Day Trips A rental car from Pula Airport (PUY) makes Istria one of the easiest Croatian regions for day trips because the main roads, parking areas, and ferry ports are all within short driving distance of Pula. For arrival-day pickups, many renters use the arrival hall or terminal main hall at the airport in Valtursko polje, and some suppliers offer no-shuttle pickup directly at the terminal. The table below gives the shortest practical one-way drive from central Pula, not scenic detours or ferry waiting times. For reference, Pula to Rovinj is usually 36 km via the D75, Pula to Fažana is about 5 km, and Pula to Trieste is roughly 120 km with a border crossing. The official city and park references for parking, tourism, and roads are pula.hr, visitpula.hr, pulainfo.hr, and np-brijuni.hr. Destination One-way distance Typical drive time Main route / note Rovinj 36 km 30-50 min D75 coastal road Fažana / Brijuni 5 km 10 min Local roads to ferry port Motovun & Grožnjan 80 km 1.5 h Inland D48 / regional roads Cape Kamenjak 10 km 20 min Southern peninsula roads Brestova ferry for Cres 90 km + ferry 1.5 h drive + ferry Coast to ferry port Trieste 120 km 1.5-2 h Border crossing and motorway links Ljubljana 225 km 2.5 h A9 through Slovenia For parking in Pula itself, check the city operator and zone rules on pulaparking.hr because the 2026-04-01 update set Zone 1 at €3/hour in summer and Karolina lot at €4/hour. If you are returning late to the city, the Karolina lot, Dobrićeva garage, and Giardini area are the most practical car-handling options near the Old Town. A day trip from Pula to Rovinj is the simplest coastal outing because the D75 connects the two towns in about 30-50 minutes for 36 km. Rovinj’s Old Town is pedestrian-only, so the trip works best with parking at Valdibora or the Mlin lot and then walking to the Forum Square-style waterfront lanes around the harbour. Parking in Rovinj is easiest before 09:00, and the practical price range is usually €3-4 per hour in high season. The official tourism and town references on visitpula.hr and pulainfo.hr highlight the Old Town core, while the city’s own urban layout keeps cars outside the historic streets. 💡 Tip: Use the Valdibora lot for the shortest walk to Rovinj’s centre, or choose the Mlin lot if you want a slightly cheaper place to leave the car for a longer lunch stop. Restaurant Maestral: This waterfront restaurant suits a Rovinj lunch because it sits by the sea and works well for a 1-2 hour stop after parking at Valdibora. A typical meal here is easiest to combine with the Old Town walk and a harbour photo stop. Mali Raj: This quieter option fits travellers who want a more traditional meal away from the busiest harbour strip. The main caveat is that summer lunch service can still be busy, so a reservation is sensible on weekends. A useful detour on the return leg is Lim Bay / Limski Kanal, where the viewpoint adds a short scenic break without changing the main route much. Rovinj is also a strong option for visitors staying near Riva, Giardini, or the Pula centre because the round trip is short enough to keep the whole day flexible. Brijuni National Park is only 5 km from Pula to Fažana, but the national park itself is reached by ferry because private cars are not allowed on the islands. The island chain has 14 islands, and the visitor route starts in Fažana, where the parking area by the ferry terminal is usually around €5-7 per day in summer. The official park operator, np-brijuni.hr, recommends online ticket booking, and a standard adult round trip is often about €20-30 depending on season and tour type. The ferry normally takes about 15 minutes to Veliki Brijun, and the park visit usually takes 5-6 hours if you want time for the safari park, Roman remains, and Tito’s former residence. Park Logistics: Tickets: Book on np-brijuni.hr before you arrive, especially in July and August. Transport: Electric carts are available on the island, but availability is limited and advance booking helps. Highlights: Visitors commonly combine the safari park, dinosaur footprints, and archaeological sites in one loop. ⚠️ Warning: Missing the last ferry back from Brijuni can create a long wait in Fažana, so check the seasonal timetable on np-brijuni.hr before you drive from Pula. The Brijuni trip works especially well for travellers staying in Pula near Stoja, Verudela peninsula, or Premantura, because the drive to Fažana is short and the ferry schedule remains manageable in a single day. A drive into the centre of Istria turns a beach holiday into a hill-town itinerary, and the classic route from Pula runs about 80 km to Motovun and Grožnjan. The inland roads cross the Istrian peninsula through Istarska županija, and the landscape is famous for truffles, vineyards, and medieval stone towns rather than motorway speed. Motovun is the main stop because its Old Town sits on a hill and bans ordinary car traffic at the top. Most drivers park at the Motovun-Donji lot at the base, then walk uphill for about 15 minutes to the walls and the old centre. Truffle shops such as Karlić Tartufi are a practical purchase stop, and the town’s restaurants often feature truffle pasta, fuži, or eggs in season. Motovun: The hilltop town gives you the best mix of views and food, with a parking-and-walk format that suits a half-day visit. The caveat is the steep climb, so comfortable shoes matter more than horsepower. Grožnjan: The artists’ village is about 15 minutes from Motovun by car, and its galleries and studios are easiest to visit when you want a quieter second stop. Street parking outside the gate is usually the simplest approach. For route planning, the inland drive pairs well with a stop in Pazin or a detour toward Buje, and the same roads are useful for travellers continuing toward Trieste or Ljubljana later in the week. Cape Kamenjak / Rt Kamenjak is the shortest true nature-escape drive from Pula, at around 10 km to the entrance and roughly 20 minutes by car. The peninsula sits near Premantura, and its dirt roads, coves, and cliff viewpoints make it a very different outing from Rovinj or Brijuni. The park charges a seasonal vehicle entry fee from June to September, often around €7-10 per day, and the internal roads are unpaved. That matters because ordinary CDW or even some SCDW policies may exclude underbody, tyres, suspension, and stone-chip damage on gravel, so the rental terms should be checked before you enter the park. 💡 Tip: If your rental includes full coverage or zero excess, still photograph the tyres, bumpers, and undercarriage area before entering Kamenjak and again after you leave. The park stretches for more than 30 km of tracks and paths, with beaches, snorkelling coves, and the well-known Safari Bar as one of the few fixed stops. Kamenjak is best on a dry day, and sunset is often the easiest time to combine the views with a short swim. ⚠️ Warning: A gravel-road incident at Kamenjak can trigger a deductible or franchise charge unless your policy explicitly states underbody and tyre cover on unpaved roads. A day trip to Cres is possible from Pula if you are prepared for a long drive to the Brestova ferry and a sea crossing to Porozina. The practical route is about 90 km of driving plus a 25-minute Jadrolinija ferry, and the total day gets longer if you continue to Lošinj. The ferry ticket for a car and driver commonly falls around €20-30, and jadrolinija.hr is the official source for schedules and reservations. If you travel in summer, booking online reduces the risk of a long queue at Brestova, which is especially important if you plan to connect the ferry with Beli or Cres Town. Cres: The island works as a one-day target if your goal is Beli, the vulture rescue centre, and a coastal lunch rather than a full island tour. The caveat is that the ferry timetable can compress the whole itinerary into a few hours on the island. Lošinj: This is the better overnight choice because a same-day return from Pula can feel rushed once you include ferry waiting, parking, and the return drive. The ferry connection still works, but the schedule is more comfortable when treated as a two-day trip. Trieste is the easiest foreign day trip from Pula because the route is about 120 km and 1.5-2 hours, depending on border traffic and your exact starting point. The drive typically uses the Istrian Y and the Slovenian motorway network before you continue toward Italy, and the key legal point is that the rental company must approve cross-border travel before departure. If you are crossing into Italy, ask the rental desk to add Italy to the contract, check whether the vehicle needs a Green Card / zelena karta, and confirm that the pre-authorisation on your card covers the deposit plus any cross-border fee. For tolls, Croatia uses Bina Istra on the A8/A9, while Slovenia uses the e-vignette system and Italy may involve other motorway payments depending on your route. Tolls and Border Rules: Croatia: The Istrian Y may include Bina Istra tolls and, on some routes, summer surcharges of +10% are applied on selected segments. Slovenia: The vignette must be valid before you cross; the 1-week option is commonly used for day trips. Italy: Trieste city-centre driving can be restricted by ZTL camera zones, so park in a garage outside the restricted area. ⚠️ Warning: Drivers under 25 who hold a Croatian licence may be subject to the “mladi vozač” rule and a 10 km/h lower limit on some roads, but that rule does not automatically apply to foreign tourists; check the rental terms and Croatian road law before driving. Trieste itself rewards a short stay with the Piazza Unità d’Italia, the Pescheria seafood area, and the rail-and-harbour atmosphere that makes the city feel distinctly Adriatic rather than purely Italian. The city also works well as a lunch-and-walk stop if you are returning to Pula in the evening. Ljubljana is the longest of the classic Pula day trips at about 225 km, so the route only makes sense if you leave early and return late. The drive runs through the A9 corridor and then across Slovenia toward the capital, and the key planning point is the same as for Trieste: border permission, toll compliance, and realistic parking time in the city centre. The Slovenian e-vignette should be purchased before departure, and official road guidance is published on dars.si and hac.hr for cross-border motorway users. A short stop at Postojna Cave can make sense on the return leg because the cave lies directly on the route between Ljubljana and the Croatian side. Parking in Ljubljana: The underground garage at PH Kongresni trg is one of the most practical central choices, especially if you want a short walk to the pedestrian zone. The caveat is that central parking prices can be higher than suburban lots, so a day-trip budget should include both tolls and parking. If you want to combine Ljubljana with another Slovenian stop, the route can also work with Trieste, Brestova, or a separate overnight in the Kvarner Bay area rather than forcing a single very long return day. For most Pula day trips, the most efficient car is a compact hatchback such as a Fiat 500, Renault Clio, or Peugeot 308 Auto because parking in Rovinj, Fažana, and Ljubljana garages is easier with a smaller footprint. If you want more comfort for inland routes, a Renault Megane, Renault Captur, or Kia Stonic gives more boot space without becoming hard to park. Larger family groups usually prefer a Dacia Jogger, while travellers who want a premium motorway car may choose an Audi A4 or Mercedes E-Class for longer transfers to Trieste or Ljubljana. Rental desks in Pula commonly include SIXT, Enterprise, Alamo, Europcar, AVIA Rent, Last Minute Rent a Car, Nova Rent a Car, HAK Pula, Hertz, Dollar, National, Goldcar, Carwiz, Active, AddCar, Autowill, Surprice, Right Cars, Prestigio, and Flizzr. Choosing the right class: Compact cars are usually best for city parking and short Istrian hops, while cross-border and family trips may justify a larger vehicle with a higher daily rate. The caveat is that every extra class of car can change the deposit, excess, and fuel policy. 💡 Tip: If you plan Brijuni, Rovinj, and Motovun in one rental week, a Renault Clio or Kia Stonic is often the most balanced choice for parking, fuel use, and trunk space. For rentals picked up near Pula Airport (PUY) or in the city, compare supplier rules against the official airport and city sources, then save the car-parking guidance on pulaparking.hr and the tourism route ideas on visitpula.hr and pulainfo.hr before you drive out.