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Car hire at Zadar Airport

Car rental at Zadar Airport from local companies. Compare the full price, the deposit and the card rule on each car, then pick your cover.

Cheap car rental at Zadar Airport for one week

Week-long prices with the car collected and returned at the airport. Each card shows the deposit the company holds.

Which car should you book for northern Dalmatia?

Rates are typical for each class on the same dates as the deals, at the airport and with no handover charge. Not quoted means that class had no car on offer.

Automatic and seven-seat cars can both be booked here. An “or similar” car may be another model of the same size.

Where will the company meet you at Zadar Airport?

Wherever your voucher says. It names the local rental company, the meeting point and a phone number.

Carry the voucher

Have the voucher on your phone and on paper. If you cannot see the company on arrival, call the number printed on it.

Stay contactable

The company may need to reach you from the day before pickup. Give a number with the full international code and keep it on.

Inspect at handover

Before driving off, check the car with the company, write down any damage and confirm the fuel level and extras.

Rental companies at Zadar meet customers in their own ways, so the voucher is your guide.

All the cars shown here are handed over at the airport with no extra handover charge at midday.

Zadar Airport guide: terminal, parking and the drive out

What the terminal offers, where to park and how to reach the motorway once you have the car.

Services in the terminal

  • Free Wi-Fi for passengers.
  • Lounge after security, in the international area.
  • Assistance for passengers who need help.

Parking and drop-off

  • PIn front of the terminal

Parking is right in front of the terminal, and the fee depends on how long you stay.

  • More parking is planned: the airport has announced a new car park with a thousand spaces.

Collecting and returning your car

  1. Flying home? Departures use the new terminal; follow the departure signs.
  2. Landing late? Tell the company your new time.
  3. On the way home return the car where the voucher says, then check in.
Small hours? A pickup in the middle of the night can add a charge on some cars. Enter your real times and it shows in the price.

Driving away from Zadar Airport

  1. Join the A1 at the Zadar 2 junction for Split or Zagreb.
  2. Tolls are paid at the toll plaza in cash or by card.
  3. Daytime lights from 1 November to 31 March.
Winter roads From 15 November to 15 April, winter equipment is compulsory on designated winter stretches. Check with the company before a winter drive.

Can you rent a car at Zadar Airport without a credit card?

Yes. None of the airport cars listed needed a credit card, and each quoted deal car takes a debit card for the deposit.

The debit card must be a physical card with embossed details, in the main driver’s name, and listed in the booking and voucher. Elsewhere too, many cars in Croatia that need no credit card take debit.

The deposit and the excess are separate figures, and car rental in Croatia with no deposit can still carry an excess.

How far is Zadar Airport from Zadar and Šibenik?

Zadar is about a quarter of an hour away and Šibenik about an hour. Times assume clear roads and no stops.

Aerial view of Zadar's peninsula, harbour and rooftops beside the sea under a sunset sky
Zadar Airport→Zadar
15 min · 12 km
Old stone houses stacked up a hill above the water at Sibenik, glowing in golden evening light under a blue sky
Zadar Airport→Šibenik
1 h · 75.1 km
Wide white cascades pouring into a green pool, framed by lush trees and a blue sky with white clouds
Zadar Airport→Krka
55 min · 67.8 km
Boats moored along the Skradin waterfront below a hill with a church tower and red-roofed houses, under a clear blue sky
Zadar Airport→Skradin
50 min · 62.5 km
A turquoise lake between steep forested cliffs, with white clouds in a blue sky
Zadar Airport→Plitvice Lakes
2 h · 134.6 km
Palm trees along Split's waterfront promenade in front of pale stone buildings, with white clouds in a blue sky
Zadar Airport→Split
1 h 45 min · 144.3 km

More short drives: Gaženica port, about 10 min; Nin, about 40 min; Biograd na Moru, about 35 min; Zagreb, about 3 h 30 min.

The Zadar time is to the city centre. Gaženica, the city’s ferry port, is closer to the airport than the old town.

Krka is timed to the Lozovac entrance and Split to the Riva. The Split and Šibenik drives use the A1 motorway, so tolls apply.

Traffic rules for the Zadar region

Keep right, and follow the posted limits whenever they differ from the national ones.

Limits to remember

In towns it is 50 km/h, on other roads 90 km/h, on expressways 110 km/h and on motorways 130 km/h, unless signed otherwise.

Child seats by law

Children shorter than 150 cm ride in a child seat or booster. In the back, a child of 135 cm or more may use the adult belt.

Hands off the phone

Using a phone while driving is allowed only hands-free. Pull over safely before typing an address.

Emergencies

The emergency number is 112. After a crash, contact the company at once and get a police report to keep the cover valid.

Keep to paved roads

Under the rental conditions, every hire car from Zadar Airport has to stay on paved public roads for the whole trip.

Dirt roads to quiet beaches and quarry tracks inland are not allowed, however capable the car looks.

Going beyond Croatia

A cross-border option on the car and permission from the help desk are both needed before you leave the country.

Some cars offer an option for EU neighbours and another for non-EU neighbours, priced on the car. A car hired here must be returned in Croatia, as one-way hire abroad is not offered.

Can you return a Zadar Airport car at Split Airport?

Yes, on cars that offer it, and Zagreb Airport is another option. A drop-off charge is included in the price.

Choose where to return

Set the other airport as the drop-off in the search. A city address there counts as a different return place.

Where to hand back

Check with the company where to meet at the other airport, and leave time for the inspection before your flight.

Changing the plan

A different return place or time has to be agreed with the company. Leaving the car without that is not allowed.

Split Airport suits a one-way trip that ends further south. Ending inland, choose Zagreb Airport, which is reached on the A1.

Zadar Airport prices by month

The lowest daily price for a seven-day hire from mid-month, collected and returned at the airport. Treat it as a guide.

N/A: no airport cars were listed for that month yet.

Cars for the summer months are not listed yet, so those months show no price. Search again as your trip gets closer.

The charge is per 24 hours, and a few extra hours cost a full day. Ask the company in advance if you want to extend.

Planning for passengers and extra drivers

Book seats and drivers ahead, so nothing is missing at the airport.

Who may drive

Only drivers who meet the car’s age and licence rules can drive it. Ask the company before you share the wheel.

Seats for small children

Child seats and boosters are extras on each car. Add one for every child when you book.

Bigger cars

Seven-seat cars are on offer at the airport. Check the boot space with all seats up before you choose.

Small pets only

Small pets may come along in a travel carrier, kept closed for the entire rental.

What cover comes with Zadar Airport cars?

The quoted deal cars here already include a high cover level in the price. Even so, check the figures on each car.

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)

Full Coverage included. Each quoted deal car starts on Full Coverage or Full Coverage Plus, with no extra charge for that level.

No excess at the start. At that starting level, the excess on these cars is zero.

A deposit may still apply. Some of them hold a small deposit even with no excess; others hold nothing at all.

Standard cover still excludes the wheels, underside, windscreen and interior, and neglect or vandalism voids it. Even at a zero excess, damage cover and excess do not reach those parts of the car.

Licences, permits and age limits

Pack the original licence: valid until the return, with Latin letters. No copies, no digital licences.

Permit for some licences

Licences recognised only where they were issued should travel with an International Driving Permit. The permit adds to the licence.

Minimum age

Age and experience limits belong to the car, not the class, so two similar cars may differ. Every driver has to qualify.

A UK photocard licence covers driving in Croatia for up to one year. An old paper licence may need replacing or a matching permit.

Dropping the car back at Zadar Airport

Leave time for the fuel check and inspection before you go to departures.

Fuel

  • Refuel to the pickup level before the return. A lower gauge is billed at the company’s price, and going over earns no credit.

Inspection

  • Should the car be too dirty for a proper inspection on return, the company has it cleaned and charges you for it.

Fuel, parking, fines and tolls are paid by you. Some companies keep the deposit for 30 to 45 days and take any later fine or unpaid toll from it.

Cancelling a Zadar Airport booking

Changes are made by cancelling and booking again.

Notice needed

The limit is a week before pickup, or thirty days for luxury and convertible cars; 24 hours if you added the short-notice option. Cancel after that and the advance is gone.

Refund

Support needs your voucher with the request. The advance returns within fourteen days, and a 6% payment fee is kept.

Zadar Airport car rental questions

Can I hire a car at Zadar Airport with no deposit?

Yes, some cars hold no deposit and no excess. Others keep a small deposit, so check the figure on the car.

Is there a daily mileage limit on Zadar Airport cars?

Not on the cars offered at the airport. Check the car’s own page for your dates.

Can I take the car on a ferry from Gaženica?

Only if support has arranged it before you finish the booking. Without that, island ferries are off limits for the car.

Can I book an automatic at Zadar Airport?

Yes, automatics are listed next to manual cars. Check the gearbox shown on the car, as the photo is only an example.

Can I add a second driver at Zadar Airport?

Only on cars that list a second driver as an extra, which not every car does. Each extra driver must meet the car’s age and licence rules.

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