Italy to Croatia Train

Train from Italy to Croatia is one of the ways of connecting these two neighbouring countries, but definitely not the most popular one. The train routes are not direct, but run through Slovenia, since Croatian and Italian border lies fully on the Adriatic sea. Most trains from Italy travel from Trieste to Ljubljana (Slovenia) and then to Zagreb, but it is possible to travel some other routes by changing several trains. The route is operated by Croatian railways and Slovenian Railways, as well as Trenitalia in case of other routes.

Below is the detailed guide for each popular train route from Italy to Croatia.

Trieste – Zagreb

Train from Trieste to Zagreb is the most common route from Italy to Croatia. There are no direct trains, but they operate via Ljubljana (Slovenia). There are up to 2 daily departures from Trieste to Ljubljana, but the waiting time in Ljubljana can be up to several hours. The route is operated by Regional (RG) trains and Fast (B) trains. The overall journey takes approximately 8 hours.

All trains depart from Trieste Centrale train station which is located about 10 minutes from the city centre. All trains arrive at Zagreb Main Train Station (Zagreb Glavni Kolodvor) located in central Zagreb.

A regular one-way ticket costs about €20, children aged 4 to 12 have a 50% discount and children below the age of 4 travel for free.

If the train departures and travelling time don’t suit you, a faster and cheaper way is to take a bus from Trieste to Zagreb. There are up to 4 daily departures with tickets starting from €15. The journey takes only about 5 hours.

Venice – Zagreb

Train from Venice to Zagreb is not the most convenient way of travelling between these two cities, but it is possible. There are no direct trains, all trains arrive at Trieste and then continue to Croatia as it is described above.

There are usually over 30 daily departures from either Venezia Mestre or Venezia Santa Lucia train station to Trieste Centrale station. Still, there are only up to 2 daily departures from Trieste to Ljubljana, so make sure you check the exact departure times. The route is operated by regional trains all the way to Ljubljana, and then with fast trains to Zagreb.

In the best case scenario, the waiting time between the trains at Trieste Centrale would be only a few minutes. Accordingly, the total journey would take approximately up to 12 hours.

A regular single ticket for the train between Venice and Trieste depends on the departure, but the approximate price is around €20. Accordingly, the total price for the tickets from Venice to Zagreb is around €40.

Of course, taking a bus from Venice to Zagreb is a far more convenient option with cheaper tickets and less travelling time.

Milan – Zagreb

Train from Milan to Zagreb is a less popular way of travelling between these two cities, but it is possible. However, there are no direct trains operating this route, all trains arrive at Trieste Centrale and then continue to Croatia as it is described in the first section.

There are over 15 daily departures from Milano Centrale or Milano Porta Garibaldi train station to Trieste Centrale, but all trains require a train change in Venice, sometimes at one or two more stations as well. Still, there are only up to 2 daily departures from Trieste to Ljubljana, so make sure you check the exact departure times. The route is operated by regional trains in most cases all the way to Ljubljana, and then with fast trains to Zagreb.

In the best case scenario, the waiting time between the trains at Trieste Centrale would be only a few minutes. Accordingly, the total journey would take approximately up to 13 hours.

A regular single ticket for the train between Milan and Trieste varies depending on the departure, but is usually about €30. Accordingly, the total price for the tickets from Milan to Zagreb is around €50.

Taking a bus from Milan to Zagreb is still the cheapest and a significantly faster option. With up to one daily departure, tickets start from €46 and the journey time takes about 8 hours.

Florence – Zagreb

Train from Florence to Zagreb is not the most popular way of travelling this route, but it is a possible option. There are no direct trains operating the route, all trains arrive at Trieste Centrale and then continue to Croatia as it is described in the first section.

There are up to 30 daily departures from either Firenze Rifredi, Firenze S. M. Novela or Firenze Campo Di Marte train station to Trieste Centrale, but all trains require a train change in Venice, sometimes at one or two more stations as well. Still, there are only up to 2 daily departures from Trieste to Ljubljana, so make sure you check the exact departure times. The route is operated by regional trains in most cases all the way to Ljubljana, and then by fast trains to Zagreb.

In the best-case scenario, the waiting time between the trains at Trieste Centrale would be only a few minutes. Accordingly, the total journey would take approximately up to 15 hours.

A regular single ticket for the train between Florence and Trieste varies depending on the departure, but is usually about €30. Accordingly, the total price for the tickets from Florence to Zagreb starts from €50.

However, taking a bus from Florence to Zagreb is a bit more convenient option that will save you some time and money.

Rome – Zagreb

Train from Rome to Zagreb is not the most convenient way of travelling, but it is a possible option. There are no direct trains operating the route, all trains arrive at Trieste Centrale and then continue to Croatia as it is described in the first section.

There are over 15 daily departures from Roma Termini or Roma Tiburtina train stations to Trieste Centrale, but all trains require a train change in Venice, sometimes at one or two more stations as well. Still, there are only up to 2 daily departures from Trieste to Ljubljana, so make sure you check the exact departure times. The route is operated by regional trains in most cases all the way to Ljubljana, and then by fast trains to Zagreb.

Since the travelling time from Rome to Trieste can take up to 10 hours, in order to arrive at Trieste Centrale on time, the best option is to take one of the night trains from Rome. In that case, the waiting time between the trains at Trieste Centrale would be only about a few minutes. Accordingly, the total journey would take approximately up to 18 hours.

A regular single ticket for the train between Rome and Trieste varies depending on the departure, usually between about €60 and €100. Accordingly, the total price for the tickets from Rome to Zagreb starts from around €80.

Besides flying to Zagreb, you can also consider taking a bus from Rome to Zagreb. This option will save you a lot of time and money.

Venice – Dubrovnik

There is no train connecting Venice and Dubrovnik. Getting from Venice by train is possible only to Split (changing a train in Zagreb). The railway in Croatia stops in Split so there is no further train connection to Dubrovnik.

Anyway, if for some reason you want to travel from Venice to Dubrovnik by using the train as much as possible, here is how to do it:

An estimated total travelling time is around 22-23 hours, not including the whole waiting time in between. An estimated total price of all tickets is not under €80-€100, depending mostly on the train ticket from Venice to Trieste which varies and whether you’re using a bus or ferry to Dubrovnik.

Map of the Italian railway