In his 2 week itinerary, Rick Steve's has you dropping your car in Split and taking a passenger ferry to the islands. I'm trying to decide if we should take the car (probably Brac) or drop it in Split and pick up a new car after the islands. Does taking the car on the ferry delay things? Is is helpful to have a car on the islands? Many thanks!
Posted by
FL USA
1560 posts
Our travel to the islands found little need to have a car.
Posted by
4961 posts
Depends on time of year and how long you will be there. You do have to queue up for the ferry, and it could be a long line in August versus April for example. It also costs more, so unless you will be on the island several days to allow time for exploring, it is not vital. You can always do a day rental (we rented scooters, but to go across the entire island, car would be better). There is some bus service, so you can get around a bit.
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
I always hire a car at Split airport and take it onto Hvar, as I stay in the inland hill villages, which wouldn’t be accessible without a car, but I stay there for 2-3 weeks.
Taking a car over just for a night or two may or may not be worth it to you. Public transport on the islands is very limited, so if you want to explore, a car would be useful. Car hire on the islands is very limited and expensive compared to the mainland, but you have to weigh up the cost of taking the car on the ferry. In peak season, you may struggle with island car hire for less than a week.
If you have a car, then in peak season, it’s advisable to be at the port an hour before sailing to purchase your tickets and wait.
Posted by
Vienna, Austria
5507 posts
We stayed on Brac for a week and definitely were glad we had a car. The ferry to Brac is only a car ferry. Brac is very rural and you'll want a car to explore. The bus service is very limited.