Hi
We will be traveling by rental car from Split to Dubronvik and want to also go to Medjugorie. We want to leave our car at the border. There is a public bus that gets to Medjugorie around 2:30 pm from the Metkovic border. However, the bus public back to Metkovic doesn't leave Medjugorje until 9:40 pm. We want to return around 6:00 to 7:00. Does anyone have a suggestions or other options that will get us from Medjugorje to Metkovic earlier than 9:40 pm? Or any other options to get us to Mejugorie and back?
Thank you for your help and suggestions.
Ann
Posted by
Portland, Oregon
5687 posts
If you will excuse the silly question: why not just drive to Medjugorie?
Posted by
Corvallis OR
7158 posts
Is this because the rental car you will have is not allowed to go to Bosnia and Herzegovina? I guess if you're not restricted on the rental car it should be fairly easy to drive to Medjugorje.
Posted by
OP
Cincinnati, OH
17 posts
Hello,
Yes there is a $100. plus charge to drive a car across the border. Also, traveler's have posted problems when crossing the border into Bosnia. So we are trying to avoid both of these issues. I was hoping a traveler had advice and experience with driving a car to the border then options to get to Medjugorie & back to Croatia.
Thank you for your time and help.
Ann
Posted by
Portland, Oregon
5687 posts
Ann, I've rented cars in Croatia and driven them into Bosnia on a few different trips. There is no issue at all crossing the border if you have valid passports and the car's paperwork is legitimate. (E.g. it's a rental car, not someone trying to drive a stolen car across the border.) With my US passport, it's usually just a quick glance at my passport and I drive on. At less common border crossings (fewer tourists) inspection may take a few seconds longer.
Driving in Bosnia is very easy. But, you do need to have the right insurance card to do so with a car rented in Croatia. Bosnia is not in the EU; when you cross the border, you are technically leaving the EU.
FYI, if you drive along the coast from Split to Dubrovnik, you will either have to take a ferry around it...or your'll have to drive through a small section of Bosnia (the "Neum Corridor"). Check a Google Map. You drive into Bosnia, through Neum, and then right back into Croatia again as you head south to Dubrovnik. Or you can take a ferry (which may also require some special permission from the car company). That said, some rental car companies do make a special exception for the Neum Corridor.
I guess I'd ask about the rental car. Where are you picking it up, where dropping it, how much are you paying, with what company? Many companies do charge a fee to cross a border out of the EU. The cost varies by the company. I think I paid 40 euros including VAT when I last drove a few years ago. A small fee to be able to drive instead of wasting hours parking and taking the bus back and forth seems well worth it to me.
The cost to rent a car in Croatia also varies a lot depending on from whom you rent it.