From Zadar a car ferry sails to Ugljan (Preko) roughly every hour for €3.80 per person and €17.30 per car, taking 25 minutes. Car ferries to Dugi Otok (Brbinj) run three times a day, 1 h 35 min, €6.40 per person and about €28 per car (2026). Jadrolinija car ferries leave from Gaženica port; catamarans and passenger boats leave from Liburnska obala by the old town — mixing up the two is the most common mistake visitors make.
Gaženica is the modern terminal 4 km south-east of the old town (7 km from Sukošan, so closer than the peninsula). All Jadrolinija car ferries leave from here: line 431 to Preko, 434 to Brbinj, 435 to Iž and Rava, 401 to Ist – Olib – Silba – Premuda – Mali Lošinj, plus the seasonal international ferry to Ancona. It has a large paid car park, ticket offices, a waiting hall and a Liburnija city bus into the centre.
Liburnska obala (the city harbour, gradska luka) sits right under the old-town walls. This is where catamarans and passenger-only boats depart: passenger boat 409 Zadar – Preko (€5, 25 min), Jadrolinija catamaran 9404 Zadar – Rivanj – Sestrunj – Zverinac – Božava – Brbinj, TP Line catamaran 9406 Zadar – Sali – Zaglav – Bršanj (Iž), the G&V Line Iadera passenger boat to Sali and Zaglav, TP Line catamaran 9401 to Premuda, Silba and Olib, and Jadrolinija catamaran 322 Zadar – Silba – Mali Lošinj. The rule of thumb: with a car, Gaženica; on foot, Liburnska obala.
| To | Line / operator | From | Crossing | Adult | Car up to 5 m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preko (Ugljan) | 431 Jadrolinija car ferry | Gaženica | 25 min | €3.80 | €17.30 |
| Preko (Ugljan) | 409 Jadrolinija passenger boat | Liburnska obala | 25 min | €5 | – |
| Brbinj (Dugi Otok) | 434 Jadrolinija car ferry | Gaženica | 1 h 35 | €6.40 | approx. €28 |
| Sali, Zaglav (Dugi Otok) | 9406 TP Line catamaran | Liburnska obala | 45–65 min | €7.30 | – |
| Sali, Zaglav (Dugi Otok) | G&V Line Iadera boat | Liburnska obala | about 1 h | €4.40 | – |
| Božava (Dugi Otok) | 9404 Jadrolinija catamaran | Liburnska obala | about 1 h 20 | €7.70 | – |
| Bršanj (Iž) | 435 Jadrolinija car ferry | Gaženica | about 1 h | approx. €5 | yes |
| Olib, Silba | 401 Jadrolinija car ferry | Gaženica | 2–3 h | approx. €8 | yes (Silba is car-free) |
| Premuda, Silba, Olib | 9401 TP Line catamaran | Liburnska obala | 1.5–2 h | approx. €8 | – |
Fares are one way and identical in both directions; there is no return discount. Children aged 3–12 pay roughly half, under-3s travel free. A bicycle on the Preko ferry costs €3.80; catamarans carry bikes subject to space. Timetables change several times a year, so check the current year's tariff on jadrolinija.hr before you plan around it.
Preko cannot be reserved: you buy a ticket at the kiosk or online (shop.jadrolinija.hr) and it is valid for any sailing that day. In July and August that means you drive to Gaženica and wait for the next ferry with space — on a Saturday afternoon easily an hour. Go before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m. to avoid the queue.
For Brbinj (Dugi Otok) and Olib/Silba the opposite applies: a ticket is for a specific sailing and doubles as a vehicle reservation. The three daily summer departures (typically morning, afternoon and evening) sell out several days ahead in August, above all the Saturday morning crossing to the island and the Sunday evening return. Book online as soon as you know your dates and be at the port 30–45 minutes before departure or your space is released. Foot passengers and cyclists practically always get on.
Ugljan and Pašman (ugljan-pasman) are a hop from Gaženica: morning ferry, lunch in Preko or Kali, beach in the afternoon, back by evening. Dugi Otok (dugi-otok) with Sakarun and the Telašćica nature park needs a full day; for Kornati an organised boat trip is simpler, as explained in Kornati Boat Trip from Zadar: Tour Boat, Own Boat or Skipper (2026). If you would rather island-hop at your own pace, rent a boat with or without a skipper — see Boats Zadar and the boat rental page. Staying on the mainland in Sukošan remains a practical base: Gaženica is ten minutes away.