A navigation app can calculate the fastest route from Zagreb to Split or Rijeka, but it does not always explain what happens at the motorway barrier. Should you take a ticket? Can you enter the ENC lane? Is a Croatian vignette required? These details matter when the vehicle belongs to a rental company.
Croatia still uses route-based motorway charges in 2026. There is no nationwide windscreen vignette for ordinary passenger cars. On most longer motorway journeys, the driver records the entry point at one toll plaza and pays for the distance travelled at another.
No Vignette: Take a Ticket at the Motorway Entrance
The majority of Croatia’s main motorway network uses a closed toll system. When entering, drive towards a lane marked for tickets, stop beside the machine and collect the issued ticket. The barrier rises after the ticket has been removed.
A standard two-axle rental car no higher than 1.90 metres normally falls into Category I. Taller passenger vans and vehicles towing trailers may be classified differently and charged more.
Place the ticket somewhere secure and easy to reach. It identifies the motorway entrance and allows the system to calculate the correct charge. Reaching the exit without a valid entry record can result in a contractual penalty based on twice the longest applicable toll for that exit and vehicle category.
Some shorter motorway sections use an open system instead. In this case, there is no separate entry ticket. A fixed amount is collected at a single toll point.
What to Do at the Exit Toll Plaza
As the motorway exit approaches, overhead signs divide traffic by payment method. Select a lane showing cash or card symbols. Avoid making a last-second lane change, particularly when summer traffic is moving slowly around the booths.
Present or insert the entry ticket and wait for the price to appear. Croatian Motorways accepts payment in euros and with commonly used cards including Visa, Mastercard, Maestro and Diners at appropriately marked lanes.
Carry a second payment method. A bank card can be declined because of a temporary connection problem, a foreign transaction restriction or a bank security check. If the machine does not accept the ticket or payment, press the assistance button and remain in the lane.
Keep the toll receipt with the rental documents. It shows the route and category used to calculate the charge. This is useful evidence if the same trip is later invoiced through the rental company or the wrong vehicle category appears on the receipt.
Using ENC in a Rental Car
ENC is Croatia’s electronic toll collection system. An active unit mounted on the windscreen communicates with the toll equipment, records the journey and charges a linked account. Cars using ENC do not collect paper tickets.
A device visible inside a rental car should not be used without confirmation. It may be inactive, reserved for another service or linked to conditions that are not included in the rental. Ask the supplier whether the unit is active, which motorway operators accept it and how completed trips will be invoiced.
Never enter an ENC-only lane simply because it has fewer vehicles. Without a working unit, the barrier may remain closed and the driver may need assistance to leave the lane. A personal ENC device should also match the category of the rented vehicle.
The road toll and the rental company’s processing charge are separate. If the supplier receives an electronic charge and pays it on the driver’s behalf, the rental agreement may permit an additional administration fee. This fee does not come from the motorway operator.
Routes from Zagreb and the Crolibertas Change
Drivers travelling from Zagreb to Zadar, Šibenik or Split use the A1 and pay according to their exit. For Plitvice Lakes, the usual route follows the A1 only to Karlovac and then continues on the D1, which is a state road rather than a tolled motorway.
The A6 leads from Zagreb towards Rijeka. The A4 runs north towards Varaždin and the Hungarian border, while the A3 provides connections towards Slovenia in the west and Slavonia in the east.
The A2 towards Macelj and the Istrian Y network have different motorway operators. Their prices and ENC arrangements may not be identical to those on the main Croatian Motorways network. Check the complete route before departure, especially when driving from Zagreb through Rijeka into Istria.
Motorway prices depend on the entry, exit and vehicle category. The official toll calculator is more reliable than an old travel blog or a screenshot saved before the trip. State roads can avoid some charges, but the saving should be compared with the additional driving time, fuel and traffic through towns.
Croatia is preparing to replace barrier-based toll collection with Crolibertas. New gantries installed during 2026 will use number plate recognition and ENC technology, allowing future motorway journeys without stopping at booths. Full operation is currently planned for 1 March 2027.
Until the change is officially activated, the existing ticket and ENC procedures remain in use. A new gantry above the road is not permission to pass a toll plaza without taking a ticket or paying.
Before selecting a car through RentGo Zagreb, review the individual offer for ENC availability, toll billing and administrative charges. If the car has no confirmed electronic service, use the regular ticket lanes and pay directly at the exit.
For most visitors, Croatian toll roads require only a simple routine: take a ticket, keep it safe, choose the correct payment lane and retain the receipt. Understanding that routine before leaving Zagreb prevents penalties and makes long-distance driving across Croatia considerably easier.
Salut. Numele meu este Daniliuc Marcel Catalin. Mă consider o persoană melancolică iar, de cele mai multe ori, starea mea de spirit este influențată de poveștile auzite, cărțile citite, filmele văzute etc.