Venice to Zadar by Ferry
Getting by ferry from Venice to Zadar can be a very nice sea crossing and an excellent option to include in your summer holiday. Summers on the Adriatic are pretty calm and sunny so this travel option is also very relaxing.
Although there is no direct ferry line that connects these two cities, by carefully planning your journey you can reach your destination with ease and really enjoy the travel and views across the sea and coast from the ferry windows. Fast catamarans involved are comfortable and air-conditioned with all the facilities you need for the enjoyable ferry crossing.
The total time involved in spending on a ferry is 9 hrs and 30 minutes and includes one transfer and overnight.
Here are the travel options:
Venice to Zadar ferry schedules
From Venice, in Italy to Istria (Croatia) you can take fast catamaran ferries to Porec, Rovinj, and Pula. They are run by Venezia Lines ferry company and are in operation between April and October, from just once a week to up to six times a week depending on the dates and season. July and August are the busiest and most frequent months when fast ferries are sailing 4 to 6 times a week.
If you are in a hurry to reach Zadar, the best option is to take a fast catamaran ferry directly from Venice to Pula and change from Pula to Zadar. If you are not in a hurry, you may choose to explore Istria a bit more and stay in Rovinj or Porec before getting to Pula for your next part of the journey. If you decide to do that, consider taking a fast catamaran to Porec or Rovinj and later get to Pula to continue with your travels.
Book Venice to Zadar Trains, Buses, Flights
The first leg of the trip is Venice to Pula journey. It lasts for about 3 hours. Departing in the afternoon at about 16:00 you will arrive in Pula at about 19:00. The ticket price for this part is about 79 euros one way. In case you can not get on this ferry, get on Venice to Rovinj one and take a bus or taxi to Pula.
You would need to overnight in Pula and the following morning you will take a ferry to Zadar. For the second leg of the trip, the departure is at 7:00, and the arrival in Zadar is at 11:45. The ticket price is about 27 Euros one way.
In this part of your ferry travel, the fast catamaran also stops on small islands along the way including Unije, Susak, Losinj, Ilovik, and Silba. If you can, this can be a great opportunity to visit at least one of these islands and break your trip into one more stop at least. I suggest you stop in Susak or Losinj – Susak is for nature lovers, and Losinj is more for a cultural experience. Both islands are lovely and interesting to visit. If you decide to stop for a while around these islands, check this article for more details on what to do and see in the area and how to do some detours if you wish.
Note: For detailed ferry schedules for all of the islands including Venice, Pula and Zadar check the croatiaferries.com website.
Ticket booking and cost
An advance booking for this itinerary is really important as it involves precise and not very frequent ferry journeys. Here is where to book your tickets:
- For the first leg of your journey, Venice to Pula, book your ticket here
- For the second leg of the journey, Pula to Zadar, ticket booking is here
- The total estimated one-way cost of
both legs of the journey is 95 euros. - The alternative is to fly, take a train or bus – check here
Zadar to Venice by ferry
For the return journey, Zadar to Venice, you will start your trip in the afternoon in Zadar, at about 16:00 and you will be in Pula in the evening, sometime after 20:45 depending on the day and itinerary.
Again, you would need to overnight in Pula, and the following morning, at about 7:30 take the fast catamaran from there to Venice. You will be in Venice at about 11:00. This journey will also cost about 95 Euros.
Journey Map
On the above map, you can see three steps of the journey. In step 2 (Pula) you will have to overnight.
Video
Here is a playlist of several videos that covers the first leg of your journey. The second leg of the journey catamaran video is below. If you go
If you decide to try this suggested route I would love to hear from you about your experience. Please, let me know your impressions – get in touch
