Adventurous Kate contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I will earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks!<\/em><\/small><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Yes, you need an eSIM for Croatia \u2014 even though it seems like everywhere has wifi! <\/strong>From cafes in Split to apartments in the hills of Dubrovnik, it seems like the wifi card is just about everywhere.<\/p>\n But that only gets you so far. You will likely also need data in Croatia when road-tripping along the coast (did I mention that Croatia is one of the best countries in Europe for a road trip?), exploring natural wonders like canyons and lakes, and in city squares when the public wifi happens to be on the fritz.<\/p>\n And believe me \u2014 when it comes to Croatia travel, I know what I\u2019m talking about!<\/p>\n I visit Croatia often; have covered all the nation\u2019s corners, from Istria to Slavonia to Dalmatia; and I even threw my 40th birthday party in Croatia, inviting friends from around the world to celebrate on my beloved island of Kor\u010dula. <\/p>\n In 2022, I was awarded the Golden Pen Grand Prix, Croatia\u2019s top travel writing award for foreigners, and I received one of my favorite compliments ever \u2014 \u201cYou understand Croatia like Croatians do.\u201d<\/p>\n And I would never dream of visiting Croatia without an eSIM in my phone.<\/strong> Having internet on my phone makes my Croatia trips easy and so much better. Here\u2019s exactly which one to get, and why.<\/p>\n This post is published in partnership with<\/em>\u00a0Holafly<\/a>. All opinions and stories are most definitely my own!<\/em><\/p>\n If you live in a country outside the EU, you almost certainly need an eSIM for Croatia.<\/strong> (If you live in the UK, double-check that, as some UK phone plans still cover EU roaming \u2014 but if you\u2019re from the US, Canada, Australia, etc., you will most likely need one.)<\/p>\n And even relying on wifi alone isn\u2019t enough in Croatia. Here are some things to keep in mind when traveling in Croatia:<\/p>\n Stone walls can block signal.<\/strong>\u00a0And Croatia has a LOT of stone walls and buildings, from Dubrovnik\u2019s walled Old Town to Diocletian\u2019s Palace in Split to the tangled lanes of Kor\u010dula and Hvar Town. These centuries-old limestone buildings were designed to be thick enough to hold off an attack from seafaring marauders. They\u2019re also very good at blocking signal indoors.<\/p>\n Ferries and catamarans are dead-zone roulette.<\/strong>\u00a0If you\u2019re taking a ferry a short distance, like the 50-minute car ferry from Split to Bra\u010d, you\u2019ll usually be fine. <\/p>\n But on longer crossings to further-out islands like Vis, you\u2019ll hit stretches of open water where your signal disappears. Know that if you\u2019re planning to message your apartment host as you pull into the harbor.<\/p>\n National parks are in canyons and forests.<\/strong>\u00a0Plitvice Lakes National Park is so beautiful because it\u2019s a series of lakes and waterfalls tucked deep in a forested gorge, and that terrain isn\u2019t kind to mobile signal. Same with the rocky national park of Paklenica and parts of Krka.<\/p>\n The drive inland is empty.<\/strong>\u00a0Driving from Zagreb to the coast through Lika, or crossing the Velebit mountains, you\u2019ll go long stretches with nothing but forest, rock, and the occasional roadside peka (lamb cooked under the bell). Offline maps are your friend here, but a solid eSIM can make a big difference.<\/p>\n Apartment wifi is a gamble.<\/strong>\u00a0Accommodation in Croatia, like many Balkan countries, is primarily private rented apartments (sobe<\/em> and apartmani<\/em>), and wifi quality can vary wildly from host to host. (Don\u2019t ask me about the time in Montenegro when \u201cin-apartment wifi\u201d meant \u201clean out the window and get on the signal from the restaurant across the street.\u201d)<\/p>\n None of this means eSIMs don\u2019t work in Croatia \u2014 they do, and well, in the places tourists actually spend most of their time. It just means the eSIM you pick, and how you use it, matters more here than in a place with uniformly excellent coverage.<\/p>\n Croatia is simpler than most countries: there are only three mobile networks.<\/strong> Most eSIM providers connect to one or more of these rather than running their own local network, so which carrier(s) your eSIM uses affects your real-world coverage.<\/p>\n Hrvatski Telekom (HT)<\/strong>\u00a0is the biggest, owned by Deutsche Telekom, and generally has the widest coverage, including on islands and in rural areas. If you\u2019re heading somewhere remote, you want an eSIM that can use HT.<\/p>\n A1 Croatia<\/strong>\u00a0is the second-largest network, with coverage that\u2019s close to HT\u2019s in most of the places tourists go.<\/p>\n Telemach<\/strong>\u00a0is the smallest of the three. It\u2019s solid in cities and along the coast but thinner in remote spots.<\/p>\n Holafly<\/a> connects across Croatia\u2019s major carrier infrastructure, which is part of why it\u2019s my top pick for the country specifically \u2014 you\u2019re not locked to a single network\u2019s blind spots.<\/strong><\/p>\n Please, please, please don\u2019t do this.<\/strong> It\u2019s almost always an expensive mistake.\u00a0<\/p>\n International roaming \u2014 especially on US plans \u2014 is often\u00a0absurdly<\/em>\u00a0expensive, and Croatia is no exception. I\u2019ve had friends come home from a week in Europe to a $200+ phone bill because they didn\u2019t think a few social media uploads would cost THAT much.<\/p>\n An eSIM for Croatia typically runs a small fraction of that cost of international roaming, and you can install it from your couch before you ever board the flight.<\/p>\n Are you visiting any countries besides Croatia?<\/strong>\u00a0This is the big one. <\/p>\n Croatia only? Get a Croatia eSIM<\/a>.<\/p>\n Croatia plus Slovenia or Italy, or maybe somewhere else in the EU, like France or Greece? A Europe eSIM<\/a> makes sense.<\/p>\n But are you planning to visit Bosnia or Montenegro, too? Most Europe eSIMs do not include these non-EU countries. You may need a different eSIM covering these countries. <\/p>\n (Traveling in several Balkan countries besides Croatia and Slovenia? Holafly has a Balkans eSIM<\/a> that covers Bosnia, Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Albania.)<\/p>\n Now, do you actually need an eSIM if all you\u2019re doing is day-tripping to Mostar or Kotor? Personally, if it\u2019s just one day, I think I\u2019d go without and lean on wifi. But both Mostar and Kotor are much better if you stay overnight, and if you stay for multiple days, definitely get an eSIM.<\/p>\n Are you sailing?<\/strong>\u00a0Croatia is home to some of the clearest turquoise waters you\u2019ve ever seen, and I highly recommend some time on a boat, whether it\u2019s a day trip to the Blue Cave, a chartered sailboat, or even the Yacht Week. <\/p>\n On a boat, your phone is often your only internet connection, and if you\u2019ve got signal when nobody else does, trust me, EVERYONE will want to hotspot off you. Unlimited data is worth its weight in gold here.<\/p>\n Will you be taking a lot of photos and videos with your phone?<\/strong>\u00a0I mean, I almost feel dumb asking that, because Croatia is one of the most beautiful countries in Europe, if not the world. You WILL take a ton of photos and videos.<\/p>\n But keep in mind that if your photos automatically sync to the cloud, that will eat up your data SO fast. Once again, it\u2019s wise to get unlimited data for this reason alone.<\/p>\n Will you need to make calls?<\/strong>\u00a0Most Croatian apartment hosts and tour guides use WhatsApp for communication, so you probably won\u2019t need a local number. But if you\u2019re booking a boat captain in a small harbor or calling a konoba for a table, a plan with voice can come in handy.<\/p>\n Holafly<\/a>\u00a0is the eSIM I use on every international trip, and it\u2019s what I recommend for Croatia.<\/strong><\/p>\n Holafly offers unlimited data with no throttling, and connects across Croatia\u2019s major carrier network rather than relying on just one \u2014 which matters a lot, given how much coverage varies between Dubrovnik\u2019s old town, the remote island of Vis, and Zagreb\u2019s city center.<\/p>\n The big reason for Holafly is because it offers unlimited data.<\/strong> On a Croatia trip, especially one involving the gorgeous coastline, I don\u2019t want to be rationing gigabytes. I want my photos to back up without it costing me a fortune.<\/p>\n Every Holafly eSIM also includes Always On, a 1GB-per-month backup data allowance. That\u2019s a real safety net if your main plan runs out while you\u2019re stuck at an airport, trying to figure out how to navigate flight delays.<\/p>\n Holafly offers a Croatia-specific eSIM as well as a Europe eSIM, which is handy if you\u2019re combining Croatia with Slovenia, Italy, or anywhere else in the EU. <\/p>\n (Keep in mind that the Europe eSIM<\/a> does not cover Bosnia or Montenegro, but their Balkans eSIM<\/a> covers Bosnia, Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Albania.)<\/p>\n You can get 5% off your <\/b>Holafly eSIM<\/strong><\/a><\/span> with the code HOLAKATE.<\/strong>\u00a0This code also gives you 10% off subscription plans.<\/p>\n If you mainly need maps, WhatsApp, and email in Croatia, without dealing with many photo or video uploads,\u00a0Airalo<\/a> is hard to beat on price.<\/strong><\/p>\n Airalo\u2019s Croatia eSIM connects across multiple Croatian networks and you can find the cheapest plans for prices as low as just a few dollars.<\/p>\n The tradeoff: I would double-check that your photos don\u2019t automatically upload to the cloud, because if they do that, you will need to top up constantly throughout your trip and the low price goes out the window.<\/p>\n Saily<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 the eSIM from NordVPN \u2014 bundles in an ad blocker, web protection, and a virtual location tool.<\/strong><\/p>\n Coverage across Croatia is solid, and entry pricing is competitive, with short plans for just a few dollars.<\/p>\n Just know that even Saily\u2019s \u201cunlimited\u201d plans give you a set amount of high-speed data per day before slowing down, which is worth checking against how heavily you\u2019ll be using data on your journeys.<\/p>\n SimLocal<\/a>\u00a0is worth a look specifically for people who need to make phone calls.<\/strong><\/p>\n You may need to call guesthouses, restaurants, or apartment rental hosts who don\u2019t always respond on WhatsApp, especially outside the major cities. A phone number will solve these problems.<\/p>\n SimLocal plans run 7 to 90 days with a no-questions-asked refund policy on unused plans, though pricing isn\u2019t always the cheapest and network quality can vary by region.<\/p>\n Breeze<\/a>\u00a0is a good fit for a quick long-weekend trip to Zadar or Dubrovnik or Split<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 no app required, plans valid for 12 months from purchase. Simple and easy.<\/p>\n Just note their \u201cUnlimited\u201d plans throttle hard after 1GB\/day, which is on the low side if you\u2019re going to be uploading video.<\/p>\n If you go with\u00a0Holafly<\/a>:<\/p>\n Buy your Holafly eSIM at Holafly.com<\/a>\u00a0before you leave<\/strong> \u2014 don\u2019t forget code HOLAKATE for 5% off. Choose Croatia (or the Europe eSIM<\/a> if you\u2019re visiting multiple countries), and select your trip length.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll get install details by email and WhatsApp within about a minute.<\/strong><\/p>\n Install via QR code, manual entry, or one-tap install<\/strong>\u00a0if you\u2019re on iOS 17.4+.<\/p>\n Once you land \u2014 in Dubrovnik, Split, or wherever \u2014 turn on your eSIM and set data to roaming.<\/strong><\/p>\n (I always do this before I even board the flight, so I land already connected instead of hunting for airport wifi.)<\/p>\n If you run into any issues, Holafly has 24\/7 customer support via chat and WhatsApp.<\/p>\n Wifi alone isn\u2019t enough.<\/strong> You\u2019ll want data for navigating historic centers, catching buses and ferries, translating menus, and booking last-minute reservations, all of which often happen when you\u2019re away from working wifi.<\/p>\n Usually Croatian eSIMs do not work in Bosnia and Montenegro, as these countries are outside the EU.<\/strong> But double-check with your eSIM provider.<\/p>\n Generally yes, in populated areas, but expect drops on rural stretches between cities and towns.<\/strong> Coverage tends to be strongest in and around major stations.<\/p>\n For the most part, yes! <\/strong>Coverage is decent near shore and in port towns, but can be spotty on longer ferry crossings to further-out islands like Vis. Many Croatian islands are home to decent-sized cities, and they have good coverage.<\/p>\n Usually, yes, once you factor in the time saved and the ability to set it up before you even land<\/strong> \u2014 plus, you skip the line and the passport paperwork, which to me is always<\/em> worth it.<\/p>\n It depends on the provider.<\/strong> Holafly<\/a> connects across Croatia\u2019s major carrier infrastructure; other eSIMs can vary. Check before you buy if you\u2019re headed somewhere rural.<\/p>\n Absolutely.<\/strong> They\u2019re held to the same telecom security standards as physical SIM cards, and they can\u2019t be physically removed or stolen the way a plastic SIM can.<\/p>\n No, this is a common misconception.<\/strong> eSIMs don\u2019t drain your battery any more than a regular SIM card.<\/p>\n In almost all cases, yes \u2014 most phones support two active SIMs at once.<\/strong> Just check with your home carrier about text charges while abroad. And turn off data roaming for your home SIM card or eSIM!<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve got an iPhone XS or later, a Samsung Galaxy S20 or later, or a Google Pixel 3 or later, you\u2019re set.<\/strong> Older phones and a lot of budget Android models don\u2019t support eSIM, so double-check your specific model before you buy anything.<\/p>\n If your phone isn\u2019t eSIM compatible, you\u2019ll need to get a physical SIM card on the ground.<\/p>\n![\"Kate](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Kate-Vis-Island-Croatia-1024x754.jpg\"\/)
![\"Kate](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Kate-Vis-Island-Croatia-1024x754.jpg\")
Best eSIM for Croatia<\/h2>\n
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Do you really need an eSIM for Croatia?<\/h2>\n
Which Croatian Networks Do eSIMs Use?<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Woman-on-phone-Dubrovnik-Croatia-1024x683.jpg\"\/)
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Woman-on-phone-Dubrovnik-Croatia-1024x683.jpg\")
Why can\u2019t I just use my home phone plan in Croatia?<\/h2>\n
What Matters When Choosing an eSIM for Croatia<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Woman-on-phone-in-Croatia-1024x683.jpg\"\/)
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Woman-on-phone-in-Croatia-1024x683.jpg\")
Best eSIM for Croatia Overall:\u00a0Holafly<\/a><\/h2>\n
Best Budget eSIM for Croatia:\u00a0Airalo<\/a><\/h2>\n
Best eSIM App Experience for Croatia:\u00a0Saily<\/a><\/h2>\n
Best eSIM for Calls and Texts in Croatia:\u00a0SimLocal<\/a><\/h2>\n
Best eSIM for Short, Simple Trips to Croatia:\u00a0Breeze<\/a><\/h2>\n
How to Install an eSIM for Croatia<\/h2>\n
![\"Kate](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Kate-at-Hotel-Dubrovnik-Palace-Beach-1024x676.jpg\"\/)
![\"Kate](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Kate-at-Hotel-Dubrovnik-Palace-Beach-1024x676.jpg\")
Frequently Asked Questions About eSIMs for Croatia<\/h2>\n
Do I need an eSIM for Croatia, or is wifi enough?<\/h3>\n
Do Croatian eSIMs work in Bosnia and Montenegro?<\/h3>\n
Do eSIMs work on Croatian buses?<\/h3>\n
Do eSIMs work on Croatian ferries and islands like Hvar and Kor\u010dula?<\/h3>\n
Is an eSIM cheaper than a tourist SIM at the airport?<\/h3>\n
Which Croatian network does my eSIM use \u2014 Hrvatski Telekom (HT), A1, or Telemach?<\/h3>\n
Are eSIMs safe?<\/h3>\n
Does an eSIM drain my phone\u2019s battery?<\/h3>\n
Can I keep my regular number while using a Croatia eSIM?<\/h3>\n
What if my phone isn\u2019t eSIM compatible?<\/h3>\n
Which eSIM Should You Choose for Croatia?<\/h2>\n