Each guide starts at Dubrovnik Airport, where most cars for car rental at Dubrovnik Airport are based, and times are routed from the airport's rental car park. Each follows one drive: the route, the border or ferry on the way, the rental rules that apply, and the routed time, rounded up to the next five minutes.
Driving across the border
Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina are outside the Schengen area, and both trips need permission from the booking help desk before the car crosses. The Dubrovnik to Kotor route crosses at Karasovići-Sutorina, and the drive from Dubrovnik to Mostar crosses at Metković-Doljani.
Permission is arranged by email with the booking help desk before the trip. The terms for Croatia say prices and conditions for driving abroad vary with the length of the trip, the type of car and the rental company.
| To | Distance | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Cavtat | 6 km | 10 min |
| Dubrovnik (Pile Gate) | 21 km | 30 min |
| Kotor (via the Kamenari ferry) | 58 km | 1 h 25 |
| Orebić ferry port | 127 km | 2 h 20 |
| Mostar | 162 km | 2 h 55 |
| Split | 252 km | 3 h 40 |
| Plitvice Lakes (Entrance 1) | 473 km | 6 h 15 |
Driving near the airport
The route from Dubrovnik Airport to the Old Town meets the special traffic zone that, from 1 March to 30 November, admits a car only with a prepaid parking reservation, a hotel stay inside the zone or registered accommodation parking, and the Dubrovnik Airport to Cavtat drive is the shortest routed trip from the airport, about 10 minutes. The airport puts the drive into Dubrovnik at 30 to 35 minutes on average, and up to an hour in summer.
Driving north through Croatia
The Dubrovnik to Split drive over the Pelješac bridge stays inside Croatia, while the old coast road passes through Neum, a stretch of Bosnia and Herzegovina with a border crossing at each end. The long drive from Dubrovnik to Plitvice continues on the A1 motorway, 473 km to the park's Entrance 1.
On the bridge route both drives stay in Croatia. The A1 motorway is tolled by distance, paid at the exit plaza, and the Pelješac bridge is free to cross. Taking the car on the ferry to Korčula from Orebić is only possible with prior arrangement, made with customer support before the booking is completed.
