Transport in Croatia
Encyclopedia
Transport in Croatia relies on several main modes, including transport by road, rail, water and air. Road transport incorporates a comprehensive network of state, county and local routes augmented by a network of highways for long-distance travelling. Water transport can be divided into sea, based on the ports of Rijeka
Rijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...

, Ploče
Ploce
Ploče is a town and a notable seaport in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia.The total population of Ploče is 10,102 , in the following settlements:* Baćina, population 564* Banja, population 176* Komin, population 1,222...

, Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...

 and Zadar
Zadar
Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...

, and river transport, based on Sava, Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....

 and, to a lesser extent, Drava
Drava
Drava or Drave is a river in southern Central Europe, a tributary of the Danube. It sources in Toblach/Dobbiaco, Italy, and flows east through East Tirol and Carinthia in Austria, into Slovenia , and then southeast, passing through Croatia and forming most of the border between Croatia and...

. Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...

 has 68 airports, five of which are international. The country also has several airlines, of which the most notable is Croatia Airlines
Croatia Airlines
Croatia Airlines d.d. is the national airline and flag carrier of the Republic of Croatia. Based in Buzin, Zagreb, the airline is a member of Star Alliance and operates domestic and international services. Its main base is Zagreb Airport, with focus cities being Dubrovnik and Split...

. Rail transport is fairly developed, with dual track and electrification not very common, although high-speed tilting trains are used on some routes. However, bus still tends to be more common than rail as a mode of inter-city transport.

Airports

There are international airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...

s in Zagreb
Zagreb Airport
Zagreb Airport , also known as Pleso Airport after the nearby suburb of Pleso, is the main international airport of Croatia and also a Croatian Air Force and Defense major fighter jet base. Located 10 km from the central railway station in Zagreb, it served 2,071,561 passengers in 2010 and is the...

, Zadar
Zadar Airport
Zadar Airport is the airport serving Zadar, Croatia. It is located in Zemunik Donji 8 km from the Zadar railway station. The airport serves as the flying base for Lufthansa's flight school InterCockpit and Croatian Air Force main training base....

, Split
Split Airport
Split Kaštela/Resnik Airport is the airport serving Split and Kaštela in Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia. It is close to the town of Trogir....

, Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik Airport
-Traffic statistics:Dubrovnik Airport handled 1,270,062 passengers in 2010.In 1987 Dubrovnik Airport handled 1.5 million passengers and 2500 tons of cargo, making 1987 year the busiest thus far...

 and Rijeka
Rijeka Airport
Rijeka Airport is the airport serving Rijeka, Croatia. It is located near the town of Omišalj on the island of Krk, 17 km from the Rijeka railway station....

 (on the island of Krk
Krk
Krk is a Croatian island in the northern Adriatic Sea, located near Rijeka in the Bay of Kvarner and part of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar county....

). Recently, Osijek Airport
Osijek Airport
Osijek Airport is the airport serving Osijek, Croatia. The airport is located 20 km east southeast of Osijek and is situated near the Osijek - Vukovar regional road, southwest of the eponymous village of Klisa.-Passenger Services:...

 in Slavonia
Slavonia
Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia...

 has been renovated for regional traffic. It is also being considered to revitalize the Pula Airport
Pula Airport
Pula Airport is the airport serving Pula, Croatia, and is located 6 km from the city centre. Thanks to favourable climatic and technical conditions Pula is designated as the alternative airport for parts of Slovenia, Italy, and even Austria...

 (Istria
Istria
Istria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner...

) as a destination for low cost airlines.

Currently, the following low cost airlines are flying to Croatia: EasyJet
EasyJet
EasyJet Airline Company Limited is a British airline headquartered at London Luton Airport. It carries more passengers than any other United Kingdom-based airline, operating domestic and international scheduled services on 500 routes between 118 European, North African, and West Asian airports...

, Flyglobespan
Flyglobespan
Flyglobespan was a British low-cost airline based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It formerly operated scheduled services from 5 airports across the UK and Ireland to destinations in Europe, North America, North Africa and South Africa. Its main bases were Glasgow International Airport, Edinburgh Airport...

, Germanwings
Germanwings
Germanwings GmbH is a low-cost airline based in Cologne, Germany, and is wholly owned by Lufthansa. Cologne Bonn Airport, Stuttgart Airport and Berlin-Schönefeld Airport are the important hubs in the airline's network of approximately 70 destinations...

, TUIfly
TUIfly
TUIfly Vermarktungs GmbH is an airline based at Hannover Airport in Langenhagen, Lower Saxony, Germany. The airline offers both charter and scheduled low-cost flights. About 60% of all seats are sold directly, 30% as a part of a TUI holiday package and 10% by other agencies...

, Ryanair
Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport....

, Thomson
Thomson Airways
Thomson Airways is the world's largest charter airline, offering scheduled and charter flights from the UK to destinations across Europe, Africa, Asia and North America. The company commenced operations on 1 November 2008, following the merger and subsequent re-branding of Thomsonfly and First...

 and Wizz Air
Wizz Air
Wizz Air Hungary Légiközlekedési Kft. is a Hungarian low-cost airline with headquarters in the Airport Business Park C2 in Vecsés, close to Budapest Ferihegy International Airport, Hungary. The airline typically uses secondary airports serving many cities across Europe.- History :The airline was...

. Major established companies that fly to Croatia include the domestic Croatia Airlines
Croatia Airlines
Croatia Airlines d.d. is the national airline and flag carrier of the Republic of Croatia. Based in Buzin, Zagreb, the airline is a member of Star Alliance and operates domestic and international services. Its main base is Zagreb Airport, with focus cities being Dubrovnik and Split...

 (member of the Star Alliance
Star Alliance
Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines...

), Air France
Air France
Air France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...

, Lufthansa
Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...

 and British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...

. Seasonal intercontinental flights also operate from and to Croatia.

In September 2008, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...

 (FAA) assessed the Government of Croatia's Civil Aviation Authority as not being in compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization
International Civil Aviation Organization
The International Civil Aviation Organization , pronounced , , is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth...

 (ICAO) aviation safety standards for oversight of Croatia's air carrier operations. This meant that the country had a IASA Category 2 rating and that Croatian air carriers were not authorized to establish direct flights from Croatia to the US.
In January 2011, the FAA announced that Croatia complies with the standards and upgraded it to Category 1 rating.

Statistics:

Overall: 68 airports (2004 estimate)

Airports with paved runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...

s (2004 est.):
  • total: 23
  • 10,000 ft (3,047 m) or more: 2
  • 8,000 to 9,999 ft (2,438 to 3,047 m): 6
  • 5,000 to 7,999 ft (1,524 to 2,437 m): 2
  • 3,000 to 4,999 ft (914 to 1,523 m): 4
  • under 3,000 ft (914 m): 9


Airports with unpaved runways (2004 est.):
  • total: 45
  • 5,000 to 7,999 ft (1,524 to 2,437 m): 1
  • 3,000 to 4,999 ft (914 to 1,523 m): 7
  • under 3,000 ft (914 m): 37


Heliport
Heliport
A heliport is a small airport suitable only for use by helicopters. Heliports typically contain one or more helipads and may have limited facilities such as fuel, lighting, a windsock, or even hangars...

s: 3 (2008)

Airports:
  • Zagreb Airport
    Zagreb Airport
    Zagreb Airport , also known as Pleso Airport after the nearby suburb of Pleso, is the main international airport of Croatia and also a Croatian Air Force and Defense major fighter jet base. Located 10 km from the central railway station in Zagreb, it served 2,071,561 passengers in 2010 and is the...

  • Split Airport
    Split Airport
    Split Kaštela/Resnik Airport is the airport serving Split and Kaštela in Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia. It is close to the town of Trogir....

  • Rijeka Airport
    Rijeka Airport
    Rijeka Airport is the airport serving Rijeka, Croatia. It is located near the town of Omišalj on the island of Krk, 17 km from the Rijeka railway station....

  • Osijek Airport
    Osijek Airport
    Osijek Airport is the airport serving Osijek, Croatia. The airport is located 20 km east southeast of Osijek and is situated near the Osijek - Vukovar regional road, southwest of the eponymous village of Klisa.-Passenger Services:...

  • Zadar Airport
    Zadar Airport
    Zadar Airport is the airport serving Zadar, Croatia. It is located in Zemunik Donji 8 km from the Zadar railway station. The airport serves as the flying base for Lufthansa's flight school InterCockpit and Croatian Air Force main training base....

  • Dubrovnik Airport
    Dubrovnik Airport
    -Traffic statistics:Dubrovnik Airport handled 1,270,062 passengers in 2010.In 1987 Dubrovnik Airport handled 1.5 million passengers and 2500 tons of cargo, making 1987 year the busiest thus far...

  • Pula Airport
    Pula Airport
    Pula Airport is the airport serving Pula, Croatia, and is located 6 km from the city centre. Thanks to favourable climatic and technical conditions Pula is designated as the alternative airport for parts of Slovenia, Italy, and even Austria...

  • Bol Airport
    Bol Airport
    Bol Airport or Brač Airport is an airport on the Croatian island of Brač, close to the town of Bol.It is primarily served by charter traffic from Europe during the summer seasons. Operators during the summer months are Croatia Airlines, Austrian Airlines and Private Wings Flugcharter. Most of the...


Rail transport

There are several major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...

 railway routes in the country:
  • from Zagreb to Vinkovci
    Vinkovci
    Vinkovci is a city in Croatia, in the Vukovar-Syrmia County. In the 2011 census, the total population of the city was 35,375, making it the largest town of the county...

     (and on to Belgrade
    Belgrade
    Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...

    , Serbia
    Serbia
    Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...

    )
  • from Zagreb to Osijek
    Osijek
    Osijek is the fourth largest city in Croatia with a population of 83,496 in 2011. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja county...

     via Koprivnica
    Koprivnica
    Koprivnica is a city in northern Croatia. It is the capital of the Koprivnica-Križevci county. In 2011 the city administrative area had a total population of 30,872, with 23,896 in the city itself.-Population:...

     (but still faster via the southern line, changing at Strizivojna
    Strizivojna
    Strizivojna is a village and a municipality in Osijek-Baranja County, Croatia, located between Vrpolje and Stari Mikanovci. There are 2,515 inhabitants, absolute majority of whom are Croats....

    Vrpolje
    Vrpolje
    Vrpolje is a village and a municipality in Brod-Posavina County, Croatia. It is located 10 km south of Đakovo; elevation 90 m. The population of the village is 2,110, while the total municipality population is 4,023. Chief occupations are farming and livestock breeding...

    )
  • from Zagreb to Rijeka
    Rijeka
    Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...

  • from Zagreb to Split
    Split (city)
    Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...


There are also other routes to Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...

, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...

, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...

 and Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...

.

The railways need to be modernized because since the disintegration of Yugoslavia there have been hardly any investment in railway infrastructure. Many important routes are not electrified and are only single track traffic around 'bends'. Some improvements have been made in the last ten years. A result of this has been an increase in the maximum speed on the railway line on the Pan-European Corridor X, from the Slovenian border via Zagreb, Novska, Vinkovci to the Serbian border. In places the line's speed limit has been raised from 80 km/h (50 mph) to 120 km/h (75 mph), and plans have been made to raise this further to 160 km/h (99.4 mph) on certain sections. The railway line of the Pan-European Corridor Vb, from the Hungarian border via Koprivnica, Zagreb, Karlovac to the seaport of Rijeka has a slow section through Gorski Kotar
Gorski kotar
Gorski kotar is the mountainous region in Croatia between Karlovac and Rijeka. Together with Lika and the Ogulin-Plaški valley it forms Mountainous Croatia. Because 63% of its surface is forested it is popularly called the green lungs of Croatia or Croatian Switzerland...

, which is planned to undergo a major overhaul. The railway line of the Pan-European Corridor Vc, from the Hungarian border via Beli Manastir, Osijek, Đakovo or Vinkovci, Slavonski Šamac, to the Bosnian border, is also being modernised, the aim is to allow speeds of up to 160 km/h along the entire length.

The official rail speed record in Croatia is 181 km/h (112.5 mph). This is just below the official 200 km/h high speed rail definition. This speed is never reached in regular service. Croatia does have a locomotive class capable of this speed, and during the Yugoslav
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...

 era there were plans for 'high speed' rail. The increasingly elderly high-speed rolling stock has had its speed limited to 120 km/h for safety reasons.

Recently Croatian Railways
Croatian Railways
Croatian Railways is the national railway company of Croatia. It was formed after the dissolution of Yugoslavia and Yugoslav Railways.Croatia is a member of the International Union of Railways . The UIC Country Code for Croatia is 78.-Railway network:...

 introduced a series of modern tilting train
Tilting train
A tilting train is a train that has a mechanism enabling increased speed on regular rail tracks. As a train rounds a curve at speed, objects inside the train experience centrifugal force. This can cause packages to slide about or seated passengers to feel squashed by the outboard armrest due to...

s produced by the German branch of Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....

. They usually deployed on the mountainous route between the two largest Croatian cities, Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...

 and Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...

. Although they can sometimes be found on InterCity
InterCity
InterCity is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe...

 routes in the continental part of the country. The trains on the Zagreb-Split route offer passengers a more comfortable and quicker journey. The previous service used to take 9 hours, whereas the tilting trains take no more than 5.5 hours. There are plans to expand the tilting train
Tilting train
A tilting train is a train that has a mechanism enabling increased speed on regular rail tracks. As a train rounds a curve at speed, objects inside the train experience centrifugal force. This can cause packages to slide about or seated passengers to feel squashed by the outboard armrest due to...

 service since they turned out to be very profitable on longer routes.

Croatian Railways aims to revitalize rail traffic through further improvements. Thus, establishing rail as serious competitor to the car, particularly during the busy the summer months.

Croatian Railways' plan to build their first high-speed railway service is progressing. Construction of an entirely new line from Karlovac
Karlovac
Karlovac is a city and municipality in central Croatia. The city proper has a population of 49,082, while the municipality has a population of 59,395 inhabitants .Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County...

 to Rijeka
Rijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...

, and reconstruction of the line from the Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...

 border to Karlovac should have originally begun in the Fall of 2007. The line is going to be entirely electrified and in order to speed up the journey even more shall be 269 km (167 mi) long from end to end, 61 km (38 mi) shorter than the existing line. The journey from Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...

 to Rijeka
Rijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...

 will be cut to one hour compared to 4 hours with the existing track. The line is intended to carry the increasing amount of goods that enter Europe, at the Croatian port of Rijeka
Rijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...

 and are then transported to desinations across central and eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...

. The plans have originally foreseen 2008-2010 as the date for completion. Due to the world economic crisis, building start date is prolonged to an yet undefined date. The project plans have been drawn, however.

Pan-European Corridor X is going to be upgraded to higher speed sometime in the future. Possibly by building a new high capacity connection line from Sisak
Sisak
Sisak is a city in central Croatia. The city's population in 2011 was 33,049, with a total of 49,699 in the administrative region and it is also the administrative centre of the Sisak-Moslavina county...

 via Kutina
Kutina
Kutina is a small city in central Croatia, the largest settlement in the hilly region of Moslavina, in the Sisak-Moslavina county. The town proper has a population of 14,814 , while the total municipality population is 22,815....

 to Lipovljani
Lipovljani
Lipovljani is a municipality in Croatian Slavonia in the Sisak-Moslavina county. It has a population of 4,101 , 85.7% which are Croats. Other notable minorities are Ukrainians , Slovaks , and Czechs...

. The line should allow for speeds of up to 250 km/h.

Statistics:

Railway length (as of 2006):
  • total: 2726 km (1,694 mi)
  • standard gauge, : 2726 km (1,694 mi) (1199 km (745 mi) electrified)


Rail links with adjacent countries: Slovenia
Transport in Slovenia
- Railways :total:1,229 km operated by Slovenian Railwaysstandard gauge:1,229 km gauge - Railway links with adjacent countries : Italy - yes Croatia - yes Hungary - yes Austria - yes- Roads :total:...

 Hungary
Transport in Hungary
-Railways:* Total: 7,606 km** Broad gauge: 36 km gauge** Standard gauge: 7,394 km gauge ** narrow gauge: 176 km gauge...

 Serbia
Transport in Serbia
Serbia, and in particular the valley of Morava is often described as "the crossroad between the East and the West", which is one of primary reasons for its turbulent history...

 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Transport in Bosnia and Herzegovina
-Roadways:*total: 21,846 km**paved: 11,425 km **unpaved: 10,421 km -International:*E65*E73 , A1 highway*E661*E761*E762-Local:*Route 1**Route 1-8*Route 5...


Road transport

From the time of Napoleon and building the Louisiana road, the road transport in Croatia has significantly improved, topping most European countries. Croatian highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...

s are widely regarded as being one of the most modern and safe in Europe. This is because the largest part of the Croatian motorway and expressway system (autoceste and brze ceste, resp.) has been recently constructed, and further construction is continuing.

A major reason for the motorway construction "mania" of the 2000s is a previous political halt of the major Croatian highway project, today's A1, in the 1970s and 1980s under former Yugoslavia. When Croatia declared independence in 1991, the only true motorways in the country were Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...

Karlovac
Karlovac
Karlovac is a city and municipality in central Croatia. The city proper has a population of 49,082, while the municipality has a population of 59,395 inhabitants .Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County...

 (the northernmost part of A1
A1 (Croatia)
The A1 motorway is the longest motorway in Croatia spanning . As it connects Zagreb, the nation's capital, to Split, the second largest city in the country and the largest city in Dalmatia, the motorway represents a major north–south transportation corridor in Croatia and a significant part of the...

) and Zagreb-Slavonski Brod
Slavonski Brod
Slavonski Brod is a city in Croatia, with a population of 59,507 in 2011. The city was known as Marsonia in the Roman Empire, and as Brod na Savi 1244–1934. It is the sixth largest city in Croatia, after Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, Osijek and Zadar. Located in the region of Slavonia, it is the...

 (A3
A3 (Croatia)
The A3 motorway is a major motorway in Croatia spanning . The motorway connects Zagreb, the nation's capital, to the Slavonia region and a number of cities along the Sava River. It represents a major east–west transportation corridor in Croatia and a significant part of the Pan-European Corridor...

), the latter being part of the highway "Bratstvo i jedinstvo". The dream to connect the two largest Croatian cities Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...

 and Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...

 with a motorway (autocesta) went back to the times of the Croatian Spring
Croatian Spring
The Croatian Spring was a political movement from the early 1970s that called for greater rights for Croatia which was then part of Yugoslavia as well as democratic and economic reforms.-History:...

. However, the construction of this project had been blocked by the ruling Communist Party. Recently, after so many years of waiting, the construction of this route has been realized, in addition to the extension of the A3
A3 (Croatia)
The A3 motorway is a major motorway in Croatia spanning . The motorway connects Zagreb, the nation's capital, to the Slavonia region and a number of cities along the Sava River. It represents a major east–west transportation corridor in Croatia and a significant part of the Pan-European Corridor...

 so it connects Zagreb to Croatian borders with both Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...

 (near Lipovac) and Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...

 (near Bregana
Bregana
Bregana is a settlement in the Town of Samobor, Zagreb County, Croatia. According to the 2001 census, the town has 2,518 residents living in an area of . Together with the nearby settlements of Podvrh and Klokočevec Samoborski, the town's micropolitan area has 3,450 inhabitants.Together with...

). There is also a motorway from Zagreb to Rijeka, the A6
A6 (Croatia)
The A6 motorway is a motorway in Croatia spanning . It connects the nation's capital, Zagreb, via the A1, to the seaport of Rijeka. The motorway forms a major north–south transportation corridor in Croatia and is a part of European route E65...

, as well as the A4
A4 (Croatia)
The A4 motorway is a motorway in Croatia spanning . It connects the nation's capital, Zagreb, to the city of Varaždin and to Budapest, Hungary via the Goričan border crossing. The motorway represents a major north–south transportation corridor in Croatia and is a part of European routes E65...

 motorway from Zagreb to the northeast (Hungarian border) as well as a motorway from Zagreb to the northwest (Slovenian border), the A2
A2 (Croatia)
The A2 motorway is a motorway in the Hrvatsko Zagorje region of northern Croatia, connecting Zagreb to the Macelj border crossing and Slovenia. The A2 motorway is part of the European route E59 and the Pan-European Corridor Xa...

. The A9 between Pula and the Slovenian border is also largely completed.

As of 2011, the construction of various additional motorways is planned, such as the extension of the A1
A1 (Croatia)
The A1 motorway is the longest motorway in Croatia spanning . As it connects Zagreb, the nation's capital, to Split, the second largest city in the country and the largest city in Dalmatia, the motorway represents a major north–south transportation corridor in Croatia and a significant part of the...

 from Split to Ploče and onwards to Dubrovnik, while the A8 (Kanfanar-Rijeka, the remaining part od the Istrian Y
Istrian Y
The Istrian Y is a highway complex in the Croatian highway network, consisting of section A8 Matulji-Kanfanar and section A9 Slovenia-Kanfanar-Pula. It is called the Istrian Y because it is shaped like the letter Y, with the three stretches all meeting at Kanfanar interchange in south central...

) is being upgraded from semi-highway status. The other motorways are in various early stages of development, coming up to a total of 13 motorway routes.

The initial setup was made under the first HDZ
Croatian Democratic Union
The Croatian Democratic Union is the main center-right political party in Croatia. It is the biggest and strongest individual Croatian party since independence of Croatia. The Christian democratic HDZ governed Croatia from 1990 to 2000 and, in partial coalition, from 2003...

 government which contracted Bechtel Corporation; this was later replaced by the effort of the SDP
Social Democratic Party of Croatia
Social Democratic Party of Croatia , commonly referred to in Croatia as simply Social Democratic Party , is the largest centre-left political party in Croatia...

-led government effort led by Radimir Čačić
Radimir Cacic
Radimir Čačić is a Croatian politician and businessman, and the president of the Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats ....

; and then continued by the HDZ government under Ivo Sanader
Ivo Sanader
Ivo Sanader |Split]]) is a Croatian politician who served as the Prime Minister of Croatia from 2003 to 2009.Sanader obtained his education in comparative literature in Austria, where he also later worked in the 1980s. He worked as a journalist, in marketing, publishing and also as a private...

.
While the pace of development accelerates, so do environmental
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...

 concerns, and concerns relating to the use and abuse of eminent domain
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...

 by institutions involved in them.
Especially criticized was the A11 Zagreb-Sisak, suspected of being politically motivated and inefficiently built.
At the contrary, Zagreb-Split trait construction enjoyed a constant support from Croatian public and its on-schedule completion was marked with enormous joy and pride all through the country.

Tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...

 is of major importance for the Croatian economy, and most tourists come to vacation in Croatia in their own cars. Without adequate roads, the traffic would get rather jammed during the summer months. For this reason, and as a means for stimulating urgently needed economic growth, highways have become indispensable for the sustainable development of this country. Croatia already has a considerable highway density for a country that still has to cope with the consequences of Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...

 and the recent war.

As of 2006, Croatia has 28344 kilometres (17,612.2 mi) of roads. Out of these, there are 23979 km (14,899.9 mi) of paved and 4365 km (2,712.3 mi) of unpaved roadways

Traffic laws

The traffic sign
Traffic sign
Traffic signs or road signs are signs erected at the side of roads to provide information to road users. With traffic volumes increasing over the last eight decades, many countries have adopted pictorial signs or otherwise simplified and standardized their signs to facilitate international travel...

s adhere to the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals
Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals
The Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals is an international treaty designed to increase road safety and aid international road traffic by standardising the signing system for road traffic in use internationally.This convention was agreed upon by the United Nations Economic and Social...

.

The general speed limit
Speed limit
Road speed limits are used in most countries to regulate the speed of road vehicles. Speed limits may define maximum , minimum or no speed limit and are normally indicated using a traffic sign...

s are:
  • in inhabited areas 50 km/h
  • outside of inhabited areas 90 km/h
  • on marked expressways 110 km/h
  • on marked motorways 130 km/h


In 2004, a controversial new traffic law was introduced, which provides for drastic safety measures for drunken or dangerous driving: it reduced the blood alcohol limit to 0‰ of alcohol in blood. In 2008 this law was reversed to 0.05‰ of alcohol in blood.

Some of the more technical safety measures include that all new Croatian tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...

s have modern safety equipment and there are several control centers, which monitor highway traffic.

Motorways

Motorways in Croatia applies to dual carriageway roads with at least two traffic lanes in each driving direction and an emergency lane. Direction road signs at Croatian motorways have green background with white lettering similar to the Swiss Autobahn. The designations of motorways are "A" and the motorway number.

The list of completed motorways is as follows (see individual articles for further construction plans and status):
  • A1
    A1 (Croatia)
    The A1 motorway is the longest motorway in Croatia spanning . As it connects Zagreb, the nation's capital, to Split, the second largest city in the country and the largest city in Dalmatia, the motorway represents a major north–south transportation corridor in Croatia and a significant part of the...

    , Zagreb
    Zagreb
    Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...

     - Bosiljevo
    Bosiljevo 2 interchange
    The Bosiljevo 2 interchange |A6 motorway]] and it connects the A6 route to the A1 motorway between Bosiljevo 1 and Ogulin exits. The interchange is a part of Pan-European corridor Vb. It also represents a part of European route E65.- See also :...

     - Split
    Split (city)
    Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...

     - Vrgorac
    Vrgorac
    Vrgorac is a town in Croatia in the Split-Dalmatia County.The total population of Vrgorac is 6,501 , in the following settlements:* Banja, population 214* Dragljane, population 47* Draževitići, population 204* Duge Njive, population 106...

     (E71
    European route E71
    European route E 71 is a north-south Class-A intermediate European road route. It begins in Košice, Slovakia, passes through Budapest in Hungary, Zagreb in Croatia and Bihać in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and ends at Split in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea coast. The total length of the route is...

    , E65
    European route E65
    European route E 65 is a north-south Class-A European route that begins in Malmö, Sweden and ends in Chaniá, Greece. The road is about in length.-Itinerary:* Sweden** E 65: Malmö – Ystad* Baltic sea, ferry Ystad-Świnoujście* Poland...

    )
  • A2
    A2 (Croatia)
    The A2 motorway is a motorway in the Hrvatsko Zagorje region of northern Croatia, connecting Zagreb to the Macelj border crossing and Slovenia. The A2 motorway is part of the European route E59 and the Pan-European Corridor Xa...

    , Zagreb
    Zagreb bypass
    Zagreb bypass , is an U-shaped motorway partially encircling Zagreb, Croatia. The largest part by far, between Jankomir and Ivanja Reka interchanges, has been built between 1977 and 1979, while Ivanja Reka - Sveta Helena section has been built between 1996 and 1999. The bypass is long, tracing...

     - Krapina
    Krapina
    Krapina is a town in northern Croatia and the administrative centre of Krapina-Zagorje County with a population of 4,482 and a total municipality population of 12,479...

     - Macelj
    Macelj
    Macelj is the name of a village and a forest in northern Croatia bordering on Slovenia. There is an official border crossing in Macelj, and the end of the A2 highway.-Macelj in 1945:...

     (E59
    European route E59
    European route E 59 is a north-south Class-A intermediate European route. It begins in Prague, Czech Republic, passes through Vienna, Austria and Maribor, Slovenia, ending near Zagreb, Croatia. The total length of the route is . The E59 largely consists of motorways but some sections are...

    )
  • A3
    A3 (Croatia)
    The A3 motorway is a major motorway in Croatia spanning . The motorway connects Zagreb, the nation's capital, to the Slavonia region and a number of cities along the Sava River. It represents a major east–west transportation corridor in Croatia and a significant part of the Pan-European Corridor...

    , Bregana
    Bregana
    Bregana is a settlement in the Town of Samobor, Zagreb County, Croatia. According to the 2001 census, the town has 2,518 residents living in an area of . Together with the nearby settlements of Podvrh and Klokočevec Samoborski, the town's micropolitan area has 3,450 inhabitants.Together with...

     - Zagreb
    Zagreb bypass
    Zagreb bypass , is an U-shaped motorway partially encircling Zagreb, Croatia. The largest part by far, between Jankomir and Ivanja Reka interchanges, has been built between 1977 and 1979, while Ivanja Reka - Sveta Helena section has been built between 1996 and 1999. The bypass is long, tracing...

     - Lipovac (E70
    European route E70
    European route E 70 is an A-Class West-East European route, extending from A Coruña in Spain in the west to the Georgian city of Poti in the east.-Itinerary:...

    )
  • A4
    A4 (Croatia)
    The A4 motorway is a motorway in Croatia spanning . It connects the nation's capital, Zagreb, to the city of Varaždin and to Budapest, Hungary via the Goričan border crossing. The motorway represents a major north–south transportation corridor in Croatia and is a part of European routes E65...

    , Goričan
    Gorican
    Goričan is a municipality in Međimurje County, Croatia.Goričan is the only village belonging to the municipality. Its population in the 2001 census was 3,148. Of the entire population, 3,088 people identified themselves as Croats....

     - Varaždin
    Varaždin
    Varaždin is a city in north Croatia, north of Zagreb on the highway A4. The total population is 47,055, with 38,746 on of the city settlement itself . The centre of Varaždin county is located near the Drava river, at...

    /Čakovec
    Cakovec
    Čakovec is a city in northern Croatia, located around 90 kilometres north of Zagreb, the Croatian capital. Čakovec is both the county seat and largest city of Međimurje County, the northernmost, smallest and most densely populated Croatian county.-Population:...

     - Zagreb
    Zagreb bypass
    Zagreb bypass , is an U-shaped motorway partially encircling Zagreb, Croatia. The largest part by far, between Jankomir and Ivanja Reka interchanges, has been built between 1977 and 1979, while Ivanja Reka - Sveta Helena section has been built between 1996 and 1999. The bypass is long, tracing...

     (E71
    European route E71
    European route E 71 is a north-south Class-A intermediate European road route. It begins in Košice, Slovakia, passes through Budapest in Hungary, Zagreb in Croatia and Bihać in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and ends at Split in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea coast. The total length of the route is...

    )
  • A5
    A5 (Croatia)
    The A5 motorway is a motorway in Croatia spanning . It connects Osijek, the largest city in Slavonia region, to the Croatian motorway network at the Sredanci interchange of the A3 motorway. The A5 represents a significant north–south transportation corridor in Croatia and is a part of the...

    , Osijek
    Osijek
    Osijek is the fourth largest city in Croatia with a population of 83,496 in 2011. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja county...

     - Đakovo - Sredanci
    Sredanci interchange
    The Sredanci interchange is a cloverleaf interchange west of Slavonski Brod, Croatia. It is named after nearby village of Sredanci. As of September 2011, the interchange represents the southern terminus of the A5 motorway and it connects the A5 route to the A3 motorway facilitating a link between...

     (E73)
  • A6
    A6 (Croatia)
    The A6 motorway is a motorway in Croatia spanning . It connects the nation's capital, Zagreb, via the A1, to the seaport of Rijeka. The motorway forms a major north–south transportation corridor in Croatia and is a part of European route E65...

    , Bosiljevo
    Bosiljevo 2 interchange
    The Bosiljevo 2 interchange |A6 motorway]] and it connects the A6 route to the A1 motorway between Bosiljevo 1 and Ogulin exits. The interchange is a part of Pan-European corridor Vb. It also represents a part of European route E65.- See also :...

     - Rijeka
    Rijeka
    Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...

     (E65
    European route E65
    European route E 65 is a north-south Class-A European route that begins in Malmö, Sweden and ends in Chaniá, Greece. The road is about in length.-Itinerary:* Sweden** E 65: Malmö – Ystad* Baltic sea, ferry Ystad-Świnoujście* Poland...

    )
  • A7
    A7 (Croatia)
    The A7 motorway is a long motorway in Croatia. It connects the nation's largest port in Rijeka, to the Croatian motorway network, as well as to the Rupa and Pasjak border crossings to Slovenia. The motorway forms part of a longitudinal transportation corridor in Croatia, and it is a part of...

    , Rupa
    Rupa, Croatia
    Rupa is a village in northwest Croatia near its border with Slovenia. It is located in Matulji municipality in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, 17 km from the town of Matulji. It has a population of 310 ....

     - Rijeka bypass (E61
    European route E61
    European route E 61 is a part of the inter-European road system. This Class A intermediate north-south route is long and it connects the central part of the continent with the Adriatic Sea.-Itinerary:...

    )
  • A9, Umag
    Umag
    Umag is a coastal city in Istria, Croatia.The city hosts the yearly Croatia Open ATP tennis tournament on clay courts.-Geography:It is the westernmost city of Croatia, and the municipality includes Savudrija which is westernmost point of Croatia....

     - Pula
    Pula
    Pula is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the Istria peninsula, with a population of 62,080 .Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, smooth sea, and unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing,...

     (E751
    European route E751
    The European route E751, or E751, as defined by the Declaration on the Construction of Main International Traffic Arteries of 1975, and subsequent documents which amended the treaty, is an east-west Class-B branching European road route...

    )
  • A11
    A11 (Croatia)
    The A11 motorway is an incomplete motorway in Croatia, long. It connects Velika Gorica, located south of Zagreb to Buševec exit. Only a fifth of the planned route is complete, and the motorway, when completed, shall span between Jakuševec interchange and Mošćenica near Sisak...

    , Velika Gorica
    Velika Gorica
    Velika Gorica is the largest and most populous city in Zagreb County, Croatia. The city itself has a population of 31,341, while the municipality has a population of 63,511 inhabitants .Velika Gorica is the centre of the historical Turopolje region....

     - Buševec


Toll is charged on most Croatian motorways, and exceptions are the A11 motorway, Zagreb bypass
Zagreb bypass
Zagreb bypass , is an U-shaped motorway partially encircling Zagreb, Croatia. The largest part by far, between Jankomir and Ivanja Reka interchanges, has been built between 1977 and 1979, while Ivanja Reka - Sveta Helena section has been built between 1996 and 1999. The bypass is long, tracing...

 and Rijeka bypass, as well as sections adjacent to border crossings (except eastbound A3). Payment in kuna
Croatian kuna
The kuna is the currency of Croatia since 1994 . It is subdivided into 100 lipa. The kuna is issued by the Croatian National Bank and the coins are minted by the Croatian Monetary Institute....

, all major credit cards and euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...

s are accepted at all toll gates. Most motorways are covered by the closed toll collection system, where a driver receives a ticket at the entrance gates and pays at the exit gates according to the number of sections travelled. Open toll collection is used on some bridges and tunnels and short stretches of tolled highway, where drivers immediately pay the toll upon arriving. Various forms of prepaid electronic toll collection
Electronic toll collection
Electronic toll collection , an adaptation of military "identification friend or foe" technology, aims to eliminate the delay on toll roads by collecting tolls electronically. It is thus a technological implementation of a road pricing concept...

 systems are in place which allow quicker collection of toll, usually at a discounted rate, as well as use of dedicated toll plaza lanes (for ENC system of the electronic toll collection).

All heavily traveled routes towards Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...

, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...

 and Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...

 are motorway connections, and almost all parts of Croatia are now easy to reach using motorways.

The 380 km long motorway A1 Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...

 - Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...

 connects the continental part of Croatia with Mediterranean Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....

. It is complete with two lanes in both directions in its full length. The highway winds itself as a panoramic road through the Croatian hills. The highway currently ends near the Ploče
Ploce
Ploče is a town and a notable seaport in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia.The total population of Ploče is 10,102 , in the following settlements:* Baćina, population 564* Banja, population 176* Komin, population 1,222...

 sea port, but is planned to continue further on to Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...

.

The most important edifice on the A1 is the Sveti Rok Tunnel
Sveti Rok Tunnel
The Sveti Rok Tunnel is a highway tunnel in Lika, Croatia. It is long and it passes through the Velebit mountain. Sveti Rok Tunnel is located on a part of the between highway exits Sveti Rok and Maslenica on the A1 highway...

 (5.687 m), which goes through the famous Velebit
Velebit
Velebit is the largest though not the highest mountain range in Croatia. Its highest peak is the Vaganski vrh at 1757 m.The range forms a part of the Dinaric Alps and is located along the Adriatic coast, separating it from Lika in the interior...

 mountain range barrier. The most modern, and at the same time the longest Croatian tunnel, is also along the A1: the Mala Kapela Tunnel
Mala Kapela Tunnel
Mala Kapela Tunnel is the most significant structure on the Croatian A1 motorway route. As it is long , Mala Kapela Tunnel is the longest tunnel in Croatia. The tunnel is geographically located between villages of Jezerane and Modruš , and between Ogulin and Brinje motorway interchanges...

 (length 5,780 m), which passes through the Mala Kapela
Mala Kapela
Mala Kapela is a mountain in Croatia, part of the Dinaric Alps. It stretches in the direction northwest-southeast, and it extends from the mountain pass called "Kapela" or "Vrh Kapele" that separates it from Velika Kapela, down to the mountain pass that connects Otočac and Plitvice and from then...

 mountain range.

Since June 2005 the Istrian Y
Istrian Y
The Istrian Y is a highway complex in the Croatian highway network, consisting of section A8 Matulji-Kanfanar and section A9 Slovenia-Kanfanar-Pula. It is called the Istrian Y because it is shaped like the letter Y, with the three stretches all meeting at Kanfanar interchange in south central...

 extends from the Slovenian border in Istria
Istria
Istria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner...

 and the A7 connects Slovenia to Rijeka
Rijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...

. The A2 connection between Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...

 via Hrvatsko Zagorje
Hrvatsko Zagorje
Hrvatsko Zagorje is a region north of Zagreb, Croatia. It comprises the whole area north of Medvednica mountain up to Slovenia in the north and west, and up to the regions of Međimurje and Podravina in the north and east...

 to Maribor
Maribor
Maribor is the second largest city in Slovenia with 157,947 inhabitants . Maribor is also the largest and the capital city of Slovenian region Lower Styria and the seat of the Municipality of Maribor....

 was completed in May 2007.

Motorway A3 extends from Slovenia via the Zagreb bypass
Zagreb bypass
Zagreb bypass , is an U-shaped motorway partially encircling Zagreb, Croatia. The largest part by far, between Jankomir and Ivanja Reka interchanges, has been built between 1977 and 1979, while Ivanja Reka - Sveta Helena section has been built between 1996 and 1999. The bypass is long, tracing...

 through the length of Slavonia
Slavonia
Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia...

 to the Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...

n border. In Slavonia there is now another motorway, A5, along the European route E73 (European north-south corridor Vc) between the Hungarian border
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...

 at Beli Manastir
Beli Manastir
Beli Manastir is a town and municipality in eastern Croatia, the principal town of the Croatian part of Baranja, in the Osijek-Baranja county.-Name:...

, Osijek
Osijek
Osijek is the fourth largest city in Croatia with a population of 83,496 in 2011. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja county...

 and the Bosnian border
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...

. This route will eventually continue as a modern motorway towards Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....

 and further on to the Croatian sea port of Ploče
Ploce
Ploče is a town and a notable seaport in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia.The total population of Ploče is 10,102 , in the following settlements:* Baćina, population 564* Banja, population 176* Komin, population 1,222...

.

The A4 connection from Zagreb to Varaždin
Varaždin
Varaždin is a city in north Croatia, north of Zagreb on the highway A4. The total population is 47,055, with 38,746 on of the city settlement itself . The centre of Varaždin county is located near the Drava river, at...

 and Čakovec
Cakovec
Čakovec is a city in northern Croatia, located around 90 kilometres north of Zagreb, the Croatian capital. Čakovec is both the county seat and largest city of Međimurje County, the northernmost, smallest and most densely populated Croatian county.-Population:...

 exists since 2003, which was extended to the Hungarian border in October 2008 to complete the upgrade of the European route E71
European route E71
European route E 71 is a north-south Class-A intermediate European road route. It begins in Košice, Slovakia, passes through Budapest in Hungary, Zagreb in Croatia and Bihać in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and ends at Split in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea coast. The total length of the route is...

. The A6 route between Rijeka
Rijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...

 and Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...

 was constructed as an expressway in spring 2004, and upgraded to a full motorway in October 2008, thus upgrading the Croatian section of the European route E65
European route E65
European route E 65 is a north-south Class-A European route that begins in Malmö, Sweden and ends in Chaniá, Greece. The road is about in length.-Itinerary:* Sweden** E 65: Malmö – Ystad* Baltic sea, ferry Ystad-Świnoujście* Poland...

. Together these two upgrades completed the European north-south corridor Vb.

A motorway connection of Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...

 to the important industrial city of Sisak
Sisak
Sisak is a city in central Croatia. The city's population in 2011 was 33,049, with a total of 49,699 in the administrative region and it is also the administrative centre of the Sisak-Moslavina county...

 is planned to be constructed as A11
A11 (Croatia)
The A11 motorway is an incomplete motorway in Croatia, long. It connects Velika Gorica, located south of Zagreb to Buševec exit. Only a fifth of the planned route is complete, and the motorway, when completed, shall span between Jakuševec interchange and Mošćenica near Sisak...

.

Significant tunnel and bridge construction projects in the south of Dalmatia are planned, such as the Biokovo
Biokovo
Biokovo is the second-highest mountain range in Croatia, located along the Dalmatian coast of the Adriatic Sea, between the rivers of Cetina and Neretva...

 tunnel near Makarska
Makarska
Makarska is a small town on the Adriatic coastline of Croatia, about southeast of Split and northwest of Dubrovnik. It has a population of 13,716 residents. Administratively Makarska has the status of a town and it is part of the Split-Dalmatia County....

, which will connect the panoramic seashore road with the future A1, and a 2374 m (7,789 ft) long Pelješac bridge
Pelješac bridge
The Pelješac Bridge is a bridge intended to connect the Croatian peninsula of Pelješac with the Croatian mainland, spanning the Adriatic Sea, which separates the two near the Bay of Mali Ston and the Neretva Channel....

, connecting the Pelješac
Pelješac
Pelješac is a peninsula in southern Dalmatia in Croatia. The peninsula is part of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County and is the second largest peninsula in Croatia...

 peninsula to the Croatian mainland.

By 2008, numerous service areas and petrol stations had been constructed along all Croatian motorways. All Croatian motorways are equipped with enclosed service areas with gas stations and parking. Many areas have restaurants and children's playgrounds.

Expressways

The term brza cesta or expressway refers to limited-access road
Limited-access road
A limited-access road known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway and expressway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which has many or most characteristics of a controlled-access highway , including limited or no access to adjacent...

s specifically designated as such by legislation and marked with appropriate limited-access road
Limited-access road
A limited-access road known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway and expressway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which has many or most characteristics of a controlled-access highway , including limited or no access to adjacent...

 traffic signs. The expressways may comprise two or more traffic lanes, while they normally do not have emergency lanes.

Polu-autocesta or semi-highway refers to a two-lane, undivided road running on one roadway of a motorway while the other is in construction. By legal definition, all semi-highways are expressways.

The expressway routes in Croatia usually correspond to a state road (see below) and are marked a "D" followed by a number. The "E" numbers are designations of European routes.

Major roads

Major roads that aren't part of the motorway system are državne ceste (state routes). They are marked with the letter D and the road's number.

The most traveled state routes in Croatia are:
  • D1
    D1 (Croatia)
    The state road D1 is a national highway in Croatia. It is a one-lane highway that spans from Macelj border crossing in the north via Krapina, Zagreb, Karlovac, Slunj, Gračac, Knin, Sinj, ending in Split...

    , connects Zagreb
    Zagreb
    Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...

     and Split via Lika
    Lika
    Lika is a mountainous region in central Croatia, roughly bound by the Velebit mountain from the southwest and the Plješevica mountain from the northeast. On the north-west end Lika is bounded by Ogulin-Plaški basin, and on the south-east by the Malovan pass...

     - passes through Karlovac
    Karlovac
    Karlovac is a city and municipality in central Croatia. The city proper has a population of 49,082, while the municipality has a population of 59,395 inhabitants .Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County...

    , Slunj
    Slunj
    Slunj is a town in the mountainous part of Central Croatia, located along the important North-South route to the Adriatic Sea between Karlovac and Plitvice Lakes National Park, on the meeting of the rivers Korana and Slunjčica...

    , Plitvice, Korenica
    Korenica
    Korenica is a village in Lika, Croatia, located in the municipality of Plitvička Jezera, on the road between Plitvice and Udbina. It has 1,570 residents .In SFR Yugoslavia it was named Titova Korenica after Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito...

    , Knin
    Knin
    Knin is a historical town in the Šibenik-Knin county of Croatia, located near the source of the river Krka at , in the Dalmatian hinterland, on the railroad Zagreb–Split. Knin rose to prominence twice in history, as a one-time capital of both the Kingdom of Croatia and briefly of the...

    , Sinj
    Sinj
    Sinj is a town in the continental part of Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia. The town itself has a population of 11,448, while the population of the administrative municipality which includes surrounding villages is 24,832 ....

    .
  • D2
    D2 (Croatia)
    D2 state road is a trunk state road in the northern areas of Croatia that spans from the border crossing with Slovenia at Dubrava Križovljanska in the west via Varaždin, Koprivnica, Virovitica, Našice, Osijek, Vukovar, ending in Ilok at the border crossing with Serbia...

    , connects Varaždin
    Varaždin
    Varaždin is a city in north Croatia, north of Zagreb on the highway A4. The total population is 47,055, with 38,746 on of the city settlement itself . The centre of Varaždin county is located near the Drava river, at...

     and Osijek
    Osijek
    Osijek is the fourth largest city in Croatia with a population of 83,496 in 2011. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja county...

     via Podravina
    Podravina
    Podravina or Podravje are Slavic names for the Drava river basin in Croatia and Slovenia.-History:...

     - passes through Koprivnica
    Koprivnica
    Koprivnica is a city in northern Croatia. It is the capital of the Koprivnica-Križevci county. In 2011 the city administrative area had a total population of 30,872, with 23,896 in the city itself.-Population:...

    , Virovitica
    Virovitica
    Virovitica is a Croatian town near the Croatian-Hungarian border. It is situated near the Drava river and belongs to the historic region of Slavonia. Virovitica has a population of 14,663, with 21,327 people in the municipality...

    , Slatina
    Slatina, Croatia
    Slatina is a town in Slavonia, Croatia. It is located in the Virovitica-Podravina county, at the contact of the Drava valley and the foothills of Papuk mountain, in the central part of the region of Podravina, southeast of Virovitica; elevation 127 m...

    , Našice
    Našice
    Našice is a town in the Osijek-Baranja county of Croatia, population 7,894 , total municipality population 16,228 . It is located on the northern slopes of Krndija Mountain in eastern Slavonia, 51 km southwest of Osijek; elevation 157 m....

    .
  • D8
    D8 (Croatia)
    D8 state road comprises Croatian section of Adriatic Highway, and it runs from Pasjak border crossing to Slovenia via Rijeka, Senj, Zadar, Šibenik, Split, Opuzen and Dubrovnik to the border with Montenegro at Karasovići. Most of the D8 state road is still a two-lane road, excepting rare four-lane...

    , connects Rijeka
    Rijeka
    Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...

     and Dubrovnik
    Dubrovnik
    Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...

    , widely known as Jadranska magistrala and part of E65
    European route E65
    European route E 65 is a north-south Class-A European route that begins in Malmö, Sweden and ends in Chaniá, Greece. The road is about in length.-Itinerary:* Sweden** E 65: Malmö – Ystad* Baltic sea, ferry Ystad-Świnoujście* Poland...

     - runs along the coastline and connects many cities on the coast, including Crikvenica
    Crikvenica
    Crikvenica is the largest settlement on the coast of the Vinodol coastal area, Croatia, and grew up on an area which was a settlement in the Roman era called Ad Turres. Population 7,121 , total municipality population 11,348 with 90% Croats...

    , Senj
    Senj
    Senj , German Zengg, Hungarian Zeng and Italian Segna) is the oldest town on the upper Adriatic, and it was founded in the time before the Romans some 3000 years ago on the hill Kuk. It was the center of the Illyrian tribe Iapydes. The current settlement is situated at the foot of the slopes Mala...

    , Zadar
    Zadar
    Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...

    , Šibenik
    Šibenik
    Šibenik is a historic town in Croatia, with population of 51,553 . It is located in central Dalmatia where the river Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea...

    , Trogir
    Trogir
    Trogir is a historic town and harbour on the Adriatic coast in Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia, with a population of 12,995 and a total municipality population of 13,322 . The historic city of Trogir is situated on a small island between the Croatian mainland and the island of Čiovo...

    , Split
    Split (city)
    Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...

    , Omiš
    Omiš
    Omiš is a town and port in the Dalmatia region of Croatia, and is a municipality in the Split-Dalmatia County. The town is situated approximately south-east of Croatia's second largest city, Split. Its location is where the emerald-green Cetina River meets the Adriatic Sea...

    , Makarska
    Makarska
    Makarska is a small town on the Adriatic coastline of Croatia, about southeast of Split and northwest of Dubrovnik. It has a population of 13,716 residents. Administratively Makarska has the status of a town and it is part of the Split-Dalmatia County....

     and Ploče
    Ploce
    Ploče is a town and a notable seaport in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia.The total population of Ploče is 10,102 , in the following settlements:* Baćina, population 564* Banja, population 176* Komin, population 1,222...

    .


Since the construction of A1
A1 (Croatia)
The A1 motorway is the longest motorway in Croatia spanning . As it connects Zagreb, the nation's capital, to Split, the second largest city in the country and the largest city in Dalmatia, the motorway represents a major north–south transportation corridor in Croatia and a significant part of the...

 motorway beyond Gorski kotar
Gorski kotar
Gorski kotar is the mountainous region in Croatia between Karlovac and Rijeka. Together with Lika and the Ogulin-Plaški valley it forms Mountainous Croatia. Because 63% of its surface is forested it is popularly called the green lungs of Croatia or Croatian Switzerland...

 started, D1 and D8 are much less used.

These routes are monitored by Croatian roadside assistance because they connect important locations. Like all state routes outside major cities, they are only two-lane arterials and do not support heavy traffic. All state routes are routinely maintained by Croatian road authorities. The road sign for a state route has a blue background and the route's designation in white. State routes have one, two or three-digit numbers.

Minor roads

Secondary routes are known as county roads. They are marked with signs with yellow background and road number. These roads' designations are rarely used, but usually marked on regional maps if these roads are shown. Formally, their designation is the letter Ž and the number. County roads have four-digit numbers.

The least known are the so-called local roads. Their designations are never marked on maps or by roadside signs and as such are virtually unknown to public. Their designations consist of the letter L and a five-digit number.

Bus traffic

In contrast to the fairly underdeveloped rail traffic, bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...

es represent the most-accepted, cheapest and widely-used means of public transport. National bus traffic is very well developed and it is very easy to reach even the remotest parts of Croatia by bus. Almost all buses on national routes are air-conditioned and offer pleasant traveling comfort. The Croatian parliament has passed a law that no bus should be older than 12 years - however, this decision is currently frozen because of the high cost for bus operators.

In practice, bus fares are collected on the bus while traveling, which is sometimes even cheaper than when paying at the ticket office (there is an additional fee for stored luggage) and sometimes a "ticket office fee".

From Croatia, there are many international bus routes to the neighboring countries (Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...

, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...

, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...

 etc.), as well as to Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Switzerland and to other European countries. International buses correspond to European standards.

Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...

 has the largest and most modern bus terminal in Croatia. It is located near the downtown in Trnje district on the Marin Držić Avenue
Marin Držic Avenue
Marin Držić Avenue is an important north-south avenue in the central-eastern part of Zagreb, Croatia. It is named after Marin Držić, a famous Croatian poet from the 16th century....

. It sports specially designed waiting areas above the bus stopping and parking area. The Zagreb bus terminal is close to the central train station, Glavni kolodvor and it is easy to reach by tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...

 lines and by car.

Sea transport

Croatia has several large seaports. The largest seaport with the deepest channel to a port in the Adriatic is Port of Rijeka
Port of Rijeka
The Port of Rijeka is a seaport in Rijeka, Croatia, located on the shore of the Kvarner Gulf in the Adriatic Sea. The first records of the port date to 1281. It was the main port of the Kingdom of Hungary in the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, of Yugoslavia between World War II...

 on the northern Croatian coast, followed by Ploče
Ploce
Ploče is a town and a notable seaport in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia.The total population of Ploče is 10,102 , in the following settlements:* Baćina, population 564* Banja, population 176* Komin, population 1,222...

 in southern Dalmatia. The port of Ploče is of strategic importance for the industries of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...

. The largest Croatian passenger port is Split
Port of Split
The Port of Split is a seaport in Split, Croatia, located in the Central Dalmatia. A trading post at the site was originally established by Greek settlers from the island of Vis and subsequently taken over by the Romans...

 in Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....

, also called gateway to the islands, followed by Zadar
Zadar
Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...

. There are 66 inhabited islands along the Croatian coast which means there is a large number of local ferry connections.

Ports and harbors:
  • major transport seaports: Omišalj
    Omišalj
    Omišalj is a small coastal town in the north-west of the island of Krk in Croatia. The population of the town itself is 1,790 , while the Omišalj municipality also includes the nearby Njivice, bringing the total up to 2,998 people...

    , Ploče
    Port of Ploče
    The Port of Ploče is a seaport in Ploče, Croatia, near the mouth of the Neretva river on the Adriatic Sea coast. It was formally opened in 1945 after a railway was built as a a supply route to connect the site with industrial facilities in the Sarajevo and Mostar areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina,...

    , Rijeka
    Port of Rijeka
    The Port of Rijeka is a seaport in Rijeka, Croatia, located on the shore of the Kvarner Gulf in the Adriatic Sea. The first records of the port date to 1281. It was the main port of the Kingdom of Hungary in the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, of Yugoslavia between World War II...

    , Šibenik
    Šibenik
    Šibenik is a historic town in Croatia, with population of 51,553 . It is located in central Dalmatia where the river Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea...

  • other seaports: Dubrovnik
    Dubrovnik
    Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...

    , Dugi Rat
    Dugi Rat
    Dugi Rat is a municipality in Croatia in the Split-Dalmatia county. It has a population of 7,305 , 98% of whom are Croats. In Croatian dugi rat means "cape long"....

    , Pula, Split
    Port of Split
    The Port of Split is a seaport in Split, Croatia, located in the Central Dalmatia. A trading post at the site was originally established by Greek settlers from the island of Vis and subsequently taken over by the Romans...

    , Zadar
    Zadar
    Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...

  • inland waterway ports: Vukovar
    Vukovar
    Vukovar is a city in eastern Croatia, and the biggest river port in Croatia located at the confluence of the Vuka river and the Danube. Vukovar is the center of the Vukovar-Syrmia County...

     (on Danube
    Danube
    The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....

    ), Sisak
    Sisak
    Sisak is a city in central Croatia. The city's population in 2011 was 33,049, with a total of 49,699 in the administrative region and it is also the administrative centre of the Sisak-Moslavina county...

     (on Sava), Slavonski Brod
    Slavonski Brod
    Slavonski Brod is a city in Croatia, with a population of 59,507 in 2011. The city was known as Marsonia in the Roman Empire, and as Brod na Savi 1244–1934. It is the sixth largest city in Croatia, after Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, Osijek and Zadar. Located in the region of Slavonia, it is the...

     (Sava river), Zupanja
    Županja
    Županja is a city in eastern Slavonia, Croatia, located 254 km east of Zagreb. It is administratively part of the Vukovar-Syrmia county. It is inhabited by 12,185 people ....

     (Sava river), Osijek
    Osijek
    Osijek is the fourth largest city in Croatia with a population of 83,496 in 2011. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja county...

     (Drava
    Drava
    Drava or Drave is a river in southern Central Europe, a tributary of the Danube. It sources in Toblach/Dobbiaco, Italy, and flows east through East Tirol and Carinthia in Austria, into Slovenia , and then southeast, passing through Croatia and forming most of the border between Croatia and...

     river)


Merchant marine (as of 2005):
  • total: 73 ships ( or over) totaling /
  • ships by type:
    • bulk carrier
      Bulk carrier
      A bulk carrier, bulk freighter, or bulker is a merchant ship specially designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo, such as grains, coal, ore, and cement in its cargo holds. Since the first specialized bulk carrier was built in 1852, economic forces have fueled the development of these ships,...

       25
    • cargo 12
    • chemical tanker
      Chemical tanker
      A chemical tanker is a type of tanker designed to transport chemicals in bulk.Ocean-going chemical tankers generally range from to in size, which is considerably smaller than the average size of other tanker types due to the specialised nature of their cargoes and the size restrictions of the...

       2
    • passenger/cargo 25
    • petroleum tanker
      Oil tanker
      An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a merchant ship designed for the bulk transport of oil. There are two basic types of oil tankers: the crude tanker and the product tanker. Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined crude oil from its point of extraction to refineries...

       4
    • refrigerated cargo 1
    • roll on/roll off 4
    • foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience
      Flag of convenience
      The term flag of convenience describes the business practice of registering a merchant ship in a sovereign state different from that of the ship's owners, and flying that state's civil ensign on the ship. Ships are registered under flags of convenience to reduce operating costs or avoid the...

      : 1
      • Denmark 1
    • registered in other countries: 31


An extensive system of ferries, operated by Jadrolinija
Jadrolinija
Jadrolinija is a Croatian sea shipping company. It is a state-owned company and its main mission is connecting Croatian islands to the mainland by operating regular passenger and cargo transport services...

, serves Croatia's many islands and links coastal cities. Ferry services to Italian cities of Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...

, Ancona
Ancona
Ancona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region....

, Pescara
Pescara
Pescara is the capital city of the Province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo region of Italy. As of January 1, 2007 it was the most populated city within Abruzzo at 123,059 residents, 400,000 with the surrounding metropolitan area...

 and Bari
Bari
Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...

 from around a dozen of Croatian sea ports, most notably Rovinj
Rovinj
Rovinj is a city in Croatia situated on the north Adriatic Sea with a population of 13,562 . It is located on the western coast of the Istrian peninsula and is a popular tourist resort and an active fishing port...

, Rijeka
Rijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...

, Zadar
Zadar
Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...

, Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...

, Korčula
Korcula
Korčula is an island in the Adriatic Sea, in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia. The island has an area of ; long and on average wide — and lies just off the Dalmatian coast. Its 16,182 inhabitants make it the second most populous Adriatic island after Krk...

 and Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...

, is available on a daily or weekly basis. From April to September the schedule is more dense and can include several round trips within a day.

River transport

Croatia is also on the important Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....

 waterway, which connects Eastern and Central Europe. The major Danube port is Vukovar
Vukovar
Vukovar is a city in eastern Croatia, and the biggest river port in Croatia located at the confluence of the Vuka river and the Danube. Vukovar is the center of the Vukovar-Syrmia County...

.

Perennially navigable rivers:
  • Danube
    Danube
    The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....

     (section from Batina to Ilok which is in Croatia)
  • Sava - from Rugvica
    Rugvica
    Rugvica is a municipality in Croatia in the Zagreb county. According to the 2001 census, there are 7,608 inhabitants, absolute majority of which are Croats....

     until it exits Croatia near Gunja. The most upstream port is in Sisak
    Sisak
    Sisak is a city in central Croatia. The city's population in 2011 was 33,049, with a total of 49,699 in the administrative region and it is also the administrative centre of the Sisak-Moslavina county...

    .

Total waterway
Waterway
A waterway is any navigable body of water. Waterways can include rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, and canals. In order for a waterway to be navigable, it must meet several criteria:...

 length (as of 2004): 785 km

Pipelines

As of 2004:
  • gas
    Natural gas
    Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...

    : 1,340 km
  • oil
    Petroleum
    Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...

    : 583 km


Major pipeline operators are Jadranski naftovod
Jadranski naftovod
Jadranski naftovod is a crude oil transportation company in Croatia. It operates the JANAF oil transport system, a part of the Adria oil pipeline.Jadranski naftovod operates oil terminal of the Port of Rijeka in Omišalj on the Krk Island...

 and Plinacro
Plinacro
-History:Plinacro was founded on 1 February 2001 as a subsidiary of INA. Since March 2002, Plinacro is a fully state-owned company.-Operations:Plinacro operates of high pressure gas pipelines...

.

See also

  • Croatian car number plates
  • Transport in Zagreb
    Transport in Zagreb
    Transport in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, relies on a combination of city-managed mass transit and individual transportation. Mass transit is composed of 19 inner-city tram lines and 120 bus routes, both managed entirely by Zagrebački električni tramvaj. Croatian Railways manages the parallel...

  • Croatian Motorways Ltd
  • Croatian Railways
    Croatian Railways
    Croatian Railways is the national railway company of Croatia. It was formed after the dissolution of Yugoslavia and Yugoslav Railways.Croatia is a member of the International Union of Railways . The UIC Country Code for Croatia is 78.-Railway network:...

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