Zadar to Split: Bus, Car & How Long It Takes

Zadar and Split sit about 120-160 km apart down the northern Dalmatian coast, and there are really only two sensible ways between them: a bus (cheapest and most frequent, roughly 1h45 to 3 hours) or driving (fastest on the A1 motorway, about 1h30-1h45). There is no direct ferry and no train on this stretch, despite both being coastal cities. For most travellers the bus wins - it runs more than a dozen times a day and drops you in the centre of each town - while a hire car only pays off if you want to stop along the way or carry on south afterward. Fares and times below are planning ballparks in euros (€), not live quotes; always confirm with the operator before you book.

Heads-up. Bus fares and timetables shift with the season and the operator, and motorway tolls change too. The euro figures here are rough orientation to help you choose, not guaranteed prices - check the operator’s own site for your exact date. Checked July 2026.

The two real options at a glance

Option	Time	Rough cost (one way)	Runs	Best for
Bus / coach	~1h45-3 h	~€14-28	Year-round, 14+ daily	Cost, frequency, no parking
Drive (A1)	~1h30-1h45	fuel + ~€8 toll + car	Anytime	Stops en route, onward travel
Coastal road (D8)	~2.5-4 h	fuel, toll-free	Anytime	Scenery, slow travel
Ferry / train	-	-	Does not exist on this route	-

By bus: cheapest, most frequent, no parking to worry about

The bus is how most people make this trip, and the service is genuinely good. Several operators run it - FlixBus, Arriva (Autotrans), Nomago and others, with tickets also sold through aggregators like Getbybus, Omio and Busbud - and between them there are more than a dozen departures a day, the first leaving early morning and the last in the evening. FlixBus alone lists around 15 buses daily, with first departures from about 05:20 and the last around 18:30.

How long it takes depends on the service. A direct, motorway bus can do it in about 1 hour 45 minutes; many scheduled coaches take 2 to 3 hours because they call at coastal towns along the way or sit in summer traffic. Fares are low: expect roughly €14 to €28 one way, with FlixBus advertising tickets from around €14 and Arriva from about €17-18 at standard prices, cheaper if you book early. Arriva also offers a small extra discount through its app and “first minute” tickets well below the standard fare.

Buses leave from Zadar’s main bus station (Autobusni kolodvor) on Ante Starčevića, about a 15-minute walk or short taxi from the old town peninsula, and arrive at Split’s main bus station on Obala kneza Domagoja - which sits right beside the ferry port and the train station, a five-minute walk from Diocletian’s Palace. That last point matters: in Split you step off the bus essentially in the old town, with the ferry terminal next door if you’re heading to the islands.

Book ahead online in July and August and around public holidays, when the best departures sell out. In spring and autumn you can usually buy a day or two before, or even at the station. For how this slots into the wider network - buses, ferries and driving across the country - see our getting around Croatia guide.

By car: fastest on the A1, but mind the parking

Driving is the quickest way to cover the gap and the only one that lets you stop where you like. There are two distinct routes, and they’re very different experiences.

The A1 motorway is the fast inland option: join the A1 south of Zadar and it runs to Split’s doorstep in about 1 hour 30 to 1 hour 45 minutes over roughly 150-160 km. It’s a modern, well-engineered road through the karst hills, tolled by distance - figure on around €8 one way for a standard car, paid by card or cash at the exit barrier, or with an ENC transponder. Soon after leaving Zadar you cross the Maslenica Bridge, the big arched span over the Novsko ždrilo channel that’s one of the landmarks of the drive.

The catch with driving is what happens at each end. Both Zadar’s old town and Split’s old town are largely pedestrian, so you can’t drive up to your accommodation inside the walls - you park in a garage or paid street zone outside and walk in. In Split especially, parking near the centre is tight and pricey in summer, so if you’re only visiting the city and not continuing onward, a car can be more hassle than help. Where it earns its keep is if you’re carrying on south to Šibenik, Trogir or down the coast toward Dubrovnik afterward, or detouring to Krka or Plitvice - then the flexibility is worth it.

If you’re hiring, a one-way rental between Zadar and Split (or picking up at one airport and dropping at the other) is common, though it usually carries a drop-off fee. Our guide to renting a car in Croatia covers costs, insurance and the cross-border rules in detail.

Is the coastal road or a ferry worth it?

Two questions come up a lot on this route, so to be clear:

There is no ferry between Zadar and Split. Both are major ferry ports, but they connect outward to the islands - Zadar to Ugljan, Dugi Otok and the Kornati; Split to Hvar, Brač, Vis and Korčula - not directly to each other along the coast. A fast coastal catamaran linking them has been floated over the years, but nothing scheduled runs. If you want sea travel in this part of Dalmatia, it’s island hopping, not a city-to-city line; our Croatia ferries guide and the island hopping guide explain how the boat network actually fits together.

The coastal road (the D8, or Jadranska magistrala) is the scenic alternative to the motorway. It hugs the shoreline through Biograd, Pirovac, Vodice and Šibenik, with the sea on one side most of the way - genuinely beautiful, and worth it if the drive itself is part of your holiday. But it’s slow and winding, taking 2.5 to 4 hours depending on traffic and how often you stop, against the A1’s 1h30-1h45. It’s also toll-free, which sweetens the trade. Most drivers who aren’t in a hurry do a mix: motorway for the dull inland stretch, then drop down to the coast road around Šibenik for the prettiest final run toward Split. If you’re on the bus, you don’t choose - most services take the fast road.

Which should you pick?

• Cheapest and simplest: take the bus. Frequent, inexpensive, and it drops you beside the old town and ferry port in Split.
• Fastest, or continuing onward: drive the A1 - under two hours, about €8 in tolls, ideal if you’re heading further south afterward.
• For the scenery, with time to spare: take the coastal D8, toll-free and lovely, but budget half a day.
• Don’t wait for a boat: there’s no Zadar-Split ferry - use the bus or car, and save the ferries for the islands.

Either way it’s a short, easy leg by Croatian standards. Once you’re in Split, the Split travel guide covers what to see and where to stay, and if you’re carrying on to Dubrovnik, our Split to Dubrovnik transport guide takes the story south.

All prices and times here are planning estimates in euros, not quotes. Bus fares, timetables and motorway tolls change with the season and the operator - confirm current details with the operator or official sources before you travel. Checked July 2026.