Croatia Toll Roads 2026: A1 Zagreb-Split Prices, ENC Tag

The Croatian motorway network

Croatia operates about 1,330 km of toll motorway, the densest in the western Balkans. The network is organised around three concessionaires:

• HAC (Hrvatske autoceste): the largest operator, runs A1 Zagreb-Ploče (the holiday-traffic backbone), A3 Bregana-Lipovac (transit east-west), A4/A5 connecting Hungary and Bosnia, A10/A11 spurs
• BINA-Istra: A8 Kanfanar-Matulji and A9 Pula-Kaštel (the Istrian Y-system)
• ARZ (Autocesta Rijeka-Zagreb): A6 Rijeka-Zagreb, A7 Rijeka beltway
• AZM: A2 Zagreb-Macelj (toward Slovenia)
• Pelješac Bridge (HAC): the new bridge bypassing Bosnia, free since 2022

All but two short urban stretches use the entry-exit ticket system: you take a ticket on entering, you pay at the booth on exiting based on distance × vehicle category.

A1 toll prices Zagreb-Split (the main holiday route)

A1 is the route the great majority of summer tourists take from inland Europe down to the Dalmatian coast. The drive is about 380 km and the toll is paid per segment.

For a Category 1 vehicle (passenger car under 1.9 m without trailer):

In July and August 2026, HAC applies a 10% peak surcharge across all sections (Zagreb-Split goes from 29 to €32). Card and ENC payments get a small early-booking discount through the SmartENC app.

Vehicle categories:

• Category I: car, under 1.9 m height, no trailer. The standard rate above.
• Category II: car + trailer or motorhome 1.9-2.3 m. Roughly 1.5x Category I.
• Category III: van/truck 2.3-3.5 m or motorhome over 2.3 m. Roughly 2x Category I.
• Category IV: heavy truck or bus. Roughly 3-4x Category I.

The category is determined automatically by overhead sensors at the entry booth that measure your height; motorhomes always get bumped up.

Other major toll routes

A6 Rijeka-Zagreb (ARZ)

• Rijeka to Karlovac (A6): about 90 km, €10 for Category I
• A6 connects to A1 at Bosiljevo for traffic from the Istrian peninsula heading south
• Sveti Rok tunnel is on A1, not A6, but if you are heading to Dalmatia via Istria you cross both networks

A3 Bregana-Zagreb-Lipovac (HAC)

The east-west transit corridor, used by trucks from Italy/Slovenia heading to Serbia and beyond, plus tourist traffic to/from Belgrade and Bulgaria:

• Bregana (Slovenian border) to Zagreb (Jankomir): €1.50, 30 km
• Zagreb (Ivanja Reka) to Lipovac (Serbian border): €13.50, 280 km
• Full transit Bregana to Lipovac: €15.00, 305 km

A8/A9 Istria (BINA-Istra)

The Istrian Y-system serving Pula, Rovinj, Poreč, Umag from the Slovenian side or from Rijeka:

• Pula to Kanfanar (A9 north): about €4.50
• Kanfanar to Matulji (A8, towards Rijeka): about €7.50
• Pula to Slovenian border via A9: about €6
• Full Istra crossing (Pula to Rijeka): about €12

A2 Zagreb-Macelj (AZM)

Connecting to Slovenia/Austria via Maribor:

• Zagreb to Macelj border: about €6.50, 60 km

Krk Bridge (free in 2026)

The Krk Bridge to Krk Island became toll-free in April 2020. Previously cost €5 for cars.

Pelješac Bridge (free since 2022)

The 2.4 km Pelješac Bridge opened in July 2022 and is free for all vehicles, replacing the need to cross the Bosnia Neum corridor twice on A1 south of Ploče. It connects Komarna (mainland) to the Pelješac peninsula, then onward via the rebuilt D414 road to Doli where it rejoins A1 toward Dubrovnik. Total detour about 30 minutes; saves the double Bosnia passport check.

How to pay

Cash (Euros only since 2023)

Kuna is no longer accepted since 1 January 2023. All toll booths take euros. Coins and notes; manned booths give change in euros. Bring small notes (10, €20) for shorter journeys.

Card

Visa, Mastercard, Maestro accepted at almost all booths. Contactless under €50 without PIN. American Express not always accepted at smaller booths. Foreign cards work normally.

ENC electronic tag

Croatian ENC (Elektronička naplata cestarine) is the equivalent of French Liber-T or Italian Telepass. Standardised across all four Croatian concessionaires.

How to get one:

• At any HAC, BINA-Istra, ARZ or AZM service centre, or at the airport HAC desks
• Online via smartenc.hr
• Cost: about €10 (one-time) + minimum €10 prepaid balance
• Tag is reusable, top up as needed

Benefits:

• Skip the long Saturday queues in summer (typically 10-40 minute wait at Lučko or Sveti Rok)
• 10% discount on Category I tolls (varies by concession)
• Drive through dedicated yellow ENC lanes without stopping

For a one-week beach holiday with one round trip, the ENC value is mostly the queue-skip. For multi-week tours or business travel, also worth it for the discount.

SmartENC app

The HAC SmartENC app (Android, iOS) lets you link your plate number to a credit card. The system reads your plate at any HAC toll plaza and charges your card automatically; no physical tag needed. Currently HAC-only (does not cover BINA-Istra or ARZ).

Hire cars

Most rental cars in Croatia come with an ENC tag, often pre-loaded with a small balance and charged back to you at return. Confirm at pickup.

Summer traffic strategy (the Saturday problem)

The A1 Zagreb-Split corridor, particularly the Sveti Rok tunnel approach and the Zadar-Split section, becomes severely congested on summer Saturdays as European holiday traffic arrives. Typical July-August Saturday delays at the worst pinch points:

Strategies:

• Drive Friday night or Sunday: the Saturday peak is the worst day. Friday-night arrival or Sunday departure cuts delays roughly in half.
• Leave Zagreb before 06:00 on the worst Saturdays to be past Sveti Rok before the wave hits.
• Use the old coastal road D8 for at least one direction; slower but no toll queues.
• ENC tag skips the entry-exit booth queue but does not help with the tunnel crawl.
• Check HAK live traffic at hak.hr before departure (and again every hour); they post current Sveti Rok delays in real time.

Free road alternatives

For travellers with time or budget constraints:

D8 (Jadranska magistrala): the old coastal road

The stunning Adriatic coastal road from Rijeka via Senj, Karlobag, Zadar, Šibenik, Split, Makarska to Dubrovnik. About 600 km of coast-hugging two-lane road with countless viewpoints. Slow (4-5 hours longer than A1 to Split) but free and arguably the most scenic drive in Europe. Recommended for at least one direction of a Dalmatian trip.

D1 inland alternative

D1 from Karlovac through Slunj, Plitvice, Korenica to Knin and on to Split. Free, slower, less scenic than D8 but useful as an A1 backup. Plitvice Lakes are on this route.

Inland alternative for Istria

D200/D75 to bypass A8/A9; rural, slow, free. Mostly used by locals.

Toll calculator tips

The HAC website (hac.hr) and the SmartENC app both have toll calculators where you enter entry + exit and vehicle category for the live price.

For a multi-leg trip across concessionaires (A8 + A6 + A1) you pay each operator separately. The whole route Pula → Split is roughly €39 for a Category I car in summer.

Bosnia border (avoided by Pelješac Bridge)

Before the Pelješac Bridge opened in 2022, the A1 south of Ploče on the way to Dubrovnik crossed a 9 km strip of Bosnian territory at Neum, requiring two passport controls. Since the bridge opened, virtually all foreign traffic uses it instead:

• Pelješac Bridge route (recommended): A1 to Komarna exit → Pelješac Bridge → D414 across peninsula → ferry-free road to Doli → rejoin A1 → Dubrovnik. Free, no border controls.
• Old Neum corridor: A1 continues through Bosnia. Passport check on both sides; Bosnia is not in Schengen. Petrol is cheaper in Bosnia but the time cost makes it rarely worth it for tourists.

Payment methods in summary