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Car hire in Zagreb

Hire a car from local firms at Zagreb Airport or have it brought to your address, with some no-deposit and no-credit-card cars and cover set out before you book.

Cheap car rental for Zagreb at the airport

Vehicle sizes for a Zagreb journey

Tiles show the cheapest car in each class for the same week as the deals; a typical car here costs about €45 a day. The convertible is not quoted for these dates. Most of the cheapest deals need a credit card, while most cars here need none and cost more a day.

Where can you collect your Zagreb car?

Pick up at Zagreb Airport or have the car delivered to a Zagreb address. Each has its own payment conditions.

Airport pickup

Airport prices shown include the handover. Save your voucher’s pickup details and the company’s number before you travel.

Delivered to you

Enter your Zagreb address. Delivery is in the total, and some offers take a cash deposit.

Meeting time

Search with your real pickup and return times. Out-of-hours charges vary by company and are in the price.

The airport is at Ulica Rudolfa Fizira 21, Velika Gorica. The cars shown here use airport pickup or city delivery, so check the details on any car offered at the train station. Keep your booking phone, with country code, reachable from the day before pickup until return.

Can you book without a deposit in Zagreb?

Some Zagreb Airport cars need no deposit, and delivered cars can take a cash deposit. Paying the deposit and paying for the hire are separate.

Airport deposits. These Zagreb Airport cars do not take a cash deposit. If your car needs one, check which card is accepted. No credit card does not always mean no deposit.

Delivery deposits. Delivered cars in Zagreb take a cash deposit and need no credit card, but they are not no-deposit rentals. The deposit is separate from the rental balance.

You pay 15 to 20% when you book and the rest to the company at pickup. Check how the balance and the deposit can be paid.

If a credit card is needed, the main driver must bring their own physical card with their details embossed. Debit cards work only where the car accepts them, on the same terms. Another passenger’s card will not do.

Some companies keep the deposit for 30 to 45 days after return. Tolls or fines from your rental, plus a fine’s admin fee, can be taken from it. Check your voucher for release times.

How far are the drives from Zagreb Airport?

Clear-road drive times from Zagreb Airport. Allow extra time for pickup, stops and traffic.

A yellow Art Nouveau pavilion with a glass dome behind spring flower beds and trees, under a blue sky with white clouds
Zagreb Airport→Zagreb
30 min · 17.4 km
A turquoise lake between steep forested cliffs, with white clouds in a blue sky
Zagreb Airport→Plitvice Lakes
2 h 30 min · 144.6 km
Aerial view of Zadar's peninsula, harbour and rooftops beside the sea under a sunset sky
Zagreb Airport→Zadar
3 h 30 min · 295.9 km
Old stone houses stacked up a hill above the water at Sibenik, glowing in golden evening light under a blue sky
Zagreb Airport→Šibenik
4 h · 351.2 km
Stone buildings and the cathedral bell tower on the Trogir waterfront, with green hills behind under a blue sky
Zagreb Airport→Trogir
4 h 30 min · 392.6 km
Palm trees along Split's waterfront promenade in front of pale stone buildings, with white clouds in a blue sky
Zagreb Airport→Split
4 h 45 min · 420.4 km

Coming from the coast, Split Airport to central Zagreb is 382.6 km, about four and a half hours. Dubrovnik Airport is 624.1 km, about seven hours forty-five minutes, via the Pelješac Bridge and staying in Croatia.

Heading south, the A1 starts at Lučko and serves Split, but it ends near Ploče at Karamatići, before Dubrovnik. Allow extra time for the last coastal stretch.

Plitvice Lakes has two main entrances on the D429, about three kilometres apart, both with paid parking. Set your sat nav to the entrance you want, not the park as a whole.

Where should you park in Zagreb?

Zagreb has five numbered street-parking zones with different limits and ways to pay. Pick the zone that fits your visit and follow the signs.

  • Hourly parking is limited to two hours in zone I and three in zones II.1 and II.2. Zone I.1 has no hourly parking; zone III has no maximum stay.
  • SMS payment only works on Croatian mobile networks, so with a foreign SIM you need another way to pay.

You can also pay at meters, with kiosk e-tickets, on the ePK portal or in the ZgPark app. Newer meters take coins and cards; older ones need exact coins and a ticket behind the windscreen.

Some central streets are closed to traffic without a city permit, including Ban Jelačić Square, Ilica towards Gundulićeva, Radićeva, Dverce and the Strossmayer promenade. A hotel there does not mean you can drive to its door.

Zone V is Park & Ride, and public garages have their own rules. Parking costs and fines are yours to pay.

What equipment do Zagreb winter roads require?

From 15 November to 15 April, some roads need winter equipment in any weather. Near Zagreb: the A1 towards Maslenica, A2, A3 and A4.

Tyres and chains

You need winter tyres on all four wheels, or summer tyres with at least four millimetres of tread plus chains for the driving wheels. Ask what your car comes with.

The Winter Pack

Some Zagreb cars offer a Winter Pack as an extra, but the name does not say what is in it. Ask what you get for your car and route.

Equipment beyond motorways

Snow or ice can bring the same rule on any road at any time of year, not just motorways. Think about your whole route, including day trips.

Headlights in winter and tunnels

From 1 November to 31 March, use dipped headlights or daytime running lights by day. In tunnels, always use dipped headlights; LED daytime lights alone are not enough.

The A1 winter section runs from Lučko to Maslenica, so a drive south starts on a winter road even if the coast is mild.

Central Croatia between Karlovac and Slavonski Brod has the highest flood risk in the country. Check traffic before you set off and follow any closures.

Can you return your Zagreb rental in Split?

Yes, some Zagreb Airport cars can be returned at Split Airport, and some Dubrovnik Airport cars end here. Add the return place when you search so the price is right.

Island ferry trips need permission from customer support before you book; a one-way booking or a ferry ticket does not give it.

Cheapest day rates for Zagreb car rental

Lowest daily prices for week-long hires starting on the 15th of each month, November 2026 to October 2027. N/A means no price was available.

Each week-long hire starts on the 15th. Check your own dates for your price.

The chart is a guide, not a quote. A month with no price does not mean free hire, or that no cars will be available.

You pay for at least one day. A few hours counts as a day, and one morning to the next afternoon counts as two, so enter both times accurately.

In summer, queues build on the A3 Zagreb bypass between Zagreb zapad, Lučko and Ivanja Reka, and on the A1 around Lučko, Karlovac and Bosiljevo. Leave extra time when driving back from the coast.

Automatic cars and seats for the family

Zagreb has manual and automatic cars, from five seats up to seven, eight and nine. Check seats and gearbox together.

Transmission choice

Zagreb has manuals and automatics. Choose a gearbox every driver is happy with, then check it on the car you book.

Larger groups

Seven, eight and nine-seat cars suit larger groups. Check the actual seat count and the luggage space before you choose.

Children and extras

Child seats, infant seats and boosters are separate extras. Add what you need, plus a second driver if offered; prices depend on the car.

Check every driver

Every driver must meet your car’s age and experience rules. Similar cars can differ, so check before you plan to share the driving.

Car hire insurance for your Zagreb journey

Every booking includes Minimum cover, which covers damage to other vehicles. Check the extra cover and what you would still pay on your 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)

What Basic leaves out. Basic collision cover does not include glass or tyres. Standard cover also leaves out the interior and underside.

Plus on some cars. Some Zagreb cars offer Full Coverage Plus, which removes your share of accident damage. It is priced per car, and others do not offer it.

Deposit and excess. Upgrading can lower the deposit. The excess is your share of covered damage. Neglect or deliberate damage cancels all cover.

After an incident. Contact the company straight away and get a police report, unless the company agrees otherwise. If you do not, you lose your cover and pay the loss.

With Full Coverage (Super CDW), your share can be the same as Basic or lower. Check your car’s figures and the insurance guide.

Documents to bring to collection

Bring your original national licence, in Latin script and valid until the rental ends. Copies and digital licences are not accepted.

Permit alongside licence

If your licence is only valid at home, an International Driving Permit is strongly recommended. Show it when asked; it does not replace your licence.

Check driver eligibility

Check your car’s age and licence-history rules before booking. The company can refuse a driver outside them, even if a similar car differs.

Bring your voucher and the payment card your car needs as well.

Motorway travel and the return check

Drive on paved public roads and follow the signs. In the Mala Kapela tunnel on the A1, the limit is 100 km/h unless signed lower.

Return fuel level

  • Return the car with the same fuel as at pickup. Any shortfall is charged at the company’s rate, and extra fuel is not refunded.

Keep it inspectable

  • Return the car clean enough to inspect, or the company can wash it at your cost. Allow time for the handback before you travel on.

Croatia’s motorway tolls depend on distance and vehicle class; pay by cash, card or ENC, and keep your entry ticket until the exit. You pay tolls and fuel. Need the car longer? Ask the company before your rental ends.

A Zagreb trip into Slovenia

Some Zagreb cars have an EU neighbours option for Slovenia or Hungary. Add it and arrange permission with customer support before you leave Croatia.

Some cars also have a non-EU neighbours option. Conditions depend on the country, company, car and time abroad. You cannot return these cars in Ljubljana; a Croatia road trip into Slovenia still ends back in Croatia.

Cancellation and changes before arrival

With the cancellation option, cancel at least 24 hours before pickup. Without it, give seven days, or thirty days for luxury cars and convertibles.

Request the advance refund

Email your voucher to customer support to cancel. The advance comes back within fourteen days, usually to the account you paid from, minus 6% for payment processing.

Changes and missed collection

Cancel or change late, or miss pickup without telling the company, and you lose the advance. To change a booking, cancel it and book again.

A date change means a new booking, so your first car can go to someone else.

Questions before hiring in Zagreb

Do Zagreb rentals include unlimited kilometres?

Some offers have unlimited kilometres and others have a daily limit. Check the mileage line on your car before a long coastal trip.

Can I pay the deposit in cash in Zagreb?

Only on delivered cars: they take a cash deposit and need no credit card. Airport cars do not take a cash deposit, so check which card yours accepts.

Can I bring a pet in the rental vehicle?

Yes, small pets are allowed in a carrier, and they must stay in it for the journey. Larger animals are not allowed.

What happens if the reserved vehicle breaks down before pickup?

If a breakdown or events beyond anyone’s control stop the company supplying your car, it must give you one of the same or a higher class, at the original price and conditions.

Is there a cancellation period straight after confirmation?

Yes. You or the company can cancel within 24 hours of confirmation and paying the advance, as long as it is before pickup. The payment-service fee is still taken from the refund.

More about renting a car in Croatia

Book Zagreb car hire

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