Can I take the car to an island?

Yes with the supplier's consent and a booked ferry. The ticket is priced by vehicle length.

Do I need an ENC tag?

No — the barriers take cards and cash. The tag only saves queueing time in peak season.

Is winter equipment required?

On designated roads from mid-November to mid-April, yes. Ask the supplier what the car carries.

Car Hire in Croatia

Compare car rental in Split, Dubrovnik, Zadar and Zagreb, and along the whole Dalmatian coast.

536 offers

38 providers

Car hire in Croatia runs from a Volkswagen Polo for the old-town approaches to an estate for a week of island ferries. Most offers include basic cover, and booking stays simple: you normally need a passport or ID, a driving licence, a phone number and a payment card. Croatia has used the euro since 2023, so the price you compare is the price you pay.

Popular cities and airports in Croatia

Popular cities in Croatia

Popular airports in Croatia

Car categories and rental conditions

Popular car categories

Popular rental conditions

Car rental in Split, Croatia: what to know

Do you need a car in Split?

A car is useful in Split for destinations such as the waterfalls of Krka, the Roman core of Trogir, the fortress at Klis and the Cetina canyon behind Omis, especially with several stops in a day or with luggage.

If your plans stay inside the old town, compare driving with the coast road buses, hotel transfers and taxis; the closed centre, paid parking and the ferry timetable can outweigh the benefit of a rental.

Car rental conditions

Bring your passport or national ID and a valid driving licence. EU, EEA and UK licences are accepted directly; a licence written in another alphabet should be carried together with an International Driving Permit.

The minimum age is usually 21 with at least one to two years of licence held. Drivers under 25 normally pay a young-driver surcharge, and the premium and minivan classes often set the threshold at 25 or higher.

A deposit is standard and is blocked on the main driver's credit card at handover. Some Croatian suppliers accept a debit card or sell a zero-excess tariff without a hold, but that is an offer-level rule rather than a national one.

Two things are worth settling before you book: whether the tariff allows a car ferry to the islands, and whether it allows the crossing into Bosnia at Neum on the way south. Both need the supplier's written consent.

Car brands and categories

The catalog covers the main rental categories:

Economy
Comfort
SUV
Minivan
Premium
Convertible
Electric
Hybrid

Croatian fleets are built mostly around Volkswagen Polo and Golf, Skoda Fabia, Opel Corsa, Renault Clio, Dacia Sandero and Toyota Yaris and similar models, and a manual gearbox is still the cheaper default — confirm the transmission on the offer card if you need an automatic.

Compare the total price together with the deposit, insurance excess, mileage policy, fuel rule, ferry and border permission, accepted payment methods and the return conditions.

Local driving notes for Split

In Split, book the garage before you book the restaurant: the walled centres take no traffic at all, and the nearest legal space in August is a paid deck rather than a kerb.

Weigh the coast road buses, hotel transfers and taxis against a rental when deciding whether you need the car for the whole stay or only for day trips.

Car rental essentials in Croatia

Practical points on traffic, documents, payment, insurance, motorway tolls, island ferries, parking and vehicle return.

Closed old towns: The walled centres take no traffic at all; use the signposted garage outside the gate.
Island ferries: Jadrolinija car ferries run to a timetable and fill in season; book the crossing ahead.
Handover inspection: Photograph the bodywork, glass and wheels with the agent present before you drive off.
Return procedure: Refuel nearby, allow time for the handover and keep the signed return document.
Transmission: A manual is the cheaper default; automatics are the minority and go first in summer.
Security deposit: A refundable credit-card hold is standard unless the tariff says otherwise.
Driving licence: Bring the original valid licence accepted by the supplier for that class.
Passport: A valid passport is required at pickup.
Insurance excess: Check the excess amount and exactly what a full-cover package removes.
International Driving Permit: EU, EEA and UK licences need none; a licence in another alphabet does.
Motorway tolls: The A1 and the other motorways are tolled at barriers, paid by card, cash or an ENC tag.
Minimum age: Usually 21 and over, with a young-driver surcharge below 25.
Right-hand traffic: Traffic keeps right, and seat belts are compulsory in every seat.
Speed limits: 50 in town, 90 on open roads, 110 on dual carriageways and 130 on the motorway.

Useful information for renters

Parking and roads

Croatia drives on the right. The walled old towns are closed to traffic entirely; park in the signposted garage outside the gate and walk in, because the nearest kerbside space is usually a fine. The A1 and the other motorways are tolled at barriers, paid by card, cash or an ENC tag on the windscreen.

Car pickup

A car can usually be collected:

at an airport desk or meeting point;
at a rental office in town;
at a hotel;
at an agreed delivery address.

Availability and delivery fees depend on the supplier.

Payment and currency

Croatia has used the euro (EUR) since January 2023; the kuna is no longer in circulation.

The booking currency may differ, while the deposit, fuel, parking, motorway tolls, ferry tickets and any fines are normally settled in euro under the supplier's terms.

Popular routes

From Split, common road trips include:

Krka falls
Trogir
Klis fortress
Blue Cave

Popular nearby areas include the waterfalls of Krka, the Roman core of Trogir, the fortress at Klis and the Cetina canyon behind Omis.

Prices and car availability

Prices and availability can change during the day.

Offers come from Croatian rental companies and international brands.

Cost depends on season, rental length, vehicle class, insurance, deposit and payment conditions.

Today's minimum price starts at 6 €/day; 536 cars are currently shown.

from 6 €/day

536 cars available

Lowest price today: from 6 €/day
Offers available: 536
Coverage: Split, Dubrovnik, Zadar, Zagreb and the Dalmatian coast

Prices updated daily

How to book a car

Select a pickup city or airport in Croatia.
Set your rental dates and times.
Filter offers by deposit, insurance, mileage and payment method.
Compare prices and continue to booking with the partner.

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Countries, cities, airports and popular resorts in Croatia and beyond in one catalog.

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Price and availability data from local rental companies and major brands are refreshed automatically.

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Filter offers by deposit, insurance, mileage and payment options to find the right fit.

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Compare rental conditions from different local companies in Croatia in one place with no hidden fees.

Car rental overview in Croatia

Croatia is a country shaped like a road: six hundred kilometres of coast with a motorway running behind it and a thousand islands offshore. A car turns the Plitvice lakes, Krka and a hill town lunch into one day instead of three bus timetables. Pickup points here cover Split and its riviera, Dubrovnik, Zadar, Sibenik and Zagreb.

Croatia has used the euro since 2023, so there is no exchange to plan. The motorways are tolled at barriers, the walled old towns take no traffic at all, and the island ferries need booking in season.

Popular driving routes in Croatia

From Split the standard days are Krka and Trogir, Klis fortress above the pass, and the Cetina canyon behind Omis. From Zadar it is Plitvice and the Kornati; from Zagreb, Plitvice again plus Samobor and the castles of the Zagorje.

The southern run from Split to Dubrovnik takes in Makarska, the Biokovo skywalk and either the Neum corridor through Bosnia or the Peljesac bridge that now bypasses it. Beyond Dubrovnik, Cavtat, Ston and the Peljesac wine road are all inside an afternoon.

Airport car rental in Croatia

Split, Dubrovnik, Zadar and Zagreb all hand cars over either at a terminal desk or at an off-airport office reached by shuttle — the voucher says which, and the shuttle is usually what explains a lower price.

Split's airport is in Kastela rather than Split, and Dubrovnik's is at Cilipi twenty kilometres from the old town, so in both cases the airport is the practical pickup point for the coast.

Frequently asked questions about car rental in Croatia

Can I take the car on an island ferry?

Usually yes, with the supplier's consent. Book the crossing ahead in season — the ticket is priced by vehicle length and the ramps fill early.

What about the Neum corridor?

The road south crosses nine kilometres of Bosnia, or bypasses it on the Peljesac bridge. Carry the vehicle documents and the green card either way.

How are motorway tolls paid?

At barriers, by card, cash or an ENC tag on the windscreen. The old coastal road is free but much slower.

Can I park in the old town?

No. The walled centres are closed to traffic entirely; use the signposted garage outside the gate.

Is an automatic easy to find?

It is the minority option and books out first in July and August. Filter for the transmission and reserve early.