Zadar to Split by car

How long does Zadar to Split actually take?

The drive in a rental car from Zadar Airport to Split is 144 km and takes 1 h 45. Sibenik, on the way, is 75 km and 1 h 00 from the airport.

The A1 Zagreb to Split to Dubrovnik motorway is tolled by distance and vehicle class. The D8 state road, the Adriatic coast road, runs from Rijeka through Zadar and Split to Dubrovnik.

One-way rentals from Zadar to Split are bookable, on the cars that offer handing the car in at the other end. The one-way fee is set per car and is already included in the price shown for that car before payment.

Is a stop on the way worth making?

Krka (Skradin) is 62 km and 50 minutes from Zadar Airport, and Sibenik is 75 km and 1 h 00.

Skradin and Lozovac are the two Krka entrances to Skradinski buk. Visitor parking at Lozovac is free; in Skradin the parking spaces are privately owned and charged.

Skradinski buk is open from 8:00 to 20:00 from June to August, and swimming there is not allowed. From Skradin, park boats run to the falls from April to October.

Sibenik

1 h 00 and 75 km from the airport.

Krka

Skradin 50 minutes and 62 km from the airport; four park entrances.

Split

1 h 45 and 144 km from the airport.

There and back, or one way?

A return trip from Zadar Airport to Split is 288 km and 3 h 30 of driving.

Every one-way car to Split in the October 2026 window was collected at Zadar Airport. The transmission is shown on each car before payment and the price shown already includes the one-way fee, so an automatic with a Split drop-off can be found in one search.

What is the motorway like in summer?

HAC's 2025 figures for the whole A1 give an average daily traffic of 47,984 in August and 40,948 in July, against 27,907 in September and 11,533 in January.

On the A1 and other motorways with several entries and exits, drivers take a toll ticket at the entry plaza and pay at the exit, in cash in euros, by card or by ENC. ENC users pass through a dedicated lane without taking a ticket.

A driver who reaches the exit without a record of entry, for example with a lost ticket, is charged double the toll for the longest route on that motorway from the exit point.

What about carrying on further south?

The A1 is open as far as the Ploče interchange and the Karamatići toll station. South of it, the route to Dubrovnik continues on the D8 and the Pelješac Bridge access roads, which join the D8 at Duboka.

The old coast road through Neum crosses a stretch of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with two border crossings, Klek/Neum 1 and Zaton Doli/Neum 2. The Pelješac Bridge route stays on Croatian roads. Driving the Neum road in a rental car needs permission arranged on the rental in advance, requested by email, with prices and conditions set by the duration, the type of car and the rental company.

Dubrovnik is 340 km and 4 h 25 from Zadar Airport. The Pelješac Bridge is toll-free.

What car suits this drive?

Seats, transmission and the mileage limit are shown on each car in the search before payment. The driver's minimum age and driving experience are listed on each car's page and can differ between similar models. The deposit is zero on part of the supply, and free cancellation is not offered on every car; both are shown on the offer, next to what really moves the price of the rental.

In any Croatian tunnel the driver must keep dipped headlights on, and must not stop, park, make a U-turn or reverse.