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Promet – Split’s Bus System

Despite being such an automobile-dominated city, Split’s bus system is widely used by its residents. For that reason, the buses are efficient and plentiful, reaching almost every end of city and even extend beyond Split to Trogir, Solin and Omiš. It is entirely possible to both visit and live in Split without having a car. Although, some of the very old pre-war buses are still in circulation, so during the height of summer, the “vintage” buses can be an uncomfortable and smelly place to be. 

Split Bus Zones

The greater Split bus system is broken down into 4 bus zones.

Promet_Split_Bus_System_Zones

Cost to Ride

Like most bus systems, the cost for a ride is determined by zone, number of rides and status (age, student, etc.). Below is the pricing scale from the Promet Split web site that we translated into English. All prices include VAT. For most people, you’ll just pay 11 kuna when you step onto the bus for 1 ride within Split proper.

Promet_Split_Bus_System_Pricing

Querks of the System

As with any public transportation, the Split bus system is not free of its own little nuances. Here are some of the ones I’ve discovered.

    • Holidays

      Beware of holidays when some routes may run late if at all.

    • Know where you’re going

      Also, not all bus stops post the schedule for the buses that come through. The buses also do not notify you when you arrive at each stop. It’s best to know where you need to go and when the bus will come before you head out.

    • Getting the schedule

      The Promet Split web site offers 3 different ways to look up a bus route on their web site.

      • The Old Fashioned Map – This is the basic map of all the bus routes with no kinks. For Split, click here, and for the broader Split area bus map, click here.
      • The Route Selector – Just select your route from the drop down and a page appears with the timetable broken down by weekday (Radni Dan), Saturday (Subota) and Sunday (Nedjelja). Now, the timetable only shows the times from the beginning of the bus route. It does not show the time of arrival on a stop by stop basis, so you’ll have to do some guesstimating.

    • Don’t miss the bus

      • At some of the busier stations, such as near Pazar in the center of Split, the buses tend to stack up in traffic. In that case, many of the buses will open their doors long before the actual stop. If you aren’t paying attention, it is possible to miss your bus entirely.
      • Sometimes at night, a bus driver will not stop at a bus stop if no one has requested a stop by pressing one of the red buttons on board. If traveling at night, be sure to request your stop and stand up to indicate you want to get off.

    • Yes, there are inspectors

      From time to time, a Sluzba Kontrole (inspector) from Promet will board the bus to check tickets. If you purchased a ticket from a tobacco stand, make sure you get it stamped when you board. If you get caught without a ticket the penalty is 50 kuna and you’ll need to pay it in cash on the spot.

    • Sometimes the bus will be late, early or it won’t come

      Yes, it happens. Best to be flexible.

It may seem unnecessarily complex at times, but it’s pretty easy to figure out. The fact that you can buy a ticket on the bus is a big score for me.

Do you have any tips for the Split Bus System? Share them in the comments.

Traveling beyond Split? Check out our other public transport guides:

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Expat in Croatia

Sara is an American expat based in Split. After globetrotting between New York, Amsterdam and California, she moved to Croatia in 2012. Sara's blog Expat in Croatia is a guide for foreigners living and traveling in Croatia.