Dubrovnik to Split by car is 252 km from the airport's rent-a-car point at Dubrovnik Airport to the Riva in Split, about 3 h 40 by routed time, rounded up and before traffic. The routed fastest path goes north on the D8, crosses the Pelješac bridge and joins the A1 motorway at its southern end near Ploče. It stays inside Croatia the whole way.
A hire car collected at the airport can come back to Dubrovnik or end the trip in Split. Cars collected in Dubrovnik were returnable in Split in our September 2026 searches, and one-way car hire in Croatia is chosen in the drop-off tab of this site's booking form.
Which way does the drive from Dubrovnik to Split go?
From the airport the D8 runs north-west past Dubrovnik and along the coast. Ston is 72 km and about 1 h 25 from the airport. The Ston bypass, whose access roads were completed in April 2023, leads onto the Pelješac bridge.
Beyond the bridge the route rejoins the mainland road network and reaches the A1 at the Ploče interchange and the Karamatići toll station, the current southern end of the motorway. The A1 then carries on towards Split. The section of motorway from Ploče down to Dubrovnik has not been built.
| Destination | Km | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Ston | 72 | 1 h 25 |
| Makarska | 203 | 3 h 15 |
| Split | 252 | 3 h 40 |
Is there a toll on the Pelješac bridge?
No. The bridge opened in July 2022 as part of the road connection to south Dalmatia. The Government's concession decision, published in Narodne novine 53/2018, gives Hrvatske ceste no right to charge a toll for it, and the Government confirmed in July 2021 that none would be charged.
Since the bridge opened, drivers no longer have to use the Neum corridor through Bosnia and Herzegovina. Before it, the coast road north of Dubrovnik crossed the Neum corridor, a stretch of about 9 km, with two customs checkpoints.
Can I still drive through Neum?
The Neum road is open. It passes through a short stretch of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a border crossing at each end, Klek-Neum I and Zaton Doli-Neum II, both official crossings for international passengers and goods. Those are external Schengen borders, where police check every traveller, their belongings and the vehicle on exit and entry, and non-EU nationals on a short stay, other than citizens of Schengen-associated countries, are registered in the EU Entry/Exit System.
On a hire car the Neum road has a second requirement: leaving Croatia, even for a few kilometres, needs permission arranged by email with the booking help desk before the trip. A Croatian-registered car needs no green card in Bosnia and Herzegovina, since the country's insurance bureau accepts the Croatian plate, but the permission is still required.
How much of the drive is on toll motorway?
The stretch from Ploče to Split is on the A1, run on a closed toll system: take a ticket at the entry toll station and pay at the exit, by distance and vehicle class, unless you use an ENC device. An ordinary car up to 1.90 m high is Class I. The plazas take cash in euros, Diners, Mastercard, Maestro and Visa cards, and ENC devices.
If the ticket is lost, or the entry record is more than 24 hours old without proof of the reason, the motorway company charges double the toll for the longest route on that motorway from the exit point. Tolls are the renter's cost under the hire terms, and an unpaid toll that reaches the rental company later is charged to the deposit.
Which hire car suits the Split drive?
Check the mileage line before you book. Some Dubrovnik cars carry a daily kilometre cap, and a return trip to Split covers more than 500 km of routed distance.
Gearbox and seats are listed on every car, and both manual and automatic cars are listed in the Dubrovnik supply. From 1 November to 31 March, daytime running lights or dipped headlights must be on during the day, and dipped headlights stay on in tunnels all year.
Which island ferries leave from the Pelješac peninsula?
Two Jadrolinija ferries leave the Pelješac peninsula for islands: line 832 from Prapratno to Sobra on Mljet, a 45-minute crossing, and line 634 from Orebić to Dominče on Korčula. A hire car on an island ferry needs prior arrangement, requested before you complete the booking; the Orebić ferry to Korčula leaves from Orebić, 127 km from the airport by routed distance.
By the bridge route, Ston is 72 km from the airport and Makarska 203 km, about 1 h 25 and 3 h 15 by routed time.
Will I queue anywhere on the way?
Not at a border, if you take the bridge. The Croatian Automobile Club warns that waits of several hours are possible at the busiest external crossings in summer and lists Metković and Karasovići among the southern ones, but neither is on the bridge route to Split. On the Neum road, check conditions before you set off.