Zadar ferry to the islands
Ugljan, the island nearest Zadar, is 25 minutes by road ferry, and a hire car may board only with prior arrangement made before the booking is completed.
Can a hire car go on the ferry?
A rental car may travel by ferry between the islands and the mainland only with prior arrangement. The arrangement is requested by email to customer support before the booking is completed.
Jadrolinija sells the ferry ticket on its website, in the mJadrolinija app and at its agencies, and on board only when the agency is closed. When the rental car's registration plate is not yet known, the word RENTAL goes in the plate field.
The rental terms name fuel, parking, fines and tolls as the renter's costs.
Which islands can you reach from Zadar?
Ugljan is the island nearest Zadar. Jadrolinija's car ferry line 431 runs from Gaženica ferry port to Preko on Ugljan, landing at Ošljak on the way, in 25 minutes, with numerous daily sailings in summer and winter.
Jadrolinija's ferry line from Zadar (Gaženica) to Brbinj on Dugi Otok takes reservations. So do its lines to Molat and Ist, to Bršanj and Rava, and to Mali Lošinj via Ist, Olib, Silba and Premuda.
In 2026, car ferry line 401 to Olib and Silba sails only on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1 January to 28 May (plus Thursday from 26 March) and from 28 September to 31 December, Monday to Saturday from 29 May to 2 July, and every day from 3 July to 27 September. Cars cannot be driven on or off at Silba. TP Line's passenger catamaran 9401 sails Zadar, Premuda, Silba and Olib every day of the year.
Pag is joined to the mainland by the Pag bridge on state road DC106, and Pag town is 59 km and 1 h 10 from Zadar Airport. In bora conditions the Pag bridge has been closed to all traffic, as on 6 April 2025, or open only to passenger cars, as on 2 October 2025.
- Ugljan and Preko
- Car ferry line 431 from Gaženica, 25 minutes, numerous daily sailings.
- Dugi Otok
- Car ferry from Gaženica to Brbinj, with reservations.
- Pag
- Joined by bridge, Pag town 1 h 10 from the airport. No ferry.
Is it worth taking the car across at all?
Preko on Ugljan has two connections from Zadar: car ferry line 431 from Gaženica ferry port, and passenger boat line 409 from Zadar's central port, which carries no cars. Both take 25 minutes.
On line 431 in 2026, a car up to 5.00 m long and 2.00 m high pays EUR 17.30, a longer or higher car pays EUR 25.70, and each passenger, driver included, pays EUR 3.80. The fares are the same in both directions and include port fees and VAT.
Jadrolinija publishes a separate price list for each line, and some lines have different low-season and high-season prices. The ferry ticket is bought from Jadrolinija, not from the rental company, and is one of the costs that arrive alongside the rental price.
How do you plan an island day sensibly?
On Jadrolinija lines without reservations, boarding follows the order of arrival at the port, and boarding on a chosen sailing is not guaranteed. Jadrolinija recommends arriving 1 to 2 hours before the sailing, and earlier on some lines in peak season.
On those lines the ticket is valid for any sailing on the route on the date printed on it, or on an earlier day. A ticket with a reservation is valid for the chosen date and time and guarantees a place on board. Zadar to Preko does not take reservations.
The airport bus runs from Zadar Airport to Gaženica ferry port, then to Zadar Bus Station and the old town.
Does the ferry rule apply further down the coast?
The prior arrangement condition applies to every ferry crossing between the islands and the mainland, wherever it starts.
Sibenik is 75 km and 1 h 00 from Zadar Airport, and Split is 144 km and 1 h 45.
Cars from Zadar Airport can be booked to finish in Split. For a one-way rental ending in Split, the fee is set per car and is already included in the price shown for that car before payment.
Which car suits an island day?
Jadrolinija prices a car by length and height, in two bands: up to 5.00 m long and/or 2.00 m high, and over 5.00 m long and/or over 2.00 m high.
On line 431 in 2026, a larger vehicle in the upper band pays EUR 25.70 against EUR 17.30 in the lower band. Seats and what the deposit on the car comes to are shown on each car before payment.
The conditions of a rental in Croatia list the other clauses. Rental cars are allowed only on paved public roads, on the islands as on the mainland.
Questions
Can I take a hire car on a ferry in Croatia?
Only with prior arrangement, made before the booking is completed. It is a condition of the rental terms.
Which island near Zadar needs no ferry?
Pag. It is joined to the mainland by a bridge, and Pag town is 59 km and 1 h 10 from Zadar Airport.
Is the car worth taking to Ugljan?
Preko on Ugljan is served by car ferry line 431 from Gaženica and by passenger boat line 409 from Zadar's central port, which takes no cars. On line 431 the 2026 fare for a car up to 5.00 m long and 2.00 m high is EUR 17.30, and each passenger pays EUR 3.80.
How often do ferries run from Zadar?
Line 431 to Preko has numerous daily sailings in summer and winter. Line 401 to Olib and Silba sails three or four days a week from 1 January to 28 May and from 28 September to 31 December, and every day from 3 July to 27 September 2026.
How do I arrange the crossing?
By email to customer support before you complete the booking. The car can only travel between the islands and the mainland with that prior arrangement.
Is the ferry fare part of the rental?
The rental terms name fuel, parking, fines and tolls as the renter's costs and do not mention ferry fares. The ferry ticket is a Jadrolinija ticket, bought on its website, in the mJadrolinija app or at its agencies.