Why hire a car in Split
Split's Old City — Diocletian's Palace, still lived in after 1,700 years — is one of the most extraordinary urban sites in Europe, and it's entirely on foot. But Split is also the best-connected hub on the Dalmatian Coast, with ferry connections to Hvar, Brač, Vis and the outer islands, and a road network that links the coast to the interior parks and national parks of Dalmatia. A hire car collected at Split Airport or the city centre opens a region far beyond what any bus timetable or island ferry can reach.
Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia's most visited natural site, is a 2.5-hour drive north through the Dinaric highlands — an otherworldly landscape of turquoise terraced lakes and waterfalls. Krka National Park, with its famous Skradinski Buk waterfall and medieval Franciscan monastery on an island, is just 80 km north of Split. South along the coast, the Makarska Riviera has some of the finest pebble beaches on the Adriatic; Dubrovnik is 230 km further. The Pelješac Peninsula wine road — home to Dingač and Postup, Croatia's best reds — branches off the D8 just 100 km south. A hire car is the best investment you'll make for a Dalmatian trip.
