Split: stay in town or nearby? Transportation questions

I can't advise on neighborhoods, but as long as you find something in a residential area walking distance to old town, I think you'll be fine. Split is the second biggest city in the country, Trogir is a tiny island. They are linked by bus (about 30 minutes tops) and ferry, so it just depends on what you want. I always use Booking.com and reviews will sometimes mention if noise if a factor. You can also sort results by parking (for Croatia, outdoor space like a patio or terrace would be my #1 category).

What do you mean by "beyond." Unless you have dedicated parking in Dubrovnik, you may want to get the car after you leave. Add some details about your itinerary and what you wish to see and I can offer suggestions on the car. Zagreb to Split is easy by bus, though if you want to make stops you might prefer having a car.

Stay within Diocletian’s Palace. It’s not too noisy and not as commercial since people live within the palace walls. It has many tourists but locals too. We always stay at the Peristil Hotel which is right at the entrance. Great location. Trogir is about an hour away by ferry or bus. You do not need a car. There is a parking lot near the pier, or just outside the walls.

I would definitely stay in Split! It's larger than Trogir so there is more to see and you will have a greater choice of restaurants. We loved Split. Split has lovely architecture, Diocletians Palace, and a beautiful location on the water. We visited Trogir which was nice but we definitely preferred Split.

We had a car for our entire trip. We stayed in a hotel in the pedestrianized area of Split. The hotel had reserved parking in a nearby garage. We texted the manager when we were near Split, and he met us by the garage so he could help us bring our luggage to our hotel. It went very smoothly. Our first destination was Dubrovnik, so we picked up our car the day we left Dubrovnik.

We also visited the Bay of Kotor while in Dubrovnik. We were going to rent a car but friends who had been there several months before us said parking is very difficult in Kotor and other places along the bay, so they went on a bus tour. We don't generally like bus tours so we hired a private driver for the day, and it was one of the best things we did. We visited Budva, Kotor, and Perast, and parking is difficult so we were very happy to have the private driver. Not sure if you are interested in doing this.

If it were me, I would pick up the rental car the day you leave Zagreb. I don't like being dependent on public transportation. And driving in Croatia is very easy.

Mike, are you considering any stops on the way from Zagreb to Split e.g. Plitvice Lakes National Park? (Highly recommended.) If so, I'd definitely want a car. If not, you might as well take the bus or train (the bus is probably faster but personally I love trains).

I've stayed in both Split and in Trogir. Split is a real city, so sure in a sense it is "more commercial" but that also means it isn't going to feel like a tourist trap like so many other spots on the Dalmatian Coast e.g. Dubrovnik (I love Dubrovnik, don't get me wrong, but it is touristy. Trogir is a small walled town and lovely but also a bit touristy. In Split at least you can eat at restaurants where locals may eat too. Without a car, I'd stay near Diocletian's Palace in Split. I didn't have a car in Split, but I understand driving in the city can be challenging; I had a car when I stayed in Trogir, and that was really easy.

The historic area of Split is quite small and easily walkable. We prefer to stay in the neighborhood just to the west of old spit near the Konoba Marjan restaurant (great restaurant and easy to find on a map). From this area it is a 15 minute walk to the middle of the palace. Some folks enjoy being in the middle of everything, we like being on the edges in order to access more of anon-tourist experience. Our location had far more locals and small shop and non-tourist restaurant experiences with lower prices than within the old town. To each their own, enjoy your journey!
We stayed in Split for a week and never needed a car and do not recommend one (parking would be a hassle). locale taxies are easy and the bus service is good.

Can't speak to staying in Split, as we decided to stay in Trojir on our trip. But, I wish we had stayed in Split instead. Trojir was super touristy, and just full of billionaires yachts. It was our least favorite place on our Croatia trip.

I agree with the others who have advised to stay in Split within the walls of Diocletian’s Palace. It is where you’ll be spending 75% or more of your time and
there are plenty of accommodations that are quiet even though this is where the entertainment district is. The place I stayed at was built into the walls of the Palace’s Golden Gate with walls about 4 feet thick! Arriving by ferry, Diocletian’s Palace is about a 15-minute walk; the bus station is about 15 minutes as well.

New, related question.
We're considering taking the bus from Zagreb to Split. The busses are recommended by many, modern, comfortable. Question: do they allow smoking on the bus? I'm highly allergic to tobacco smoke and that'd make a miserable start to the trip.
Thanks.

No smoking on buses in Croatia. We’ve used the bus system in previous years, it is fine, slow, but fine.

Thanks, everyone.

Smoking on bus story…. (Ireland)

Just because something is against the rules doesn’t mean someone won’t try it! The man in front of me lit up and was puffing away. I was so surprised. My sister tells me that I immediately switched to my no nonsense “teacher” voice and I told him to put it out. He responded quickly , put it out, and my sister still teases me about scaring that man that he was back in school.

It's always good to go with a car if you have a chance to freely go around and visit nerby places.

There are a few parking lots but I prefer to go into the garages.
Heard these are the best ones in the city - Split parking

Any other suggestions for the parking?

Not an apartment, but we loved our stay a couple of weeks ago at Grgur Ninski rooms within the palace--not far from the Grgur Ninski statue. The location was fantastic. The room was smallish but so well-appointed, with a lot of thoughtful touches, and nicely renovated. You can have breakfast included, with vouchers for a nearby restaurant.