Zadar to Dubrovnik by car
The Zadar to Dubrovnik drive is 340 km and 4 h 25 from Zadar Airport in one direction.
4 h 25 from Zadar Airport, 340 km. Allow extra time for traffic and stops.
Can you drive to Dubrovnik as a day trip?
Zadar Airport to Dubrovnik is 340 km and 4 h 25 each way. A same-day return is 680 km and 8 h 50 of driving.
One-way rentals from Zadar to Dubrovnik are bookable: cars offered a Dubrovnik drop-off in both a 13 to 20 October 2026 and a 20 to 27 December search.
The one-way fee is set per car and is already included in the price shown for that car before payment. A booking with handing the car back in the south instead of Zadar removes the 4 h 25 return leg.
How does the route run?
The A1 Zagreb to Split to Dubrovnik motorway is open as far as the Ploče interchange and the Karamatići toll station near Ploče. The motorway sections towards Dubrovnik are not built; in June 2026 HAC was running a preliminary market consultation ahead of a new tender.
South of the motorway the route continues on the D8 state road and the Pelješac Bridge access roads, which join the D8 at Duboka.
The Pelješac Bridge is toll-free under the Government's 2018 concession decision. Croatia has no motorway vignette, and the A1 toll ticket system charges by the distance between two toll points and by vehicle class.
What is the Neum corridor?
The old coast road through Neum crosses about 9 km of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with two border crossings: Klek/Neum 1 and Zaton Doli/Neum 2. Since the Pelješac Bridge opened in July 2022 and the Ston bypass completed its access roads in April 2023, Zadar to Dubrovnik can be driven on Croatian roads without crossing a border.
Driving a rental car through Neum is travel outside the country. How that permission is obtained is set by the rental terms: an email to the help desk, with prices and conditions depending on the duration, the type of car and the rental company's policy.
Croatia's crossings into Bosnia and Herzegovina are external Schengen border crossings, where everyone, EU citizens included, is checked against databases on entry and on exit. State roads D236 (Komarna to Klek) and D237 (Zaton Doli crossing to Zaton Doli) link the D8 to the two crossings.
- Over the bridge
- Croatian roads only. No border crossing, no permission for travel abroad.
- Through Neum
- Two border crossings. Needs permission for travel outside the country, arranged by email in advance.
Where do you stop on the way?
Split is 144 km and 1 h 45 from Zadar Airport, less than half the 340 km to Dubrovnik.
One-way rentals from Zadar to Split are also bookable in the same two searches. The drop-off city and a larger vehicle for a group are chosen in one search, and each car shows its seats before payment, with its one-way fee already included in the price shown.
The mileage limit, where a car has one, is shown on the car before payment, and a Dubrovnik return is 680 km. Seats, transmission and the deposit are shown on the same offer as the things that actually set the price.
What does the route cost along the way?
Fuel, parking, fines and tolls are the renter's cost under the rental terms. The car goes back with the fuel level it was collected with; a lower level is charged at the rental company's rates, and a higher level is not compensated.
An ordinary two-axle car up to 1.90 m high is toll Class I.
Some companies retain the deposit for 30 to 45 days after the car is returned. A fine or unpaid toll from the rental period is charged to the deposit, with administrative expenses in the case of fines.
Are there queues at the border crossings in summer?
HAK warns that in the summer season waits of several hours are possible at the busiest border crossings, especially towards Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro. Metković and Karasovići are on its list of busier crossings, and HAK advises checking current conditions before travelling.
What else should you allow for?
In any Croatian tunnel the driver must keep dipped headlights on, and must not stop, park, make a U-turn or reverse. On a two-way road with one lane in each direction, overtaking in a tunnel is banned.
From 1 November to 31 March, cars must drive with daytime running lights or dipped headlights on in daytime. A passenger car must carry a warning triangle, a first-aid kit and a reflective vest.
The rental terms apply for the whole trip: paved public roads only, immediate notice to the rental agent and a police report after an insured event unless the agent agrees otherwise, and fuel returned at the level collected. The remaining clauses are in the conditions a Croatian rental runs on.
Questions
How long does it take to drive from Zadar to Dubrovnik?
4 h 25 for 340 km from Zadar Airport. The A1 is open as far as Ploče; south of it the route uses the D8 and the Pelješac Bridge access roads.
Is Dubrovnik worth a day trip from Zadar?
The routed return from Zadar Airport is 680 km. One-way drop-offs in Dubrovnik are bookable, with the fee set per car and already included in the price shown before payment.
Do I have to drive through Bosnia?
No. Since the Pelješac Bridge and the Ston bypass opened, the route can be driven on Croatian roads. The old road through Neum crosses the border twice and needs permission for travel outside the country, arranged by email in advance.
Can I drop the car off in Dubrovnik?
Yes, on the cars that offer it, which they did in searches in October and December 2026. The one-way fee is set per car and already included in the price shown for that car before payment.
Is the Pelješac Bridge tolled?
No. Under the Government's 2018 concession decision, no toll may be charged for the Pelješac Bridge.
Can I stay longer and keep the car?
Yes, if you inform the rental agent in advance. The minimum chargeable rental period is 24 hours.