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A live catalogue with prices and availability for your dates. The rental contract and payment are handled directly with the rental company at pick-up.
Do you need a car in Croatia?
Honestly, not everyone does. If you are flying in for a week in one city — Split, Dubrovnik or Pula — to walk the old town and lie on the beach, the car will sit idle, and summer parking in the centre costs money and is hard to find. Intercity coaches link the main cities, and ferries serve the islands.
A car pays off once your plans include more than one place: the Plitvice Lakes, Krka, the hill towns of Istria, Biokovo, Pelješac. Croatia stretches out along the sea, and the route Zagreb – Plitvice – Zadar – Split – Dubrovnik can be driven in one go, dropping the car off in a different city from the one where you collected it.
How much does car hire in Croatia cost?
A car is cheapest from January to March, from €20–21 a day. In April it is from €26, in May from €29, in June to August from €33–35, in September from €31 and in October from €29 again. In summer a car costs roughly one and a half to two times what it does at the start of the year. That is the price for the whole car per day.
The prices by class in the table above are a guide: they are built up from the lowest nationwide rate, and the company works out the exact sum for your dates and class. You pay 15–20% online and the rest on collection. Prices checked in October 2026.
Demand peaks in September, almost level with July and August. For June to September book four to six weeks ahead: in Dubrovnik and Split the choice narrows noticeably two to three weeks before your dates, especially for automatics.
Where to collect a car: airports and cities
Five airports have car collection. Zagreb (ZAG) is about 17 km from the centre and suits a north-to-south route. Split (SPU) is at Kaštela, about 25 km from the city and 6 km from Trogir. Dubrovnik (DBV) is about 20 km from the city, and it is also where you arrive if you drive in from Montenegro.
Zadar (ZAD) is 12 km from the city, and most cars there come with unlimited mileage. Pula (PUY), 6 km from the centre, is the gateway to Istria. Makarska has no airport; the nearest is Split, 62 km away. You can collect in one city and return in another: Dubrovnik to Zagreb, Split to Dubrovnik.
What you need to hire a car: documents, age, deposit, borders
You need a passport valid for the whole rental, your driving licence and the booking voucher, printed or on your phone. Licences from the EU, the UK, the US and Turkey are accepted as they are; if yours is not in Latin script, you need an International Driving Permit with it. As a rule, drivers must be 21–22 with one to two years’ experience.
Most cars have a deposit, but you can find some with none or with a deposit of up to €300, and some cars need no credit card. Basic insurance only covers damage to other vehicles when you are at fault; many cars already include extended cover — check the listing. A second driver is added as a separate option, free or for a fee.
Montenegro and Bosnia only in a car cleared for it, with the option on your booking. The company provides the Green Card and written permission; do not cross without them, because the insurance will not apply. The big chains charge in the region of €60 for a trip into Montenegro, while local companies set their own terms. The car cannot be returned in another country.
Driving in Croatia: tolls, speed limits, parking and fuel
Almost every motorway is tolled: take a ticket at the entry and pay at the exit in cash or by card; a lost ticket is charged at the highest rate. Zagreb to Split costs about €26, Zagreb to Ploče (the turn-off for Dubrovnik) about €34. The bridges to Krk and Pelješac are free, and the Učka tunnel is about €4.50. There are no vignettes. In 2026 you still pay by ticket at the exit; Croatia is preparing to switch to barrier-free tolling, so check the motorway operator’s website before you travel.
Traffic drives on the right. Speed limits are 50 km/h in built-up areas, 90 outside them, 110 on expressways and 130 on motorways. The drink-drive limit is 0.5‰, zero for young drivers. From 1 November to 31 March dipped headlights are compulsory day and night, and from 15 November to 15 April the mountains (Lika, Gorski Kotar) require winter tyres or chains. Fines are steep: €30–60 for up to 20 km/h over the limit in town, €90 to €2,650 for drink-driving.
Parking in the larger cities is paid by zone, paying by text only works with a Croatian SIM, and meters often take coins only. In autumn 2026 petrol costs about €1.75 a litre and diesel about €1.85, so a 50-litre tank comes to roughly €85–95. Fuel on the motorways is usually a little dearer — fill up in town. Prices checked in October 2026.
Where to go in a hire car
The classic is the coast from north to south: from Zagreb to the Plitvice Lakes (about two hours), on to Zadar, then to Split (an hour and 45 to 50 minutes) and over the Pelješac Bridge to Dubrovnik (about three hours). Along the way: Krka, Trogir, and Makarska with Biokovo.
Istria is a region of its own: from Pula it is 40 minutes to Rovinj and about an hour to Motovun. From Dubrovnik, with the cross-border option, you can drive into Montenegro — Herceg Novi is an hour away plus the border. What to expect there with a car is covered on our car hire in Montenegro page.
What can go wrong
Speed-camera fines reach the rental company four to six weeks later, which is why some companies return the deposit later or ask for your card details. Taking the car on a ferry without the company’s permission is not allowed, and neither is crossing a border without the option: in both cases the insurance stops applying. If your satnav sends you north from Dubrovnik via Neum, that is the Bosnian border; route via the Pelješac Bridge instead.
In summer the Montenegrin border can take from half an hour to two or three hours, motorway toll booths in July and August up to 45–60 minutes, and on the coast any journey can take one and a half to two times longer than planned. The most common dispute is scratches at return; a short video of the car at collection settles it. Our general guide: what can go wrong with a hire car.
Car or coach?
One city and a beach — you do not need a car: the old towns of Dubrovnik, Split and Zadar are walkable, intercity coaches link the main cities, and summer parking in the centre is expensive. Several places, national parks and Istria — a car is easier: it is the simplest way to reach Plitvice, Krka, Motovun and Biokovo on your own.
A compromise is to hire a car for part of the trip: three days in Split, say, for Krka, Trogir and Makarska, and the rest of the time without one. A short rental costs more per day, but you do not pay for parking on the days you do not need the car.
Why book here
The same price as direct
You see the same prices as when you contact the rental company directly.
Some cars with no deposit
Most cars have a deposit, but the filter finds ones with none or with a deposit of up to €300.
Five airports
Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik, Zadar and Pula, with collection at the airport. In towns, offices and delivery to your address.
Prices by class
A guide “from” price, built up from the lowest nationwide rate: from €20 a day in winter, from €33–35 in summer. The company works out the final sum for your dates when you book.
Economy
2–4 people, town and coast
from€20per day
Compact and estate
4–5 people, suitcases and the A1 motorway
from€24per day
Crossover
Biokovo, Lika, Pelješac — engine from 1.4 litres
from€30per day
7-seat minivan
families with luggage; a tall one may fall into toll class II
from€40per day
Premium and convertible
Istria and Dalmatia in comfort
executive saloons and convertibles
from€55per day
How it works
Pick dates and a class
See what is free on your dates and compare prices and terms.
Book with the rental company
15–20% online, the rest on collection. We never see or store your card details.
Collect the car
At the airport, at an office or at your address — collection takes about 15–20 minutes.
Conditions
- Driving licence
- Licences in Latin script (EU, UK, US, Turkey) are accepted as they are. If yours is in another script, you need an International Driving Permit alongside it, issued at home before you travel.
- Age and experience
- As a rule, from 21–22 with one to two years’ experience. Some cars are available from 20, but the choice is much narrower. The exact terms are on the car’s listing.
- Deposit
- Most cars have a deposit, but you can find some with none or with a deposit of up to €300. Some cars need no credit card — there is a separate filter for that.
- Insurance
- Basic insurance only covers damage to other vehicles when you are at fault. Many cars already include extended cover in the price — check the listing.
- Driving abroad
- Montenegro and Bosnia only in a car cleared for it, with the option added when you book. The company provides the Green Card and permission. The car can only be returned in Croatia.
- Fuel
- Return the car with the same fuel level as at collection. Any shortfall is charged above pump prices.
- Season
- Demand for cars runs high from June to September, and September is almost as busy as July and August. Book four to six weeks ahead for those months; in winter a car costs from €20 a day, in August from €35.
By city
Common questions
How much does car hire in Croatia cost?
From €20 a day in winter and from €33–35 in June to August: in summer a car costs roughly one and a half to two times what it does in January to March. That is the price for the whole car. Prices checked in October 2026; the exact amount is worked out by the company when you book.
Do I need an International Driving Permit in Croatia?
Not if your licence was issued in the EU, the UK, the US or Turkey — those are in Latin script and accepted as they are. If your licence is in another script, you need an International Driving Permit alongside it, and it can only be issued at home.
Can I hire a car without a deposit?
Yes, but there are fewer such cars than ones with a deposit. The search has filters for “no deposit” and for a deposit capped at, say, €300. Dubrovnik and Zagreb have the fewest no-deposit cars.
Can I take a Croatian hire car into Montenegro?
Yes, in a car cleared for it, with the cross-border option added when you book. Local companies set their own fee; the big international chains charge in the region of €60 for a trip into Montenegro. The car goes back in Croatia — it cannot be returned in another country.
Can I take a hire car on a ferry?
Only if the company allows it: standard contracts rule ferries out. Mention the island trip before you book and support will find a suitable car.
Which airports can I collect a car from?
Five: Zagreb (ZAG), Split (SPU), Dubrovnik (DBV), Zadar (ZAD) and Pula (PUY). There are also offices in towns, collection at ferry terminals and delivery to your address; delivery and collection outside office hours may cost extra.
How do I pay motorway tolls in Croatia?
Take a ticket at the entry and pay at the exit, in cash (euros) or by card; a lost ticket is charged at the highest rate. Hire cars do not carry electronic toll tags. In 2026 you still pay by ticket at the exit, but Croatia is preparing to switch to barrier-free tolling, so check the motorway operator’s website before you travel. There are no vignettes.
Do I need winter tyres?
From 15 November to 15 April the mountain roads of Lika and Gorski Kotar require winter tyres or chains. If you will be driving from Zagreb to the coast at that time of year, ask for a winter set when you book.
What is the drink-drive limit in Croatia?
0.5‰ — and zero for young drivers and professional drivers. Fines run from €90 to €2,650, or up to 60 days in custody.