Like in many other Mediterranean towns, traffic in Split can be rough. Since the Old Town and the area immediately surrounding it is primarily designated for pedestrians, restricted to all vehicle traffic apart from supply vehicles and permanent residents, first comers to Split often find themselves in trouble when forced to navigate around the center of the city (see our Guide to Using Your Car in Split). The huge number of workers, tourists, travelers and residents gravitating to the Old Town, particularly in the summer months, also means that the number of available car parking spaces is in a rather short supply. On top of it, the majority of the parking in the small ring around the Old Town is pay-only.
Both street parking and larger parking lots are billed on an hourly basis. They can be paid either by coins at one of the many parking machines, via a text message, or, in case of parking lots, at the exit booths of the lots. However, the most convenient option is to download the official Split Parking app which allows you to pay for the parking via your mobile phone. The app can be found here.
The four major parking lots for people staying in and around the Old Town are Stari Plac (Ulica Zrinsko-frankopanska 6), Manđerova (Ulica Petra Svačića 18), Vukovarska (Livanjska ulica 18) and Trg Hrvatske bratske zajednice. The first three having a fixed rate of 7 HRK per hour, while the charging 6 HRK per hour.
The closest parking lot to the Old Town is Riva (Obala Hrvatskog narodnog preporoda 2), but the hourly rate is much higher there, costing 20 HRK for the first hour and an additional 25 HRK for every extra hour.
The on-street parking is slightly less expensive with the rates going around 5 or 6 HRK per hour, depending on the location, though it can be harder to find. The on-street parking comes with an added benefit that it is free during the night hours.
If you are planning to park your car for a longer period of time, you can consider purchasing the daily parking ticket, which can cost from 75 to 90 HRK. You can find the list with all of the for-pay parking lots in this link.
However, not all parking places in town are monetized and only parking places clearly marked in blue paint are for pay. Most of the residential areas in Split, particularly those further away from the Old Town, have their own, free of charge parking lots. Visitors staying in the Old Town and not intending to use their cars for a couple of days, might want to consider leaving their cars or rentals parked free of charge further away from the city center.
Wherever you decide to leave your car, please make sure that your car is not blocking the pedestrian traffic or breaking any traffic rules on illegal parking as you might find your car towed away. If you are one of the unfortunates to have their vehicle towed, you might want to consider our article on the towing service behind this link.