Parking in Split

Return the car when you arrive and get a new one when you leave? Find a hotel or apartment that has parking space for you included? But €1/hr isn’t a bad price. I have seen people get on the ferry with 2 bags each (the trick is pulling them up the ramp).

I took the bus last week. Flixbus is just fine; they stop 2/3 times for breaks, there
is wi-fi on the bus, plenty of luggage space, and someone else does the driving.
Unless there is some midpoint place you want to see, I would not reject the bus
out of hand. There are usually 1-2 faster (~3:45) buses each day. I paid $30 one-way,
it sounds like you're looking at $100 to park the car so you can pay 4 more days
of rental + $8 a gallon for gas. Plus the (hopefully remote, but still) possibility of
the car being damaged while it's parked and you being liable for it.

If you're dead set on driving, as TexasTravelMom says, why don't you drop the
car off and pick a new one up 5 days later?

Thanks to Texas travel on and shoeflyer. I booked this rental car some months ago. The cost was under $400 for pickup in Zagreb and drop off at Dubrovnik airport. I cannot amend the reservation but would have to cancel it and rebook. The rebooking price right now is over $1000. That's the price with one rental. My guess is it would be more with 2 rentals but I will check. Glad to hear that your experience with Flixbus was good. I've heard other good things about them. And yes, it did occur to me that the car could be damaged/stolen while it is parked. Many things to consider. So thanks again for all your help.

The hotel we stayed at in Split had reserved parking at a nearby garage. We used the car one day to drive to Trogir. Would you consider looking for a place that provides parking? We stayed at ID Regal Residence.

Parking for 24 hrs is €24? In any US city, this would be considered a bargain. You indicate that the cost to redo your rental would be an additional €600. Parking will be €96. You have just save €504.

Paul-of-the-Frozen-North: thanks for your input. But I wouldn't really save €504 as spending an additional €600 on car rental is not an option for us. I'm sure that €24 or $24 a day is a good rate at many US cities. Parking in Berkeley can be expensive as well so I make it a point to park further away where the parking is free or inexpensive and walk further. Since we are already spending more than we had expected on apartments/hotels in Croatia we were looking for ways to economize. It seemed to me that spending less on parking was a more attractive option than spending less on, say dinner. Fortunately further research uncovered a less expensive possibility in a parking garage.

Kay, why not come back and share the solution? You seem to have a somewhat unique situation that could easily benefit others!

Good idea, Texas Travel Mom. I may have some further insights as to dealing directly with the apartments we have rented in a Split. Seems it might've been cheaper to book through booking.com! The owner/manager has previously been very prompt with her replies until I asked if she could price match booking.com. I've sent 3 messages since May 10 to which she has not replied. Just trying to add one night to my already booked 3 nights. And right now I can share one insight that holds true throughout Europe. BOOK YOUR RENTAL CAR EARLY! As early as possible. The rental car I booked for €400 is now over €1000! And of course I'll know quite a bit more about the parking situation by the time I return. Auto Europe's policy is that you must pay upfront with a credit card but you can cancel for a full refund any time up to, I believe one or 3 days prior to pickup for a full refund. I've use this option many times and it is always work perfectly.

I did not have a car in Croatia, but note that parking stalls, aisles, and ramps tend to be much smaller in Europe than in the US. So try to have the car empty before you park it, just as a matter of convenience. This is a very crowded and heavily touristed destination. I would expect to have "US Mall-Christmas" public parking conditions from May to September.