HŽPP trains

HŽPP, short for HŽ Putnički prijevoz (HŽ Passenger Transport), runs Croatia's domestic passenger trains. It was split out from Croatian Railways in 2006 to meet EU rail directives, and it remains state owned. The network covers most major Croatian towns, radiating from Zagreb out to Rijeka, Split, Osijek, and Vinkovci.

Local and suburban trains, marked RE and SUB, handle short regional hops. InterCity (IC) trains cover the longer domestic corridors: Zagreb to Rijeka, Zagreb to Split, Zagreb to Vinkovci, and Zagreb to Osijek. In summer, seasonal night trains also run between Split, Zagreb, Osijek, Sisak, and Vinkovci.

Internationally, HŽPP trains connect Croatia with Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovenia, and Switzerland. Regular EuroCity and InterCity services run Zagreb to Ljubljana and on to Villach, Zagreb to Vienna via Maribor and Graz, and Zagreb to Budapest. A weekly train also runs Zagreb to Pula via Ljubljana. On the night side, EuroNight sleeper trains link Zagreb with Munich, Stuttgart, and Zurich, and seasonal night services connect Split with Vienna and Budapest.

Reservation rules vary by route, and this is where travellers most often get caught out. The busiest domestic IC route, Zagreb to Split, requires a compulsory seat reservation for both the daytime InterCity and the overnight service. On other domestic IC lines, such as Zagreb to Osijek or Zagreb to Vinkovci, reservation is optional. On Zagreb to Rijeka, reservation is not possible at all, so seating is first come, first served. Internationally, most EuroCity and InterCity trains to Austria and Hungary carry optional reservation, but the EuroNight sleeper trains to Zurich, Stuttgart, and Bratislava require one.

Interrail and Eurail passes cover unlimited travel on the HŽPP network within the pass's validity, but booking the compulsory reservations takes a little more care. HŽPP no longer allows its domestic trains to be reserved from outside Croatia. A reservation for a domestic route such as Zagreb to Split has to be made locally, either at a Croatian station or by emailing HŽPP directly at least 48 hours before departure. For international IC, EuroCity, and EuroNight trains, Eurail's own reservation self-service system can be used instead, for an administration cost on top of the reservation itself.

Do not assume your pass alone is enough for the Zagreb to Split route or for any EuroNight sleeper. Build a station stop, or a 48-hour email lead time, into your plan before you rely on those trains, especially on the coastal routes in summer when demand is highest.