Croatia is one of those places where the richest and most enjoyable parts of the country are not easily accessible by planes, trains, or buses. With an incredible array of shores along its coast, its smaller islands, and its world-famous national parks, Croatia is definitely a place where you’ll want to drive. Don’t let fear discourage you. Here is everything you need to know about driving in Croatia.
Why you should drive in Croatia
The majority of Croatian transportation infrastructure is geared to its largest and most popular cities like Split, Dubrovnik, and Zagreb. But a lot of Croatia is just as stunning as its most famous cities, and being able to take a short drive to any empty beach or beautiful old town on a hill on the Adriatic coast is a huge advantage. That’s what Croatia is all about.
Driving will also ultimately be cheaper and more convenient when visiting some of its most famed natural wonders like Plitvice Lakes National Park. If you have a car, you’ll pay the cost of gas and up to €100/day for the car rental, as opposed to paying upwards of €100 per person for some kind of organized tour, which on top of being crowded also limits your experience to the times decided by the tour company.
If you’re driving, you can stay as long as you like and make stops anywhere along the way to your final destination. And instead of seeing the national parks alongside hundreds of other people that just got off the buses, you can visit at times when its least crowded for a more pleasant experience.
Have I convinced you? Yes? Then here is what you need to know about driving in Croatia.
Driving in major cities like Zagreb
Croatian drivers can be quite aggressive, especially in bigger cities and crowded areas like the center of cities like Zagreb. If you are spending a significant amount of time in one of the major cities, you’ll probably want to avoid driving there. For example, you can stay one or two days in Zagreb and rent a car on the third day to head to the coast. Highway driving is a lot less stressful and you’ll probably find that Croatia is unexpectedly beautiful, so the drive will be amazing.
Driving on Croatian highways
The national speed limit on Croatian highways is 130 km/h, but this can vary according to road conditions. For example, if you’re coming up on a section of the highway that has construction, you’ll need to pay attention to the traffic signs for the correct speed limit. In addition to potential speed traps, Croatia also has speed cameras up around the highway system, so you’ll want to follow the limit. If you’re using Google Maps to navigate, you’ll be able to see where these speed cameras are located.
Highway tolls
Unlike most of its European neighbors which use a vignette or e-vignette system that allows you to drive around the country freely, Croatian highways have toll booths where you have to stop and pay. Typically, you’ll get a ticket at the beginning of your trip on the highway and then pay either at the end of the toll area or wherever you get off the toll road. The tolls booths that require payment take both card and cash, and you may save time by going through the lanes that are card only, which are usually unmanned and faster.
This toll system means that if you’re on a popular route at any given time or day, you’ll get a lot of traffic when you’re approaching the toll booths. It’s not pleasant, but it’s unavoidable. Unless you cleverly plan your trip specifically to avoid traffic… more on that below.
Pumping gas in Croatia
Gas stations are usually frequently available, especially on highways, where they also have a small convenience store and bathrooms, so you can refuel your car and get some snacks or coffee. Like the rest of Europe, you usually pump first and then pay the total. In big cities and highways, you can always find at least one 24-hour gas station, but in smaller towns, you may find that they close for the night at 8 pm, so plan accordingly.
Parking in Croatia
There are usually paid parking lots around towns, villages, and beaches you’ll want to see. If you’re going really off the beaten path, you might find free parking lots but those are few and far between. Otherwise, you’ll need to either pay by SMS or by getting a ticket from a machine. You just need to text your license plate number to the parking area phone number.
However, you need a Croatian mobile number to pay by SMS, so it’s not a bad idea to have a local SIM card if you’re planning to drive. If you’re lucky, a nearby local will offer to pay for your parking and you can give them cash. Either way, it’s a good idea to have coins on you because the parking machines may or may not take credit card.
The worst part of parking in Croatia is not the payment, but actually finding a spot at popular destinations. I recommend arriving early to smaller towns with limited parking, or you’ll only be able to do a driving tour around it.
Tips for driving in Croatia
- If you’re driving along the coast, especially on the islands, you may come across roads that don’t have guard rails, just a steep cliff down into the ocean. It’s important to drive cautiously unless you want to Thelma & Louise into the Adriatic Sea.
- Smaller towns may have really narrow roads that are shared by traffic in both directions. You may have to yield to oncoming traffic and move over to let other drivers pass, so you should closely abide by the speed limit and drive carefully around curves in these remote areas to avoid a head-on collision.
- During the busy summer months, you should always book a car in advance, especially if you need an automatic transmission which is usually limited in availability. It will ensure you get a car at all, and it’ll be cheaper.
- If you need to take a car ferry to one of the islands, you should book it in advance, especially during peak travel season.
- Finally and most importantly, you should avoid driving to the coast on popular days like Fridays/Saturdays and avoid driving from the beaches to the mainland on Sundays. This is when many locals and visitors from nearby countries are heading out to the islands or the coast and traffic will be horrible to get past tolls, over bridges, or on ferries. You’re better off doing this kind of travel in the middle of the week or in the opposite direction. For example, drive to the coast on a Sunday when everyone is going back home, and drive away from the coast on Friday/Saturday when most people are arriving. You’ll thank me when you’re coasting past columns of traffic going in the other direction.
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