Compare Dubrovnik Airport car hire

As well as being a wonderful walled city to visit in its own right, historic Dubrovnik is the gateway to Croatia’s glorious Dalmatian Coast. It’s also just an hour from neighbouring Montenegro. To soak up all this region has to offer in 2025, you’ll want to pick up a good deal on a hire car.

Language: Croatian | Currency: Euro (€) | Avg. Flight time: 2 hrs 40 mins

If you fly into Dubrovnik Airport (DBV), you’ll find a wide choice of local and international car hire agencies including Sixt, Avis and Europcar. You’ll usually find the cheapest deals and the best range of vehicles when you compare prices and book online in advance.

Once you touch down, you’ll find the pick-up locations of the rental companies just outside the Arrivals hall. It’s then a 30-minute drive along the coastal D8 road to the centre of Dubrovnik.

Car hire companies that have desks at Dubrovnik Airport include:

• Avis (Tel: +385 91 314 3019)
• Europcar (Tel: +385 98 231 079)
• Hertz (Tel: +385 20 771 568)
• Sixt (Tel: +385 20 773 210)

If you want to spend a few days exploring the historic city centre before you meander along the Dalmatian coastline, you might prefer to hire a car in Dubrovnik itself. You’ll find the offices of some local companies and a few major brands along Frana Supila Street or around Masarykov put.

Despite Dubrovnik’s popularity, it’s actually not a huge city to navigate around and is mostly pedestrianised. You’ll need to drive on the right-hand side and overtake on the left in Croatia, however you’ll find many of the roads in Dubrovnik are one-way. This makes planning your journey in advance or using an up-to-date sat-nav essential.

During peak tourist season, traffic can be busy around Dubrovnik. Parking can be tricky to come by too and is rarely free. It’s best to park up at your hotel and walk around if you’re staying in Dubrovnik itself. You could try to nab a spot by the port or along Iza Grada Street early if you’re visiting just for the day.

If you decide to explore beyond Dubrovnik, you’ll find most roads in Croatia are well maintained and there’s an extensive motorway system. The motorways are mostly toll roads, so make sure you carry change with you, and don’t lose your toll tickets.

For road trips to neighbouring Montenegro or Bosnia & Hercegovina (both are reachable within an hour from Dubrovnik), it’s worth checking with your hire car provider that your rental and insurance covers travel outside of Croatia. You may need to pay a cross-border fee.

Peljesac

Driving time: One hour 15 minutes

While many of the region’s most beautiful beaches are only reachable by boat, Peljesac is an easy drive away. It’s a peninsula north west of Dubrovnik that’s not only a spectacularly scenic location for a drive but also packed with quiet coves and quaint towns. Possible activities in Peljesac include windsurfing along the shores of Viganj, soaking up some sun on sandy Zuljana beach or sampling local wines at one of the vineyards surrounding the village of Potomje.

Montenegro

Driving time: One hour

Just an hour south east of Dubrovnik is the border into Montenegro, a small yet charming country blessed with a wealth of natural attractions. You’ll find the coastal walled town of Kotor, with winding cobbled streets and dramatic mountain views, a two-hour drive away, while an hour further is the magical Lake Skadar, the largest lake in southern Europe.

Cavtat

Driving time: 35 minutes

If you want a quieter day out but with the same level of charm as Dubrovnik, Cavtat is ideal. It’s a short 35-minute drive from the city and is nestled between the Adriatic Sea and the mountains. Cavtat’s pretty harbour is one of its main draws but you’ll also find an Old Town complete with cobbled streets and red-roofed buildings, as well as the Renaissance-era Rector’s Palace.

1. Remember that the city’s Old Town is not accessible by car, except for emergency vehicles. Dubrovnik is also full of one-way roads so map out a route in advance to avoid getting lost.
   

1. The motorways around Dubrovnik are usually toll roads. Make sure you have some spare change set aside if you plan on travelling on them.
   

1. The legal alcohol limit when driving in Croatia is lower than the UK at 0.5g/L. If you’re staying outside Dubrovnik and driving in for the day, stick to soft drinks to be safe.

Fair fuel policy

A fair fuel policy (also known as full-to-full or same-to-same) means you’ll only pay for the fuel you use. All car rental deals compared on TravelSupermarket come with a fair fuel policy, so you can book your hire car safe in the knowledge there will be no nasty surprises at drop-off. More information on TravelSupermarket’s commitment to fair fuel policies can be found here.

No hidden fees

All rental deals compared on TravelSupermarket include mandatory fees (for example, one-way and young driver surcharges) in your rental quote at the time of booking, meaning you’ll know the full price of your car hire upfront.