Your Dubrovnik to Split transfer: door to door, no border queue

How long does the drive to Split take?

The drive from Dubrovnik to the centre of Split is about 235 km and takes roughly 3¼ hours without stops. The fastest route follows the D8 coast road north-west, crosses to the mainland and joins the A1 motorway for the last 104 km into Split. Staying on the coast road the whole way is about 244 km and takes around 4¼ hours.

Summer traffic adds time. We plan the pick-up time with you so that you reach a ferry, a flight or a check-in comfortably.

Is there a border crossing on the way?

No. Until 2022 the coast road crossed a 9 km strip of Bosnia and Herzegovina at Neum, with a border check at each end. The Pelješac Bridge now carries traffic across Mali Ston Bay to the mainland, so the whole journey stays inside Croatia.

The bridge opened on 26 July 2022. It is about 2.4 km long, and the EU contributed about €357 million to the road link it is part of, according to the European Commission. The Commission says the new road cut the drive between the two parts of the D8 from at best 59 minutes to 22. Our guide to the Pelješac Bridge has the full story.

Where can we stop on the way?

A private transfer can include a short stop, as long as you tell us when you book. Three stops fit the route naturally, in the order you reach them:

• Trsteno, about 20 km from Dubrovnik, where the arboretum of the Gučetić family already existed by 1492 and later stood in for the Red Keep gardens in Game of Thrones, according to the Wikipedia article on Trsteno Arboretum.
• Ston, about an hour from Dubrovnik. The town’s walls were begun in 1358 by the Republic of Ragusa to protect its salt pans, and about 5.5 km of them survive, as the Wikipedia article on the Walls of Ston records. The salt pans are still worked.
• Makarska, below the Biokovo mountains, about two-thirds of the way to Split and 160 km from Dubrovnik by the coast road.

We confirm each stop, and anything it adds to the fixed price, before you travel.

How does a transfer compare with the bus or the catamaran?

All three get you to Split; they differ in price, comfort and timing. The bus is by far the cheapest. The catamaran is a scenic option in season. A private car is the quickest door-to-door choice and the most comfortable with children, luggage or a group.

Buses leave many times a day from the main bus station in Gruž, at Obala pape Ivana Pavla II. In season, catamarans run between the two cities, calling at islands such as Korčula and Hvar; operators including Kapetan Luka (Krilo) publish their timetables each spring.

For one or two travellers with light bags, the bus is the sensible choice. Our guide on how to get from Dubrovnik to Split compares all the options in more detail.

Where in Split can you drop us?

Anywhere you need: your hotel or apartment, the ferry port for the islands, the main bus and train station, or Split Airport. The historic centre around Diocletian’s Palace is largely pedestrian, so for addresses inside it the driver stops at the nearest point a car may use, usually on the waterfront.

Split Airport is at Kaštela, west of the city, about 247 km from Dubrovnik. A transfer there costs €330 by car.

Which vehicle is best for the drive to Split?

On a three-hour drive, space matters. A standard car suits up to four passengers with a suitcase each. A minivan, at €420, suits five to eight passengers, or a smaller group that wants legroom and room for extra bags, such as golf clubs or a pram. The premium minivan, a Mercedes-Benz V-Class at €540, has leather seats for up to seven. All three have air conditioning, and child seats are free on request.

Can we book Split to Dubrovnik?

Yes. The route runs in both directions at the same price. Give us the pick-up address and time in Split, and we send the driver to collect you there.

How do we book?

Send us the date, the pick-up time, the number of passengers and suitcases, and both addresses. We reply by email with one fixed price per vehicle. Cancelling is free up to 24 hours before the pick-up, and you pay the driver in cash or by card. For other long-distance routes, see all our private transfers from Dubrovnik.