Zagreb

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Zagreb
<map lat='45.79338211440398' lng='15.970001220703125' zoom='11' view='3' float='right'/>
Information
Country:
Flag of Croatia
Croatia
State: City of Zagreb
Population: 804,200
Licence plate: ZG
Major roads: A1, A2, A3, A4, A11
More info: Hitchbase
Meet fellow hitchhikers on Trustroots

Zagreb is the capital of Croatia.

Hitchhiking out

Direction Karlovac, Rijeka, Pula, Zadar, Šibenik and Split, Dalmatia

File:Zagreb t0ma5.jpg
Street that leads to the Lučko toll station

To get to the Lučko ramp (toll station) on the motorway you have to catch tram #4 or #7 and get out at stop Savski most, or #5, #14,or #17 and get out at stop "St. dom Stjepan Radić". Savski most a bus terminal where you can catch buses #111 or #132. These buses pass by the pay tolls "Lučko". Get off after 15 minutes of ride approx. or ask the driver to tell you where. You can recognise it yourself though, it's a sort of big restaurant "Calypso". Once you get off you will see that one road goes over the bridge - take the other road that doesn't go over the bridge, take first left and go through the parking lot and voila! you're there. If you are going to Dalmatia (Zadar, Split, etc.) don't take rides to Rijeka because it is a bit out of your way. Car plates for each city: Pula and Istria (PU), Rijeka (RI) Zadar (ZD) Šibenik (ŠI) Split (ST). It should be very easy to get a ride from there.

  • I followed the instructions about the bus to go to the Lucko toll station. The bus driver was very frıendly and explained me where to get off. From the busstop towards the toll station is 10 minutes walk. I first tried at the toll station for one hour with no luck. Then I changed strategy and I walked towards the first petrol station behind the toll station. Here you can find more shade facilities and cleaner air. Also you are able to talk to drivers. Most of the cars where tourısts with no space left. It took me 3 hours to fınd a direct ride to Split. But it was worth it. Although there is less traffic at the petrol station I believe it is a better option than the toll station. Good Luck. May 2012. Len
  • " I'm always lucky with this spot, no matter where I am heading. I wait about 5-10 minutes when going to Rijeka and about 20-30 when going to Zadar, Šibenik or Split. But then again, I'm a girl. HAVE A SIGN with car plates of the city you're going to. December 2012, Nina_Unexia "
  • " July 2015: spot worked well. There's a lot of police around, but they seemed not to care at all. Be careful of getting dropped on one of the rest areas though, there are quite many so traffic isn't very heavy on each one, and in the summertime almost all traffic is fully loaded vacation cars heading for the coast. The best rest stop before the highway split at Bosiljevo is probably Draganic, as it has both a Burger King and a Marche Bistro. We were stuck at Vukova Gorica rest area for hours."
  • " Even though the ticket inspectors are more common now and the bus drivers control if you have the ticket, these buses (#111 and #132) are almost always crowded so you can still sneak in without buying a ticket. April 2014, Nina_Unexia "
  • " You can skip the bus part - just exit the tram (14 or 7) on "Jadranska avenija" which is the name of the street in which you will get after crossing the bridge and following a small road going east (with some bigger shops on your right), you can hitch on the spot where the small street is flowing into the big one, the cars go fast but there is space - even a truck. If they're not going your way, just ask to be dropped at the pay toll. Great place for finding long rides. --Uyku.tulumu (talk) 18:38, 15 March 2013 (CET) "

Further to the above directions, you'll stay on tram 14 until it's crossed the river, then find yourself on the lower level of a motorway roundabout junction. You have several possible exits under bridges. When you get off the tram with the river to your back, go right. You'll see a Billa supermarket and a McD's. There is a slip road there with a decent dirt layby where cars can pull in. Have a sign that reads 'LUCKO' and you'll easily get a lift to the toll station five minutes up the road. From there it's easy pickings. --Looking for Stu (talk) 10:42, 14 May 2013 (CEST)

Direction Osijek, Slavonski Brod, Belgrade and Bosnia

THEY MOVED TOLL STATION 8KM TOWARDS EAST, so going to Dumovec is no longer a good option. Get on a bus #216 or #276 from Kvaternikov trg and get off at a stop called Ivanjorečka pošta (post office in Ivanja Reka), cross the street and follow the road going on the right, it's called Rimski put, it will take you straight to Tifon petrol station. There you can ask drivers to take you to the toll station (in croatian: naplatne kućice) or hitch on the road.

'THE BEST OPTION to Serbia and Hungary' I was hitchhiking around 10 times from this spot and always got a ride within a minute or two. Take a bus 216 or 276 from Kvaternikov trg to Ivanja reka. After about 25 minutes of ride, you should see a small church on your right side (https://goo.gl/maps/pwcr0). Get off the bus, walk back to the church and turn right. This street is going directly to the entrance of the highway. You have to walk around 5 minutes and you will see an intersection with a traffic light (https://goo.gl/maps/doL7v). Ask drivers at traffic light to take you to the toll gate Ivanja Reka which is now farther than it used to be before, but don't worry. Same HH spot if you are going north towards Budapest, just ask people if they are going to the north toll gate. (by NixyJungle)

You have three options for these destinations.

  • First option is outdated and deleted. Look up for updated version.
  • Second option is to get the tram #2, #3 or #13 to Savišće or Žitnjak. Get out at the last stop and then walk for about 15 minutes towards the motorway. On the motorway you'll find a bus stop and there you can easily hitchhike towards the on-ramp in Ivanja Reka or you can even stop cars who are going to Belgrade or Bosnia. Ask the locals for extra tips and explanations.

Nuclearphyllis' local experts took him to the first toll station on the Zagreb-Belgrade motorway, even though it was illegal to hitchhike from there. They weren't troubled and got a ride within 10 minutes.

  • Third option, go to Savski most and get on IKEA bus. It will take you to IKEA, and this is right on the highway to Belgrade, next to Dumovec. This bus ticket costs 10 kuna and you can use 5 kuna discount in IKEA for food or coffee.

Bus leaves Savski most station at Mon-Sat: 9:00, 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00, 18:00 Sun: 9:00, 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00 Here are the stops: http://www.ikea.com/ms/hr_HR/about_store/ikea_bus.html?icid=hr%7Citl%7Chpl%7Ctxt_link_bus_line

  • I hitched 3 times in direction of Belgrade, so just one tip - if the car that is giving you a ride goes to Slavonski Brod (half way before Belgrade) ask him to drop you off at EAST EXIT of the city. in Croatian - ISTOČNI IZLAZ. because, if he drops you off at west exit, 95% of cars go to direction of Zagreb, I waited there 2 hours once, and the second time 3 hours ;)

I could just add if you need to go from Zagreb to Osijek on high way A3 and a lot of cars are driving forward to Slavonski Brod Belgrade. You need to go out on turn to Đakovo and Osijek(high way A5). Than you walk right to high way and just climb up till turning for Osijek direction and hitchhike there at the beginning, cars need to slow down when they join to high way that leads to Osijek. If driver left you after Đakovo on some rest place near high way, try not to stuck up or avoid that. Because on this high way in one hour maybe 15 cars passed by, so it is not so crowded with cars even that is main high way, try to catch ride directly to Osijek. People probably do not use often this high way becaue you must pay fee for driving there and normal road is free.

Direction Budapest, Varazdin and Cakovec

(Read below, this one doesn't exist anymore! The best option is on the bottom - to HH on Slavonska avenija ) Take bus number 216 from Kvaternikov trg to the last stop in Ivanja Reka or bus 276 till 2 stations before the final station. Ask for the church in Ivanja Reka, people will know it, you should get out there. There will be a small road which leads to the on ramp, ask people for which one it is. You should walk till the traffic lights, the turn right and you already see the place. After the lights you should walk about 300 meters and you can start hitching there with a sign VZ for example. Works like a charm, someone waited there for less than 10 minutes.
NixyJungle edit: No need to walk 300 meters after traffic lights. You can ask people on the traffic light. It's easier and more safe, plus, if the police comes, you are legal, because sign for the beginning of the highway and forbidden hitchhiking is 200 meters after the traffic light.


Update: This place doesn't exist anymore, as the new road was built and there's no stopping lane, so cars can't stop to pick you up. Don't hitchhike here.


Update - april 2012: There is able to hitchhike there, last year I was there, but it is very hard to get out of there. You need reach petrol station and the exit from station has got long shoulder where U can safely try to cach someone.

Three problems:

1st. 90% of cars which stop are those which leave the station.

2nd. From those who stops almost everyone was local people.

3rd. It was my one of the longest stops (no less than 3 houers).


Update: The main problem with direction towards Hungary is that pay tolls are quite far away from Zagreb, so it would be easier if you first get to the pay tolls. The best starting point is the "Tifon" petrol station as it's the furthest hitchhiking spot on the way to Varaždin and Budapest you can get to by public transportation (directions to there are already described in the directions to Belgrade section on the top of this topic - bus 216 or 176 from Kvaternikov trg...) and hold a sign "ZELINA" (the closest town to the pay tolls) or "SV. HELENA" (the exact name of that pay tolls). Many drivers get off the highway just before the pay tolls, so maybe you'll have to walk a few kilometers. But once you're there, you can easily get a ride straight to Budapest.

Second option is to hitchhike on Slavonska avenija, this way you dont have to take any public transportation. You can stand after the crossroad of Slavonska avenija and Ulica Josipa Marohnića. Many people go towards the highway on this road. We hitchhiked with the sign "Sesvete", got a ride in 15 mins and got dropped at the petrol station right in front of highway ramps in Ivanja Reka. From here we hitchhiked with sign "Varazdin" and got a ride in 15-20 mins and got dropped at the pay tolls towards north.

Note: this (the crossing of Slavonska avenija and Ul. Ulica Josipa Marohnića) seems to be the best and easiest option. Many cars in the direction, there're traffic lights + lot of space for cars to stop. From the central square (Trg bana Josipa Jelačića) you can either walk (southwards, 3km) or take trams 14 (direction ZAPRUĐE) or 17 (direction BORONGAJ) for 15mins till the stop Vjesnik. The stop is near the crossing of Savska cesta and Slavonska avenija, so you have to walk 10min till the spot where Ul. Ulica Josipa Marohnića is. You can hold sign VŽ (Varaždin). Once you get a ride and are on the highway, be sure to get off at the first petrol station (OMV, some 20kms from the starting point), because it's also the last one before Varaždin!


Gallar hitch-hiked (with girlfriend) from crossroad of Slavonska avenija and Ulica Josipa Marohnića and he waited 9 hours just for a single lift to mentioned OMV station. It might be bad luck, but be aware there is no better place to hike and yet this one might be not so perfect.

Note: This can't be a good hitchhiking spot by any reason as it's too much inside the town and there's too much of local traffic, also there are more cars coming to Zagreb from the west than those departing to the east. However, it's not impossible, but getting a lift there in a normal time is more about the luck...

Direction Ljubljana, Austria, Novo Mesto

From town

Take tram #5 or #17 from the centre of Zagreb towards the Precko. Notice that the ride takes a lot of time, 45 minutes at least. In Precko, exit the tram and walk left. You'll see a street that turns right. Take this street and walk 5 minutes till you get to the main street Ljubljanska Avenija (also called Zagrebacka Avenija). Cross this street in front of the Konzum supermarket and turn left. You will see a small bus station, this is your spot. However most people commute from this point. Best is to hitchhike from there with a SLO sign. Don't take rides that don't take you at least to the border - There is no good places to hitchhike further down the road. From the border crossing itself it's relatively easy to get a good ride, even as far as to Austria.

On a Sunday Erga and guaka waited way to long. Not a single car stopped in two hours time, and at the petrol stations everyone with space pretended not to go anywhere near Slovenia (West or North). Two Belgian guys didn't manage to get a ride in the same period, also trying in different spots in the area (guaka somehow convinced the West Gate bus driver to also pick them up). Use the West Gate option if you're simply heading to Austria, find another solution if you're heading towards Ljubljana...

After more than one hour of waiting, I went further down the road to the next bus stop (in front of FORD car dealer center) where most of the local traffic is gone and I found a ride after 15min.

Take a bus to the highway

This option takes you a bit longer to get started with (nearly an hour), it takes you directly to the highway though.

Much better option to Slovenia

Take a bus number 112 from "Savski most" bus station. Get of the bus at the last station. You should see highway from that place. If you don't, ask for the direction. Above highway you will see an overpass. Go to the opposite side and hitchhike there at the entrance of the road. There is a petrol station with many cars entering the highway. If it's easier for you, it is a place called Motel Plitvice and it's here https://goo.gl/maps/eM865 (by NixyJungle)

Caution: On a Sunday check the schedule for bus 112, since it does not depart very frequently that day - Questrayer had to wait for about 80 minutes. Apart from that, this option is very good, and he got a ride all the way to Ljubljana within 15 minutes approaching people at the petrol station.

North, direction Maribor, Graz, Vienna

From the Črnomerec and Ljubljanica bus terminal there's a free bus (red or white colour) to West Gate shopping centre which is adjacent to toll station [1], see also Google Maps, the toll station is very close to the shopping center, you can see it from the parking lot where the bus arrives. But you will have to cross a bit of water. Don't try this in the dark. Look for one of the areas with stones covered by metal or just walk about 300 metre in opposite direction of the shopping mall and you will find a little bridge, handy! then come back to the toll station.

If you're heading to Slovenia or further you'll have to make it to the Macelj-Kozminci border crossing, from where you can easily get rides far into Germany.

You better forget about trying the Precko option (towards Ljubljana), Erga and guaka waited for about 2 hours, asking people, with signs (Macelj, Maribor, SLO) and without sign. Fortunately the free bus to the West Gate center also goes from this above spot.

t0ma5 was hitchhiking here in January 2011 and he got a ride all the way to Vienna in about 20min.

Cro_gavran tried to hitchhike here in September 2014 but was in just few minutes forced to leave by highway guards. They said that same day they moved out from highway already 5 hitchhikers and called police to arrest two who didnt wanted to leave the highway. If someone else had same experience, please share.

uncle_sam01 hitched a direct ride to Bratislava in about 20 minutes in August 2015. Definitely wouldn't recommend going over the bridge, since the right side is virtually impossible to walk towards the highway (bushes, trees, water, weeds, etc.). In August 2015 there was only a relatively short fence, which was easy to climb over but you must cross the highway, which is obviously not the safest thing to do, but cars go slow and there are no barriers in the middle. No one bothered us, except some maintenance guy in a pick up who was driving by, but we couldn't make out what he was saying and no one from the toll booths told us anything even though they clearly saw us hitching.

--Yeguaerrante (talk) 13:05, 18 November 2015 (CET) You can't get to the toll station, it's all fenced, i waited on the road after going for the blue small bridge, you will see a bridge that crosses the highway, a car pick me up after 20 min and took me to small town area, was really hard to get into the highway this way because there was a lot of locals not going too far away.

As alternative, try to get Plitvice petrol station (not to confuse with famous National park!). It is reachable from Lučko trough the village. It is around 3 km walk.

Resources

Sleeping

For decent camping, take tram #6 from the central train station to Crnomerec, continue walking down Ilica a hundred metres or so, turn Right on Kustosijanca, and walk up this street for two hundred meters past an old train trestle. There is easy access to trails in the woods and decent places to camp without being disturbed.

To be deeper in nature but still quite close to the town, take tram #14 to Mihaljevac, and then #15 to the last stop. Continue further through the tunel, and then you'll find yourself in a huge forest with contless spots for camping. Update: In June 2015, my girlfriend used this advice (trams 14 and 15). It is indeed a large wooded area. We found a somewhat decent spot to spend the night about 800m past the tunnel. I say decent as we were only partially out of sight from passing cars or pedestrians (that are few at night time anyway).

Internet access

Free wifi in the centre of the city.

Club Mama, 'net.culture.club' is an open space with a cool library of technical, cultural, and revolutionary books, wifi, and frequent talks and skillshares. Ulica Petra Preradovićeva 18, at the back of a square between buildings. http://www.mi2.hr/

Optima Telekom centar, Savska 5 has free Internet access for advertising purposes so you can just come in say hello to people who work there and go on the Internet. They are mostly friendly and you can surf as long as you want. You can get to that location by taking tram 2, 4, or 9 from Main train station (glavni kolodvor) and make sure to get out on Vodnikova and walk few metres until you are on Savska ulica. Then go left and after 1-2 minutes you will see Optima Telekom center on your right side.

The National Library of Croatia is approximately one km south of the train station. Open until 20:00 on weekdays, 15:00 on Saturday, it provides power outlets, wifi, and access to public computers.

Public transport

Black-riding is possible and most of people in Zagreb who don't have monthly or yearly tickets do this in trams and in buses there is almost no control. Controllers are sometimes all over the town but mostly there is nobody for months. There are in groups of 2-3 wearing blue uniform just like the driver so if you see them just get out and wait another tram. Playing the "dumb tourist" will work because they don't have authority to ask you passport or your id and if you give them your passport they can't send you a bill to your home because you are not citizen of Croatia. Also they will not call police because there are city owned company and controllers have fixed paychecks so they don't give a damn too much.

Eating

Zagreb is full of students who have iksica (electronic card with which they can eat whole lunch witch soup, meat and juice for less than a euro). So if you want you can go to studentski centar (savska 25) by taking trams 2, 4 or 9 from main train station (Glavni kolodvor) to Vodnikova cross the street and go right for 5-6 minutes until you reach big open space with cafe bar and lots of people moving around. Just ask somebody on the entrance to lend you their iksica and most of people will do it. Also if you are cold and you want to you can stay in Studentski centar until 21:00 and on the first floor are some couches where you can take a nap. homeless people sometimes sleep there. You can get there from main square (Jelacic platz) taking trams 17, 14 to Studentski centar station or 12 to Technical museum station (Technical museum and Studentski centar stations are practically the same stations) and just across the street is Studentski centar.

trash:Zagreb