Most people picture a Croatian motorhome trip starting in Split or Dubrovnik, but motorhome rental in Rijeka opens a quieter, greener corner of the Adriatic. Rijeka is the gateway to Kvarner Bay, the Opatija Riviera, the islands of Krk, Cres and Rab, and, behind them, mountain forests and Plitvice Lakes.

We built this guide from the CampervanPlanet Rijeka listing and general Croatian road and camping rules, and flagged where you should check the details. If you are new to hiring a van, begin with our campervan rental guide.

Why start in Rijeka

Rijeka is Croatia’s third-largest city and its main northern port, and it is easy to skip in favour of the better-known coast to the south. As a start point for a motorhome, it has real advantages: quieter roads, shorter drives between highlights and a compact region that rewards a slow loop. You can reach the Opatija Riviera in about 20 minutes, cross to Krk on a bridge, hop to Cres or Rab by ferry and be in the mountains of Risnjak National Park within an hour.

It also works well for one-way trips. The Rijeka motorhome page lists Dubrovnik, Split, Zagreb, Zadar, Pula and Rijeka as the Croatian pick-up cities, so a trip from Rijeka down the coast to Split or Dubrovnik is possible, with a one-way fee to check.

Rijeka Airport (RJK) is on Krk island, 30 km from the city and connected by the Krk Bridge, so you can collect and be on the islands within the hour.

Kvarner Bay and island hopping

The listing’s headline route is the Kvarner Bay and Islands Hop: 4–5 days, about 210 km plus one short ferry, rated easy for a 2WD van and best in May and September. The sequence runs Rijeka, Opatija, Krk, Cres and Lošinj. A simple version is to drive along the coast to Opatija, cross the bridge to Krk, take the short ferry to Cres, and drive the length of that long, thin island to Lošinj.

Roads on the islands are narrow, with limited passing places and steep drops to the sea. Drive slowly, use the horn at blind bends in the old style and be ready to reverse a few metres. Ferries run frequently in summer, but queues form in July and August, so be at the ramp early if you have a booking.

Rab, another island in the bay, can be added as an extra day, and our Pula and Istria guide covers the peninsula to the west if you want to combine the two.

Opatija and the Lungomare

Just 13 km west of Rijeka, the Opatija Riviera is Croatia’s grand old seaside resort, a strip of Austro-Hungarian villas, palm-lined parks and waterfront cafés that was once the winter playground of Vienna’s aristocracy. The centrepiece is the Lungomare, a 12 km coastal promenade that hugs the shore from the old fishing port of Volosko through Opatija to the laurel-scented town of Lovran.

You do not need a motorhome to walk it, but you do need to plan parking. Campervans are tall, and parking in Opatija is limited; use a campsite or car park on the edge and walk or take a local bus in. Early morning is the quietest time, and late spring and early autumn are far less crowded than August.

Behind the coast, Učka Nature Park and Risnjak National Park offer hiking and a cooler escape on hot days.

Camping around Rijeka

Camping in Croatia is some of the most expensive in Europe, with peak-season pitch-plus-vehicle prices averaging above €70 a night nationally. Around Rijeka the listing’s guide is roughly €30–50 a night in the shoulder season, rising to about €60–90 in July and August at the four- and five-star sites on the Opatija Riviera and Krk.

On top of the pitch you usually pay a tourist tax of about €1–1.50 per adult per night (children under 12 are exempt), plus separate charges for electricity and sometimes for pets, hot showers or Wi-Fi. Good options near the city include Camping Preluk, 5 km west and by the sea, plus sites on Krk such as Camp Krk and Camping Omišalj, and quieter camps on Cres.

Wild camping is generally not allowed in Croatia and fines can be high, so plan to use campsites or authorised stopovers. Book ahead in July and August.

Prices, seasons and tolls

Prices follow the seasons. In our November 2026 search, the typical 7-night hire cost about €196 a day in winter, €237 in the mid-May shoulder season and €317 in peak summer (mid-July). The shoulder season offers the best value: comfortable weather for hiking in Risnjak and island hopping to Krk and Rab. Winter on the coast is cool and wet, with January highs near 9°C and nights near freezing, and real winter driving in the inland mountains.

Speed limits are 50 km/h in towns, 90 km/h on the open road, 110 km/h on expressways and 130 km/h on motorways, and a motorhome over 3.5 tonnes is capped at 90 km/h on motorways. The A6 from Rijeka to Zagreb costs roughly €10 for a vehicle over 1.9 m tall (category II, which includes most campervans). A prepaid ENC tag shaves about 21% off but is not worth fitting for a single trip.

Our code HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY20 takes €20 off at checkout through our links.

Inland: Plitvice Lakes and Zagreb

The listing’s third route heads inland, from Rijeka through the forests of Gorski Kotar to Plitvice Lakes, Karlovac and Zagreb. It is a good route for a one-way trip or if the coast is crowded. Plitvice is a cascade of turquoise lakes and wooden walkways, and the park is best visited early in the morning or late in the afternoon to avoid coach groups.

If you plan to end the trip in the capital, the Zagreb motorhome page shows what is available there, and our Zadar guide covers the Kornati islands and Krka if you want to continue south.

Booking tips for Croatia

Book early for July and August, when the best vans and campsites fill up. Check the one-way fee if you plan to finish in another city, the ferry rules in your rental contract (some companies restrict ferry use) and cross-border permission if you plan to enter Slovenia or Italy, both very close to Rijeka. For a wider Croatian view, the Croatia campervan page compares all pick-up locations.

When you are ready, compare vans for your dates and book through our links. A booking made within 30 days of your click is credited to us, which keeps this site going.