Renting a car in Zadar is an excellent way to explore Croatia's Dalmatian coast, and driving here is easy and well-organised, with a couple of local features worth understanding: how tolls work, and how to reach the islands. Zadar is a popular pick-up point, well connected to the coast and to the capital by motorway.
Tolls and the motorway
Unlike many European countries, Croatia does not use a vignette sticker. Instead, you take a ticket when you join a tolled motorway and pay when you leave, based on the distance and vehicle category, and toll booths accept euro cash and most international cards. The main route is the A1 motorway, which links Zagreb to the coastal cities of Zadar and Split; the Zagreb-to-Zadar leg costs in the region of eighteen euros one way for a standard car. An EU driving licence is recognised in Croatia, and many non-EU licences are accepted for short visits, though you should check your rental company's requirement.
Reaching the islands
There is one thing to plan for if you want to take a hire car to the Dalmatian islands: no road bridges connect the major islands, such as Brac, Hvar, and Korcula, to the mainland, so access is by ferry, mainly operated by Jadrolinija. Ferries carry vehicles, but you must book in advance in summer, and, importantly, you usually have to inform your rental company in advance if you plan ferry or island travel, often with a one-time ferry-and-island fee. Confirm this when you book.
Coastal driving and booking
The Dalmatian coast is scenic but can be windy: the bura, a strong northeasterly, can gust to well over 150 kilometres per hour around the Velebit mountains and the Zadar channel, occasionally closing bridges and exposed roads to high vehicles. Comparison sites such as DiscoverCars help you check prices and availability. Read the rental terms for the deposit, fuel policy, insurance, excess, and the island-travel rule, and book ahead in the summer season.