Travelling Croatia without a car

You absolutely can see Croatia without renting a car — in fact, for a coast-and- islands trip it's often easier. Here's what works car-free, and the few things that don't.

The easy car-free trip

A loop of Split, the islands and Dubrovnik is simple by ferry, catamaran and bus. Old towns are walkable and cars are a nuisance in them anyway, so you'd be parking and walking regardless. See getting around Croatia and the island-hopping guide.

What needs more planning

The national parks (Krka, Plitvice, Kornati), the Istrian interior and the Makarska Riviera villages are harder without wheels — but most are reachable by organised day tour or seasonal bus. Renting a car for just those days is a good compromise.

From the airport

Airport buses serve the main centres, but after a late flight a fixed-price transfer is the painless option — see the airport guides for Split and Dubrovnik.