Croatia by car: tolls, ferries, parking and rules in 2026

According to the French foreign ministry's travel advice (as of 30/09/2026):

On narrow, winding coastal roads, the temptation to check the GPS or a message is constant. The study by Thomas Dingus and colleagues (PNAS, 2016), based on observing real drivers over thousands of trips, showed that distraction, and in particular handling a handheld phone, clearly increased crash risk. Set your route before leaving and use a fixed mount.

Croatian motorways are tolled: take a ticket on entry and pay on exit, in cash or by card. For a car, Zagreb–Split costs about €24.50 in 2026, and about €19 with the ENC electronic tag (a discount of about 22%). The country is preparing a switch to barrier-free tolling, called Crolibertas, with gantries reading number plates: its launch is announced for 1 March 2027. For a trip in 2026, nothing changes.

From France, the drive takes two days via northern Italy and Slovenia. Beware of two different systems: Italy has classic tolls, Slovenia a compulsory electronic vignette on its motorways. As Croatia has been in the EU, the Schengen area and the euro zone since 2023, EU car insurance covers you and there is no systematic check at the Slovenian border. Bring the original registration document and safety equipment (vest, triangle).

The state-owned Jadrolinija runs most vehicle crossings. Fares on the Split–Stari Grad (Hvar) line in the 2026 high season (29 May to 27 September): €8.40 per adult, €47.60 per car. A few rules: buy the car ticket in advance when possible, arrive at the quay an hour early in summer, aim for the first or last boat, avoid Saturdays, and check that your rental contract allows ferries.

Between Split and Dubrovnik, the Croatian coast is cut by 9 km of Bosnia and Herzegovina at Neum. Since the Pelješac bridge opened in 2022, you can stay in Croatia: after Ploče, follow signs for the bridge. This is the route to choose with a rental car, as it avoids two checks at an external Schengen border and the green card question. Set your GPS to avoid borders.

This is the real summer headache. Towns have numbered paid zones (zone 0 or 1, in the centre, is the most expensive), payable at meters, by SMS or via an app. The old towns of Split, Zadar, Šibenik, Trogir and Rovinj are pedestrian. In Dubrovnik, a restricted traffic zone has surrounded the historic centre since June 2025, with heavy fines: head for the Ilijina Glavica car park (about €3 per hour or €40 per day, day rate to buy within 15 minutes) and take the bus to Pile Gate.

Prices are capped by the government and revised regularly. On 28 September 2026, the caps were about €1.76/L for Eurosuper 95 and €1.86/L for diesel; motorway stations may charge more. Stations are rare on small islands: fill up before boarding.