Pickup
Return
🎁 Use code WELCOME3 during checkout to get discount on your first booking with us. Enjoy! ☀️
Car rental in Zadar opens the capital of northern Dalmatia and the easiest coastal base for the national parks. Zadar's Old Town (Poluotok) is fully pedestrianised — the Roman Forum, the Sea Organ and the Greeting to the Sun all sit within an easy walk. Everything that draws visitors here on wheels — the parks, Pag Island, the islands across the channel — opens up only outside the peninsula.
A couple from Manchester landed at ZAD at 11pm in late June, picked up a Hyundai i30 at the kerb by flight number, and were on the Maslenica bridge inside half an hour. The Old Town parking they had booked at Garaža Poluotok was still half empty at midnight.
Many guests rent only for the two or three days they actually drive: one for Plitvice or Krka, another for Paklenica and the canyon, a third for Pag via the bridge or Šibenik. The logic is simple. ZAD airport is close, parking is laid out in zones, and the car ferry port at Gaženica sits separately, 4–5 km from the Old Town.
Old Town parking zones
Zadar's Old Town peninsula (Poluotok) — Forum, St. Donatus, the Sea Organ, the Greeting to the Sun — is almost entirely pedestrianised. There's no through-traffic for cars except service corridors. Parking outside the peninsula runs in zones: the closer to the entrance, the higher the rate and the shorter the maximum stay.
A family from Edinburgh tried to grab a Zone 1 spot at noon on a July Tuesday. They circled for twenty minutes, gave up, and rolled into Garaža Poluotok instead. Four-day stay, paid once, walked everywhere.
Zone 2 — the belt around the peninsula — runs about $1.40 an hour, capped at two hours. Zone 3 is much cheaper at $0.45 an hour with no time limit. Zone 4 sits around $0.30. The best long-stay option is the 630-space covered car park on the peninsula (Ravnice / Garaža Poluotok): $20–25 a day, 5–10 minutes from anywhere in the Old Town.
In May and September, parking inside the Old Town is realistic. In peak July and August, head straight for the covered garage — street spaces fill up by mid-morning. Paid hours are 7 am–9 pm weekdays, 7 am–2 pm Saturdays, free on Sundays in most zones. Pay via meter, SMS or the city app.
Why book on TakeCars
-
Real reviews on the actual car
You see the supplier, the host you're renting from, and the experience of past guests on that specific vehicle.
-
Transparent terms for Zadar
The deposit amount, payment method and exactly what the insurance covers are visible before checkout — no surprises at the desk.
-
City delivery and on-the-spot support
Hotel delivery in Zadar or to ZAD, free cancellation up to 7 days, and direct messaging with the supplier.
Pag by bridge, Gaženica ferries
From Zadar, the islands open up two ways: by bridge and by ferry. Worth knowing in advance to avoid mixing up the ports. Pag is the only large island in northern Dalmatia reachable without a ferry — since 1968 it has been linked to the mainland by the Pag Bridge, free, year-round, no booking required. From Zadar via Posedarje the drive is about an hour, and you arrive in one of the busiest summer destinations on the coast.
A traveller showed up at the Old Town port at 6am with a car-deck booking and a coffee. Wrong port. Gaženica is 4–5 km away, twenty minutes in the morning. They made the Preko ferry by ten minutes.
All car ferries — to the islands and to Italy — leave from Gaženica port, 4–5 km from the Old Town. The Old Town port itself only handles passenger services. The main routes are Preko on Ugljan (about 25 minutes), Brbinj and Božava on Dugi Otok (1 hour 40 minutes), Mali Lošinj, and the seasonal catamaran to Ancona. Croatia is one of the few European countries where rental cars travel on the ferry.
In peak season, arrive 1–2 hours before the Preko ferry. For Dugi Otok in summer, book the car deck through the Jadrolinija app — slots go quickly. Older guidebooks still mention a 'ferry to Pag', which is outdated; the bridge has been doing that job for over fifty years.
Frequent Questions
ZAD is 8–12 km from the Old Town, in Zemunik Donji. The drive takes 15–20 minutes — significantly closer than Split's SPU. In peak season and at arrival rushes, allow another 10–15 minutes for traffic at the city entry.
It depends on the route. For Plitvice, Paklenica, Pag, Krka and the northern Dalmatian parks, ZAD is closer and usually cheaper. For southern Dalmatia (Split, Hvar, Brač, Dubrovnik), SPU makes more sense. ZAD often beats SPU on price in the shoulder months.
The Poluotok peninsula is pedestrianised — there's no through-traffic for cars apart from service corridors. If you're staying at a hotel on the peninsula, agree the unloading point with reception in advance. For long stays, use the covered garage Poluotok or park outside the peninsula.
Zone 0 is for residents. Zone 1 at the peninsula edge — peak rate $1.75 an hour, one-hour cap. Zone 2 — about $1.40 an hour, two-hour cap. Zones 3 and 4 are far cheaper, with no hard limits. Paid 7 am–9 pm weekdays, 7 am–2 pm Saturdays, free on Sundays in most zones.
The covered garage Poluotok (Ravnice) on the peninsula itself, with 630 spaces. A day runs around $20–25, and it's a 5–10-minute walk to anywhere in the Old Town. In peak season, arrive early — slots fill up.
No. Pag is connected to the mainland by the Pag Bridge — free, year-round, no booking. From Zadar via Posedarje, the drive is about an hour. Older guides that mention a "Pag ferry" are out of date.
All car ferries — to the islands and to Italy — depart from Gaženica, 4–5 km from the Old Town. The Old Town port handles passenger services only. Don't show up at the wrong port — particularly with a car-deck booking.
Yes — it's standard. The Gaženica–Preko ferry to Ugljan takes about 25 minutes; Brbinj and Božava on Dugi Otok run 1 hour 40 minutes. In peak season, arrive 1–2 hours ahead and book through the Jadrolinija app.
Plitvice from Zadar is about 120 km and 1.5–2 hours via the E71 and D1 — half the distance from Split. The route runs through mountain stretches; from November to April, ask about winter tyres. The park is open year-round, on a reduced winter schedule.
About 50 km and 45 minutes — Paklenica, near Starigrad, is closer to Zadar than to any other major coastal city. It's a national park with canyons, hiking and climbing. From Split it's three times further, which is why Zadar wins as a base for Paklenica trips.
Šibenik is about 80 km and an hour on the A1 — an easy day trip. Split is 160 km and around 1 hour 45 minutes on the A1, with a modest toll for a passenger car. Both are part of the distance-based A1 system, paid at the exit.
It depends on the supplier. Some international chains and larger local operators run 24/7 with a fixed late-night surcharge; others close at 10–11 pm. For a late flight, book a 24-hour operator and confirm the late-night format ahead of arrival.
Yes — one-way within Croatia is standard. Drop fees with local suppliers are usually: ZAD → SPU $33–88, ZAD → Zagreb $55–130, ZAD → Dubrovnik $110–220. It often saves a day and the return mileage.
For a passenger car (Category I, up to 1.9 m), it's around $17 one way. Zadar to Split is around $9; Zadar to Plitvice via the Sv. Rok exit is roughly $10–13 round trip. Cash in euros, bank cards and contactless are all accepted at the gates.
The cheapest month on most aggregators is May: mild weather, quiet roads, prices half of July–August. September and early October are the second-best window. July and August are the peak — prices rise by half to double, and economy cars are often booked 6–8 weeks ahead.