Driving Guide for Croatia

It is important that you read this guide before you drive in Croatia. The urban road conditions are generally good, but some of the rural areas can be treacherous. You need to be alert while driving anywhere in Croatia as there might be unexpected obstacles in your path. Always be careful when you are driving in the mountains because snow can quickly accumulate on the roads. To learn more about the traffic signs, you can click here to see an overview for European countries.

Driver’s License

Croatia recognizes most foreign driving licenses in their current form. However, it is always a good idea to obtain an international driving permit (IDP). If you are a citizen of the United Kingdom, click here to get more information on the subject. All other foreign citizens can follow this link to learn more about IDPs.

 Speed Limits

The speed rules are enforced very strictly in Croatia. It is important to understand you might be caught by police or by a speed camera. If you are captured by the camera, the rental supplier will charge you credit card for the price of the ticket and their administration fees. If you are pulled over by the police, they are authorized to levy fines on the spot. You will have to pay the ticket within 8 days. In some cases, they will take your passport until the fine is settled.

Rules of the Road

Croatia is very serious about their drunk driving laws. They recently switched from an absolute sobriety policy to the current law. If you refuse to take the breathalyzer test, it is accepted as an admission of guilt. You will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law if you driver under the influence of alcohol. It is in your best interest to abstain from drinking if you will be operating a motor vehicle.

Parking in Croatia

(10.00 HRK = 1.35 EUR, 1.20 GBP, 1.90 USD)
It is usually free to park on Sundays. The street parking situation in Zagreb is separated into three zones. The red zone parking area is closest to the city center while the yellow and green and respectively farther away. The red zone has a maximum time of 1 hour, the yellow zone has 2 hours and the green zone has 3 hours. Purchase tickets from the automatic dispenser. You need to clearly display the parking voucher on your dashboard. It is important that you do not over stay your limit because the authorities will put a clamp on your wheel. The price for removing clamps are between 100 and 300 HRK depending on the parking infraction.
*Information on this page is accurate as of May 29, 2009