CROATIA: www.croatia.hr or 800-829-4416.
BY AIR: Croatia Airlines — www.croatiaairlines.com — has nonstop flights into Split from many European hubs — London, Munich, Brussels, Vienna and Zurich — one-stop flights from a dozen other European airports and constant connections with Zagreb. The island of Brac also has its own small airport.
FERRIES: On www.find-croatia.com/ferries-croatia you can find the routes and times of all the major ferry companies in Croatia. Jadrolinija is the largest at www.jadrolinija.hr. International ferries also go from Split to Ancona, Italy, and back — www.sem-marina.hr or www.adriatica.it.
MONEY: The Croatian kuna is about 5.33 to the U.S. dollar. Many island restaurants and merchants do not take credit cards, except in the biggest ports of Split and Hvar, but banks in all towns change money.
LANGUAGES: Aside from Croatian, German, English and Italian are spoken. Historical sites often have background information in German, not so much in English.
RENTING SAILBOATS: Several companies rent yachts to explore the Croatian islands: www.findcroatia.com or www.croatia-boat-charter.com or www.yacht-rent.com.
BEACHES: Croatian beaches are narrow and are made up of small round pebbles — not sand. But with a wiggle of the hips, you can burrow yourself into a comfy spot. Bring good water shoes.