Croatia
Car hire in Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the natural start for a north-to-south drive: two hours to the Plitvice Lakes, about four to Split on the toll A1, twenty minutes to Slovenia. Most cars here are less than five years old. The one-way streets of the centre are best tackled on foot; collect the car when you are ready to leave town.
from €20 per day
- ZAG airport, the A1 to the coast
Search and book
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.
Collecting a car at Zagreb airport and in town
Zagreb’s Franjo Tuđman airport (ZAG) is at Pleso, by Velika Gorica, about 17 km and 20–25 minutes from the centre. Cars are handed over at the airport, at offices in town or delivered to your address.
Drivers can hire from 20, but the choice widens noticeably from 23, and much more with two years’ experience. Very few cars here come without a deposit; offers with a €250–300 deposit are more common. You can drop the car off in another town, such as Split or Dubrovnik.
Parking in Zagreb: zones and prices
In the centre it is around €1.60 an hour for two hours at most, until 22:00 on weekdays and 15:00 on Saturdays. Zone II costs around €0.70 an hour for up to three hours. Parking is free on Sundays, overnight from 22:00 to 7:00 and on public holidays. Yellow markings mean no parking; blue bays are for residents.
Meters usually take coins only, and the ticket goes behind the windscreen; you can also pay by text from a Croatian number, at Tisak kiosks or in the Bmove, Aircash and ZagrebParking apps. Garages: Kaptol, Lisinski, Britanski trg. Free and unlimited: the Jarun district (15 minutes from the centre, then tram no. 17) and the streets of Zelengaj and Goljak, a 20–25-minute walk from the centre.
Driving in Zagreb
Around 70% of the streets in the centre are one-way, and turning right on a red light is not allowed. At rush hour, 7:30 to 9:00 and 16:00 to 18:30, Ljubljana Avenue and Slavonska Avenue crawl at 15–20 km/h, and Vukovarska is busy too. The Obilaznica ring road has a 90 km/h limit.
On Friday from 15:00 to 20:00 the whole city heads for the sea, and the A1 and A6 queue. Leave in the morning or on Saturday.
Day trips from Zagreb
Medvednica rises right behind the city, with a road almost to the top and skiing in winter. Samobor, known for its kremšnita custard slice, is about 25 km away and is the gateway to Žumberak nature park. The 13th-century Trakošćan castle by its lake and the open-air museum at Kumrovec are each about an hour away via the A2.
The Plitvice Lakes are 130–140 km, about two hours: cars are not allowed into the park, and there are large car parks at the entrances. With the cross-border option, Slovenia is 20 minutes away and Hungary an hour and a half to two hours; not every car may leave Croatia, so arrange permission in advance.
How much are the tolls from Zagreb to the coast?
Split is about 400 km and four hours on the A1, with tolls of about €26; to Ploče, the turn-off for Dubrovnik, about €34. Zadar is about 285 km and three hours away, and Pula also about three hours, through the Učka tunnel (about €4.50). You take a ticket at the entry and pay at the exit in cash or by card.
From 15 November to 15 April the mountain stretches through Lika and Gorski Kotar call for winter tyres or chains — ask for a winter set when you book. Toll prices checked in October 2026.
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
What is Zagreb airport’s code?
ZAG — Franjo Tuđman airport at Pleso, by Velika Gorica. The centre is about 17 km away, 20–25 minutes.
Can I hire a car without a deposit in Zagreb?
There are very few. Offers with a €250–300 deposit are more common, and the “maximum deposit” filter in the search helps you find them.
How much is parking in central Zagreb?
Around €1.60 an hour, for two hours at most. It is free on Sundays, overnight from 22:00 to 7:00 and on public holidays. Meters usually take coins only.
How long is the drive from Zagreb to the Plitvice Lakes?
130–140 km, about two hours. You cannot drive into the park itself, but there are large car parks at the entrances.
How much is the toll from Zagreb to Split?
About €26 for a car on the A1, a drive of about 400 km and four hours. To Ploče, the turn-off for Dubrovnik, about €34. Toll prices checked in October 2026.
Can I drive from Zagreb to Slovenia or Hungary?
Yes, but only with the cross-border option arranged in advance: not every car may leave Croatia. Slovenia is about 20 minutes from Zagreb, Hungary an hour and a half to two hours.
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