Driving in Croatia / Hrvatska

Key rules, regulations and things to know

[Croatia became the 28th EU member country on 1 July 2013]

The "HR" from Hrvatska is used un car registration plates and Internet identity .hr Hrvatska is the Croatian name of Croatia

Driving: Drive on the right and overtake on the left.

Speed limits: 50km/h cities/towns - 90km/h open road- 110km/h major roads - 130km/h motorways - There is a minimum speed on motorways of 60km/h

Seat Belts: All passengers must wear seat belts and special "booster child" seats are required for infants. Children under the age of 12 may not sit in the front seat. Naturally as in so many countries a lot of taxi drivers don't use them. They do save lives and taxi drivers are professional drivers.

Mobile Phones: Mobile phones are not permitted to be used whilst driving except for hands-free systems. Don't risk using one as you can receive a heavy fine in most countries and more important cause a serious accident.

Drink and Driving: Permitted blood level of alcohol 0.00 - 0.05 - You must not drink and drive More information Here

Headlights:You must drive with headlights on during daytime in winter from the last Sunday in October to the last Sunday in March.

Safety Equipment: It is obligatory to carry a fluorescent vest in your car whilst driving in Croatia. You must keep the vest in the car and not in the boot. You must wear the vest whilst attending to a breakdown, e.g. changing a tyre.

Drivers Age: Drivers aged 24 or younger are subject to reduced speed limits of 10KPH less than the standard limit.The minimum driving age is 18. Minimum Driving Ages European Countries - Here Check with your car hire company the minimum and maximum age to rent a car.

Disabled Parking: The Blue Badge is recognised in all European countries - More information Here

Hrvatski autoklub - (HAK) - To enter the site, click on the image above left

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Information from holiday autos about Croatia

Apparently there a thousand islands in Croatia. No need to visit them all, they’re just as pretty as one other. You’ll need car hire Croatia though, driving through spectacular scenery is no fun on packed bus. Book cheap Croatia car hire today.

car hire in Dubrovnik - Famed for its city walls, Dubrovnik is a top spot for tourists using car hire Croatia. See the city the way you want to see it with cheap car hire. After taking in a tour of the city, drive over the border into Montenegro. It’s a great day out and a brand new country. For a spot of relaxation, take the hire car to Cavtat. Make the most of Croatia car hire and hit the sandy beaches, get a lilo and while the day away.

Parking can be very difficult in Dubrovnik anywhere near the old city.

car hire in Split - Don’t be torn of what to do in Split. Book car hire Croatia and see it all at your own pace. Into history? Make the short drive in your car rental to the Diocletian Palace. It’s one of the best preserved Roman buildings in the world. Fed up with history? Head out to the fortified town of Omis. It’s looming hills will knock your socks off.

car hire in Pula -Pula has a distinctive Roman feel to it. Hire a car for a trip back in time. Road signs, handily, are written in Croatian and Italian, not English. Step into Spartacus's shoes at the amphitheatre in Flavijevska. There's no lions to fight but head down to their old cages and you'll feel just like a gladiator. After working up a sweat, take the hire car to Kotli. The waterfall there will soon have you refreshed and raring to go again.

top driving tips - Headlights should be turned on at all times - All motorways in Croatia carry a toll -Police checks are common. Don’t take it personally.

See also UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Page on Croatia

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FACT FILE — CROATIA:

Croatia is a Central European and Mediterranean country, bordering Slovenia in the west, Hungary in the north, Serbia in the east and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the south. Croatia also has a long maritime border with Italy in the Adriatic Sea. These borders total 2,028 km altogether.

The country is an interesting shape that is similar to a croissant. The shape of the country comes about as a result of five centuries of expansion by the Ottoman (Turkish) empire towards Central Europe (although Croatia was never conquered by the Turks).

Size – Main Cities & Language: Croatia covers a land area of 56,691 square kilometres and has a population of about 4.4 million people (2001 census). Over 90% of the population is Croat (the majority of whom are Roman Catholics), but there are also Serbian, Bosnian, Hungarian and Italian minorities. The main population centres are Zagreb, the capital (with a population of just under 800,000), Osijek in the northwest, and the ports of Rijeka, and Split in the south. The official language is Croatian, which is written in the Latin script. Dubrovnik is a top spot for tourists.

Croatia has 5,835km of coastline, 4,057km of which belongs to islands, cliffs and reefs. There are 1,185 islands in the Adriatic, but only about 50 are populated. The largest island is Krk (near Rijeka) which has a land area of 462 square km.

Climate: The climate is Mediterranean along the Adriatic coast, that means there are warm dry summers and mild winters, with 2,600 hours of sunlight on average yearly — it is one of the sunniest coastlines in Europe! In the interior of the country, the climate is continental with hot summers and cold, snowy winters.

History: Slavic Croatian tribes settled in the area in the early 7th century (arriving from present day Poland), accepting Christianity in around 800 A.D., and soon establishing their own state ruled by princes or dukes. In 925, Croatia became a kingdom under the rule of King Tomislav. In 1102 the country formed a union with Hungary which lasted until 1918. After the end of the First World War, Croatia joined Serbia, and Yugoslavia (the land of South Slavs) was formed, until its demise in 1991. The first Yugoslavia (1918-1941) was ruled by the Serbian royal family, Karadjordjevic, which naturally favoured the Serbs and caused enormous resentment in Croatia.

The country was invaded by Nazi Germany in April 1941, which gave Croatia independence under the fascist dictator Ante Pavelic. This regime was known for its harsh rule and for committing numerous atrocities, and therefore many Croats (over 200,000) actively joined the resistance movement under Tito which liberated the country in May 1945. (Winston Churchill was so impressed with the Croatian resistance that in 1944 he sent his son Randolph and the writer Evelyn Waugh to Croatia as his personal emissaries.)

Croatia became one of the Yugoslav republics ruled by the communist government until 1991 when Croatia declared its independence, prompting Serbian invasion. Almost all Croats rose to defend their country under the leadership of its first president, the late Franjo Tudjman (who died in December 1999), and after five years the country was liberated. The country is now a democratic parliamentary country.

How to enter Croatia: Most of the visitors are usually from the neighbouring countries of Austria, Slovenia, Italy, Germany and so on, so they usually travel by car. From northern Europe, the easiest way to get to Croatia would be to drive to Munich and then enter Austria, down to Graz, cross into Slovenia, and then head for Croatia which is signposted as soon as you leave Maribor. For those travelling by air, the main airports are Zagreb, Pula, Split, Dubrovnik and Rijeka Airport(which is on the nearby island of Krk .

Entry Requirements: Foreign visitors do not normally require visas to enter the country. If you need to check if you require a visa, contact the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Croatian Embassy in your country.

Currency — Money: - The Croatian currency is the Kuna, which is divided into 100 lipas. The word "Kuna" means marten, a weasel-like animal, whose fur Croats used for payment many centuries ago. The lipa is a lime tree. ATMs are readily available in all resorts, towns and cities in Croatia, in banks, supermarkets, airports and elsewhere. Euros are accepted in many tourist attractions now. Please note as the Kuna is a closed currency you might be able to obtain some before visiting, but you need to change them back before leaving the country or end up spending money in the airport shops.

UPDATE JANUARY 2023 - Croatia has joined the € Euro

Health & Insurance: The health service is of a good standard. You have to pay for seeing a doctor or being treated in a hospital. Certain countries, such as Britain, have reciprocal medical arrangements whereby, in principal, you should not have to pay for any emergency treatment. It is advisable to take out a personal medical insurance and travel insurance

Food & Drink: You will get the standard fare as in many other central European or Mediterranean countries (pizza, pasta, meat dishes, fish). All food is safe to eat as restaurants are regularly inspected, and there is no problem with drinking water. Unsurprisingly seafood is a speciality along the Croatian coastline. Croatian beers are of a high quality like Zagreb's Ozujsko pivo or Karlovacko pivo or Tuborg, brewed under license in Croatia. In Dalmatia, some red wines such as Faros or Dingac are exquisite. You should also try Croatia's favourite brandy sljivovica, made from plums, or travarica, a herbal brandy.

Electricity is 220V, 50Hz. Croatia uses the standard European 2 point plugs. Speed & Measurement: The system is metric.

Telephone Country Code: + 385

Source jmlvillas.com - (some of this information has been provided by jmlvillas.com clients)

Views of Dubrovnik

See also Visit Croatia for further information about the country and staying there

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