The classic north-to-south route, 900 km in 10 days with 4 hotel changes: Zagreb, Plitvice, Zadar, Split, Makarska, Dubrovnik. Driving times, tolls of about 45 euro, the one-way rental drop fee, where to sleep and what each day costs, with the off-season version.
Checked: 15 September 2026
Fly into Zagreb, drive south, fly out of Dubrovnik: this is the route that fits Croatia's shape, and 10 days is the number that makes it comfortable instead of rushed. The plan below covers about 900 km of driving, 4 hotel changes, 2 national parks, 2 islands as day trips and the Pelješac Bridge instead of a border. Prices are September 2026 and rise 20 to 30 percent in July and August.
| Day | Drive | Sleep | The point of the day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | airport to city, 17 km | Zagreb | upper town, Dolac market, the cafe hour on Tkalčićeva; collect the car next morning |
| 2 | 130 km, 2 h | Plitvice | arrive by 14:00, walk the lower lakes until closing when the boardwalks empty |
| 3 | 130 km, 1 h 45 | Zadar | upper lakes at 08:00, then the A1 to the coast; sunset at the sea organ |
| 4 | 75 km plus 85 km | Split | Krka waterfalls on the way, Šibenik cathedral for lunch, Split by evening |
| 5 | 0 km | Split | Diocletian's Palace, Marjan, dinner in Varoš |
| 6 | 0 km, ferry | Split | Brač or Hvar as a foot passenger, the car stays parked |
| 7 | 65 km on the D8 | Makarska | Omiš and the Cetina canyon on the way, Biokovo above Makarska in the afternoon |
| 8 | 155 km, 2 h 30 | Dubrovnik | Pelješac Bridge, oysters in Ston, the walls of Ston, Dubrovnik by 16:00 |
| 9 | 0 km | Dubrovnik | walls at 08:00, Lokrum or the cable car, return the car in the afternoon |
| 10 | 20 km to the airport | home | a last morning swim at Banje, shuttle 10 euro to the airport |
The car: one-way rental and what it costs
Pick up in Zagreb on day 2 and return in Dubrovnik on day 9: 8 rental days at 45 to 70 euro a day for a compact automatic in September, plus a one-way drop fee that the big brands set at 50 to 120 euro between the two cities. Tolls for the whole route add about 45 euro: Zagreb to the Plitvice exit 8, Plitvice region to Zadar 10, Zadar to Split 12, Split to Ploče and the Dubrovnik motorway stub 15. Fuel for 900 km in a small car is about 65 litres, 115 euro at the September 2026 capped prices. Parking is the hidden cost: Split and Dubrovnik apartments rarely include it, and a garage costs 15 to 25 euro a day, so book a place with parking on days 4 to 9.
The days that need booking
- Plitvice: buy the entry ticket online with a time slot; 40 euro in summer, 23 in October, 10 from November. Sleep in one of the villages at the park, Mukinje or Jezerce, to be on the boardwalks at 08:00.
- Krka: 40 euro in summer, 20 in autumn, park at Lozovac for the free shuttle; 3 hours is enough including the boardwalk loop.
- Dubrovnik walls: 40 euro including Fort Lovrijenac, at opening time in summer; Ston's walls cost 10 euro and take an hour.
- The island day from Split: ferry to Brač for about 8 euro or catamaran to Hvar for 10 to 25, book the afternoon return in July and August.
What it costs and the off-season version
For two people in September: car with drop fee about 600 euro, tolls and fuel 160, parks and walls 150 each, ferries 40, accommodation 9 nights at 90 to 150 euro, food at 60 to 90 euro a day for two. That is roughly 2,400 to 3,200 euro for the couple without flights. In October the same trip costs about a fifth less, Plitvice halves its price, the coast road is empty and the sea is still 20 degrees; only the Hvar catamaran thins out after 11 October. From November stick to Zagreb, Plitvice, Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik and drop the islands.
Where to sleep, and why those places
| Nights | Base | Why here | Double room, September |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zagreb, lower town | walk to everything, tram to the bus station for the shuttle | 80 to 120 euro |
| 1 | Mukinje or Jezerce at Plitvice | 2 km from Entrance 2, on the boardwalks at 08:00 | 70 to 110 euro |
| 1 | Zadar, old town peninsula | car in the garage by the bridge, sunset on foot | 90 to 140 euro |
| 3 | Split, Varoš or Bačvice with parking | ferries, palace and Trogir without moving the car | 100 to 160 euro |
| 1 | Makarska or Brela | the beach night between the two cities | 90 to 150 euro |
| 2 | Dubrovnik, Lapad or Ploče | parking exists, bus 10 minutes to Pile; the Old Town itself has no parking | 120 to 200 euro |
Variations: 7 days, 14 days, with children
With 7 days, fly into Zadar or Split instead of Zagreb: keep Plitvice as a day trip from Zadar, then Split, Makarska and Dubrovnik. With 14 days, add Istria at the start, Rovinj and Motovun from a Zagreb pickup, or add 3 island nights on Hvar or Korčula in the middle; both versions keep the one-way drop in Dubrovnik. With children, shorten the driving days to under 3 hours by sleeping in Šibenik instead of pushing to Split on day 4, book apartments with a pool in Makarska, and swap the Dubrovnik walls for Lokrum's shallow rocks. The reverse route, Dubrovnik to Zagreb, works equally well and often has cheaper flights.
- Fuel stops: the A1 has service areas every 30 to 50 km with capped prices; on the D8 fill up in Omiš or Makarska, the stretch south of Ploče is long.
- The Pelješac Bridge has a viewpoint car park on the Komarna side; the oyster farms of Mali Ston sell a dozen for 15 to 20 euro at the roadside.
- Return the car with a full tank at Dubrovnik airport; the last station before the airport is in Čilipi, 3 km away.
Frequently asked questions
- How many days do you need for a Croatia road trip?
- 10 days covers Zagreb, Plitvice, Zadar, Split, an island and Dubrovnik without rushing; 7 days means dropping Zagreb or the island.
- Can I rent a car in Zagreb and drop it in Dubrovnik?
- Yes, all major brands allow it for a one-way fee of about 50 to 120 euro; book early for an automatic.
- Do you drive through Bosnia between Split and Dubrovnik?
- Not since 2022: the Pelješac Bridge bypasses the Neum corridor, and the whole route stays in Croatia.
Official sources
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