Car hire reviews
Car hire in Dubrovnik makes sense as soon as your plans extend beyond the old town walls. The city itself is compact, expensive to park in, and not somewhere you want to drive casually inside the centre, but a rental becomes useful fast if you are heading up the coast, staying in surrounding villages, or building Montenegro and southern Croatia into the same trip. For most travellers, Dubrovnik Airport pickup is the smarter move because airport desks offer the widest supplier choice and let you skip a paid transfer into town just to collect a car later. The catch is that airport desks can be busy and more aggressive on insurance. If you only need a car for day trips, a city pickup can reduce stress, but availability is thinner. Driving here is straightforward once you leave the congestion around the port and old town. Expect narrow roads, expensive parking, and summer traffic. The reviews below help you judge which suppliers make Dubrovnik car hire easy and which ones turn pickup into an unnecessary argument.
Counter intelligence
16 min
Best: Hertz (8 min)
31% low
6%
1 of 16 reviews
80%
Got car they booked
Based on 16 reviews across 8 locations and 37 suppliers. Average rating: 4/5 · Typical wait: ~16 minutes
Quick insights
Quick research insights on suppliers and pickup locations in Dubrovnik.
Locations in Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik Airport
Airport
Dubrovnik Downtown
City / downtown
Aci Marina
Other location
Dubrovnik ACI Marina
Other location
Dubrovnik Babin Kuk
Other location
Dubrovnik Bus Station
Other location
4.0
Great
16 reviews
Carlos Mendez
1 Feb 2026
Picked up near the old town, avoided the airport queue entirely. Car was clean, staff were relaxed. Returned it with no drama.
Marco Z.
15 Jan 2026
Arrived late evening and the Hertz desk was still open. Car was clean, no hidden charges. Would definitely use again for our next Croatian holiday.
Thomas L.
17 Dec 2025
We booked with Sixt for our couple's trip to Croatia and found them to be a solid choice overall. We arrived at the desk around midday and, thankfully, the queue wasn't too long, which was a relief after a tiring flight. The staff member was professional and didn't aggressively push the extra insurance, though we did take the basic coverage just for peace of mind on the coastal roads. We received an upgrade to a slightly newer Volkswagen, which was a nice bonus. The car handled well for the drive up to Ston. Dropping the keys off was surprisingly easy—we just parked up and handed them over. My only minor gripe is that the hold on the credit card deposit took about a week to clear, but otherwise, it was good value for money.
Morgan G.
3 Nov 2025
Sixt were efficient but there was a 20 min queue when our flight landed. Car itself was perfect — a Golf, well maintained. Return was dead easy.
Mia Hoffman
1 Oct 2025
Cars are usually fresh and the walk to the lot is short, yet the counter script can turn a five-minute pickup into a fifteen-minute insurance seminar if you're unprepared.
Dubrovnik O.
28 Aug 2025
Skip the crowded airport counter. Lapad location was calm, staff spoke perfect English, and parking advice was genuine.
Marcus M.
18 Aug 2025
Paperwork took under ten minutes, the car was spotless, and the upsell pressure was refreshingly low for a July airport counter.
Thomas L.
9 Aug 2025
I picked up my rental from Budget at Dubrovnik Airport around 11:00 AM. While there wasn't much of a queue, the process felt unnecessarily slow. The staff member I dealt with was quite indifferent and barely looked up from his screen. The main frustration was the hard sell on their 'Super Cover' insurance. I’ve rented cars all over Europe, but this was one of the more pushy attempts to get me to buy extra coverage, repeatedly warning me about potential scratches. On the plus side, the car itself was perfectly clean and reliable for my solo trip along the coast. It’s a decent option if you ignore the pressure at the counter, but be prepared to stand your ground.
Ryan S.
9 Aug 2025
The base fare looks irresistible, but long queues, aggressive upsell tactics and strict scratch checks make this one better for seasoned renters than first-timers.
Thomas L.
6 Jul 2025
I rented from Europcar at Dubrovnik Airport for a weekend break, and it was a huge mistake. The pickup process started poorly with a long queue and a staff member who was pushy about extra insurance. I stood my ground, but they still put a high deposit hold on my card. The car itself was fine during the trip, but the real trouble started when I returned the vehicle. The attendant claimed he found a scratch on the bumper that I know wasn't there when I picked up. Despite pointing out that it was just dirty, he insisted it was new damage. A week later, I saw they had taken a large sum from my card for 'repairs.' I'm currently fighting to get my money back. Definitely avoid this location.
Thomas L.
2 Jun 2025
I was a bit worried about renting a car solo in Croatia, but my experience with Hertz at Dubrovnik Airport was surprisingly stress-free. I arrived at the counter around 10:30 AM and there was absolutely no queue, which was a relief. The staff member who served me was friendly and efficient. I had already paid online, so he just offered the usual excess reduction insurance, but accepted my polite refusal without any pushy sales tactics. I was given a nearly new Volkswagen Polo, which was spotless inside and out. The fuel policy was fair, and the deposit hold on my card was processed quickly. It made driving down to the coast incredibly easy. Highly recommended if you want a hassle-free start to your holiday.
Marcus
18 Aug 2025
Paperwork took under ten minutes, the car was spotless, and the upsell pressure was refreshingly low for a July airport counter.
Mia Hoffman
1 Oct 2025
Cars are usually fresh and the walk to the lot is short, yet the counter script can turn a five-minute pickup into a fifteen-minute insurance seminar if you're unprepared.
SunsetRyan
9 Aug 2025
The base fare looks irresistible, but long queues, aggressive upsell tactics and strict scratch checks make this one better for seasoned renters than first-timers.
Carlos Mendez
1 Feb 2026
Picked up near the old town, avoided the airport queue entirely. Car was clean, staff were relaxed. Returned it with no drama.
DubrovnikOldTown
28 Aug 2025
Skip the crowded airport counter. Lapad location was calm, staff spoke perfect English, and parking advice was genuine.