Maritime connections from Ancona to Zadar or Split
Almost all the ferries to Croatia leave from Ancona (Marche Region) to cross the Adriatic Sea and land on the Dalmatian coast, in Zadar or in Split. The Croatian coast can only be reached by ship from Italy, and the port of Ancona, on the central Adriatic coast, is the first Italian port for international traffic of vehicles and passengers. The operating shipping companies are Jadrolinija and Snav.
Ancona – Zadar ferries
The Marko Polo ferry of the Croatian shipping company Jadrolinija connects the Ancona port with the New Port of Gazenica, a suburb of Zadar, the coastal city in central Dalmatia. The Ancona ➜ Zadar round trip (line 51), however, run only in summer, once or twice a week, and it has a travel time of nine hours when the ride is at night, eight hours during the day.
Days, times and prices
From the end of June to mid-July and in September (the month during which the line is active at the beginning of the month for about ten days) the only route scheduled on the route leaves Ancona on Thursdays at 22:00 to arrive in Zadar the next morning at 07:00. Approximately from mid-July to mid-August the races become two: there is also a daytime one, on Mondays at 10:00 (expected arrival at 18:00). From the days immediately following mid-August until the end of the month there are always two races, but both during the day: they start on Monday and Friday at 10:00. Departure days and times may vary; at this last link you can check the data in real time.
The types of accommodation that can be booked on board are the deck passage, the armchair, the berth, the cabin, which can be internal or external, for two, three or four people, or in the luxury category. Unlike other lines, each passenger must have a ticket for the deck seat, to which the seat or cabin may be added as additional options. The price of the deck pass is € 72 in low season and € 80 in high season. For boarding a car, the price fluctuates approximately between 91 and 98 euros. Meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) can also be reserved when purchasing the ticket. These are indicative rates, subject to changes. To know the updated prices, including those of the supplements relating to other categories of accommodation that can be booked, you can click on the previous link.
Check-in and boarding
The check-in procedure, which involves the presentation of tickets, digital or printed ones, and the identity documents of each passenger, even if a minor, for the collection of boarding passes, must be carried out at the terminal office of the Ancona maritime station in via Luigi Einaudi, at least two hours before departure. The departure pier is the Santa Maria. In Croatia, in Zadar, however, it is necessary to go to the terminal of the port of Gaženica, 3.5 kilometers south of the historic center.
Ancona – Split ferries
The Jadrolinija Marko Polo ferry is in operation, in this case throughout the year, also on the Ancona ➜ Split round trip route (line 53), also served by the cruise ferry Aurelia of the Snav shipping company which makes the connection, however, only from April to the end of September. Split, located in the central area of the Croatian coast, is the most important city in Dalmatia. The route is completed in nine hours at night and in about eleven hours at night.
Days, times and prices
From January to May and in the months of November and December, the frequency of Jadrolinija’s services on the Ancona – Split route is twice a week (Tuesday and Friday), departing at 7.45pm and arriving at 07.00am. From mid-May to mid-July and from the end of August to the end of October there are three departures (Monday, Wednesday and Friday). From mid-July to mid-August there are four departures: Tuesdays at 10:00, Wednesdays and Fridays at 19:45 and Saturdays at 22:00. In the last days of August these last two races are moved to Saturday and Sunday at 10:00. To actually check which days and times of departure for a given period are, since these data are subject to change, you can click on the link indicated above.
The price of the deck seat is € 64 in low season, € 70 in high season and € 78 for weekends. For the possible boarding of a car the price can vary from € 89 to approximately € 95. To these rates must be added the cost of supplements if you choose to travel in an armchair, berth or cabin and also buy breakfast, lunch or dinner. They are variable rates. You can know the prices updated in real time at the previous link.
With Snav you can depart from Ancona, from the beginning of April until the very first days of October, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7:30 pm with arrival in Split at 7:00 am the following morning, and on Saturdays with departure at 10.00 pm and arrival at 09.00 am the following morning.
Prices start from € 22 but depend a lot on the period and the type of accommodation chosen. A passenger with a vehicle can pay, when the specific promotion is active, € 118 round trip. In any case, these are changing times, especially from one year to the next, and indicative rates, to be checked at the previous links.
Check-in and boarding
Check-in must be done, with Jadrolinija, at least two hours before departure by presenting the tickets, digital or papery ones, for the collection of boarding passes at the terminal office of the Ancona maritime station in via Luigi Einaudi. In Croatia, in Split, however, it is necessary to go to the port terminal on the San Doimo pier (Gat Svetog Duje) or to the office located in Obala Lazareta street, 1. With Snav it is necessary to go to the Ancona office in Via Einaudi with digital or printed tickets and collect your boarding passes at least three hours before departure. The Snav office in the Split port is located at the San Doimo pier.
To proceed with check-in it is mandatory to show, in addition to the tickets, the identity documents of the passengers, even if they are minors, and the registration certificate of any vehicle accompanying them.
For all tourists heading to Croatia, the Tourist Office is required to fill in forms to speed up police checks at the web address https://entercroatia.mup.hr/.
