INTRODUCTION - Croatia and Slovenia - page 19

Borders: Even though Croatia and Slovenia are both in the EU, you'll still have to stop
and show your passport when you cross the border between them (or when crossing in-
to Bosnia-Herzegovina or Montenegro). But whether by car, train, or bus, you'll find that
border crossings are generally a nonevent: Flash your passport, maybe wait a few minutes,
and move on. Drivers may be asked to show proof of car insurance (“green card”), so be
sure you have it when you pick up your rental car. Now that Slovenia has joined the Schen-
gen open-borders agreement, you don't have to stop or show a passport when crossing
between Slovenia and Austria, Italy, or Hungary. (Croatia likely won't join Schengen un-
til 2016 at the earliest.) Crossing from Croatia into Bosnia-Herzegovina or Montenegro is
fairly straightforward, if occasionally a bit slow. When you change countries, you change
phone cards, postage stamps, and, in most cases, money.
Time Zones: Croatia,Slovenia,Bosnia-Herzegovina,andMontenegro,likemostofcon-
tinental Europe, are generally six/nine hours ahead of the East/West Coasts of the US. The
exceptions are the beginning and end of Daylight Saving Time: Europe “springs forward”
the last Sunday in March (two weeks after most of North America) and “falls back” the last
SundayinOctober(oneweekbeforeNorthAmerica).Forahandyonlinetimeconverter,try
www.timeanddate.com/worldclock .
Business Hours: Particularlyinseasonalresortareasalongthecoast,businesshourscan
be very unpredictable—dictated entirely by demand. (I've tried to list hours throughout this
book, but these are just rough guidelines.) A shop may be open daily from 9:00 to 24:00 in
August, with its hours becoming progressively shorter in the shoulder season until it closes
entirely in mid-October. In larger, less touristy cities and towns—and in most of Slove-
nia—hours are a bit more predictable (typically Mon-Fri from around 8:00 or 9:00 until
17:00,Satmorningsfrom8:00or9:00until12:00or13:00,andclosedSun).InbothCroatia
andSlovenia,youwillfindafewbusinessesopenonSundays,butgenerallyonlyintouristy
areas or in large cities (especially near bus or train stations).
Watt's Up? Europe's electrical system is 220 volts, instead of North America's 110
volts. Most newer electronics (such as laptops, battery chargers, and hair dryers) convert
automatically, so you won't need a converter, but you will need an adapter plug with two
round prongs, sold inexpensively at travel stores in the US. Avoid bringing older appliances
that don't automatically convert voltage; instead, buy a cheap replacement in Europe.
Discounts: While discounts are not listed in this topic, youths (under 18) and students
(with International Student Identity Cards, www.isic.org ) often get discounts—but only by
asking.
Online Translation Tip: You can use Google's Chrome browser (available free at
www.google.com/chrome ) to instantly translate websites. With one click, the page appears
in (very rough) English translation. You can also paste the URL of the site into the transla-
tion window at www.google.com/translate .