dluksic

Hello - I plan to rent a car at Zagreb airport for 2 week trip to Croatia in late August. Some of the non-US rental companies, like SIXT and EUROPCAR seem to very reasonably priced for automatic with unlimited km. I am not familiar with either company. Can anyone share share their experience with these rental companies, and also comment on car insurance ? I can't seem to get a clear answer on what is needed in terms of insurance and costs.

Thank you in advance.

Andrew

I have rented from both in the past (with Sixt in Croatia and Slovenia on two separate rentals). They are legit companies. For my most recent rental in May in Croatia, I used EconomyCarRentals for a two week rental - they are a broker and hook you up with a car company after you make the reservation (sometimes Sixt or Europcar). I got a company called Oryx. I picked up the car in Rijeka and, two weeks later, returned at Zagreb airport. I paid about $12 USD per day in May including the cost of a cross-border card (to drive into Bosnia and Montenegro). In August, you can expect a higher price for sure - that's high season in Croatia.

Besides EconomyCarRentals, others use Kemwel or AutoEurope, among others.

All car rentals come with liability insurance. All you have to worry about is the car (comprehensive/collision). For this you can either buy add-on insurance with the company itself or through the broker. Or, as I elected to do, buy "premium" coverage via my Amex card ($19.95 for a single rental; zero deductible). I actually had to make a claim for my car for my May rental and am still waiting for it to be resolved. I could have instead paid the $4 per day extra via EconomyCarRentals and it would probably all be taken care of already.

Just remember: if you wind up driving down to Dubrovnik along the coast, you are driving through a small section of Bosnia called the "Neum corridor" (unless you take a ferry) and that means, technically, you are leaving the country - and the EU - and need a cross border card - may be an extra cost. To drive to other EU countries from Croatia should not require a cross border card or an extra cost.

Driving in Croatia is pretty easy, though I hear traffic in August in the tourist areas can be bad. Remember: no right on red - that's illegal in Croatia. Also, Americans need their US driver's license plus an International Driving Permit (IDP), available from AAA, to drive in Croatia.

dluksic

Thank you so much for the information. I checked with AAA and they said we only need a US drivers license, but will double check again. We plan to visit Medjugorje so may need a cross border card and it sounds like we can get that at car rental office, correct. I have an AMEX card so will inquire about insurance. I don't want any surprises should anything happen. Thanks again.

Andrew

Perhaps Croatian law (in conjunction with Croatia joining the EU) has recently changed and the US embassy website page is out of date, but here's what it says:

http://zagreb.usembassy.gov/service/other/traffic.html

<i>A U.S. driver's license alone is not sufficient to drive in Croatia. The U.S. driver's license must be accompanied by an international driver's permit (obtainable in the U.S. from American Automobile Association and the American Automobile Touring Alliance) or by an official translation of the U.S. driver's license. This arrangement is only acceptable for the first twelve months of driving in Croatia, after which all drivers must obtain an Croatian license.</i>

but this page merely mentions an IDP (saying you have to get it before you leave the US and that the embassy/consulate can't provide one) without saying it is required:

http://zagreb.usembassy.gov/service/..._licenses.html

Personally, I would contact the US embassy in Zagreb and ask - they ought to know for sure:

http://zagreb.usembassy.gov/contact.html

esbrucho

We had a bad experience recently renting with Budget in Croatia, so for future reference I would urge caution. I had made the reservation through Budget USA, and had read the terms and conditions carefully and even called Budget USA in advance to make sure there would be no hidden fees. I specifically had them confirm that there would be no fee for adding the spouse as an extra driver. When my husband returned the car, he asked the counter agent to confirm that the amount we were being billed in kuna was the same as the amount on the reservation in USD. He was told yes, but when we got our credit card statement we found out we had been charged more than twice that, thanks to not just the "extra driver fee" but also a border crossing fee because we (honestly) acknowledged that we had crossed into Slovenia. These fees were not previewed with us, and when I called Budget USA to complain, they were totally unhelpful and unsympathetic. So even a "reputable" international company may rip you off. Never again.