The "Balkan DHL" Express, Croatia's Incredible Delivery System

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Need a package delivered urgently in Croatia from one city to another? Left your passport in your AirBnB and looking to get it back in record time? Croatia is the place to be for this unbeatable same day service for the price of a pint.
You can read more in 'Balkan DHL' Service: Fast, Cheap, Reliable & Unbeatable - www.total-croatia-news.com/li...
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Want to learn more about the realities of living in this flawed but majestic country? Our new book, Croatia, a Survival Guide for Foreigners is now available on Amazon. www.amazon.com/Croatia-Surviv...
Video produced by Igor Vuk of Wolf Media.
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[@DejoJ808]

It works all around Europe if a driver is from ex Yugoslavia. I do it in Germany as well.

[@PaulBradbury]

Do you think it is only an ex-Yugo thing or elsewhere as well?

[@DejoJ808]

@@PaulBradbury I don't know. Wouldn't be surprised if it works in all Slavic countries (including Hungary) 😁. Many ex Yugos flaying Home from Germany, but the luggage coming by bus.

[@tiki915]

SSD delivery system, snadji se druže 😉

[@Theb819]

Exactly , especially smuggled cigarettes ,you live in Germany and pay Croatian prices

[@Theb819]

@@PaulBradbury i worked with different nationalities,never heard about that , we're like black market pioneers bahah

[@CrazyBunnyGuy]

Ah, yes. A service every student who's away from the mothership uses to this day. :) If you go to Zagreb's Main Bus Station in the early hours of the morning when overnight buses from the south of Croatia (or far east) arrive you'll probably see a sizeable queue of people waiting to catch the driver and ask for their parcels. I don't know what's the current rate now that we introduced €. It's probably no less than 5€ since I doubt drivers would accept coins :)

[@cosmozh]

Once I left Switzerland for Croatia without a license plate for my motorcycle that was parked in Split. Gave order to my frend to bring the plate to the bus that goes to Split in the evening. On the way to Split we sleeps in Rijeka, my number plate had arrived in Split before me. For 20.-ChF

[@PaulBradbury]

Great story. Have heard so many like it.

[@nickepic1863]

True story, this is how it works in Croatia 😄

[@PaulBradbury]

And so reliable

[@bernardokrolo2275]

@@PaulBradburyto je za tebe bilo kao da si dosao u "Zonu Sumraka"..jel da g.Bradbury?

[@Benita216]

You're such a great story teller Paul, love the channel, love the Balkan ingenuity💓

[@PaulBradbury]

Thanks. The material just keeps on giving so easy to report on

[@fritula6200]

Benita: Love the Balkan ingenuity ...... don't insult me Benita: l am not a Balkan: l am Croatian, don't lump me up with the enemy of my country: who now the 3rd time since the before 1990's have stepped in with army boots to destroy my people and have stolen our antiquity and killed my people and raped our women and ravaged my country, and you dare to put me in with that version of humanity. You should learn about the country you make a comment.

[@bratenemariz]

Once got a whole lamb sent from Pag. Nowadays they sometimes even issue you a ticket and give you a receipt for the delivery.

[@PaulBradbury]

Haha vrh!

[@josipag2185]

Hahahahhaha love it, a lamb

[@DataLog]

@@PaulBradbury Yeah, on Zagrebacki Kolodvor, they usually write a ticket for a package. I think it's literally officially added to their service, which is funny, because it was never meant to be an official service of bus companies. But they have to do what they can because it's difficult to offer bus rides in such a fragmented area like Croatia and stay profitable. Especially when diesel praces are soaring.

[@funkyribar2301]

True story Pual, my mother sends walnuts from north Croatia to south bottom by bus and it works for years and still is :) God observation btw ;)

[@PaulBradbury]

So much food is transported between families this way

[@gabormiklosjuranyi3082]

I am a "Paul" from the neighboring island Korcula (although I do not have Croatian wife :-)) and use this service not only for small items - some years ago my new born scooter from Split was delivered in the same way. Simple and fast.

[@PaulBradbury]

It works great on islands - I have sent my car on it a few times - they even drove it off the ferry and parked it for me and left the keys under the seat.

[@tiki915]

@@PaulBradbury 🤣🤣 nothing more,nothing less

[@z000ey]

My dear friend from a Croatian island had 2 quite large insulated boxes as a student in Zagreb, while her father on the island regularly went fishing. Once a week she'd get a full box of iced fish, shrimp, squid, even lobster by bus from her father, while sending the empty last week's box with the returning bus. Mind you, the bus trip was 15h long and took 2 ferries! We often cooked awesome seafood dinners thanking her father hobby for it, cause we had nowhere the funds enough to buy such great ingredients on our own. BTW last summer I sent my CAR from Hvar to Split with the keys (and 20 kuna) by the ferry Nostromo (the officer in charge of cargo on-board) while the mechanic awaited it for an urgent repair that couldn't be done on the island. It came back the same way 2 days later, with 9000kn going again with the Nostromo to Split as the fee

[@PaulBradbury]

Vrh! Probably the best Balkan DHL story I have heard so far - thanks for sharing

[@fritula6200]

Can l come and taste the fish in Zagreb.

[@z000ey]

@@PaulBradbury Vela Luka - Zagreb, but the bus went the long way around :)

[@z000ey]

@@fritula6200 eh she's back on the island so no more free lobsters ;)

[@TheStrossicro]

The nostromo is amazing! We had an amazing nostromo on the Split Rogac line, he took 200kuna in hand to onboard me and some 19 friends without a valid ticket.

[@trubatotalka8272]

The funniest thing is when they send me seasonal plums or cherries from Mostar and it basically turns into jam or rakija in the bus bunk by the time it arrives, stinking and messing up the rest of the baggage. But they faithfully do it every year anyway :) And the driver never learns a lesson :)

[@zagrepcanin82]

That is true. I am working as delivery in Zagreb and I am at least 3x a day at central bus station....and about 20y so far...there is no more efficient inter city delivery than bus in Croatia

[@PaulBradbury]

That is a lot of bus station visits

[@zagrepcanin82]

@@PaulBradbury it is.that comes with the job.but problem is buses are always late

[@r1pcurl24]

haha, good old bus shipping 😂

[@PaulBradbury]

It really is an awesome service

[@minimalistserendipity4744]

This made me smile 😊 yep it works

[@PaulBradbury]

It is awesome

[@exorcistf.f.5433]

When I worked in Zagreb, I shared an apartment with colleagues from Slavonia and Dalmatia, amazing how much meat(Sausages and prosciutto), cheese and salad (pickles and pickled peppers)we got right through" Balkan DHL"

[@PaulBradbury]

Haha, i can imagine. A great service.

[@myflyingkidney]

Oh my god I never even thought about how odd this must seem to outsiders. I never even questioned it... now that he talks about it I realize it must sound very unusual.. But it is actually very effective and simple. And it is no hassle to drivers. Although they might refuse very smelly food or something that might spill or something they deem not safe in some way. So you never know

[@PaulBradbury]

Haha, it is a great service

[@b.m.1778]

I know that while driving the regular lines some of the bus drivers have built decent family houses in relatively short period of time, and it is interesting that in cases when they have any type of conflict with the owner of the company, as a form of punishment, they would be relocated and sent to drive in tourism, where most of the people would easily expect and think it is a much better option moneywise, because of good tips that drivers usualy get when driving in tourism.. for e.g., american groups of guests for a 7 days tours around Croatia, or regular line, idk, Split - Munich. I believe it would be a no-brainer🙂

[@juricivan]

It's interesting how Paul as foreigner sees that bus delivery, for me, I took it for granted. Paul, you must be working for Croatian tourist board!! 😊

[@PaulBradbury]

Thats because you probably grew up with it but it is a novel thing for British people. As for working with the Croatian tourist board, haha

[@BiosBoy100]

The same way it works in Ukraine all the time. This is something standard and very related to all Eastern Europe countries I think.

[@PaulBradbury]

Tx. Yes it has the feel of an east european thing

[@DataLog]

@@PaulBradbury It's the art of being cheap and efficient 😂 If the bus has extra space, and is already leaving for a destination, why not fill it up more for some extra cash? It's a win win.

[@JaceVibe]

You got that right! 😁

[@PaulBradbury]

It is a great service

[@antoniojuric4667]

Great channel.

[@PaulBradbury]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@stipe3124]

Najbolja dostavna služba na planeti 🤔😁

[@PaulBradbury]

It really is

[@stipe3124]

@@PaulBradbury Ae! 🍾

[@mikistjep]

Hahaha. That is a great take on the subject. I used the service numerous times myself.

[@maybeanfan]

this is so true but sounds so weird to outsiders but when you forget something somewhere or need something delivered to you fast there is no better system than the buses

[@PaulBradbury]

It is an incredible service

[@lsmola]

Its not just the islands it works between towns too, bus drivers do it also..

[@PaulBradbury]

Yes, most of the video is talking about the bus service between towns

[@jaredfontaine2002]

I was just on Hvar! Road my bike around the island! Really nice just too expensive compared to Montenegro and Albania. I think Croatia would have been a good investment 10 years ago

[@PaulBradbury]

It was a really good investment 20 years ago. But forget about investing and just enjoy Hvar, for it truly is beautiful .

[@korgothofbarbaria2841]

There was interview on HRT with one fellow from some African country in Split and they ask him about his impression of Split and he told them its same like in Africa only difference is you have electricity. 😂🤣🤣

[@josipag2185]

Yes to some non educated person that does not appreciate litearure, architecture, klapa music, mandoline and acustic guitarra sound, smell of citrus fruit, sailing on the boat, it can be the same thing. When you find out that this is funny, what that says about you? O, yea, I will be free to presume you are from capital of Herzegovina or somewhere there.

[@mememihnea]

haha. Great to know this is across Balkans everywhere. I taught this is a Romania only thing.

[@PaulBradbury]

I wonder how far the system extends in Europe

[@mememihnea]

@@PaulBradbury that's a good question. I can tell you that we have busses that travel from Romania all across Europe and they also deliver packages as well as people. It's common to live in Germany or Spain or the UK and receive the traditional Sarmale (stuffed cabbage) or homemade sausages on those busses from your beloved mother.

[@baleb-ht1ml]

Hahahaha famous bus delivery, my mother would send me a box full of food during my uni years, you just give them 40,50 kunas and it's safe 🤣🤣

[@PaulBradbury]

Haha, I think half of the blitva that reaches Zagreb is via this service from family fields to Dalmatian students.

[@baleb-ht1ml]

@@PaulBradbury 🤣 true, we called it "monthly package" and we would go with a suitcase to pick it up! Good old days

[@rogerhudson9732]

It works on the buses from Bosnia (Kiseljak or Sarajevo) to Split as well.

[@PaulBradbury]

Yep it is a Balkan thing

[@importedvixen]

Where about in MCR you grow up Paul? I lived in the area for 18 years and still have flat there…

[@PaulBradbury]

Born in Bury, then mostly in Altrincham area.

[@importedvixen]

@@PaulBradbury woow I worked in Bury for years.. Rochdale too Know the area very well 👌🏻👍

[@ivandusic2058]

This is common in most of Slavic countries due to non-existence of modern day services during post WWII era. So that some habbits just stuck untill today. Germans would say:”Not macht erfinderisch.” I love your videos! 👍

[@PaulBradbury]

Haha thanks. Lots more coming if you want to subscribe

[@ivandusic2058]

@@PaulBradbury I subscribed long time ago because I loved the unbeliveably spot on story telling, unbiased promotion of Croatia and also the feeling that someone else finds the same things about Croatia strange or “special”. 😉

[@zagrepcanin82]

netočno da dostave ne postoje. ali busom je najjeftinije. U Hrvatskoj dostave postoje od 1992god!

[@importedvixen]

@@zagrepcanin82 da ali su lose.. DHL sam platila da dodju u odredjeno vrijeme po dokumente i da donesu specijalnu kovertu koju nude na svom sajtu Niti su dosli taj dan niti su donjeli kovertu nego su na kraju poslali “ third party” da pokupe! Dokument je isao iz Slavonije za Berlin.. Kada sam trazila povrat novca nisu niti shvatili zasto ih to trazim jer ne znaju niti sto je “ customer service” sve dok im nisam priprijetila da cu se zalit u Njemacku u glavni Head Office Tako da radije bi poslala i po nekom nepoznatom nego sa kompanijom koja ima brand jer nasi jednostavno ne mogu, ne zele a i ne znaju sto znaci Usluga.. i koliko je vazna u svakom businessu

[@zagrepcanin82]

@@importedvixen zato se posluzite GLSom iduci puta.jer u Hrvatskoj nema bas medunarodnih dostava...ima...overseas...ali oni su katastrofa. No tuzemne dostave funkcioniraju odlicno

[@DataLog]

I used to send packages with gallery material to my dad to Rovinj that way. When I think about it, it's really cheap. We would send 20kg-50kg package worth of valuable materials for 50-70kn. They would probably do it for 20-30kn, but since the material is very valuable, and the package is already massive for any delivery service standards, we thought it was only fair to leave some extra cash. Also, I'd never ask what's the price, you just roughly guess what it's worth to you, and try not to be a d1ck about it. And also, it's intra day delivery, coming in only a couple of hours. The only con is that someone needs to walk 10 minutes from the gallery to collect it, but it was worth it.

[@PaulBradbury]

It is a great service

[@MisterShnig]

Wait they don't do this in other countries?

[@PaulBradbury]

Not in the Uk for sure. Seems to be a regional thing here

[@tduic]

@@PaulBradbury I think they don't do it in western countries because it's technically illegal - they shouldn't accept luggage from non-passengers. But as Tito said - snadji se druze! (find a way, comrade) drivers do it because they can, I think their bosses or company is shutting one eye and everybody's happy.

[@mibict]

Truth.

[@PaulBradbury]

Istina

[@f56yn25]

My wife and her friends use it regularly in HR . I cant imagine it would work in the UK as everything would probably get stolen as well as endless rules and regulations.

[@PaulBradbury]

Completely agree

[@stadaradim111]

neće busevi bome više samo "za kavu" paket poslat nažalost. Nostromo na trajektu je druga stvar

[@PaulBradbury]

Nostromo je legenda

[@NadaCakar]

Indeed, I use this bus service frequently. How come people in the " West" didn't come up with this idea, as they are claimed to be extremely creative?

[@PaulBradbury]

It is an Eastern European thing I think, but works very well

[@dreamofatiger]

Lol yes we do it all the time in Croatia 😂

[@PaulBradbury]

It is a great system

[@Photostoryhr]

I guess there is no way to eliminate these comments that do not make sense and have nothing to do with this topic. I do not think Paul intended to get into conversation about tax system in Croatia

[@PaulBradbury]

Haha. I am constantly in awe of people and how they can change a topic and conversation in the comments. All fine, my end. I engage with the ones worthy of engagement and ignore the others.

[@rade1dpc975]

Croatia is law

[@PaulBradbury]

Perhaps, but Hrvatska je zakon doesn't really translate literally into English.

[@rade1dpc975]

@@PaulBradbury vidiš da razumiješ hehehehe

[@RedAngel11993]

You are so facetious, Paul.

[@PaulBradbury]

Me? In what way?

[@RedAngel11993]

@@PaulBradbury In the way ... how smoothly and wittily your story flaw.

[@povijestpovijest9569]

I hate it, it's too informal, I feel like I'm asking the driver for a favor.

[@MarioPetrinovich]

Yes. You have to behave, to lick his ass, otherwise no service. In other countries it is them who want to service you, and you pay with money which you earned the honest way. Here you have to beg to be serviced, and you pay with your obedience. But, obviously, Slavs don't mind. This is where their name comes from, after all ("Sclavi").

[@Wache3]

But you DO asking him a favor. That is why you have to offer some compensation (in kn)...

[@MarioPetrinovich]

@@Wache3 Hm, why somebody doesn't make me a favor, and organize meaningful system in which I wouldn't need to beg to get ordinary things? Next 25 seconds in this video tells a lot: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i2LRYqNuZ7iqbLc

[@Wache3]

@@MarioPetrinovich well, why don't you organize such system? Not that easy, ha? There were lots of attempts, but most of them failed (mostly due to big expenses that occurs when delivery to remote locations.).

[@MarioPetrinovich]

@@Wache3 Everybody has such a system organized. I am not talking about "remote locations", unless you think that Amazon river is more remote than Croatia. Actually, I heard there is one such delivery service in Belgrade. I'll tell you a story: The story happens in 90s. Croats had 150 DM average wage (75 euros). In the same time grandsons of Tudjman and Manolic were riding in their brand new Lamborghinis from one folk club with Serbian folk music to another. Tudjman's grandson got a bank for his 18th birthday as a gift, and Tudjman's wife said, "What is an 18-old who doesn't have at least 5 million dollars on his bank account?". Of course, those grandsons took that Croatian money and opened a delivery service in Belgrade. Of course, Croats regularly vote for this family. And now you are asking me why me, who worked for peanuts for whole his life, didn't open a delivery service. You know, Croats are not getting payments, they are getting charity money. Croatia has huge administration, and this administration knows exactly how much Croats need to survive, and Croats get exactly that much charity every month, not a single penny more than that. Because everything is under the control of Party. This is a communist system, you get what you need. Just like cows on the farm, they get hay they need, they get water they need, they get roof on top. And, of course, the rulers of communists countries are very capable farmers, who know exactly how much their cattle needs. The farmer who would give to his cattle more than that cattle needs isn't a capable farmer, he is wasting his money unnecessarily.

[@ocendo1]

Hi Paul,this was not nice to show something like this as negative thing.Calling uss Balkan is not nice too.We only copied smal portion of things that vere invented in the west ages ago.One exsample is so called Sack of Constantinople in 1204.Crusaders payed transport to Egipt to Venetians by atacking free city of Zadar first and than captured and ploundered enormous wealth in Constantinople.And BTW your countryman invented name Balkan and it is not our name for region.For us it is Istra,Dalmacija,Bosna,Hercegovina etc.

[@PaulBradbury]

How did you get the impression that I think this is a negative thing? I think it is fantastic. And a practice all over the Balkans, hence the name.

[@ivicabradac4806]

Paul, if you come to Dublin or Belfast and say that Ireland is England, how do they look at you? And that's how they'll look at you if you say that Croatia is the Balkans. The problem is not geographical but political....

[@PaulBradbury]

Whether or not Croatia is wholly, partly or not at all in the Balkans - in either geography or mindset - is an interesting discussion which we will cover in a comprehensive video soon. Opinions, even from Croats, are very divided on the issue. We will take a deeper look at all the angles - it will be an interesting video, and one which I am sure will attract a lot of comment.

[@ivicabradac4806]

Let me mention right away that the answers will depend on who has what kind of political preferences and indirectly, as far as that is concerned, whether they are natives of Croatia (meaning whether his family lived in Croatia before 1940 - this year is not written by chance) or immigrated from other areas of Yugoslavia, which has been dead for 30 years now. It will be interesting to follow the comments.

[@franfinesim]

Where did you get that? Of course Croatia is part of the Balkans. It surely isn't part of Benelux

[@fritula6200]

It's not the Balkans, it's independent, we are with the West since Roman times. The Great Divide is DRAWN on the BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA BORDER with Serbia the demarcation line: it's here where everything imaginable changes.... Serbia is Eastern in everything just as Croatia is Western in everything. I/we do not and will not be clumped up with the Balkans, just because the English after WWII said so, and have tried made it official to the world... NO we Croatians will not fall PREY to this made-up bull SHIT of the Western culture... we Croatians were here before WESTERN CULTURE...wrong Paul... you live in Croatia, but you must be told... Read our genuine Croatian History, told and written by Croatians what we are, and who we are and NOT SOME SMART ASRSE ENGLISH LORD WHO DOESN'T KNOW OR WONT LEARN OUR CROATIAN HISTORY, BECAUSE HE DOESN'T GIVE A SHIT !!! I ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ WHAT WE WRITE IN OUR HISTORY BOOKS, AND NOT WHAT THE WEST OR ENGLISH WANT TO FABRICATE: PAUL, I MUST DRAW THE LINE WITH YOU. BECAUSE THAT'S AND INSULT.

[@fritula6200]

@@franfinesim who said it's part of the Balkans... Just because Serbia has been given the red light to put pressure on Croatia and feeding the rest of the world with her greed and Western support of war mongering sickness to destroy the existence 9f Croatians with a well rehearsed made up propoganda and by the shitty West, AND a made up notion because of a great expansionistic Serbia, who hasn't given up her appetite of having Croatia and her peoples and land to herself. Croatia can fed half of Europe, Slavonia its the bread basket of EU. The beauty of the Dalmatian coast, generating huge amounts of income from tourism. So pristine in naturalness and lay back attitude of a people which is rare on this planet; Croatian BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA where our Kings were crowned on that soil: for centuries!!! Read the history from Croatian books and NOT THE written LIES OF OTHER COUNTRY'S: especially the English. And how many innocent people died in BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA the 1990's war defending there family religion and home. And you call me Balkan.... don't be backward. OUR faith was accepted by the Croatians people to go with the western culture of Roman Catholicism in the 7thC... this is our bread this is our food, we believe in Jesus Christ.

[@ValhallaGuitar]

Yep, sometimes and in some things we are geniuses... 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@PaulBradbury]

So true. And now if we could fix some of the big stuff...

[@ValhallaGuitar]

@@PaulBradbury No, no, don't be greedy now! 😂

[@mikistjep]

You do a good job at pointing things that are good, and quirky. There are many people that point out the bad stuff, don't worry about that.

[@rodneydelboy6910]

I sent a guitar amp which was like 50kg on a bus to Pazin from Zadar and gave the guy 20 euros. He said thats too much and I said take it the delivery service wanted like 200 euros haha.

[@PaulBradbury]

Great story.

[@TheStrossicro]

I went from Split to Zagreb for my university degree. I remember the first year almost weekly my mom would send me food packets by bus since I lived close to the main bus station in ZG haha. 10 kn to the driver, every bus there were like 5 people waiting for a parcel. The bus drivers probably cover all their daily expenses from this "trinkgeld".

[@PaulBradbury]

yes, i wonder what the price is not with the euro - do you know?

[@TheStrossicro]

@@PaulBradbury no idea, but it has to be round and preff. a banknote, so probably 5 euro is what I would give.

[@rp4all584]

Well..if he is already going where your package needs to go,,,

[@PaulBradbury]

Fair point

[@libertymouth6826]

Hey this is what happens when you have functioning society and when ppl actually care and are incentivized to do a small thing without overthinking about security, etc.. Americans and English create unsecure circumstances then focus security...create a problem offer solution...wish we could export our systems to the west...

[@PaulBradbury]

The best of the west and the best of the balkans. What a society that could be

[@mikistjep]

That is unachievable I think, because that would be some sort of utopian society.

[@libertymouth6826]

@@mikistjep 2nd Golden age is coming. Khali yuga is at its end