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Car hire in Dubrovnik

Pick up your car at Dubrovnik Airport or ask for town delivery. Some airport cars come without a deposit, some without a credit card, and you compare cover first.

Cheap car rental at Dubrovnik Airport

Find a size for your journey

Tiles show the cheapest car in each class for the same week as the deals; a typical car here costs about €50 a day. The cheapest deals need a credit card; most cars here need none and cost more a day. Pick a class by how many people are travelling, then compare the gearbox and conditions on each car.

“Or similar” means you may get another model from the same class. If you need the exact model, check its guarantee before you pay.

Where can you collect your car?

Pick up at Dubrovnik Airport, have the car delivered in town or collect it at a town pickup point. The drive from the airport to the Pile Gate takes about 30 minutes.

Airport pickup

Meet the company at the point on your voucher. Some airport cars have no handover fee.

Delivered to you

The company brings the car to your Dubrovnik address. The delivery charge is already in the price.

Town pickup

Some town pickup cars need no credit card but still take a deposit. The pickup address is on your voucher.

Car rental at Dubrovnik Airport suits a drive straight to Cavtat or the coast. Town pickup or delivery works if you spend your first days in the city.

Enter your real pickup and return times. Night handovers can cost extra, and pickup and return may be charged differently.

Add your phone number with the country code. The company needs to reach you the day before pickup and throughout the rental.

No deposit options at the airport

Some cars picked up at Dubrovnik Airport need no deposit. Delivered cars and town pickups take a deposit, even without a credit card.

No card is not no deposit. Some no-deposit cars also need no credit card. Other cars that need no credit card still take a deposit, so check both.

Bring the right card. If a credit card is needed, the main driver brings their own physical card with their name embossed. Debit cards work only where accepted, on the same rules.

You pay 15 to 20% when you book and the rest at pickup. Your voucher shows how you can pay the balance.

These cars take no cash deposit. A car that needs no credit card may still need another card for the deposit.

Some companies keep the deposit for 30 to 45 days after you return the car. Tolls or fines from your rental can be charged later, with an admin fee for fines.

How far can you drive from the airport?

Times start at Dubrovnik Airport, without stops or traffic. Pile Gate is inside the controlled zone, so arrange access first.

Small boats moored in a blue harbour below Cavtat's stone houses and green hillside, under a blue sky with a few clouds
Dubrovnik Airport→Cavtat
10 min · 5.5 km
Aerial view of Dubrovnik's walled old town and red roofs on a rocky headland above a deep blue sea
Dubrovnik Airport→Dubrovnik Pile Gate
30 min · 21.0 km
Cruise ships and small passenger boats at the Gruž port in Dubrovnik, under a white cable-stayed bridge and hillside houses
Dubrovnik Airport→Dubrovnik ferry port
30 min · 21.8 km
A round stone tower, boats and pastel houses on the harbour at Mali Ston, with green hills and the old town walls behind
Dubrovnik Airport→Ston
1 h 30 min · 72.0 km
A seafront path past a stone house and green gardens at Orebić, with a bare mountain rising above the sea behind
Dubrovnik Airport→Orebić
2 h 30 min · 126.7 km
Boats in a calm harbour in front of stone waterfront buildings and a large hotel, with green trees and a blue sky
Dubrovnik Airport→Makarska
3 h 15 min · 203.8 km

Cavtat is the easy first stop. Ston and Orebić make a longer day, so allow time for the drive back.

Herceg Novi in Montenegro is 28.0 km away, about 40 minutes, if the company agrees the trip. Summer queues at the Karasovići border can last several hours, so avoid a tight crossing before a flight.

Mostar is 163.8 km away, about three hours plus the border, via the Pelješac Bridge. Neum is 83.2 km, roughly 1 h 45 min. Both are in Bosnia and Herzegovina and need permission.

Where can you park your hire car in Dubrovnik?

You need a pass to drive into the old town area from 1 March to 30 November, and sometimes outside those dates.

  • A prepaid, booked space at Pile or the cable car’s lower car park can get you a pass. Check access before you drive in.
  • The Pile car park (Iza Grada) and the cable car’s lower car park are in zone 0. Book online; both are open 24 hours.

For street parking, text the registration without spaces to 708201 in zone 1 or 708203 in zone 3. You can also pay with Bmove, Aircash, at Tisak kiosks or at machines, which give no change.

Zone 0 prices change by month. Paying for parking does not let you drive into the old town.

Controls can be extended for holidays and events, even in winter. If you stay near the old town, ask your accommodation where to park.

Ferries and coastal journeys

Want to take the car on an island ferry? Contact customer support before you book, and before you buy a sailing.

Choose a car ferry

Only car ferries take cars. Passenger and fast boats do not, so check the service type before you set off.

Keep the vehicle papers

When you buy a ferry ticket, type RENTAL if you do not know the plate yet. Keep the registration papers with you.

Drive to the ferry port

Ferries leave from Gruž, on Dubrovnik’s west side, not the old town. Set the port as your destination. Drive times do not include boarding.

Understand the sailing ticket

A reserved ticket holds a place on one departure. Without a reservation, the ticket is valid that day if there is space.

A ferry ticket and the company’s permission are two separate things; you need both.

Heading north, the Pelješac Bridge keeps you in Croatia. The old coast road through Neum crosses into Bosnia and Herzegovina, so do not let your sat nav take you there without permission.

Finish your rental at another airport

A Dubrovnik Airport rental can end at Split or Zagreb Airport. Choose it when you search; the drop-off charge is in the price.

  • The times above end at Split’s Riva and Zagreb’s main square. Plan the last stretch to the airport using your voucher.

The A1 motorway does not reach Dubrovnik, so the first part is on ordinary roads. Both routes use the Pelješac Bridge and stay in Croatia. Allow for breaks and traffic before a flight.

You cannot return the car in Kotor, Tivat or Podgorica. If you visit Montenegro, bring the car back to Croatia. To start your trip there, pick up in Montenegro instead.

Cheapest day rates for Dubrovnik car rental

Each bar is the lowest day rate for a seven-day hire starting on the 15th, from November 2026 to October 2027. Prices and cars vary by month.

No price is listed yet for September or October; check your own dates.

A missing month does not mean there are no cars. Enter your own dates for a real price.

You pay for at least twenty-four hours. Monday morning to Tuesday afternoon counts as two days.

In summer, allow up to an hour for the drive between the airport and the city.

Seats, luggage and transmission

Dubrovnik has manual and automatic cars seating four to nine. Choose seats and any child seats along with the car.

Pick your gearbox

Manual and automatic cars are both available. Filter for the one you want and check the gearbox on the car itself.

Plan the seating

Some cars seat seven, eight or nine. Check the seat count and luggage room on the car, not just the van or SUV label.

Add child equipment

Child seats, boosters and baby seats are extras. Check the car you want offers the seat your child needs before you book.

Include another driver

Some cars let you add a second driver. Check the price and rules for that car before you book.

Car hire insurance in Dubrovnik

Choose your cover before you pay. Each car shows which of the four levels it offers.

Minimum coverageIncluded as standard
  • Damage to other vehicles (TPL) (included)
  • Damage to your hire car (not included)
Basic coverage
  • Limited collision cover (CDW) (included)
  • Damage to other vehicles (TPL) (included)
  • Glass and tyre damage (not included)
Full Coverage
  • Limited driver liability (Super CDW) (included)
  • Damage to other vehicles (TPL) (included)
Full Coverage Plus
  • Full damage cover (included)
  • No driver liability for accident damage (included)

Basic has limits. Basic (CDW) caps what you pay for collision damage, but not for glass or tyres. Standard cover also leaves out the underbody and interior.

Plus on some cars. With Full Coverage Plus you pay nothing for covered accident damage. The price depends on the car, and some cars do not offer it.

The deposit may change. Higher cover lowers the deposit on some cars but not on others. Neglect, vandalism and deliberate damage cancel any cover.

Report it straight away. After an accident, call the company and get a police report unless it agrees otherwise. If you skip this, the cost is yours.

Full uses Super CDW; what you pay can be lower than Basic or the same.

What do you need at collection?

Bring your original national licence in Latin letters, valid until you return the car. Copies and electronic licences are not accepted.

Permit and licence

If your licence is for your home country only, an International Driving Permit is strongly recommended. Bring both.

Driver eligibility

Each car has its own age and experience rules. Check them before paying; the company can refuse the car if you do not qualify.

Bring your voucher and payment card with your licence, as for any car rental in Croatia.

Local driving and returning the car

Drive on paved public roads only. You pay for fuel, parking, tolls and any fines.

Match the fuel level

  • Return the car with the same fuel as at pickup. Shortfalls are charged at the company’s price; extra fuel is not refunded.

Allow an inspection

  • Return the car clean enough to inspect. If it is too dirty, the company can wash it at your cost.

Need longer? Ask the company before your rental ends. Return the car to the place and time on your voucher.

Can you drive to Montenegro?

Some Dubrovnik cars can go to non-EU countries. Ask customer support for permission for the country you plan to visit.

The Karasovići border is 17.2 km from Dubrovnik Airport, about 25 minutes plus the queue. Arrange the crossing before you travel and check your cover there. Taking a car rented in Croatia abroad does not mean you can return it there.

Cancellation notice and refunds

Check the cancellation option on your booking. With it, you can cancel up to 24 hours before pickup.

Notice and deadline

Without the option, cancel seven days ahead, or thirty days for luxury cars and convertibles. Later changes or a missed pickup lose your advance.

Requesting your refund

Email support with your voucher attached. Refunds are due within fourteen days, minus €6 per €100 paid, usually to the account you paid from.

A date change on a Croatia booking means a cancellation and a new booking; your first car can then go to someone else.

Questions about renting in Dubrovnik

Do I need winter tyres on a Dubrovnik rental?

Not for the roads around Dubrovnik in normal weather: none of Croatia’s set winter sections is there. Snow or ice on any road, in any month, means winter equipment, so ask the company what your car has before a drive inland.

Is mileage limited on a Dubrovnik rental?

Dubrovnik offers include unlimited kilometres. Check the mileage on your car before booking a long trip.

Can a small pet travel in the car?

Only small pets are allowed, and they must stay in a carrier the whole time.

What if the company cannot supply my booked vehicle?

If your car breaks down or cannot be supplied for reasons outside the company’s control, it must give you the same class or better at the same price and terms.

Can a newly confirmed reservation be cancelled immediately?

Yes. Either side can cancel within 24 hours of confirmation and paying the advance, before pickup. Tell customer support; the advance comes back minus the payment fee.

More about renting a car in Croatia

Book your Dubrovnik rental car

Pick up at the airport, get the car delivered or collect it in town. Compare the deposit and cover, then book.

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