Zadar

Where to stay

Most budget beds sit in Varoš, the neighborhood just outside the Old Town's land gate, or scattered through the Old Town itself near Narodni trg. Either puts the Sea Organ, the Green Market, and the Jadrolinija ferry port within a short walk.

Getting around

• Take the Jadrolinija ferry from the main port to Preko on Ugljan island. The crossing takes about 20 minutes, costs a couple of euros, and gets you quiet coves and a village lunch that the crowds along Kalelarga never reach.
• Pick up breakfast and lunch supplies at the Zelena tržnica, the open-air Green Market just outside the Old Town walls. Local cheese, olives, and fruit there cost a fraction of what the sit-down spots on the waterfront charge.
• If a hostel listing says it's in Borik, factor in bus time. That beach area is a few kilometers northwest of the Old Town, and you'll be riding local buses every time you want the Old Town, the ferry port, or anything else worth seeing.

When to go

Prices drop noticeably from October through April. July and August are the crunch months, when nightly rates can double compared to what you'd pay in May or September.