Croatia
Car hire in Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is Croatia’s southern gateway: you either fly into DBV airport or drive in from Montenegro through the Debeli Brijeg–Karasovići crossing. The easiest plan is to collect the car at the airport and head straight north or south. You will not need it in the old town itself: there is a restricted traffic zone around the walls, and the street parking by the gates is among the most expensive in the country.
from €20 per day
- DBV airport, Gruž port
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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.
Where to collect a hire car in Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik airport (DBV) is at Čilipi, about 20 km and half an hour from the city. Cars are handed over at the airport itself, at offices in town, at Gruž port or delivered to your address. Collection takes about 15–20 minutes and the return about 10. Delivery, and collection outside office hours, may cost extra.
If you are heading north, you can drop the car off in another town, for example Split or Zagreb. You cannot drop it off in Montenegro: the car goes back in the country where you collected it. Cars without a deposit are rare here, so budget for one from the start.
Where to park for Dubrovnik old town
Driving up to the walls is barely possible: the area around the old town has a restricted traffic regime, so a garage is the better bet. Street parking in Zone 0, by the Pile Gate and the cable car, costs up to €20 an hour. The garages make more sense: Ilijina Glavica is a 10-minute walk from the old town, Grand Parking seven minutes, and the one by the Buža Gate is the closest and the most expensive.
It is cheaper to leave the car near Gruž port and take bus 1A to the walls, about 15 minutes. Parking is free for up to two hours at the Konzum and Tommy supermarkets and on outlying streets such as Lapad. Meters take coins only, paying by text needs a Croatian SIM, and there is a Dubrovnik Parking app. The rule is simple: no “P” sign, no parking.
Driving from Montenegro to Dubrovnik: the border and the road north
The main crossing is Debeli Brijeg (Montenegro) to Karasovići (Croatia) on the Adriatic Highway, open 24 hours. In summer expect anything from half an hour to two or three hours, worst at lunchtime and at weekends; set off before 7:30 or after 16:00. Out of season 15–30 minutes is usual. This is the outer Schengen border: on your first entry to the EU your photo and fingerprints are taken, so that first crossing takes longer. We cover the trip in the other direction in driving to Dubrovnik in a hire car.
Heading north towards Makarska and Split, the free Pelješac Bridge has kept you inside Croatia since 2022. You can still take the old coast road through Neum, but that means a short stretch of Bosnia, with border checks and a car cleared for it. If your satnav routes you via Neum, switch it to the bridge. Split is about 230 km away, around three hours.
Day trips from Dubrovnik
Close by: Zaton is 10 km away, the arboretum at Trsteno 15 km, and Cavtat, next to the airport, about 20 km or half an hour. The Konavle valley starts 30 km to the south, on the road to the border. The Pelješac peninsula is 70 km to the north-west: its roads are full of hairpin bends, so a stronger engine helps.
Across the border you need a car cleared for it. Herceg Novi is about 50 km, an hour plus the border; Kotor is about two hours plus the border; Mostar in Bosnia about two and a half hours.
Before you set off
Rush hour runs from 7:30 to 9:00 and from 17:00 to 19:00, and in summer also from 10:00 to 14:00. Waze knows the one-way streets better than a built-in satnav, and the rental company’s satnav is a paid extra anyway. Choose an engine of at least 1.2 litres, or 1.4 litres for the hills and Pelješac; hybrids, very small cars and older cars without air conditioning are not recommended here.
From 1 November to 31 March dipped headlights are compulsory day and night. In winter the mountain roads around the city can close after heavy rain and landslides, and the cable car up Srđ does not run from December to March. Terms that apply across the country are on the car hire in Croatia page.
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
By city
Common questions
How far is Dubrovnik airport from the city?
About 20 km, roughly half an hour. DBV is at Čilipi, south of the city, and cars are handed over right there. In July and August allow an extra 20–45 minutes to reach the centre.
Where should I park to visit the old town?
In a garage: Ilijina Glavica is 10 minutes’ walk from the old town, Grand Parking seven, and the garage by the Buža Gate is the closest but also the most expensive. Street parking right by the walls (Zone 0) costs up to €20 an hour. Cheaper still: park near Gruž port and take bus 1A.
Can I hire a car without a deposit in Dubrovnik?
Such cars exist, but they are rare — the no-deposit choice in Dubrovnik is noticeably smaller than across the country. If it matters to you, book early and switch on the “no deposit” filter straight away.
Can I drive from Dubrovnik to Kotor?
Yes, but only in a car cleared for Montenegro, with the cross-border option added when you book. The drive takes about two hours plus the border; in summer the Karasovići–Debeli Brijeg crossing can take from half an hour to two or three hours.
Can I drop the car off in Montenegro?
No. The car goes back in the country where you collected it. You can, however, return it in another Croatian town — collect in Dubrovnik and drop off in Zagreb or Split.
Do I have to drive through Bosnia to reach Split?
No. Since 2022 the free Pelješac Bridge has kept the road north inside Croatia. You can go via Neum, but that is the Bosnian border, with passport checks and a car that must be cleared for it — the bridge is simpler.
What car should I hire for Dubrovnik?
An engine of at least 1.2 litres for town and coast, 1.4 litres or more if you plan to drive Pelješac or into the hills. Air conditioning is a must. In summer automatics go first, and the choice narrows two to three weeks before your dates.
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