Is a car worth it?
For the Old Town alone, no. The centre of Mostar is easy on foot, and the town itself is the part of this trip a car helps least. A car earns its keep on the surrounding sights, which sit apart from each other: Blagaj, Počitelj, the Kravice waterfalls and Međugorje. It lets you link them in one day, on your own timetable.
If you only want Mostar itself, the getting to Mostar page covers the train and bus options, which avoid the paperwork below. If you want the sights without driving, the guided trip at the end of this page covers several of them.
Hiring in Mostar or bringing a car from Croatia
There are two ways to have a car in Mostar. You can hire one locally, or you can arrive from Croatia in a car hired there, for example at Dubrovnik or Split.
Hiring locally keeps things simpler, because you avoid questions about crossing a border with someone else’s car. Bringing a car from Croatia can work well if you are combining Mostar with the coast, but it adds a border crossing and a contract question.
Before you pick up a car in Croatia, ask the hire company whether the car may be taken into Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ask what insurance paperwork it needs for the crossing, and whether there is an extra charge. Get the answer in writing, because the terms of the contract decide who pays if something goes wrong.
Our Dubrovnik to Mostar page compares driving with the bus, a tour and a private transfer.
The border
Bosnia and Herzegovina is outside the EU and the Schengen area, so the road between the Croatian coast and Mostar crosses a border. Take your passport, and expect the formalities to add time.
Between Dubrovnik and the rest of Croatia lies Neum, a short stretch of Bosnian coast. The Pelješac Bridge, 2,404 m long and open to traffic since 26 July 2022, lets Croatian road traffic skip the Neum crossing. Road traffic from Dubrovnik to Mostar still crosses the Croatia and Bosnia border.
GOV.UK also says the EU Entry/Exit System may cause longer waits on journeys to or from the Schengen area. Leave slack in your plans, particularly if you have a flight or a ferry the same day.
UK visitors can enter without a visa for up to 90 days in any 6 months. Get an entry and exit stamp, because travelling without an exit stamp can mean a fine. The details are on our entry requirements page.
UK driving rules
These come from the UK government’s travel advice.
- International Driving Permit. A UK driver needs the 1968 International Driving Permit as well as the UK licence to hire or use a vehicle in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Get it before you travel.
- Winter tyres. Winter tyre rules apply from November to April.
- Landmines. Landmines remain from the 1992 to 1995 war in rural and less populated areas. Do not step off roads and paved areas without an experienced guide.
The landmine point matters most to a driver, because a car makes it tempting to stop somewhere quiet. Use proper parking areas, viewpoints and lay-bys with paved surfaces. Do not wander into scrub to find a picnic spot or a better photograph.
What to check in a hire contract
We cannot tell you what any one company charges, so these are questions to ask rather than answers.
- Is the car allowed to cross borders, and what paperwork is needed?
- What insurance is included, and what is the excess you pay if something goes wrong?
- Does the contract require the permit above, and will the company check it at pick-up?
- Is the car suitable for the season? Winter tyre rules apply from November to April.
- What are the fuel policy and the return arrangements?
- Who do you ring if the car breaks down?
Photograph the car before you drive away, and keep every document in writing.
Parking near the Old Town
We could not find a source for car parks, prices or walking times, so we will not guess. The sensible approach is to ask your accommodation where to leave the car, and to pick somewhere that mentions parking when you book. Our where to stay page covers the areas.
Where a car pays off
Distances here are approximate, from Euro City Guide.
- Blagaj. The Blagaj Tekke is about 12 km from Mostar, around 15 minutes.
- Počitelj. The historic fortified village is about 25 to 30 km from Mostar, around 30 minutes.
- Kravice waterfalls. About 40 km west, 35 to 40 minutes’ drive. The official list gives cars 3 KM per started hour, or 6 KM for the day, and entry for an adult is 20 KM. The falls are open 07:00 to 22:00 from June to September, with shorter hours in other months. Check kravica.ba before you go.
- Međugorje. About 28 km from Mostar, around 35 minutes.
Together these make a full day, and the nearby section covers each in turn. Our itineraries show how to fit them around time in town.
If you would rather not drive
A guided day trip covers Blagaj, Počitelj and Kravice without a car, a permit or a hire contract. The day tours page covers the wider choice, including trips from the coast.
