We'll be staying on Hvar (Croatia), in September, for a few days. We'd like to take the passenger ferry from Split, settle into our hotel in Hvar town, then rent a car the next morning, for three days. On the 4th morning,we'll ferry back to Split.

To all of you who have rented cars in Hvar - I have a few questions:

1. Do I need to rent the car ahead of time, or can we do it on the spot?Maybe we'd want a boat instead, or a driver, for a day? I'd prefer to make those decisions when we arrive and check out options and weather, but maybe we need to book ahead.

2. Should I rent the car in Stari Grad (where I believe the ferry arrives) and drive and try to park in Hvar, also returning the car there? Or should we arrive by ferry, take a bus or something to Hvar town, and rent and return our car in Hvar town? The Hotel website (Hotel Villa Nora) indicates that parking is in a public lot by the station.

3. Any preferred agency for this car rental?

I'd appreciate any experiences you've had.
Linda

Linda, I don't know anything about renting a car on Hvar since we took the ferry over with our car, landing at Stari Grad. But there was a fast passenger catamaran which went from Split straight to Hvar Town, which might be your best choice. You're definitely wise to rent a car on Hvar, since it gives you the opportunity to explore the whole island, with its delightful small towns and spectacular beaches, which are found on the southern side especially -- have to go through a LOOOONG tunnel to get there. Where are you going after Hvar?

Linda, I only spent one day on Hvar Island, and took a passenger ferry to the town of Hvar.

If I recall correctly, you can take the ferry to either location (StariGrad or Hvar). Maybe it would be easier to ferry to Hvar and rent your car there, since that's where you'll be staying?

Also, for the time of day that we were returning to Split, we could not depart from Hvar. We had to take a shuttle bus to StariGrad and take the ferry back from there.

Thanks, Ann and Terry. You two have been great advisors! I'll certainly try to get a ferry or catamaran directly into Hvar town, and maybe rent there. I need to study those ferry schedules before I do any car rental I guess.

Ann, after Hvar, we must return to Split in the morning, to meet our 7 day Sail-Croatia informal cruise there.

There was an enthusiastic article about Hvar in this month's Conde Nast Traveler. And I was also inspired by a lengthy conversation I had with a young Toronto woman on a beach last week. She said "there's no more beautiful place in this world than Croatia!" and she sent me some recommendations in an e-mail. She loved Hvar. That got me enthused again.

Anybody else - have any experience with car rental on Hvar?

Linda

quote:

She said "there's no more beautiful place in this world than Croatia!" and she sent me some recommendations in an e-mail.

Linda, did she send you any recommendations you could share? We will be in Dubrovnik in June - staying put there for our week except to take the bus to Split from where we will get our plane to Rome. Well that is not strictly true, we have planned a one day Peljesac Peninsula winery tour, and possibly we will go to Montenegro another day.....

You have my sympathy re searching the ferry schedules - we are pretty seasoned travellers but those schedules gave me a headache!

Hi Sheena -
You too, huh?
We too hope to get to Montenegro on a day trip. We'll be in Dubrovnik for 4 days at the end of our trip.

She recommended a bar in Dubrovnik with this description-
"I have no idea of the actual name, but it shouldn't be too hard to find: It's on the outside wall of the old city, overlooking the ocean, nearer to Lapad island than the Pile gate. You access it from inside the city, not the top of the city walls. There's a small sign that says "Cold Drinks," hanging from the wall. Follow it and you won't be disappointed."
I think I've seen photos of it. Spectacular.
She loved walking on the old Dubrovnik walls, and suggests you bring water, as its hot up there. Most of her suggestions were for Hvar.

I think I'll do this -
Take the frequent ferry from Split to Stari Grad on Hvar, then take public transportation to Hvar town. Rent our car in Hvar town for a few days. Then take the catamaran from Hvar town to Split the morning we must leave Hvar.
I'm still checking it out.

We too will be taking the bus between Split and Dubrovnik. I'm wondering if you can just get one, no problem, without any kind of advanced reservation.

We're flying Air One - from Rome to Split, and then from Dubrovnik back to Rome. Our stay in Croatia is almost three weeks.

Sheena, maybe you can give me some tips after your June trip, as we won't be going till Sept.

Linda

I will be happy to pass on anything we learn.

Actually I will PM you with the notes I have mainly from Terry, Ann and Jane. Yes, the 'cold drinks' Buza Bar (actually there are two of them) does seem to be incredibly popular with everyone.

Unfortunately there is no Dubrovnik/Rome flight on the Friday that we need to travel, which is why we must go to Split - also on the flight booked through Air One but which is actually a Croatia Air flight. Since Air One joined forces with Alitalia they are no longer involved in this route, but I have been assured that are tickets will be honoured.

My understanding is that the Dubrovnik/Split bus runs very frequently and there is no need to make reservations. We will check it out when we arrive just to be sure.

I am sure we will regret not having more time in Croatia - we will just have to return at some point!

Linda, you said you will be departing from Split to Hvar Island. Will you be just arriving in Split the day you depart to Hvar, or will you already by staying there?

The reason I ask is that, if I recall correctly, you cannot pre-purchase your ferry/catamaran tickets the day before your trip, but you should stop at one of their ferry kiosks at Split harbor to get a schedule and talk to a rep. Then, on the day of your trip, arrive at the ticket kiosk early and buy your tickets (you CAN purchase round-trip). That's what we did and had no problem. The ferries hold a lot of passengers.

We spent several delightful hours at Buza Bar in Dubrovnik. There is no sign or name for the bar, except a sign on the interior side of the Wall that says "Cold Drinks". It can be hard to find. If you take the Wall Walk, you can see the bar from the Walk above (although you cannot access it from the Walk), along the Adriatic portion of the Walk, just before Lokrun Island. What we did after we spotted the Bar was to try to gauge our logistics, and then when we were back inside the city walls, walked straight back to the portion of the city that abuts that far wall along the Adriatic. There was like a little pedestrian street back there, and we found the Cold Drinks sign easily.

Wall Walk alert: there are many climbs and descents on the Walk, via steps. I think a casual walk can be 2-3 hours, but just a warning for those with climbing issues. If I recall, there are a couple drink vendors on the walk. Also, some of the best photo-op times to go are the couple of hours before sunset. Less crowds, less heat, and beautiful shadow-castings, and the setting sun brings out amazing hues on the terra cotta roofs.

Looking down at Buza Bar, from the Wall Walk.

This is all so helpful!
Love the photo of the bar, Terry. Maybe it's your photo that I was remembering. Very enticing.

Sheena-
Thanks for the PM notes. This is great information, and it will go with me. Better than any guidebook!

I love the idea of the walls at sunset. I'm eager to do some photography.
I am having my right knee replaced next week. Oh boy....I'm setting personal fitness goals and this trip is a prime motivator!

About the ferries-
We'll be in Split a full day before we go to Hvar. Then I have all day to get from Split to Hvar town. So it doesn't really matter how we go, but we'll probably go in the morning. On the day we return to Split, we have to be there by noon, so I'll need to check schedules.

About Air One-
Well, I'm certainly counting on those tickets via Rome. I'll be sure to double check it all with them.

Croatia, to me at this point, looks to me like a mix of Italy and Greece...and that's a good thing!

Linda

Linda, a couple of things of interest in Dubrovnik which may not have been in my notes: the folk dancers in front of the Cathedral on Sunday, and a gallery with photographs of the war (which may or may be still be there, 4 years later). Good luck with your surgery and recuperation!

Another view of the famous Buza Bar.

Linda
Croatia Entries This is a link to the entries on my blog about Croatia. Some of the entries you will need to skim to the parts that refer to Croatia. Others are totally Croatia. You may find some interesting tidbits in them.

Croatia is gorgeous. I think you will enjoy it immensely. The car thing to Hvar was a question we labored over, also. We ended up taking the car ferry there and back which worked well for us. I hope you do not end up on Hvar without a car as you will really want to do some driving there.

Oh, the museum Ann mentions was still there last summer and is a sobering but worthwhile experience as the horrors of what happened in the 1990's in the Balkans is something we should understand better.

Jane, thanks for the link to your blog. I remember looking at it before, and I enjoyed rediscovering it. Indeed I'm digging tidbits out of everything I can find. Your Casey is a lucky little guy!

We won't have a car on mainland Croatia - only on Hvar. Instead, we'll spend car-less time in Split and Dubrovnik. And we will take a very downscale Sail-Croatia cruise for a week to see the islands and enjoy the water (I still haven't found a traveler who's done this to chat with!) Hvar will be our chance to drive around. It's been a long time since we've traveled with reliance on public transportation - bus, ferry, boat- and we're going very light!

I'll certainly search out that museum.

Again, that's for all the great advice.
Linda

Linda, this is the gallery/museum Jane and I recommended, with address and location on a map. Be sure to watch the short film showing the reaction of Serbs in Belgrade to this exhibit -- you will end up with a better understanding of the hatred that led to this war in the first place.

Thanks for all.

After hitting a few dead ends, we rented a car with Kompasrent.hr They will deliver the car to us from Split. There just aren't many choices on Hvar and some security issues with websites. Then there are the ferry schedules and how they fit with our commitments. Not cheap, but they communicated well, and at this point, the rate was not my priority.
I know that we'll be glad to have a car.
Linda

When you say Kompasrent will "deliver the car to us from Split"... do you mean you are picking up the car in Split, taking it onto the car ferry, and then driving it from Stari Grad to Hvar town? Or are they delivering the car to you in Hvar? The former may make the most sense, and be the most cost effective, when you consider the cost of public transportation from SG to H-town.

When we visited Hvar in 2006 we took our rental van onto the ferry and drove ourselves from Stari Grad to Hvar town. Simple and fast. And we used the van quite a bit to drive around Hvar town, too, including a trek up to Panorama restaurant that offered quite a good lunch. I can also recommend Gostionica JUNIOR in Hvar town - cute small place that offered excellent pastas and fish.

Hello! We were on Hvar last July. We took the ferry from Split and the bus from Stari Grad to Hvartown. Once you are in Hvartown everything is walkable. There is a wonderful promenade along the rocks and alleys to explore. We were happy without a car but maybe missed some wonderful sights!?!

Hi again! I forgot to say that we had trouble with AutoEurope and their subsidiary Europe Car. We thought we had paid when we booked, no mention of additional fees was mentioned, but we were billed for nearly the original fee in extra charges such as second driver, return to a store front closer to the airport in the same town, but not the location of the pickup. We contested the charges, but could never speak to anyone from Europe Car and AutoEurope couldn't solve the problem. Another friend used National and had good luck.

You certainly don't need a car in Hvar town, but we had one and we made good use of it, driving around a bit and exploring some areas away from the historic center.

Thanks for the restaurant link, Cobblehill. I love fresh seafood - what a selection.
Frankly, I am still in process with the Croatian car rental agency mentioned above. They say that they will ferry it over and bring it to our hotel in Hvar town. I'm quite sure I'll be paying grandly for this service, and I've asked for details. I may go with it because we'd really rather not mess with the car on the ferry from Split.
We have about 3 1/2 days on Hvar, and think that we'll want to get out of Hvar town and explore for some of that time.
Maybe we'll end up just taking public transportation or water taxi (that sounds great) or hiring a driver (even that would probably be cheaper, if I could find someone)
Linda

Linda,

When I did my research last year for my Croatia trip, I did use the Croatia Traveller website, which had lots of helpful information.

I just noticed that Jeanne has started a Croatia travel forum. Perhaps you could ask your question there, in the Hvar forum? I know that she has traveled there innumerable times, and is probably an expert on all things Croatia. Maybe she can help.

Wow, Terry - thanks!
I just registered. I had looked at that good site before, but would not have known about the forum. I think I'll use the forum and I might even go for a consultation.
Linda

Good luck, Linda. Apparently the forum's been around for a few years (I was mistaken, it's not new), but I didn't know it was there last year either!

Linda, the car ferry from Split to Hvar is really not a problem. It was quite easy to get in the line for the ferry, located by the Old Town, close to Diocletian's Palace. You can get out of your car once it's on the ferry, which has a bar and a large glass-enclosed seating area. I just don't think there's any need to pay for having the car brought to Hvar.

quote:

Originally posted by Ann:
Linda, the car ferry from Split to Hvar is really not a problem. It was quite easy to get in the line for the ferry, located by the Old Town, close to Diocletian's Palace. You can get out of your car once it's on the ferry, which has a bar and a large glass-enclosed seating area. I just don't think there's any need to pay for having the car brought to Hvar.

Absolutely agree with Ann. We did this last summer and it worked like a charm. I think it would be much more of a hassle to need to get transportation into Hvar and get a car there. Plus, I suspect would be less costly.

In general, the Dalmatian coast is quite easy to navigate. In Split and on Hvar, the route to the ferry is clearly marked for drivers - you just follow the signs and get on line - see picture below lining up near the port in Stari Grad for the car ferry back to Split!

And while I'm killing time - here is the view from Panorama restaurant near the highest point above Hvar Town.

And finally... we really enjoyed the ride on the ferry, in part thanks to these kids from Karlovac (central Croatia) who enjoyed practicing their English with some folks from New York The ferry ride is a great opportunity to mingle and chat.

I can't believe I'm still working on this Hvar car rental task!
Well, I joined the Croatia Traveller forum, and through a brief discussion ended up on this site-
http://www.tzhvar.hr/en/ - the local Hvar tourist agency
I had not unearthed this site before or found the local car rental offices thru my Google searches. It's a great site and also has an interactive map and a "virtual walk." I think I'm on my way to renting a car ON Hvar.
Studying ferry schedules made it clear that my plan to return to Split on a Sat. morning is only possible on passenger catamaran.

Great photo on the ferry. We'll take that ferry probably to get to Hvar - lots of options for that.

I'll report back later. Thanks for all the good advice,
Linda

Linda, it sounds like it's starting to come together nicely for you. I'm glad. I too think that renting the car on Hvar seems to make the most sense.

Finally success with Pelegrini Tours, below. I'm reporting back in case anyone else on this forum makes a similar search for a car rental ON Hvar. I found them through the local tourist office (see my last post), not Google, and used g-mail so it wouldn't be blocked (that's been another issue for me) Of course its too early to declare victory, but they say they can rent to us, no problem. We'll see!

http://www.pelegrini-hvar.hr/en/index

Linda