Zadar Car rental

Most rentals here start at the airport. Zadar Airport sits about nine kilometres inland at Zemunik and the desks are in the arrivals hall, which is where the international brands and the larger Croatian operators keep their fleets. City pickup is the other option, usually from offices near the Riva, the bus station or the Borik hotels, and it suits anyone spending the first days on the pedestrian peninsula where a car is a liability rather than a help.

Prices swing hard with the calendar. A small hatchback runs from roughly twenty five euros a day in May or late September and can more than double across the peak weeks of July and August, when the Ryanair schedule fills the airport and the fleets sell out. Automatics are a small share of the stock and go first, so they need booking weeks ahead rather than days. Expect a deposit held against a credit card in the main driver's name, and check whether the quoted excess is the one you are actually insured for.

The practical points are the ones people miss. Zadar sits on the A1 motorway, so Zagreb, Split and the national parks are straightforward drives, but the motorway is tolled and the toll is not included in any rental rate. Taking the car into Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro or Slovenia needs the operator's permission and a green card, arranged in advance and usually charged for. One-way drops to Split, Dubrovnik or Zagreb are widely offered and carry a fee. Non-EU licence holders should carry an International Driving Permit alongside the home licence.