Need cash when I land, best place in Croatia? Airport or places in the city?
Flew into Pula for a week in Istria and honestly was glad I waited to take out cash. The airport only had one ATM and it looked like one of those independent ones. I asked the info desk and they told me to wait and withdraw in the city. Once in Pula center, I used a Zagrebacka Banka ATM outside a Konzum supermarket and it worked smoothly with my Wise card. No strange prompts, got charged in kuna, and no extra fees from their side. If you can, always head into the city and use a machine tied to a real bank.
I always try to land with at least a little local cash but when I didn’t this time, I used the ATM outside Split Airport. There were two options - a Euronet and an Erste Bank ATM. I went for the Erste one and declined the conversion. Worked fine with my N26 card. That said, the withdrawal limit was low and the fees slightly higher than in the city. Once I got into Split, I found an OTP Bank ATM near the port and used that for the rest of the trip. Rates were better and no nonsense prompts. So yeah, airport in a pinch, but city is better.
When I flew into Dubrovnik I didn’t grab cash at the airport and waited until I reached the Old Town. Walked to a Zagrebačka Banka branch near Pile Gate and used the ATM there. Worked perfectly with my Revolut card and gave me the option to be charged in local currency which saved me some money. I avoid the bright-blue Euronet ATMs like the plague - they’re everywhere but the rates are bad and the prompts are confusing. Local banks like OTP, Erste and PBZ are your best bet once you're in town. Also do not use the currency exchanges at the airport - rates are just BAD!!!!
I landed at Zagreb airport and made the mistake of withdrawing from one of the Euronet ATMs right after baggage claim. The exchange rate was awful and the machine tried to default to charging me in my home currency. I accepted and later realized I lost around 10 percent on fees. Should’ve waited until I got into the city. I later found a PBZ ATM near Ban Jelačić Square and used my Visa card with no problems and a much better rate. Definitely recommend skipping airport machines unless it’s urgent and heading to a bank-affiliated ATM in town.