Hvar to Split Ferry Without a Car: Catamaran vs Car Ferry, Which Port?

Without a car, the answer is simple: take the foot-passenger catamaran from Hvar Town harbour, which drops you straight at Split harbour in about 1 hour, with no transfer. It leaves you right in the centre, a few minutes' walk from the bus and train stations. No need to route through Stari Grad.

The classic trap is the departure port. Hvar has two terminals. The fast catamarans leave from Hvar Town. The car ferries leave from Stari Grad, about 20 km (12 mi) away. If you don't have a car, you want Hvar Town. We break down both options below, then arriving in Split and what comes next.

All prices quoted are indicative for the 2025–2026 season and schedules change often. Always check the official websites before you book.

The foot-passenger catamaran from Hvar Town: the obvious choice

The fast catamaran leaves from Hvar Town harbour and reaches Split harbour in about 1 hour, with no change. It's the most direct option when you're travelling on foot. Two operators run the route: Krilo (Kapetan Luka) and Jadrolinija, which runs its line 641 Split–Hvar Town.

On price, Krilo lists a one-way fare from around €8.50 (about $9) depending on the date (krilo.hr). Jadrolinija's exact fares are on the booking engine on their site. Croatia switched to the euro on 1 January 2023, so everything is paid in euros.

• Departure port: Hvar Town (not Stari Grad).
• Duration: about 1 hour, confirm on the day's timetable.
• Operators: Krilo (Kapetan Luka) and Jadrolinija (line 641).
• Fare: Krilo from around €8.50 (about $9) one way.
• Frequency: very dense in high season (the Split–Hvar Town corridor sees more than 10 crossings a day across all operators). In May and October it's more spread out.
• Booking: tickets sell fast in July and August. Book online ahead of time.

Bottom line: if you're on foot, this is the option to go for nine times out of ten.

The car ferry from Stari Grad: when should you take it?

The car ferry links Stari Grad to Split via Jadrolinija line 635, with a crossing of 120 minutes (2 hours). It carries both cars and foot passengers. But the Stari Grad terminal sits about 20 km (12 mi), a 20-minute drive, from Hvar Town (visithvar.hr), which adds a leg to your trip.

Two cases make it worthwhile: you're travelling with a car, or the foot-passenger catamarans are sold out, which is common in peak summer. Otherwise it's slower and less convenient for a foot passenger.

• Departure port: Stari Grad (20 km / 20 min from Hvar Town).
• Line: Jadrolinija 635, 120-minute crossing.
• Carries: cars and foot passengers.
• Frequency: according to Jadrolinija, around 7 departures a day each way in peak summer (mid-June to late August), around 6 in the shoulder season, around 4 in winter.
• Getting to Stari Grad: a bus links Hvar Town to the terminal and is meant to be timed to the ferries (confirm on the ground). A taxi is the fallback.
• Fares: published on jadrolinija.hr; check the booking engine for foot-passenger and vehicle details.

Which port on the Hvar side? Hvar Town or Stari Grad

This is the real question that catches travellers out: the island of Hvar has two different ports for getting to Split, and they don't do the same job. Hvar Town handles the foot-passenger catamarans (Krilo and Jadrolinija line 641). Stari Grad handles the car ferries (Jadrolinija line 635), 20 km away (visithvar.hr).

The rule of thumb: without a car, head for Hvar Town, and you arrive straight in central Split. With a car, or if the catamarans are full, it's Stari Grad. Mixing up the two can make you miss your boat or send you to the far side of the island.

• Hvar Town: fast catamarans, foot passengers, arrival in central Split, ~1h.
• Stari Grad: car ferries, cars + foot passengers, 2-hour crossing, 20 km from Hvar Town.

Arriving in Split: what next?

Good news for the rest of your trip: in Split, the harbour, the bus station and the train station are clustered along the waterfront, a few minutes' walk from each other (jadrolinija.hr). You step off the catamaran and connect easily to a long-distance bus or a train.

The airport is just as straightforward. Split Airport (SPU) is in Kaštela, 20–25 km (12–16 mi) from the centre (split-airport.hr). The public bus Promet line 37 (Split–Airport–Trogir) takes about 50 minutes for a one-way ticket of around €3 (about $3.20) (promet-split.hr).

• Split harbour: a few minutes' walk from the bus and train stations.
• SPU airport: in Kaštela, 20–25 km from the centre.
• To the airport: Promet bus line 37, ~50 min, one-way ticket ~€3.

In practice: what to choose without a car?

To sum up: without a car, the foot-passenger catamaran from Hvar Town to Split harbour (~1h) is almost always the right call. Keep the Stari Grad car ferry as plan B, especially when the catamarans are sold out. Book online as soon as you have your summer dates.

• Which port on the Hvar side for a foot passenger? Hvar Town. The fast catamarans leave from there; Stari Grad serves the car ferries, 20 km away.
• Catamaran or car ferry without a car? The foot-passenger catamaran: faster, and it arrives right in central Split. The car ferry only if the catamarans are full.
• How long is the crossing? About 1 hour by catamaran from Hvar Town; 120 minutes (2 hours) by car ferry from Stari Grad.
• How much does it cost? Krilo lists the one-way fare from around €8.50; Jadrolinija fares are on their booking engine. Everything is in euros.
• Do you need to book in summer? Yes. In July and August tickets sell fast: book online ahead of time.
• How do you get to the airport from Split? The Promet bus line 37, about 50 minutes, one-way ticket around €3.