As we reported earlier this week, starting from today, July 1, road tolls in Croatia are 10% higher. This means the use of Zagreb-Split motorway will cost you 199 kuna instead of the former 181 kuna fee, while the Zagreb-Rijeka highway, previously a 70-kuna trip, will now have you paying 77 kuna. The increase comes just in time for the season, and will last until September 30, 2017.
Many have complained over this seasonal hike in prices that was obviously devised with tourists in mind, due to the spike in the number of vehicles on Croatian motorways during summer. The new prices are widely considered to be unfair both to tourists and the locals, who are now forced to pay more for the roads they use on the regular just because we’re going through a lucrative time of the year.
To express their disapproval of the newly increased tolls, Index put together a handy guide suggesting alternative routes you can take if you want to avoid motorways and show your protest.
“The prices have become so arrogantly high that on some routes they are higher than the prices of yearly vignettes in some European countries. European countries recognize the potential related to fast and effective traffic, so they adjusted the prices of their roads accordingly. In Romania, the price of the yearly vignette amounts to 28 euros. In Switzerland, a country which is all but cheap, you can drive on a highway for an entire year for 37.42 euros. In Bulgaria, the price of the yearly driving through the entire country amounts to 50 euros, just as is the case in Slovakia. In comparison, the price of driving from Zagreb to Split is 26.81 euros. This means that a single trip from Zagreb to Split and back will cost you the same as Bulgarians and Slovaks pay for driving on all highways, through the entire country, in an entire year”, states the Index article, drawing attention to the bewildering differences between Croatian tolls and those in other European countries.
Suggested alternative routes will all cost you 0 kuna as there are no tollbooths outside the motorways, but keep in mind some of them will take a bit longer to get you to your destination. Another thing to consider is the quality of infrastructure: the motorways are of a newer date, and you never know in what state you’ll find some of the local roads. It’s up to you to decide: if your main goal is to get to Split or Dubrovnik by car as quickly as possible, you’ll probably want to stick to the motorway, increased tolls or not. On the other hand, if you have some extra time and a good navigation system at hand, taking the local route might have you discovering new places you didn’t know existed and making some precious memories. Whatever you decide, we hope you’ll enjoy your time in Croatia.
Take a look at the suggested routes here.
