Getting Your Bearings
Rijeka is Croatia's principal seaport and its third-largest city, sitting on Kvarner Bay where the river Rječina meets the Adriatic. Because mountains press in on the city from three sides, Rijeka has grown along a long, relatively narrow coastal strip rather than spreading inland. That shape matters for a visitor: the centre is compact and easy to cover on foot, while the surrounding districts climb the hills and are best reached by bus.
On Foot
Walking is the simplest way to get around central Rijeka. Most of the city is accessible on foot, and traffic is banned on the Korzo, the main pedestrian thoroughfare in the heart of the city. The bus terminal and the railway station sit close to each other at the northern edge of the centre, so arriving by either mode puts you within a short walk of the core.
One walk worth knowing about is the climb to Trsat. If the stairs don't appeal, the local buses are a good alternative to walking up.
Rail
Rijeka has been an important railhead since its days as a major port of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the railway station is on Krešimirova Street at the northern edge of the town area, about five minutes' walk from the bus station. The station has luggage lockers, an ATM, and a ticket office where you can buy tickets and make reservations; there is also a tourist information office in the station building, though its opening hours are irregular.
Direct trains connect Rijeka with Zagreb, and from Zagreb you can pick up direct services to other major Croatian cities. International options include services to Ljubljana in Slovenia, a train onward to Munich, and a connection to Budapest via Zagreb. Summer-only services have also linked Rijeka with Trieste through Slovenia, though it is uncertain whether that route will continue. There are no direct rail connections to southern Croatia, but Split can be reached by changing trains at Ogulin — a long journey, though an overnight train makes it a reasonable option. Pula is reachable by train too, but because the two cities are not connected by rail within Croatia, a designated bus covers part of the route; Croatian Railways provides the bus and you buy a single ticket for the whole journey.
Note that Rijeka has no metro or tram network — rail here means the national railway, not a city transit system.
Buses and Local Public Transport
Rijeka's local bus network is the workhorse of city transport. It runs in a single-direction circular movement around the central city area and fans out in all directions, which makes it useful both for hopping around the centre and for reaching the outer districts when you're tired of walking.
For tourists, the buses to Trsat are probably the most useful, and they save you the long stair climb up the hill.
Tickets work as follows:
- Single tickets can be bought from the bus driver, cash only.
- Double tickets and day tickets can be bought from Tisak and iNovine kiosks.
- Weekly tickets are available from Autotrolej, directly in the city centre of Rijeka.
You can look up routes and schedules using the local journey planner.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Rijeka has a cheap and well-organised taxi service, and you can generally get anywhere in the city for around €10 or less. In the centre there are three taxi terminals: at the bus station, in Matije Gupca Street, and at the railway station. A taxi van is also available.
Local operators include Taxi Cammeo, Taxi Adria, VIP car service, JAM Transfer (which offers online booking), and Taxi Fiume. Taxis usually arrive within 10 to 15 minutes of a call, except in the busy summer season, when waiting time depends on how much business the drivers have.
Arriving by Sea
Given Rijeka's role as Croatia's largest port, ships play an important part in the life of the city. For travellers, the most useful service is the Jadrolinija ferry, operated by the state-owned company, which runs small fast vessels to the nearby islands. Car-carrying ferries down the Adriatic coast to Split and Dubrovnik have been cancelled. The passenger terminal is in the city centre on the waterfront, just near the Jadrolinija office building, where tickets are sold on the ground floor; there is also a left-luggage office nearby.
Getting In From the Airport
Rijeka Airport sits on the nearby island of Krk, and it mostly sees seasonal traffic. Several airlines connect it with destinations across Europe, including Riga, Copenhagen, Moscow, Helsinki, Tel Aviv, London, Munich, Košice, Hamburg, Bonn/Cologne, Berlin, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, Tallinn, Oslo, Stockholm, Charleroi, and Croatian cities such as Split, Dubrovnik, Osijek and Zagreb.
To get into the city:
- Official airport shuttle bus: runs from the airport to the city. Tickets are bought inside the bus, in euro and cash only. The airport bus stop in the city is at Jelačićev trg 3, Kraljevica. The same official bus also serves Kraljevica and Omišalj.
- Unofficial buses: stop at the crossroads in front of the airport, some distance from the terminal — worth knowing if you're comparing options.
- Official Rijeka Airport Taxi Transfer Service: another option for the run from the airport into the city; details are on the official airport website.
- Onward connections: there are also regular bus services from Rijeka into Zagreb Airport if you're connecting through there.
Arriving by Car or Bus
If you're driving in, the approach depends on where you're coming from. From Zagreb, take the A1 to Bosiljevo and then the A6 to Rijeka — the A6 crosses hilly terrain with many tunnels, bridges and viaducts. From Trieste, take the A7 after entering Croatia at the Pasjak or Rupa border crossing. From Split, you can take the A1 to Žuta Lokva and continue via Senj and Crikvenica, or take the A1 north to Bosiljevo and then the A6 to Rijeka.
By long-distance bus, Rijeka is connected with larger cities in Croatia, Slovenia, Italy and elsewhere in Europe. The busy bus terminal is in the city centre at the foot of the Capuchin church, on Trg Žabica. Timetables and fares are available from Autotrans, either at their office (which also sells tickets) on Žabica or by phone; tickets bought through the company's website are cheaper. There is a left-luggage office next to the newspaper and cigarette stand, with the latest opening hours of any transport mode in Rijeka, and luggage safekeeping is inexpensive. Eurobusways also operates a direct Budapest–Rijeka bus line.