Car hire Split

Introduction

Split is Croatia's second city and one of the oldest cities in the region. The city originated when, around the year 300, the Roman emperor Diocletianus built a palace there. This huge building still forms the center of the historical city. The old center was added to UNESCO's World Heritage list in 1979.

Population

In 2007 Split had more than 221,000 inhabitants, but this number is rapidly increasing, in the entire urban area of Split and the surrounding towns there are approximately half a million people.

Location

The city lies in the southern region Dalmatia next to the Adriatic Sea, opposite the city is the island Brač. This island is, like many other islands in front of the coast, only reachable via the port of Split.

Economy

When Croatia still formed part of Yugoslavia, Split was an important industrial center. The city suffered a lot during the transition to the free market economy, but is recovering the last years. Some of the old industries are modernized, among others the chemical, paper and shipbuilding industry. Furthermore the economy relies on fishing, agriculture (olives and wine) and tourism.

Airports

The international airport of Split lies 25 kilometers west of the city, after Zagreb Airport it is the most important airport of Croatia. More than 1.2 million passengers use it yearly, most of them during summer.

Public transport

In Split there are only city buses, the hilly area of the city is unsuitable for streetcars. The bus company Promet Split maintains the 18 bus lines with modern equipment. On Fridays and Saturdays there is a night bus service. Buying a ticket at a kiosk is slightly more economic than buying it on the bus.

Furthermore there are bus lines to destinations outside of Split, they leave from the central bus station, at the ferry port.

There is also a city railway which connects Split with Kaštel Stari.

Traffic and parking

During the summer the center of Split can be very busy, then it is also quite difficult to find a parking space. You have to pay everywhere in the center to park in the streets. The parking police are very strict, if you exceed the allowed parking time it is rather likely that they will tow your car away.

At the ferry port there is a large parking area.

Hotels

There is a large offer of hotels in Split, from basic budget accommodations to luxurious five-star hotels. The hotels on the Riva Boulevard are popular, but of course these are the most expensive ones. During summer Split is a popular travel destination and you must reserve a room long in advance. At the ferry port and the bus station many 'intermediaries' offer accommodations, although this could be a good way to get a last minute room, one must be careful before committing to an offer.

External sources

For more information about Split, we recommend Google and the following sources:

• Wikipedia, Split
• Official site of the city of Split (Croatian)
• Official site for tourism in Split (multilingual)