Car Travel

While visiting Pula, Rovinj, and Porec a car may be more of a hindrance than an asset: all three towns are served by good bus connections, and having your own vehicle only causes parking problems. The best way to see the Istrian interior, however, is by car. The "sight" to see is the countryside itself and the small villages that dot it, so renting a car even for a day will give you much more satisfaction than trying to arrange a bus trip to one or another hill town. (And bus connections to the interior are infrequent.) If you are traveling from Zagreb, you can, of course, rent there, but major agencies have offices in Pula, and other towns along the coast all have one or more local agencies that generally offer better rates than the major chains without sacrificing quality of service; however, they may be less equipped than the major chains to take reservations by phone. (Some, such as Vetura and Manuel, also rent bicycles and scooters [i.e., mopeds].) Lastly, bear in mind that finding an available car on short notice in midsummer can be tricky regardless of the agency involved.

Novigrad

Porec

Pula

Europcar (Pula Airport, Valtursko polje bb, Pula, 52100. 098/475-346. www.europcar.com.)

Avis (Riva 14, Pula, 51000. 052/224-350 or. www.avis.hr.)

Budget (Pula Airport, Valtursko polje 210, Pula, 52100. 091/314-3014. www.budget.hr.)

Hertz (Hotel Histria, Verudela bb, Pula, 52100. 052/210-868. reservationshertz.hr. www.hertz.co.uk.)

Rabac

Rovinj

Umag