Croatia becomes 28th European Union member
 

1st July Croatia becomes 28th European Union member.

Does anyone know please if you will now just drive through the Slovenia–Croatia borders just like other places in Europe?

We came through yesterday, and will leave again tomorrow. All they did was check our UK passports. Took about 2 min. Did nothing about the bike, no questions asked.

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EU is not Schengen
 

Croatia will not be a part of Schengen, till 2015 or later. So there will be a border between Slovenia and Croatia.

UK has been a member of EU since the 1970s, and it still has a border to the Schengen zone. Only between countries in the Schengen zone are there no borders for people.

Even within the Schengen zone, where there are no borders for people, countries that are not in the EU will still technically have customs borders with the EU - Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.

Unless you are travelling from one country to another that are both in the EU Customs Zone as well as the Schengen Zone, then there has to be a border post.

Reality is you have for the last ten years or so just been able to drive across the border with not much more than a wave. Nothing of note will change.

Thanks for the replies

I'm heading for a trip to the Bulkans, but my boy wants to come along so we are going during the school holidays and I'm dreading huge queues and I'm thinking that the Slovenia–Croatia border will be the bottle neck.

We are trying to keep off main roads so I would be very grateful if anyone could give any information on this small border crossing. Will I be able to cross as an EU citizen? or any other recommended crossing points please?

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=N45...gl=uk&t=m&z=15

I was in that area a couple of years ago and didn't find the border crossings a chore. There was quite a long queue on the Croatia/Slovenia crossing north of Rijeka but I just bumbled up to the front of it and pushed in, it's expected on a bike. There's no issue on what crossing you use as an EU citizen. If you're heading into the Balkans and Bosnia make sure you have your insurance sorted, you can buy at some border points but it's not always obvious where to buy from. The Bosnian official asked why I was visiting Bosnia and where I was going whilst looking at and stamping my passport, he then declared "Harley-Davidson, make noise!" I gave a bit of a rev and he seemed well pleased!

Hello.

If you are going to Croatia in the main season and you want to avoid the crowd on the border crossing, you can leave the highway on Ljubljana Ring in exit Ljubljana South (jug) and drive about 70km south in direction of Ribnica and Kočevje to Kolpa valley canyon. There is a bordercrossing called Petrina - Brod na Kupi.

Afterwards, you have to come out from the Kolpa Valley canyon on scenic, but quite steep road and finish in Delnice town. From there you can go back to Croatian highway, or pass the Gorski Kotar mountains in the way of Kvarner Bay and Adriatic sea.

If you will need some special information, you can send me some PM, or ask here. :thumbup1:

To stick on the topic. Congrats to fellow Croats, who joined EU yesterday!

Happy days, Lets see who can be the first person to post a picture of the EU flag in Croatia, explaining the the New road under construction was with support (read money) by the European Union:oops2:

Thanks everyone and special thanks to NejcT, I have updated my route to follow your recommendations. :thumbup1:

Hey.

No problem at all. I recieved your garmin plans, I will check them till the end of the week. (sorry, drowning in work:oops2:)

Hope it won't be too late.:thumbup1:

If you will have some time to stop in Ljubljana for a day, you are welcome for beer

We entered Croatia from Slovenia a few days before the official entry into the EU. At the border the procedure was the usual administration. Check of Passport/ID, bike insurance and bike registration. It all took just a few minutes.

The day after Croatia officially became part of the EU we entered again, this time from Bosnia. It took the border guard about 2 seconds to see we were from Belgium and wave us through. Even without being a member of Shengen it is all just a formality.

To me all the border crossings between the ex-Yu countries seemed more of a statement towards each other than anything else.

Thanks, I'm not leaving for a couple of weeks :clap:

Like @duibhceK said, you don't need to worry about the bordercrossing on Slo-Cro border. There is just normal passport scan. No customs anymore.

Checked your route, looks nice.

If you will have some spare time, I suggest you can check the Velebit mountains in Croatia. Directions: Delnice - Ogulin - Brinje - Otočac - Krasno Polje - Štirovača - Ravni Dabar - Baške Oštarije - Gospić.

http://shrani.si/f/2a/nJ/8GRBtxo/pho8678.jpg

From Gospić you can take a road east back to Bihać in BiH.

Next to Bihać just before Cro-Bih bordercrossing you have abandoned Yugoslav army base called Željava (Direction - Plitvice Lake - Ličko Petrovo selo - then off the main road on right in way of village Željava and bit further).

Worth of visit, there are interesting bunkers under the hill, where it was a nuclear shelter for MIGs of Yugoslav army air forces, and the entrance in the past was in James Bond style. check here: Zeljava Airbase - V.P.4868 - Today


Hope it helps.
Nejc

Thanks very much Nejc, I will add these into my route on our way to Albania, nothing beats local knowledge :thumbup1:

We are in a 4X4 as well.

To provide some feed back, back home now.

No problems or delays at any borders except Albania into Montenegro which was maybe a one hour queue.

Entered Albania at a border near Vermosh, the road either side was deserted had the border crossing to myself.

Favourite country was Bosnia, because of its stunning scenery, recent history, good roads when wanted but also good off road tracks to explore. Second favourite was Montenegro.

Slovenia was also very nice, it reminded me of well kept stately home gardens in particular around Bovic.

Thanks again Nejc :thumbup1: