Do you need a car in Rijeka?
Not really for Rijeka itself, but yes for the islands and the wider Kvarner region. Korzo, the pedestrian heart of the city, is genuinely walkable, and public transport within Rijeka is solid. The catch is the airport: RJK sits on the island of Krk, about 26 kilometers from the city, so "flying into Rijeka" doesn't mean landing in Rijeka. A car earns its value the moment you want to reach Cres, drive inland, or treat Rijeka as a base for the Kvarner islands.
- Rijeka's own airport, RJK, is actually on the island of Krk, about 26 kilometers (roughly 26 minutes) from the city — expect to cross the Krk Bridge to get into town.
- That bridge has been toll-free since June 2020, so don't budget for a Krk crossing fee — older sources listing a toll are out of date.
- Rijeka itself doesn't need a car — Korzo is pedestrian, and public transport covers the city reasonably well — but Cres, Rab, and Lošinj either need a ferry or a direct catamaran, not necessarily a car.
- Croatia's toll roads still use staffed cash/card booths, not vignettes — keep cash or a card ready, since fully automated free-flow tolling isn't planned until 2027.
RJK Airport is on Krk island, not in Rijeka
Rijeka Airport (RJK) sits in Omišalj, on the island of Krk, about 26 kilometers and roughly 26 minutes from Rijeka proper across the Krk Bridge. It's a classic gateway-versus-destination mismatch — travelers booking a flight "to Rijeka" sometimes don't realize they're landing on an island rather than at the port city itself. Factor the bridge crossing into your arrival plan, especially if you're renting a car right at the airport.
The Krk Bridge toll was scrapped in 2020 — don't budget for it
Older travel guides sometimes still list a toll for crossing onto Krk island, but that charge was abolished on 15 June 2020. The bridge is free to cross today, in both directions. It's worth double-checking any source you're using for Kvarner trip planning, since outdated toll figures still circulate.
Rijeka's city center doesn't need a car — public transport handles it
Korzo, the pedestrian spine of the old center, plus decent local bus coverage, means Rijeka itself is comfortable without a rental car. Where a car earns its keep is using Rijeka as a base: reaching Trsat's hilltop castle, exploring Kantrida and Pećine along the coast, or heading further afield into the Kvarner region and its islands.
Getting to the islands depends on which one — bridge, ferry, or catamaran
Krk is connected to the mainland directly by the toll-free bridge, so a rental car gets you there with no ferry involved. Cres, by contrast, is reached from Krk via the Valbiska–Merag ferry, a roughly 25-minute crossing with several daily departures. Rab and Mali Lošinj are served by a direct catamaran line from Rijeka itself, which means you may not need a car at all if those two islands are your only targets.
Rental prices swing hard with the season, and city parking is tightly zoned
Rijeka shows steep seasonal pricing — around $15 a day in March versus $42–47 in July, more than 60% above the yearly average. In the city, parking runs across four zones (0/0A/1/2), and the most central zone caps stays at 120 minutes, so it's not built for overnight street parking; use one of the multi-story garages, like Stari Grad or Zagrad, if you're staying longer.
