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🇵🇱 Cross-border drive · Poland → Croatia 🇭🇷

Driving from Legnica to Rovinj

Essential driving guide for the 1,000 km route from Legnica, Poland to Rovinj, Croatia, covering motorway tips, border crossings, and mountain transit.

Heads up Digital vignette before crossing the border Czech e-vignette is plate-linked, no sticker You'll hit three different toll systems on this trip See all →
Drive time
11h 59m
Distance
1,004 km
Same day?
Long day
under 12 h
Fuel cost
≈ €131
petrol · diesel ≈ €115
Tolls
≈ €45
mixed
EV charging
Plenty fast
12 of 52 ≥50 kW
Countries
🇵🇱 🇭🇷
2 countries
On this page

Route map

Route options

Other paths OSRM found between the two cities — handy when traffic, tolls, or scenery matter more than raw speed.

Alternative

+29m
Distance:
1,082 km
(+78 km)
Duration:
12h 29m

Via: A1 · A10 · 3 · D11

Avoids motorways

+4h 18m
Distance:
935 km
(−69 km)
Duration:
16h 18m

Via: 37 · 409 · B317 · B119

How else can you make this trip?

Driving is the focus of this guide; here's how cycling, coach, and (soon) train and plane stack up for the same pair.

By car

11h 59m

1.004 km · €131 fuel

See details ↓
By bike

Not realistic

1.004 km is far beyond a typical multi-day cycle tour. Try a shorter pair like a day or weekend stage.

By bus

No direct service

Our coach data (FlixBus + BlaBlaCar) doesn't list a direct service for this pair. National operators (e.g., National Express in the UK, Eurolines feeders) may still cover it — check their site directly.

By train
5 changes

17h 24m

Koleje Dolnośląskie · PKP Intercity

See details ↓

What the drive is like

Drafted from the route's computed data on August 2, 2026 and reviewed against the route summary card. Read our methodology.

You depart Legnica heading south on the S3, a modern artery that cuts efficiently through the Lower Silesian landscape. As you push toward the Czech border, the road transitions into the D11, signaling a shift in driving culture; while the Polish motorway system allows for higher speeds, the Czech Republic requires a strict adherence to posted limits and a mandatory electronic vignette for all motorway use. Ensure your registration is linked correctly before passing the border, as local cameras are vigilant.

Crossing the mountainous spine of Central Europe brings a steady climb toward an elevation of nearly 600 meters. Through the Czech lands and into Austria, you will navigate winding stretches where the terrain demands more engine braking than the flat plains of your start point. If you are traveling between late autumn and early spring, keep a close eye on the weather; the transit through these higher altitudes can see sudden snow bands and icy patches that turn a clear route into a slow crawl. Winter tires are a legal necessity in these regions, and carry snow chains if your itinerary hits the peak months.

Descending toward the Croatian border, the road infrastructure becomes increasingly sophisticated, characterized by long tunnels and expansive viaducts that define the final leg into the Istrian peninsula. You move from the distance-based toll system of the Czech and Austrian motorways onto the Croatian A1, where you pull a ticket upon entry and pay at the exit. The final stretch toward Rovinj trades industrial heavy-traffic lanes for Mediterranean coastal views, with the air growing significantly milder as you drop down from the northern peaks.

Fuel prices remain remarkably consistent across this entire corridor, so there is little advantage in waiting for a specific border to fill up. Focus instead on timing your transit through the major urban rings, as the bottleneck near Prague and the entry into the Slovenian and Croatian motorway networks can add hours if you catch the morning or evening commute. Keep your documentation handy for potential checks at the Croatian border, which, while part of the open-border zone, can still see sporadic monitoring during peak travel seasons.

Route highlights

  • The modern S3 motorway south of Legnica
  • The scenic D11 transition through the Czech landscape
  • The high-altitude segments near the Austrian border
  • The arrival into the Istrian peninsula and the Adriatic coast

Trip plan

How to think about the drive: one day, split, or overnight.

Overnight recommended

Too long for a single-driver day. Plan on 1 overnight stop(s) to do this trip right.

A natural overnight stop near the halfway point: Vienna (at).

Distance:
1,004 km
Duration:
11h 59m (free-flow, no traffic)

Where to stop

Places along the route that make natural breaks for coffee, lunch, or a night.

  1. Jaroměř 🇨🇿 cz

    ≈126 km

    ≈ 2.4 km detour from the main route

  2. Velké Meziříčí 🇨🇿 cz

    ≈251 km

    ≈ 11.1 km detour from the main route

  3. Mistelbach 🇦🇹 at

    ≈377 km

    ≈ 15.8 km detour from the main route

  4. Neunkirchen 🇦🇹 at

    ≈502 km

    ≈ 7.9 km detour from the main route

  5. Kalsdorf bei Graz 🇦🇹 at

    ≈628 km

    ≈ 5.8 km detour from the main route

  6. Velenje 🇸🇮 si

    ≈753 km

    ≈ 10.4 km detour from the main route

  7. Postojna 🇸🇮 si

    ≈879 km

    ≈ 17.1 km detour from the main route

Key moves

Things to know before you set off — borders, sides of the road, tolls.

Multi-country chain · PL → CZ → AT → SI → HR

You'll cross 5 countries on this drive — each with its own toll system, fuel pricing, and motorway rules. Skim the must-know section below before you set off, and have your registration plus insurance card in the door pocket for any roadside check.

Tolls on motorways in PL / HR

Budget for motorway tolls — France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal charge per-km, Croatia and Greece by section. Contactless cards work almost everywhere; have one loaded.

Vignette required in CZ / AT / SI

Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Bulgaria, and Romania require a sticker or e-vignette for motorway use. Buy at the border — missing one is a heavy on-the-spot fine.

Long rural stretch on S3

Plan for about 73 km of two-lane country roads. Slower than motorway, but often the pretty part — fewer overtakes after dark.

Long rural stretch on D1

Plan for about 52 km of two-lane country roads. Slower than motorway, but often the pretty part — fewer overtakes after dark.

Must-know before you go

The things a driver from another country wouldn't think to ask about — fines, stickers, payment cards, opening hours.

Tolls, vignettes & road payment

Digital vignette before crossing the border

Must know

Austrian motorways need a vignette — €10.10 for 10 days, €30.40 for 2 months, or €103.80 annual. The digital version (linked to your plate) is bought online at asfinag.at and activates from a chosen date — if you buy on the Austrian side of the border, it's only valid 18 days later under consumer-protection rules. Buy ahead.

Official source

Czech e-vignette is plate-linked, no sticker

Must know

Czechia replaced paper vignettes in 2021. Buy on edalnice.cz with your plate, valid from the chosen date. 10-day is CZK 290 (~€12), annual CZK 2,300 (~€95). Police read plates electronically — no display required. The first 90 minutes after purchase, the system sometimes hasn't synced; keep your purchase confirmation accessible.

Official source

You'll hit three different toll systems on this trip

Must know

This route crosses countries with mismatched toll mechanics — France's ticket-and-pay, vignette stickers, electronic-only stretches. There's no single transponder that works everywhere, but a Telepass EU device covers FR/IT/ES/PT and a Bip&Go covers the same plus a few more. For a one-off trip, contactless cards plus a Swiss vignette and Austrian e-vignette is the simplest mix.

Brenner, Tauern and Karawanken tunnels are extra

Useful

Eight Austrian routes charge separate tolls on top of the vignette: Brenner (A13, ~€11.50), Pyhrn (A9, ~€6.50), Tauern (A10, ~€14), Karawanken (A11, ~€8.50) and others. Pay at the booth — no vignette discount. If you're heading south to Italy via the A13, budget for it.

Driving rules & habits

Plan your stops, not just your finish time

Useful

OSRM gives you free-flow drive time. Realistic add: 10% on motorway-heavy routes, 25% if you're crossing two cities. Eat at off-peak hours (11:30 lunch, 18:00 dinner) — service-area queues at noon kill 20 minutes. EU fatigue research is consistent: 15-minute break every 2 hours, full 45-minute break before 6 hours. The drive between hours 7 and 9 is where avoidable accidents cluster.

Rules, fees, and thresholds change. Always verify against the official source the day before you drive — this page is a checklist, not a legal reference.

Main roads

The highways this route spends the most kilometres on.

  • A1 —
    229 km
  • A2 Süd Autobahn
    186 km
  • 37 Hradecká
    104 km
  • A9 Pyhrn Autobahn
    89 km
  • S3 —
    73 km
  • A5 Umfahrung Drasenhofen
    52 km
  • D1 —
    52 km
  • 52 Vídeňská
    44 km
  • D11 —
    28 km
  • 11 Šmarska cesta
    17 km
  • 354 —
    15 km
  • 300 —
    14 km

Route character

How much of the drive is motorway vs. secondary vs. rural.

Mixed motorway + secondary — varied pace, some scenic stretches.

Motorway
57%
Secondary
19%
Other / rural
24%

Drive difficulty

At-a-glance feel: how demanding is this drive for one driver?

Overall

Demanding

Tough drive — multiple complicating factors compound fatigue. Strongly recommend splitting across days.

  • Long drive: 11h 59m behind the wheel at free-flow speeds.
  • Cross-border: pl → hr. Keep documents accessible and check border rules.
  • About 377 km on non-motorway roads where speeds and conditions vary.

Elevation profile

Highs, lows, and the total climb / descent along the route.

Lowest point
7 m
Highest point
582 m
Total ascent
↑ 1,728 m
Total descent
↓ 1,842 m

Fuel & tolls

Rough cost expectation for a typical EU passenger car. Treat as an estimate — pump prices change weekly.

Petrol (RON 95)

≈ €131

75.3 L × €1.74 / L · 7.5 L/100 km

Diesel

≈ €115

60.3 L × €1.91 / L · 6 L/100 km

Electric (DC fast)

≈ €97

176 kWh × €0.55 / kWh · 17.5 kWh/100 km

Public DC fast charging — slower AC charging at home or hotels typically costs about half.

Motorway tolls & vignettes

≈ €45

  • CZ — Vignette (motorway sticker / e-vignette) — €13.00 for 10 days Annual vignette is €88.00 if you drive often
  • AT — Vignette (motorway sticker / e-vignette) — €10.10 for 10 days Annual vignette is €103.80 if you drive often
  • SI — Vignette (motorway sticker / e-vignette) — €16.00 for 7 days Annual vignette is €117.50 if you drive often
  • HR — €0.08/km on the motorway network (≈ 77 km in-country ≈ €6)

Prices last refreshed 2026-08-03.

Fuel and EV charging along the route

Stations within a few kilometres of the road, sampled at evenly-spaced waypoints.

EV charging

52 found

12 at 50 kW or above (fast / ultra-fast).

Fastest first

  • Tesla Supercharger Wien 250 kW
  • STOP SHOP Slovenska Bistrica Supercharger — Slovenska Bistrica 250 kW
  • KGHM Legnica Tauron — Legnica 50 kW
  • Riegrovo nám. ČEZ — Hradec Králové 50 kW
  • LIDL Hradec Králové — Hradec Králové 50 kW
  • LIDL Brněnská HK — Hradec Králové 50 kW
  • EON Velká Bíteš — Velká Bíteš 50 kW
  • Schnellladestation Raststation — Sebersdorf 50 kW
  • Petrol A1/e57 Tepanje Zahod — Slovenske Konjice 50 kW
  • Petrol A1/e57 Tepanje Vzhod — Slovenske Konjice 50 kW
  • OMV A1/e61/e70 Ravbarkomanda Zahod — Postojna 50 kW
  • OMV A1/e61/e70 Ravbarkomanda Vzhod — Postojna 50 kW

Weather by month

Average daytime high / overnight low and typical monthly rainfall, over the past five years.

🇵🇱 Legnica

Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
6°
-0°
7°
-0°
12°
2°
15°
5°
20°
9°
24°
14°
26°
16°
26°
15°
23°
13°
15°
8°
8°
2°
5°
0°
37mm 48mm 32mm 48mm 47mm 57mm 69mm 96mm 85mm 55mm 62mm 45mm

hot mild cold

🇭🇷 Rovinj

Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
11°
6°
12°
6°
15°
9°
17°
11°
21°
15°
27°
20°
29°
22°
30°
23°
25°
19°
21°
15°
15°
9°
12°
7°
107mm 60mm 110mm 85mm 130mm 71mm 78mm 81mm 124mm 182mm 138mm 89mm

hot mild cold

Next 5 days at Rovinj

Live forecast — refreshes every few hours.

  • Thu 13

    ☀️

    28° / 28°

    —

  • Fri 14

    ☀️

    32° / 26°

    —

  • Sat 15

    ☀️

    32° / 26°

    —

  • Sun 16

    ☀️

    31° / 26°

    —

  • Mon 17

    🌧️

    30° / 24°

    12.6mm

Forecast: MET Norway

Directions

Turn-by-turn summary of the main manoeuvres, generated by OSRM.

Show all 61 manoeuvres
  1. Nowa 0.1 km
  2. Chojnowska 2 km
  3. (94; 333)
  4. —
  5. (S3) 73 km
  6. (369)
  7. (300) 7 km
  8. (300) 8 km
  9. Krkonošská (14) 4 km
  10. Krkonošská (14)
  11. Žižkova (14)
  12. —
  13. Hradecká (37) 23 km
  14. —
  15. (D11) 28 km
  16. (D35) 4 km
  17. —
  18. (37) 13 km
  19. (37) 41 km
  20. (37) 19 km
  21. Brněnská (37)
  22. Brněnská (37) 7 km
  23. (354) 15 km
  24. (D1) 52 km
  25. Vídeňská (52) 4 km
  26. Brněnská (52) 41 km
  27. Umfahrung Drasenhofen (A5)
  28. Umfahrung Drasenhofen (A5) 5 km
  29. (B7) 3 km
  30. Nord/Weinviertel Autobahn (A5) 47 km
  31. — 0.7 km
  32. Wiener Außenring Schnellstraße (S1) 8 km
  33. Wiener Nordrand Schnellstraße (S2) 7 km
  34. Südosttangente (A23) 3 km
  35. Hochstraße St. Marx (A23) 3 km
  36. Südosttangente (A23) 5 km
  37. Süd Autobahn (A2) 54 km
  38. Süd Autobahn (A2) 129 km
  39. — 1 km
  40. Pyhrn Autobahn (A9) 40 km
  41. (A1) 135 km
  42. Severna obvoznica (H3) 9 km
  43. — 1 km
  44. Zahodna obvoznica (A2) 3 km
  45. — 0.9 km
  46. (A1) 94 km
  47. (11) 4 km
  48. Šmarska cesta (11)
  49. Šmarska cesta (11) 5 km
  50. (11)
  51. (11) 9 km
  52. (D510)
  53. (A9) 48 km
  54. (D303)
  55. (D303) 12 km
  56. Ulica Ruđera Boškovića (D303)
  57. Aleja Ruđera Boškovića (D303)
  58. Aleja Ruđera Boškovića
  59. Obala Giordana Paliaga
  60. Obala palih boraca NOR
  61. Ulica Pietra Ive

By train from Legnica to Rovinj

Fastest cross-border rail itinerary from the public Transitous planner. Times reflect a typical Monday-morning departure on the next available service-day.

Fastest journey
17h 24m
5 changes
Lead operator
Koleje Dolnośląskie
+ 4 more
Alternatives
5
Itineraries returned by the planner.

Trains on the fastest itinerary

  • KD Sprinter 66158 Łużyce
  • IC 307 Porta Moravica
  • EC 207
  • IR 673

All operators across alternatives

  • Koleje Dolnośląskie
  • PKP Intercity
  • OEBB Personenverkehr AG Kundenservice
  • České dráhy, a.s.
  • Ceske Drahy
Show route on map

Routing via the public Transitous OTP planner (community-run MOTIS instance). Cached 24 hours; verify on the operator's site before booking.

Frequently asked

Do I need a vignette for this route?

Yes, you will need a digital vignette for the Czech Republic and Austria to use their motorway networks legally.

Is fuel significantly cheaper in one of these countries?

No, fuel prices for diesel remain very similar across Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Croatia, so you can refuel whenever convenient.

Are there any mountain passes that close in winter?

While the route avoids the highest Alpine passes, you will reach elevations near 600 meters where snow and ice are common. Winter tires are mandatory in these regions during the colder months.

How this page is built

Compiled by COD Solutions Oy from open European data — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for the route geometry, Open-Meteo for monthly climate normals, OpenTopoData SRTM 30m for elevation, EU Weekly Oil Bulletin for cross-border fuel-price bands, Open Charge Map for EV charging stations, and Google Gemini drafts the narrative and FAQ from the computed route data. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.