Dubrovnik Airport transfers with your driver waiting in arrivals

How does a Dubrovnik Airport transfer work?

A private airport transfer is a car or minivan booked in advance for your group alone, at a price agreed before you fly. The driver follows your flight, waits for you in the arrivals hall and drives you to the address you gave us. Nobody else joins the ride, and there is no meter running.

Booking takes five steps:

1. Send the flight number, the landing time, the number of passengers and suitcases, and your accommodation address.
2. We reply by email with one fixed price per vehicle and the name of the meeting point.
3. On the day, the driver checks the live landing time, so a delay changes nothing for you.
4. After baggage reclaim, you walk into the arrivals hall and find the driver holding a sign with your name.
5. You pay at the end of the journey, in cash or by card.

Where will the driver meet me at the airport?

Your driver waits in the public arrivals hall of Building B, just beyond the exit from the baggage hall, holding a sign with the lead passenger’s name. Every arriving passenger leaves through that one exit, so you cannot miss each other.

According to Dubrovnik Airport’s floor plan, arrivals are on the ground floor of Building B. Passport control for flights from outside the Schengen area comes first, then four baggage belts, then a single exit into the public hall. The hall has an information desk, a lost-and-found office, cash machines and a small shop.

What if passport control takes longer than expected?

Passengers from outside the EU who arrive on flights from outside the Schengen area, such as flights from the United Kingdom, Ireland or the United States, now pass through the EU Entry/Exit System. On a first entry, border officers record passport details, a photograph and fingerprints. The airport has self-service kiosks for this, as its Entry/Exit System guidance explains.

The queue can add time on busy afternoons. That is why the free waiting time starts when the plane lands, not when you reach the hall.

How long does the drive from the airport take?

The airport is at Čilipi, south-east of the city. Dubrovnik Airport puts the distance at 22.5 km and the average drive at 30–35 minutes, but asks travellers to allow up to an hour in July and August. The route follows the D8 coast road through Župa dubrovačka.

Typical distances by road from the airport:

• Cavtat: about 6 km, roughly 10 minutes.
• Plat, Mlini and Srebreno: 8 to 12 km, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Pile Gate (Old Town, west side): about 21 km.
• Ploče Gate (Old Town, east side) and the Gruž port: about 22 to 23 km.
• Lapad and Babin Kuk hotels: 24 to 25 km, around 35 minutes in light traffic.

For hotel areas, see the pages on transfers to Lapad and Babin Kuk and transfers to Cavtat.

Where can the car drop me near the Old Town?

No car can enter the Old Town itself: the streets inside the walls are pedestrian only. From 1 April to 31 October, the roads around the walls also form a restricted traffic zone, watched by number-plate cameras, which vehicles may enter only with City authorisation. The City of Dubrovnik’s zone page sets out the rules.

The driver stops at the nearest point your vehicle is allowed to use, and we name that point in your booking confirmation. If you are staying inside the walls, tell us the address and we will tell you which gate is the shorter walk. The Old Town transfer page explains the drop-off points in detail, and the guide to driving to the Old Town covers the zone, parking and fines.

How does a transfer compare with the shuttle bus or a taxi?

Each way into the city suits a different traveller. The official shuttle is the cheapest for one or two people going to Ploče Gate or the bus station. A taxi needs no booking. A pre-booked transfer gives you a fixed price, a driver who waits for you and a ride to the door of your accommodation.

The shuttle operator, Platanus, runs a bus about 30 minutes after every arrival. It stops at Ploče Gate after about 30 minutes and ends at the main bus station in Gruž after about 35, with no stops in Lapad, Babin Kuk, Cavtat or Mlini. Children under six travel free and one suitcase per ticket is included.

At the taxi rank in front of Building B, each taxi operator sets its own tariff, and the price list is displayed at the taxi window in the arrivals hall. Our comparisons of taxis and private transfers and of Uber, Bolt and pre-booked cars go through the numbers in more detail.

Which vehicle do I need?

Choose by the number of people and suitcases, not only by the number of seats.

• Standard car (€50 to the Old Town): one to four passengers with a suitcase and a cabin bag each.
• Minivan (€65): five to eight passengers, or a smaller group with golf bags, a pram or a lot of luggage.
• Premium minivan (€75): a Mercedes-Benz V-Class with leather seats for up to seven.

Child seats and boosters are free. Tell us each child’s age when you book, because Croatian law requires a suitable restraint for every child under 150 cm, as our guide to child car seats in Croatia explains.

When should I book a Dubrovnik Airport transfer?

Book as soon as you know your flight. The airport handled a record 3,090,245 passengers in 2025, and 86% of them travelled between May and October, according to the airport’s statistics. August is the busiest month of the year.

Cancelling is free up to 24 hours before the pick-up time, so there is no risk in booking early. If your plans change, send us the new flight number and we move the pick-up. Before you travel, read our airport arrival guide for what to expect between the aircraft door and the car.