Directions (Pula to Rovinj)

As you leave the airport turn left.
At the next cross roads turn left again.
Continue to follow the main road. You will pass..
- a train line on your right
- "Mima" furniture store on your right
- "Mercator" shopping centre on your right
The road bears to the right. Continue through three sets of traffic lights. You will pass
- "Pevec" hardware store on your right
After the last traffic lights, continue going straight on. You're now leaving Pula.
Follow the main road continuing to Vodnjan (just before it you will pass by a fuel station on the right).
At the cross roads turn left.
Follow the main road to the next main crossroad and turn left again following the
sign for Bale.
Continue until you see the sign for Bale. Turn left there.
From this point on follow the main road for 12 km until you arrive in Rovinj.
At the roundabout turn right (do not follow signs for the "center" - there's no where to park and you're on the wrong side of the town).
Follow the road (approx 4 km) all the way to the end (passing "Kapra" the kitchen store on your left) and, at this (sometimes) busy junction, turn left. Carefully.
Follow the road. When you reach the traffic lights you are (again) on the outskirts of Rovinj, go straight ahead. At the roundabout go straight ahead and turn right for the carpark. Welcome to Rovinj!

Directions (Trieste to Rovinj)

If you want to print off these directions or can download the file you can by clicking here.

General Driving Tips

Signs in Italy for motorways are green
Put your lights on as soon you get in your hire car (its not a problem in Italy) but it is required by law in Slovenia and Croatia.
In Italy on the A4 there are arrows on the right hand lane which can make you think that you need to get into the left lane as you might think the right hand lane will be an exit – this is not the case, when you see a big arrow on the right hand lane – a slip road will appear.
In Slovenia – motorway signs are in blue.
The journey takes roughly 1.5 to 2.5 hours depending on traffic and queues at the border.
The Italian road network around Trieste is being improved (it seems to be a qork in progress). These directions were accurate at the start of 2007 but the roadworks might result in an unforeseen change in the directions - take care..

Before you leave the Airport

Make sure you have the following items at hand (you really don't want to be trying to find them as you reach a toll or border crossing)

Passport(s)
Permission letter from the hire car company allowing you to drive in Croatia (this is required by law so do make sure you get one - that said we have never been asked)
80 cents for the Italian toll (accurate Feb 2007)
14 kuna for the Croatian toll (though they will let you pay in Euros if you are stuck - accurate Feb 2007)
The directions!!

Directions from Trieste Airport to Rovinj

Turn left out of the airport, and proceed straight ahead where you will see a roundabout.
At the roundabout take the left exit to the A4 autostrada. Proceed straight ahead until you reach a second roundabout.
At the second roundabout take the exit straight-ahead for the A4 autostrada.
Follow this road for about 5 minutes you until you reach the Toll Booth. You will pick up a ticket only (you pay at the next tollbooth) – on exiting the toll booth head right to Trieste.
Drive for about 10 mins and you will reach the second tollbooth – this is where you will pay – if you want to pay cash (cost is about 80 cents) then make sure you go to the white lane (these are in the middle) – the blue lane is if you want to pay by credit card and is on the left hand side. Upon exiting go straight ahead. You are on the A4 proper now.
You will be staying on the A4 heading for Capodistria (Koper)/Skopfie until the A4 goes down to a single carriageway SS15 (do not follow signs for Trieste or come off at any exits marked for Trieste or Slovenia).
As soon as the carriageway goes to single lane, you will pass a picnic area on your right hand side and the road will go downhill and has a sharp drop on the right hand side, you will have views of Trieste to your right. At this point be careful as there are some roadworks as the Italians make changes to the road and build a new carriageway.
Go under a motorway bridge and then immediately after you also go under an old arched bridge, as soon as you are go under this bridge, you will see a right hand slip road, take this slip road and follow the road (there is a signpost on the bridge before hand).
You are now on an elevated road that will take you around the outskirts of Trieste, keep following all signs for Capodistria (Koper), after about five mins you will approach the Illy tower (which is on your left hand side though it appears at first as if it is on your right), take the next right turn of this road and then left under the bridge, again following signs to Capodistria.
Go under the bridge again and at the stop sign, take a hard right to Slovenia/Capodistria.
Go straight on and then take the left hand lane for Skofje, turn left at the filters lights and bear left towards Koper/Capodistria, Slovenia and through the tunnel.
The road at this point is somewhat temporary, keep following the signs, at junction bear to left and follow the road around through an industrial estate. Get in the right hand lane and turn right to Koper/Caposdistria etc.
At the roundabout go straight ahead heading towards Koper etc.
At this point you are at the Italian border – have your documents etc ready, but as you are leaving Italy they generally don’t check.
Once through the Italian border you must now cross into Slovenia. Again make sure that you have your passports and your authority document from the car hire company in case they ask to see it ( we have never been asked for the authority document yet!). There are two windows at each border crossing, one for passport control and one for customs – make sure that you get waved on at both windows.
Go through the new road network in Slovenia, go straight ahead toward Koper/Caposditria (now ignore any signs for Skofje), go through the tunnel, and as you will soon be driving through Koper/Caposdistria now head towards Pula (motorway signs are now blue like the UK).
The road you are on will join up with another road. On the right hand side you will see a large building on the other side of the lake called “Interspar” this will indicate you are coming up to your right hand turn where you see a sign for Pula
Follow this road around and then you join another road (watch the traffic on your left) as you are coming from a slip road and joining the main road. Keep going straight ahead through Koper
At this point you are driving through Koper go straight ahead through a number of traffic lights heading towards to Pula, as the road narrows to a single lane. This road will take you the whole way to the border – its quite a scenic drive up until you reach the border.
Leave Slovenia at the border and then at the Croatian border again make sure you have your passports and car hire documents.
Upon exiting the Croatian border go straight ahead up the hill on a winding road, as you reach the top of the hill you will see signs for Pula ahead and to the left – (if you want the scenic slower route then take the left turn) otherwise go straight ahead for the faster motorway route.
Take a right turn for Pula/Rovinj, eventually you go to a road junction take the left for Pula (78km) follow this road round and you will now reach the motorway - Rovinj is 63km’s away.
Along the Croatian motorway there are no service areas, but there are picnic/parking/toilet areas – there are quite a few of these if you want to a brief pit stop.
Just after you go over the bridge you will come to the tollbooth – this is 14 kuna, though they will let you pay in Euros if you don’t have Kuna.
After the tollbooth you will go over a second bridge and you will now start to see signposts for Rovinj.
Take the right hand exit to Rovinj (Izlaz means exit in Croatian). At the junction turn left for Rovinj and keep going straight.
When you reach the traffic lights you are on the outskirts of Rovinj, go straight ahead. At the roundabout go straight ahead and turn right for the carpark. Welcome to Rovinj!

Checklist before you leave Rovinj

Make sure you have the following items at hand.

Passport(s)
Permission letter from the hire car company allowing you to drive in Croatia (this is required by law so do make sure you get one but as yet we have never been asked)
80 cents for the Italian toll
14 kuna for the Croatian toll (though they will let you pay in Euros if you are stuck)
The directions
Also as you will be giving your hire car back at Trieste airport you will need to fill the car with petrol/diesel. At the bottom of the directions below we list where you can fill up near the airport, but if it is a Sunday or a public holiday you will not be able to use this garage (it is usually closed on Sunday's and holidays) instead whilst still on the motorway fill up at the TOTAL garage on your right hand side (there is a AGIP garage opposite) and take care because it is an attended garage (they fill your car up for you).

Directions from Rovinj to Trieste Airport

Take the Rudeno Boskivicia road out of Rovinj, go through the traffic and keep going straight you will eventually see signs to Trieste/Koper/Capisdistria these often take the appearance of just the country i.e. I - for Italy and SLO for Slovenia.
Turn right at the sign for Porec and then take the 2nd right towards Trieste.
Follow this road around and you are now on the motorway.
Follow the motorway and signs for Trieste and again pay your 14 kuna at the tollbooth.
At Umag, take the road 5002 to Trieste/Koper on your right
Follow road and turn right, then at next junction turn left.
Again follow road and you come to the Croatian border, again make sure you have passports etc.
Cross Croatian border
Cross Slovenian border.
Follow the road and all signs for Koper and Trieste.
As you get into Koper go straight ahead at the first set of traffic lights and at the second set make sure you are in the right hand lane and turn right for Trieste.
Again stay in the right hand lane and veer right when the road splits.
This takes you onto a slip road which takes you onto the Slovenian motorway.
Take the blue exit for Trieste on your right, then keep straight - you will see two signs for Trieste one yellow and one blue - take the blue Trieste exit (its the second one) and go through the tunnel to the Slovenian border.
Go through the Slovenian border
Then through the Italian border and you are back in Italy
Go straight ahead following all the signs for the A4 autostrade - Venezia/Trieste SS15
At roundabout take the Venezia exit and then go straight but keep to the right hand lane and through the tunnel
As you follow the signs for Venezia don't worry if they also say Slovenia (this is towards a different border crossing than the one you just came through).
Make sure you stay in the right hand lane as you will veer off to the right - keeping on the A4 Venezia - heading towards Udine. This is the SS15 and will join up with A4 motorway proper. Just keep going straight.
Eventually you will come to the tollbooth and pick up your toll ticket.
Carry on this road and then take the right exit for Redipuglia /Monfalcone /aeroporto
You will reach the pay toll - again take the white lane for to pay your toll in cash - 80 cents
At roundabout go straight for the airport
At the next roundabout take the first right.
You are now at the roundabout - you can immediately turn right into airport, or if you need to fill your hire car with petrol drive past airport and slightly further along on the left hand side there is a petrol station (unless it is Sunday and then it may be closed). You have arrived!