The A1 motorway between Zagreb and Dalmatia is a complete, navigable whole with no interruptions. Zadar is the first port of call, and the motorway continues past all the major resorts on the way to Split and beyond. Journey time between Zagreb and Zadar is about 2.5 hours depending on when you travel. Since most holidaymakers travel at weekends, there can be congestion on borders, at motorway toll booths, intersections, ferry terminals and around coastal resorts on Fridays and Sundays. If you can’t avoid travelling at weekends, you may find that the roads clear up in the evening. Tolls are payable on Croatian motorways – most currencies are accepted.

If a strong “bura”, a northeast wind, is blowing, the motorway bridge closes. This rarely happens in the summer, but if it does, you can now use the reopened Maslenica bridge, which was destroyed in the war. It’s far more sheltered from these winds. Take the old road to Maslenica which runs parallel to the motorway.
For up to date traffic information, check out the Croatian Automobile Club website at www.hak.hr. They have regular updates in English, German and Italian. Also listen out for foreign language reports for tourists on local radio.