Croatia - Eastern Europe - page 167

schedule information. Sem Marina at Boktulijin put bb ( & 021/352-444 ) runs a
ferry between Pula and Zadar with a stop at Mali Losinj.
BY BUS Autotrans ( & 052/741-817; www.autotrans.hr) runs four daily buses
from both Rijeka and Zagreb to Pula, and to major cities such as Umag, Pore c , and
Rovinj on the coast. Most interior towns are connected to the coastal cities by at least
one bus per day, but travel by bus to inland Istria can be inconvenient.
BY TRAIN Trains connect Pula to Zagreb (7 hr.) and to Rijeka (2 1 ⁄ 2 hr.) plus other
coastal towns. However, if you want to see inland Istria, a car is a necessity.
BY CAR Auto travel is by far the most flexible way to see Istria beyond the coast
and the only sensible way to see the interior. There are car-rental agencies in most of
the major population centers.
VISITOR INFORMATION
Istria has an efficient tourist association with information offices in almost every town
from Pula on the coast to Oprtalj in the interior highlands. The association and its
website (www.istra.com) provide information ranging from maps of the region's olive-
oil roads to an up-to-date schedule of events.
PULA
This bustling city of 65,000 people at Istria's southern tip is 265km (165 miles) south-
west of Zagreb and 720km (447 miles) northeast of Dubrovnik. Pula is a working port
as well as a repository of some of the best Roman ruins in Europe.
GETTING THERE & GETTING AROUND
Tourists can make both regional and international ferry connections in Pula, which
has a large number of bus routes to Zagreb and Rijeka, Rovinj, Vrsar, and Pore c , plus
the gateway city of Trieste in Italy and coastal towns in Slovenia. Pula is a walkable
city and its local bus system can get you almost anywhere you need to go. If you want
to explore the hills and valleys of the Istrian interior, you'll need a car, but if you just
want a ride past Pula's main sites, catch Tram Tina, a bright yellow-and-green mul-
ticar vehicle that picks up passengers at the amphitheater or at Forum Square. Tina is
run by an enterprising Pula citizen and the tram runs from 9:30am to 10pm. There is
no commentary, but for 20kn ($3.45/£1.85) adults and 15kn ($2.60/£1.40) children,
you can “skim” 15 sites in 40 minutes.
VISITOR INFORMATION
The Tourist Information Office at Forum 2 ( & 052/219-197; www.pulainfo.hr;
9am-8pm Mon-Sat, 10am-6pm Sun and holidays) opposite the Temple of Augustus
provides maps, brochures, and lists of events in Pula and around Istria.
Private agencies like Activatravel Istra at Scalierova 1 ( & 052/215-497 ) book spe-
cial-interest tours, including truffle-hunting excursions (in season). Several of the
Pula's hotels and private accommodations, are handled by Arena Turist in the Riviera
Hotel at Splitska 1 ( & 052/529-400; www.arenaturist.hr; 7am-8pm Mon-Sat,
8am-1pm Sun). Atlas Travel at Starih Statuta 1 ( & 052/393-040; www.atlas-croatia.
com) is open from 7am to 8pm Monday to Saturday, 8am to 1pm Sunday. Atlas books
excursions, finds private accommodations, and is Pula's American Express agent. Istra
Sun-Way at Kandlerova 34 ( & 052/381-329; www.istra-sunway.hr) is open from
8am to midnight and books tours to the interior, so you can see some of the smaller
inland towns without renting a car.