Picking up a rental car at Pula Airport (PUY) is straightforward because the rental desks, baggage claim, and exit are all inside one compact terminal. This guide explains where to find the counters, what documents to bring, how deposits and insurance work, and how to drive from Valtursko polje into Pula, Rovinj, or the wider Istrian peninsula. Pula Airport (PUY) places the main rental counters in the arrivals hall, next to the baggage claim area and customs exit. SIXT, Enterprise, Alamo, AVIA Rent a Car, and Europcar are the most visible on-site desks, and several bookings from Hertz, Dollar, Goldcar, Last Minute Rent a Car, Nova Rent a Car, Flizzr, or National are commonly fulfilled by those same counter operators. The airport layout is compact, so the walk from the terminal main hall to the rental desk typically takes under two minutes. The pickup car park is directly outside the terminal, and the route into the city follows the local road network toward Valtursko polje and Pula’s southern ring roads. On-site and partner rental brands at Pula Airport (PUY): If your voucher names a broker brand, the final supplier name matters more than the logo on the booking page, so read the pickup instructions before you enter the arrival hall. Pula Airport rental hours change by season because summer flight volume is higher and winter traffic is lower. In peak months, most desks cover late arrivals from Ryanair, easyJet, and Eurowings, while off-season pickups can require advance notice or a specific appointment time. According to airport-pula.hr and the individual suppliers’ counter policies, summer opening hours are usually longer than winter hours. If your arrival is delayed into the night, call the local branch number shown on the voucher, because a missed pickup window can trigger a no-show fee or a next-day collection. A fast pickup at Pula Airport depends on matching the booking name, driver name, and payment card exactly. The standard document set for most suppliers in Istarska županija includes a valid driving licence, a passport or national ID card, and a credit card in the main driver’s name for the pre-authorisation. International Driving Permits are recommended by MUP for licences not printed in Latin script, especially for travellers holding documents in Cyrillic, Arabic, or Chinese. IDP and licence note: EU, EEA, and UK licences are normally accepted without issue, while non-Latin licences are safer with an International Driving Permit and the original national licence. MUP guidance and local rental terms can still differ by operator, so the final approval always belongs to the counter agent. Pula Airport rentals usually combine a standard collision policy with an excess that you can reduce or remove by buying extra cover. A basic package may include CDW and TP, while upgraded packages can add SCDW or FDW and lower the excess/deductible to zero. The exact terms differ by supplier, but the core logic is the same: the cheaper the base rate, the higher the franchise or excess usually is. If a desk offers zero excess, ask whether windscreen, tyres, underbody, and keys are included, because some “full coverage” products still exclude damage to those items. Third-party insurance can still be valid, but the rental desk may still place a pre-authorisation hold or require a damage excess guarantee until the contract is closed. Before you leave the pickup area near Pula Airport, inspect the car and document every visible mark. This is especially important for compact models such as the Fiat 500 and Renault Clio, where scratches on bumpers and alloy wheels are common on busy airport fleets. Photograph the dashboard, fuel level, tyres, windscreen, mirrors, and the roof so the return team cannot dispute pre-existing damage. A timestamped video from the airport bay is usually stronger evidence than a paper note alone if a later damage dispute reaches customer support or the insurer. A few problems recur at Pula Airport rentals: aggressive upselling of insurance, deposit disputes, fuel-charge arguments, and late-return penalties. The best defence is to compare the voucher with the counter agreement before you sign, and to keep copies of all receipts and photos. Croatian rental contracts often include an excess/deductible or franchise amount, so the final out-of-pocket risk matters more than the headline daily rate.