The travel update applies to anyone travelling to Croatia(Image: Getty)Brits travelling to Croatia should be aware that the Foreign Office has updated its travel advice page for the popular holiday destination. On June 9, the Government refreshed its guidance to add information about large gatherings, including music festivals and football matches.
Anyone travelling to Croatia is advised to read all the advice in the guide. It sets out essential information about protecting yourself and your belongings and transport risks, among other topics. The latest guidance emphasises that you should take care near football stadiums on match days and leave the area immediately if you feel uncomfortable.
The advice says: “Large gatherings and public events are overwhelmingly safe and peaceful in Croatia, including sporting events. However, there are periodic cases of violence between football fans around matches.
“Care should be taken near football stadiums around match times, especially ‘derby’ matches, and you should: avoid large crowds, follow local news reports, and comply with instructions from police. If you feel uncomfortable, leave the area immediately.”
Another section is dedicated to music festivals. The guidance says: “Many music festivals are held in Croatia each year. Follow the advice of police and local authorities when attending events and take care of your valuables if attending a festival or large concert. Find out how to enjoy festivals safely with the festival travel checklist.”
The Foreign Office has updateds its Croatia travel advice(Image: Getty)The festival travel checklist is available in full online, with several steps included to help music fans stay safe. For instance, before travel, it’s recommended that people fill in the last page of their passport with emergency contacts, make a backup plan for accessing important information, such as flight details, and ensure they have enough money to pay for unexpected costs.
Once there, people are advised to keep their valuables in a safe place at all times and keep some spare cash separate from their credit cards and the rest of their money.
Visitors should be aware that in some Croatian town centres, people can be issued on-the-spot fines for behaviour seen as inappropriate. This could include:
drinking alcohol or using drugs in public spacessleeping in public spacesurinating or vomiting in public spaceswalking through towns shirtless or in swimwearwearing clothing that promotes drug useclimbing on monuments
People could be fined 4,000 euros for public order disturbances, such as fighting, drunken behaviour, and belittling or insulting police officers, reports the Express.
The Foreign Office adds: “Illegal drugs, including cannabis, carry severe penalties. Carrying cannabis for personal use has been decriminalised but if found on you or in your apartment, you will be asked to pay sometimes heavy fines.
“You should expect a long jail sentence and heavy fines for possessing, using or smuggling illegal drugs, including when transiting through the airport. Airports in Croatia have excellent technology and security for detecting illegal items. This is also used to scan the baggage of transiting passengers.”