There is no parking inside Dubrovnik's Old Town at all, and the closest lot at the Pile gate costs €20 per hour in season (Sanitat Dubrovnik price list, in force since June 2025). The sensible options are the Ilijina glavica public garage (€7/h, €40 per 24 h) or the Gospino polje car park at €1.30/h, followed by a 15-minute walk or a short bus ride. Best of all: park at your apartment in Gruž or Lapad and take the €1.73 city bus to the walls.
Street parking and municipal lots are run by Sanitat Dubrovnik. The current price list applies from 2 June 2025 and the same rates are being used in the 2026 season. Prices depend heavily on the month – May to October is the expensive period.
| Zone | Where | Per hour, summer | Day ticket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 0 | lot at the Pile gate | €20 (winter €5) | €250 |
| Zone 1 | wider centre, business streets | €1.30 (winter €0.70) | €17.25 |
| Zone 2 | residential – permit holders only | – | €132.72 |
| Zone 3 | residential districts, Lapad, Gruž | €1.30 | €17.30 |
| Zone 5 | Gospino polje (large car park) | €1.30 | €20.80 |
The €20/h at Pile is not a typo – the city set it so nobody stays longer than it takes to unload luggage. Zone 2 is for resident permit holders only; park there without one and you get a €132 day ticket.
The public Ilijina glavica garage (Zagrebačka street, operated by Best in Parking) has 711 spaces, is open 24/7 and sits on the hill above the Old Town – a 10–15 minute walk down to the Pile gate, a little longer back up. 2026 prices: €7 per hour or €40 per 24 hours (buy the day ticket within 15 minutes of entering, otherwise hourly rates apply). The entrance is outside the restricted-traffic zone, so no permit is needed. Height limit 2.10 m; EV chargers on site.
Directly below the garage is the Gospino polje car park (zone 5) – at €1.30/h or €20.80/day it is the cheapest park-and-ride in town. A bus runs to Pile, or it is a 20-minute walk.
If you are staying in an apartment, look for one with its own space in Gruž (ferry port, bus station) or Lapad. Streets there are zone 3 at €1.30/h, €17.30 per day, and much cheaper at night and in winter. Gruž also has a guarded car park inside the port for anyone taking the ferry to Mljet, Korčula or Italy.
Never drive from there into the Old Town. Libertas city buses: lines 1A, 1B and 3 from Gruž, line 6 from Babin kuk and Lapad, all terminating at Pile. A ticket costs €1.73 pre-purchased (kiosk, app) or €2.50 from the driver; 24-hour €5.31, 72-hour €11.95 (2026). Daytime frequency is every 10–15 minutes.
Dubrovnik receives up to three cruise ships a day in summer, which means 5,000–10,000 extra people at Pile between 9 am and 4 pm. The city restricts access around the Old Town, buses run late and the road above the walls (Iza grada) grinds to a halt. What locals do:
For a quieter base many people stay in Cavtat – cheaper parking and a boat or bus into town.
The best strategy is to choose accommodation where parking is included and leave the car parked for the stay. On Adrysa each owner states whether a private space is available – see apartments in Dubrovnik with parking or the Dubrovnik hub. The city overview with beaches and day trips is in Dubrovnik Guide 2027: Walls, Beaches, Parking, Prices; if you are still deciding whether to drive at all, read Driving to Zadar, Croatia 2027: routes, vignettes and tolls and Croatia motorway tolls 2026/2027: prices, ENC, no vignette.