For a person like myself who enjoys self-driving above other forms of transport, are there any down-sides to driving in Croatia? For example I've heard some entire towns may be pedestrian-only. Does this raise issues around ease of access or theft-free parking? Any other words of advice for the self-driver in Croatia?

Topping, because I'm interested in this topic too.

Honestly we found driving in Croatia to be quite enjoyable. We were very nervous before our trip but it was quite unfounded. Actually we found Croatia to be much easier to drive in than Italy.

There are some places that aren't too fun to drive in, such as the cities (Dubrovnik, Split), but this is the same case in most European countries. There really is no reason to drive in Dubrovnik, and if you have a decent map driving through Split or Zagreb was quite easy.

We didn't encounter any pedestrian-only towns, but in the past when we've driven in Italy and were in pedestrian-only towns there has always been adequate parking outside of the town. I'm assuming that Croatia is probably the same.

Just a precaution; gas stations aren't as abundant as in some other countries so get it when you can. We learned this the hard way when heading out of Dubrovnik. We were just starting to really panic when we finally found a gas station.

Tracy

We drove from Zagreb through Istria, Plitvice, Spit, Hvar and then Dubrovnik with absolutely no problems. Most of the towns in Istria have pedestrian-only centers but there were always plenty of pay- parking close by. In Split, we left our car for 24 hours on a street near our hotel(as recommended by the hotel) with no problems at all. Driving was easy and the roads were well marked everywhere. We also love self-driving trips and this was a great way to see this wonderful country.

One piece of advice-the Dubrovnik airport is about 30 min. drive outside of the city and after many hours of driving south we were too tired to do the 1 hour drop of so, we called the rental agency from our hotel and got a pick up for a reasonable fee. I don't know if all agencies will do this, but you can ask if you are in a similar situation. .

I found driving in Croatia to be very easy. The roads were good and we did not encounter any traffic problems. The only pedestrian only town that we visited was Rovinj. There is a large protected parking area a short walk from the center of town.
After you arrive, your hotel will give you a permit to drive in to drop off your luggage.

We had no problems driving (3 weeks in Slovenia and Croatia). We went out to Hvar (took the car on the ferry) and found ferry travel to be easy though if your itinerary includes Hvar (really wonderful), the drive from Hvar town to the other end of the island to catch the ferry south toward Dubrovnik, was a hairy ride. Allow plenty of time for the drive (2 hours, if memory serves). The road is very narrow and windy and the Croatians cut curves which was a bit unnerving.

We loved dtiving in Croatia. Went from Dubrovnik to Ljubljana in Slovenia last May. The only bad time we had was when we couldnt get a parking place in Split. It was after 6pm, but the parking signs were in Croatian and we couldnt undersand if we were allowed to park or not (not that there were any places).Just do your homework on the language first! The motorway was wonderful!!!

carylspall, you are so correct on the motorway! We were so impressed that DH declared it the best motorway we have driven on in Europe! It is fairly new and very well-maintained.

Tracy

Just got back from a 2 week driving trip. Driving is fairly easy, the roads are in good shape and everything is very well marked. You will find a lot of minor construction delays on the coastal road from Dubrovnik to Split and in random other locations. I agree that the motorway is great (especially the north/south stretch). The speed limit is high (130 kph) and their is little traffic. The east/west motorway is still under construction and is often one lane in each direction. You may find the non-motorway roads frustrating at times. As most road where you will be either hug the coast or pass through the mountains, there are lots of curvy sections and little straight aways. You must have good passing skills as there will be many trucks and little underpowered Renaults to pass. Sometimes it is like your model road racing set from your childhood only came with the curved pieces. NOTE to tcreath if reading: weused Nikola on your recommendation. Great tip!

Croatia was a joy to drive in - easy to navigate, easy to drive, and well signed. Just watch your speed - we got a speeding ticket that wasn't terribly cheap!

It is true that some towns are pedestrianized but that is the case in many parts of Europe.

jrlaw10, I'm so glad you used and liked Nikola! We were very pleased with our day spent with him, and I think we learned more and saw more than we would have with a tour.

Tracy

One other piece of advice for driving in Croatia...it is required by law to have your headlights on at all times while driving (yes, during the day too). The rental car we had (although fairly new) did not have headlights turn on automatically when we started the car. We had to always reminder ourselve to turn on the headlights. We didn't get a ticket, but were told the fines could be steep.

Enjoy your trp...Croatia is Beautiful!

Thanks everyone for your advice. It's very helpful and encouraging. I can't wait to do it!

I am thinking of going to Opatja at the end of March to beginning of May. Will the weather be a problem at that time of the year? It is my spring break time from work.

Thank you.

The weather in late April-early May was mixed. We had some very warm sunny days in the north and some cooler rainy days down south. I would bring layers so you are prepared for anything.

Like the others, we found driving in Croatia to be quite easy, esp. once you got up north near Zagreb and could use the new toll roads. The toughest drives were along the coast from Dubrovnik to Split because of construction and from Split to Plitvice because the roads were windy and we hit some bad weather. Neither were that bad though. We never encountered any pedestrian issues - it seems like most towns we encountered banned cars from the main pedestrian areas. In the small towns, street parking was available and plentiful. The only city we drove into and didn't park at a hotel was Split. There, we parked in a gated parking area by the ferry and train station which seemed perfectly safe.

I would definitely read up on the driving rules. I didn't see too many cops in Croatia (saw plenty in Bosnia though) but it would be a shame to get pulled over for speeding or for not having your lights on. Also, make sure you have a good map. We tried to rely on a road map provided by Croatia's tourist organization and it was inaccurate! It caused us to get a little bit lost but luckily we had a better map that we could check.