Going by car to Croatia

I'm hoping to get myself & family (2 adults, 2 kids) to Croatia (Split/Dubrovnik) before our time in Munich is up (mid April '08). Can't afford to fly, kids on that bus ride seems like a nightmare...wait, even just me on that bus seems like a nightmare. I see that many people suggest driving down...which sounds great but we've never driven here (been in town since August '07). Would it be hard/crazy to drive through Germany, Austria, Italy, Croatia if we don't speak/read (much) of the language(s)? Any advice and/or experiences appreciated!

Add Slovenia to your list of countries since Italy and Croatia have no common border ... all roadsigns along your journey are written in Roman/Latin letters

Besides:

Nearly everybody along the Dalmatian coast speaks German and Italian ...

I drove to Slovenia and Croatia last summer with my family.
I would say it is quiet easy but that depends on how confident a driver you are.
It may be a good idea to buy a navi with a european card to help you find your way.
I think it takes about 9 hours to get to the top of Croatia,but we made several stops.

hi there

I am from Slovenia, and I have been to Croatia many times.
I think it is safe and normal to drive to Croatia, the lenght of course depends on where you go. the road signs are European style (meaning understandable), people speak english - specially younger ones.

I don't know if exist already the navigation system for Slovenia and Croatia - so I suggest you buy a Slovenian and Croatian road map.

for your orientation:
From Munich to Ljubljana (you have to drive through Ljubljana, unless you take a road through Italy) is 4 - 5 hours
From Ljubljana to Pula is then another 2,5 hours cca - Pula is at the end of Istria.
if you want to go further south or to the islands, then you should consider 4, 5 6, hours from Ljubljana - depending how far south you want to go. if you go to Islands, this does not count in ferry rides...

.. there is a nice motorway down to Split, if I remember corectly...

I hope this helps... if you have more questions, let me know. I have been to some of the Croatian islands and I can also reccomend Split and Dubrovnik.

Maja

Otok Kolocep, my favourite among the best hidden beaches in Croatia ...

Thanks for all the advice! Mr T...what exactly do you mean by "confident driver"? In the states I'm very confident. Here...never tried it but do feel nervous about it mostly cuz there seem to be a few different rules & just driving in very unfamiliar places.

I would really like to get to Dubrovnik. Thinking we'd spend a nite or 2 in Split & go from there. How long from there? Or should we leave the rental car & take a bus/ferry down?

ALso...how/where would one get a "Navi" (GPS?) Assume rental car has the option. Great suggestion...would definitely do that.

Thanks again!

Take a look at Jadrolinija´s sailing schedule ...

Am I the only person here that things this whole thread is weird?

If you have a car and a driving licence then by definition you are good to go. Just get in the car and point it in the right direction.

All this faff about "being confident" is a load of bollox for crissakes. Just get on with it. It's not like you are proposing hiking to the North Pole in your knickers.

p.s. To get an idea of distance and timings go to www.rac.co.uk and select Advanced Route Planner.

Not just you, JE

Firstly as you are from the States make sure your rental car is automatic - assuming you are not used to a 'stick'.

Not sure about how the rules are for the other countries, but a couple of things I was initially unaware of when first driving in Germany many years ago:

• Take care not to run over any pedestrians when turning right at a set of traffic lights.
• On minor roads when you come to a junction (and you see no priority sign) the traffic coming from the right has first priority.

Rental cars are available with "Navi" BUT menus/voice commands may not be available in English. Although a rental company should be able to show you the basics. The last car I hired included a CD-ROM so you could change the language settings and then load the new settings from the CD-ROM.
Also check with the rental company that your 'Navi' covers other countries. Again in my case only Germany was covered.

Thank you Jay...your comments are very helpful

And make sure to check with the Rental company that you are allowed to take the vehicle to Croatia.

Yes, as Leky said, you need to check with the rental company that you can take the car to croatia. Most will not let you.

Yikes! thanks for telling me...just assumed I could.

Yes, the biggest problem you'll have is the rental company. At the very least you'll end up paying an insurance surcharge or have to put up with a massive deductable, either way be very careful to make sure you are OK taking their car into these countries. You'll also need your passport as they have, or at least had a few years back, passport controls on the border (maybe this changed recently) which is a bit weird for those used to driving around Europe, and as you're not European it's worth checking visa requirements.

I once drove to Pula from Munich via Trieste with a guy who knew the route and it was fun, but the route was confusing and the driving down there was crazy. The drive isn't too long but they get quite creative with maximising the use of the road, more like what happens in India than the rest of western Europe. Worth being very careful - keep your eyes open.

Also drove from Munich to Pula last summer and it was a breeze. Went via Ljubliana which is definitely worth an overnight stay. One minor sticky point at the border crossing from Slovenia into Croatia, bit of a tailback but nothing serious. Worst part was the crappy A8 from Salzburg back into Germany. Slowed us down by 2 hours due to road works and accidents.

If you get your timings right there hould be no major delays and the (main) roads in Croatia are just fine.

We drove from Munich down to Dubrovnik, along the coast. Unbelievably beautiful. Worst part was sitting for 4 hours at that damn tunnel in Austria. Ferry hopped back from Dubrovnik. Can recommend Hvar, for sure. Definitely check the rental companiy's policy on taking the car there. Most Navis will cover all of Europe, these days, but make sure that is the case beforehand.

There were definitely passport controls there last summer and they have absolutely no reason to remove them yet (and it's not weird if you're used to driving to the UK!)

If you're American, you won't require a visa beforehand, can't remember, but you may have to get one at the border.

By confident driver,I mean if your one of those people who drive 5 km to and from work everyday and think a long drive is 50 km,then maybe you should think again about driving 1800kms or so.
I dont drive much over here but when I need to I just do it.
JE is right,just get a car and do it.

Thanks for all this very helpful info.
RM...where did you take the ferry to when you hopped from Dubrovnik?

While I think I could handle the drive, not sure I'm up for it. Here's another itinerary I'm toying with: train to Zagreb (pretty cheap for 4) and then bus to Split or somewhere on the coast, ferry to Dubrovnik and fly back to Zagreb, train to Munich. It's a boatload of juggling but I think may be do-able. I think because it's off-season, things are more complicated to coordinate (but at least accommodations are cheaper!)

I'll be sure to post my experience for anyone interested!

It would make sense to take the ferry from Dubrovnik all the way up to Rijeka, that way you get to see the entire Croatian coastline (except for Istria, obviously, but it's a relatively small portion).

Hi...

I just bought the Croatia map for my TomTom and it was 50 euros.

I don't find it weird at all. Driving in a foreign place can be a nightmare. Coming from Florida I was rather flabergasted driving for the first couple weeks driving in Munich, dealing with trams and buses, bicyclists and pedestrians always having right of way, confusing intersections, lack of street signs (this still baffles me) and such. Most of the US is very easy to drive in. Clearly marked streets, wide roads, large parking spots, almost no bicyclists and pedestrians(!) and so on.

Americans coming to a traffic circle (roundabout, Kreisverkehr, whatever you want to call them) are often at a loss for words.

And for this reason alone it's a good idea for every cyclist to be very careful at every junction. You never know when a foreign driver is just learning about cyclists and priority for the first time.

Every country has its own peculiarities and I agree that the OP is wise to seek advice, if nothing else you should be aware of what to do if you prang the car.

we did this about 2 years back... a very tiring drive, as we drove through the night, to avoid traffic. Left at around 10pm I think - I under estimated how much harder on the eyes nightdriving is... hate it!

anyhoow. if u do go at night, be prepared to go crazy when driving through the miles and miles of tunnels between here and there. Started to space out from the trippyness of it all. And then when you get to croatia, lots of nice tight cliff side roads, with some nice strong winds.

On the plus side, the kids get to sleep the whole trip though.

Thanks for your understanding Z Charron. Sadly, there are fewer pedestrians & cyclists in America, being the gasaholic driving nation that we are.

Well..call it wimping out or what have you but we've decided to bag the car/driving idea. After hours on the computer exploring planes, trains, automobiles & ferries...we're taking a long train to Zagreb & then flying from there to Dobrovnik. As I've learned...in the off season it's expensive to get there but cheap to stay. It's the opposite in the high season (cheap travel/increased accommodation cost). But flying within Croatia isn't bad. So this way is certainly more expensive than the bus or driving but easier (esp with 2 children!) and not super expensive.

Thanks to all for advice!

Yeah, those cliff roads along the Dalmation coast! I travelled in a bus from Sibenik to Rijeka and shit myself the whole way. It was raining, the roads were crumbling in places and the sight of the burned out wrecks at the cliff bottom really inspired confidence - and the bus was driven by Mario Andretti's (actually Croatian born) grandson I think.

Hi,
I plan to drive to Zadar next week with a group of friends.
does anyone know how much we can expect to spend on highway tolls?
cheers,
hazel

According to the results of my search*: 36 euros + 5 Croatian kuna

*All I did was use a route planner, which (hint, hint) anyone can do.

Hi Kay,
could you please post a link to this route planner?
cause' according to my search it will cost over 90 euros when i take austria and slovenia into account!
thanks

Here you go, TCS itinerary: Munich - Zadar. It's the Touring Club Suisse site. I've always found their info accurate and their maps/directions easy to follow.

The petrol/gasoline is much cheaper in Slovenia and Croatia. Around 1 Euro per liter.
So don't get too excited and fill up the car in Austria.