Mobile data in Split: the airport, the island boats and Bosnia over the hills
Split is where most Croatian island trips begin. The ferry port, the bus station and the train station stand side by side next to the old town, and the boats to Hvar, Brač and Vis leave from there. For the phone, the questions are less about the city than about the water and the day trip inland to Mostar.
At a glance
- Does an eSIM work in Croatia?
- Yes. It connects to Tele2, A1 (5G).
- Price
- From 4,99 € (3 GB, 15 days).
- For a one-week trip
- 5 GB for 30 days: 6,99 €.
- Does an EU phone plan work there?
- Yes: Croatia is in EU roaming, so a plan from an EU country usually works at no extra cost, within your operator's fair-use limit. If your plan is from outside the EU, it charges international roaming.
- When does the plan start?
- When your phone first connects to a network in Croatia. The QR code arrives by email within minutes.
From Kaštela to the harbour
Split airport is not in Split: it lies about 19 km west, in Kaštela, closer to Trogir than to the city. The airport shuttle bus goes to the main bus station, next to the ferry port, and leaves after arriving flights. Promet line 37, the local bus between Trogir and Split, stops on the main road near the airport; it is slower, but handy if you are staying in Trogir. Taxis wait at the terminal.
If you are heading straight to an island, the first job for the phone is the boat. The eSIM connects to Tele2 or A1 as you land, so you can confirm the departure and load the ticket while the bags come out.
eSIM for Croatia
Data on your phone the moment you land in Croatia. No account, no app, no shop.
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For one to two weeks of maps, messaging and the odd video.
Buy up to 180 days before you fly: the plan only starts when the eSIM connects at your destination.
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Will it work on my phone?
On iPhone: Settings → General → About, and scroll to EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Every iPhone from the XS (2018) onwards does.
On Android: Settings → About phone → Status, and look for EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Most Galaxy S20, Pixel 3 and later do.
It also has to be carrier-unlocked. If you bought it outright or your contract is over, it almost certainly is.
Not sure about your model? Ask us before you pay and we will tell you — a person answers within 24 hours.
How it works
- 1Choose and payCard, Apple Pay or Google Pay. No account.
- 2Install it at homeThe QR arrives by email. Scan it on wifi in a minute.
- 3Connect when you landTurn on data roaming for the eSIM and you are online.
Catamarans, car ferries and tickets on the phone
- Hvar: boats to Hvar Town, Stari Grad and Jelsa.
- Brač: Supetar, Bol and Milna.
- Further out: Vis, and Korčula on the longer lines down the coast.
Jadrolinija sells tickets on its website and in the mJadrolinija app, and other operators run some of the catamarans to Hvar, Brač and Korčula. In summer, buy the catamaran before the day and keep the ticket on the phone. On the crossing, coverage is good near the towns and thinner in open water, and the harbour is a bad place to discover a booking that never loaded. Save the return times as well: the last boat back decides the shape of the day.
The palace, the Riva and Marjan
The old town is Diocletian's Palace, a Roman complex that people still live in, and you cross it on foot in a few minutes. The lanes inside are a maze, so the four gates, Golden, Silver, Iron and Bronze, make better landmarks than the map. Promet runs the city buses for longer hops, to Bačvice beach or the suburbs, and the wooded Marjan hill rises at the western end of the Riva.
Trogir, the Krka waterfalls and Plitvice are the other classic day trips, and all three are in Croatia. The Croatia pack keeps working the whole day; what changes is how much navigation you run on the road.
Mostar and Međugorje: the trip that leaves both packs behind
Day tours from Split to Mostar, often with a stop at Međugorje, make for a long day out, and there are buses too. Take your passport: both towns are in Bosnia and Herzegovina, outside the EU, outside the Croatia pack and outside the 33-country Europe pack. On a Croatia eSIM the data stops at the border and comes back on the way home.
To be online in Mostar, install a small Bosnia and Herzegovina pack at home next to the Croatia one, and change the data line in settings when the bus crosses. Both stay on the phone, so you switch back on the return. The Balkans guide covers the rest of the region, border by border.
Data for a week of island hopping
Three or four days in Split with one boat to Hvar fit the smallest Croatia pack, 3 GB for 15 days. Base yourself in Split for a week, hopping between islands, checking ferry times every day and sending photos from the beach, and you want 5 GB for 30 days. If Split is one stop on a longer drive down the coast with navigation running, 10 GB gives you room; 20 GB is for a month.
The Europe pack only pays off if the trip also takes in Italy or Slovenia; for Bosnia it does not help. The plan starts at the first connection in Croatia, and you can top it up from a beach towel without installing anything again. More on the coast and the islands on the Croatia page.
Does the Split airport shuttle go to the ferry port?
It goes to the main bus station, which is next to the ferry port. If you are catching a boat the same day, check the departure as soon as you land.
Will I have signal on the ferry to Hvar?
Near the coast and in the harbours, yes. In open water it gets thinner, so keep the ticket and the return times saved on the phone.
Does the Croatia eSIM work in Mostar?
No. Mostar is in Bosnia and Herzegovina, outside both the Croatia pack and the Europe pack. A Bosnia and Herzegovina pack covers the day.
Can I keep two eSIMs on the phone for the Mostar trip?
Yes. Install both before you travel and switch the data line at the border. Your own SIM keeps your number for calls and WhatsApp.
Get your eSIM before you fly: the QR arrives by email in minutes and the plan only starts when you connect at your destination.
See eSIMs for Croatia