure.

It is extremely important that you read over the Croatian Customer Regulations (here) & Entry Requirements (here) before you travel and ensure that you comply with them.

4. Disabled Travellers

Public toilets at bus stations, train stations, airports and large public venues are usually wheelchair accessible. Large hostels are likely to be wheelchair accessible, but private accommodation is not. Buses and train stations in Zagreb, Zadar, Rijeka, Split and Dubrovnik are wheelchair accessible. Local Jardrolinja ferries are not. For further information, get in touch with Hrvatski Savez Udruga Tjelesnih Invalida here.

(4)

5. Drugs / Illegal Substances

The Croatian authorities take a very strict stance on the use of drugs. We strongly advise that you do not bring drugs with you or try to buy drugs out here. There WILL be a strong police presence at the festival, both uniformed and plain clothed.

If you are caught with drugs or caught clearly under the influence of drugs then it is likely that you will be arrested and taken to the police station. In this situation, at the very least, you will spend the night in a cell and be given a hefty fine (€300 - €600).

If you do find yourself in a situation with the police whilst at the festival, please report it to the Customer Information Point as soon as possible. The CIP is there to support you, not to get you in trouble. The more information that we have from you guys on what’s happened, the better we will be able to analyse situations and improve the festival in years to come.

6. Electricity

Electrical supply is 220V, 50Hz AC. Croatia uses the standard European round-2-pronged plugs. (Electric points are available at the campsite).

7. Embassies and Consulates

Zagreb is the main diplomatic base for embassies and consulates and a number of countries have embassy representatives in Split. Most embassies and consulates are open Mon - Fri 8/9am - 8pm, and close for an hour at lunchtime.

WHAT THE EMBASSY CAN DO: • Issue an Emergency Travel Document

• Provide information about transferring funds from the UK • Provide a list of local lawyers

• Do all they properly can to contact you within 24 hours of being told that you have been detained

• In an emergency, contact your family and friends with your permission

WHAT THE EMBASSY CANNOT DO:

• Get you out of prison or interfere in criminal or civil court proceedings • Give you legal advice

• Investigate a crime

• Get you better treatment in hospital or prison than is given to local people

If you lose your passport at the festival, please make your way to the Customer Information Point, which will be located in the Customer Village, where a member of Outlook staff will assist you in getting the relevant documentation / information and can look in lost property to see if it has been handed in.

(5)

8. Female Travellers

Women face no special danger in Croatia. There have been cases in large coastal cities of some women being harassed but this is not common. Police will not always take reports of ‘date rape’ very seriously. Be careful about being alone with an unfamiliar man. Topless sunbathing is tolerated, but you’re better off on one of the numerous nudist beaches.

9. Gay and Lesbian Travellers

Homosexuality has been legal in Croatia since 1977 and is tolerated but not welcomed. Public displays of affection between same-sex couples may be met with hostility, especially outside the major cities. There is a limited gay scene in cities and resorts such as Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Rovinj and Hvar. See here for further information.

10. Health

It is safe to drink tap water on the mainland but double check if you are on an island.

No inoculations are required to travel to Croatia.

Most common health problems within tourists are sunstroke, sunburn and dehydration so please drink lots of water and keep applying your suncream!

Medication can be very expensive in Croatia. Not only that but prescriptions are often needed for items such as painkillers. For both these reasons, please bring spare medication that you rely on with you (e.g. inhalers, epi-pens) to avoid costly trips to town.

10.1 Medical Insurance

Make sure you are fully covered for medical treatment and medical evacuation. Croatia has a reciprocal emergency health arrangement with the UK. European health insurance (EHIC) is not valid in Croatia.

10.2 Customer Welfare

Please see sections 6.1 - 6.4 of the Customer Advance - Festival Guide for information on Customer Welfare.

11. ID

Although it is highly unlikely that you’ll be hassled by the police, the Embassy recommends that you should keep identification on you if possible as the police have the right to stop you and demand ID. By international treaty, you have the right to notify your consulate if arrested. Consulates can normally refer you to an English-speaking lawyer although they will not pay for one.

Whilst at the festival itself, we also suggest that you carry a copy of ID with you at all times. We know that your passports will be taken off of you for the duration of your stay if you’re staying in the campsite so we suggest making a copy of your passport to keep on you or bringing a driving licence.

(6)

12. Measuring System

The weights and measures system is metric.

13. Money

13.1 ATMs / Cash machines

Cash machines are available in practically every town in Croatia. Most are tied with Cirrus, Plus, Diner Club and Maestro. Privredna Banka usually has ATMS for cash withdrawals using American Express card. Most allow Credit Card withdrawals but will charge you interest and a withdrawal fee immediately. All post offices will allow you to make Master Card or Cirrus cash withdrawals, and some work with Diners Club as well.

13.2 Cards

Visa, Diners Club, Master Card, American Express are widely accepted in hotels but rarely accepted in any kind of private accommodation. Many smaller restaurants and shops do not accept credit cards. For Amex card holders, Privenda Bank is a bank chain which handles many Amex services. Croatia websites for Croatia’s branches of the major credit-card companies: American Express, Diners Club, Eurocard. Mastercard, Visa

There are no cash machines in the festival. We strongly suggest that you bring enough cash with you to the festival site each day/night to see you through. There are 2 cash machines in the Campsite but festival goers who are not staying in the Campsite won’t have access to these.

13.3 Currency

The official currency in Croatia is Kuna.

13.4 Tips

Bills include service charge but it is common to round up the bill and tip a little extra.

14. Mobile Phones

The three main mobile phone networks in Croatia are T-Mobile, VIP and Tele2. If bringing your handset from home, you will find that it will hook up automatically to one of these.

Make sure you call your home mobile phone operator before travelling, to make sure that roaming is enabled. At the same time, you’ll probably want to switch off data roaming if you have a smartphone, so you don’t rack up ridiculously high data charges.

(7)

15. Payphones

Payphones are dotted all around Pula. You’ll need a phone card to use the payphones, which are available to buy at any post office, tobacco shops and newspaper kiosks. They are sold in units of 25(15kn), 50 (30kn), 100 (50kn) and 300 (100kn). 3 minutes on the phone in Croatia will probably cost about 12kn to UK and Europe and around 15kn to Australia and the USA.

Phone numbers with the prefix 060 are either free or charged at the premium rate, so watch out for the fine print. Phone numbers beginning with 09 are mobile phone numbers, which are billed at a far higher rate than regular numbers.

16. Pula sightseeing

16.1 Monuments

Roman Amphitheatre ‘Arena of Pula’

The roman Amphitheatre (where the Outlook Opening Concert is held) formerly held gladiator tournatives. It was built in the 1st century AD during the reign of Emperor Vespasian, at the same time as the magnificent Colosseum in Rome. Opening hours: 8am - 9pm

Address: Scalierova ulica 30, 52100, Pula, Croatia Cost: adult/concession 40kn/20kn

Website

Temple of Augustus

The Temple, situated in the Forum, is dedicated to goddess Roma and Emperor Augustus. It was constructed between the year 2 BC and AD 14 when the Emperor died. According to its shape it follows the typical pattern of temples.

Opening hours: 9am-8pm, Mon-Fri & 9am - 3pm, Sat/Sun Address: Forum b.b., 52100, Pula, Croatia

Cost: adult/concession 10kn/5kn Website

Triumphal Arch of Sergi - Golden Gate

The “Golden Gate” was erected between the years 29 and 27 BC by the Sergi family, in honor of three members of the family who held important positions in Pula at that time.

Opening hours: N/A Address: Narodni Trg Cost: N/A

Website

Other Monuments

For more information on monuments in Pula, please see - http://www.pulainfo.hr/en/kamo-ici/monuments/33/

(8)

16.2 Museums

Istrian Museum of Contemporary Art

The museum collects works of art created in the second half of last century until the latest work of recent artists. MCAI represents an open meeting place of multiculturalism and, above all, to be a leading cultural and art institution of Istrian artists.

Opening hours: 11am-7pm. Closed Mondays & holidays Address: Stara tiskara, Sv. Ivana 1, Pula

Cost: 10kn Website

The Underground Galleries Zerostrasse

One of the many underground tunnels from the Austro-Hungarian period is open for visitors. Underground tunnel no. 12 is about 400 m long and has a central hall. Its tunnels are 3 - 6 m wide and about 2.5 m high, whereas the temperature is never above 20oC.

Opening hours: 9am-10pm. Address: Pula

Cost: adult/concession 15kn/5kn Website

Other Museums

For information on other museums in Pula, please check here.

17. Student Discount

Student discounts of up to 50% are offered in most museums, galleries and theatres. The best student ID is an ISIC card (an International Student Identity Card).

18. Time

Croatia is 1 hour ahead of BST, the same time zone as the majority of Western Europe.

19. Tourist Info

General Croatia Info: www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Croatia www.lonelyplanet.com/croatia http://croatia.hr/en-GB/Homepage http://www.visit-croatia.co.uk/ Croatian National Tourist Board

Local tourist websites for Pula and the Istria region www.pulainfo.hr

www.activa-istra.com www.arenaturist.hr www.istraction.com

(9)

20. Travel insurance

It is a good idea to make sure you are fully covered for unexpected losses or expenses such as missing flights and for medical treatment and medical evacuation. Croatia has reciprocal emergency health arrangement with the UK but the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is not valid in Croatia.

Worldwide travel insurance from the Lonely Planet is great as you can claim online at any time - See here for further info.

21. Visas

As Croatia has just joined the EU, the visa policy is fully harmonized with that of the EU. Citizens of the U.S., the U.K., EU countries, Australia and New Zealand DO NOT need visas. All citizen’s of NON EU countries such as Turkey, Russia and the Kosovo states will need to Apply for a visa to enter Croatia. For other countries, please check the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website here.

If you do need one, please contact the Croatian Embassy in your country (also detailed on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website) for more information on how to obtain a visa.

22. Vocab

Hello. (informal) - Bok (bohk).

How are you? - Kako si? (KAH-koh see?)

Please. - Molim. (MOH-leem)

Thank you. - Hvala. (HVAH-lah)

Yes. - Da. (da)

No. - Ne. (ne)

I’m sorry. (expressing condolence): Žao mi je. (zhow mee yeh)

Goodbye - Doviđenja (doh-vee-JEH-nyah) or Bok. (bok)

I can’t speak Croatian [well]. - Ne govorim (dobro) hrvatski. (neh GOH-voh-reem DOH-broh HUHR-vahts-kee)

Do you speak English? - Govoriš (li) engleski? (goh-VOH-reesh (lee) EN-gless-kee)

Is there someone here who speaks English? - Govori li ovdje netko engleski? (GOH-voh-ree lee OHV-dyeh NEH-tkoh EN-gless-kee)

I don’t understand. - Ne razumijem. (neh rah-ZOO-meeyehm)

Where is the toilet? - Gdje se nalazi nužnik?

I’m lost. - Izgubio [m] (eez-GOO-bee-yoh) izgubila (eez-GOO-bee-lah)[f] sam se. (sahm seh)

I lost my bag. - Izgubio [m] (eez-GOO-bee-yoh) izgubila (eez-GOO-bee-lah)[f] sam torbu. (sahm TOHR-boo)

(10)

I lost my wallet. - Izgubio (eez-GOO-bee-yoh) [m] izgubila (eez-GOO-bee-lah) [f] sam novčanik. (sahm nohv-chah-NEEK)

Can I use your phone? - Mogu li se poslužiti telefonom? (MOH-goo lee seh pohs-LOO-zhee-tee teh-leh-FOH-nohm) 0 - nula : (NOO-lah) 1 - jedan (YEH-dahn) 2 - dva (dvah) 3 - tri (tree) 4 - četiri (CHEH-tee-ree) 5 - pet (peht) 6 - šest (shehst) 7 - sedam (SEH-dahm) 8 - osam (OH-sahm) 9 - devet (DEH-veht) 10 - deset (DEH-seht) 11 - jedanaest (yeh-DAH-nah-ehst) 12 - dvanaest (DVAH-nah-ehst) 13 - trinaest (TREE-nah-ehst) 14 - četrnaest (cheh-TUHR-nah-ehst) 15 - petnaest (PEHT-nah-ehst) 16 - šesnaest (SHEHS-nah-ehst) 17 - sedamnaest (seh-DAHM-nah-ehst) 18 - osamnaest (oh-SAHM-nah-ehst) 19 - devetnaest (deh-VEHT-nah-ehst) 20 - dvadeset (DVAH-deh-seht) 30 - trideset (TREE-deh-seht) 40 - četrdeset (chehtr-DEH-seht) 50 - pedeset (peh-DEH-seht) 100 - sto (stoh) 500 - petsto (PEHTS-toh) 1000 - tisuću (TEE-soo-choo)

(11)

CUSTOMER ADVANCE CROATIA A-Z