How to Get from Dubrovnik to Trebinje: Bus, Car, Taxi or Private Transfer

Trebinje is only 30 km from Dubrovnik, about 40 to 45 minutes by car including the border. It is the easiest way to add a second country to your trip: a sunny stone town in Herzegovina, without the crowds. Here are your options, from a local who makes this drive all the time.

Quick answer

• Easiest: a private transfer or guided day trip, with pickup at your hotel, the airport or the cruise port
• Cheapest: the bus from Dubrovnik’s main bus station in Gruž
• Most freedom: a rental car, if your rental company allows Bosnia and Herzegovina

By private transfer or day trip

Door to door, no timetables, and someone who knows the border. With a guided day you also get the Old Town, Arslanagić Bridge, wine at Tvrdoš Monastery and lunch. See the Dubrovnik to Trebinje day trip, or our private transfers if you only need the ride.

By bus

Buses leave from the main bus station in Gruž, near the cruise port. There are only a few departures a day and timetables change with the season, so check the times a day before at the station or online. The ride takes about 1 to 1.5 hours with the border. Tip: check the return bus first, because the last one back can leave early.

By rental car

Most Croatian rental companies allow trips to Bosnia and Herzegovina, but tell them in advance. They give you the insurance papers needed for the border, often for a small fee. Without them you can be turned back. The shortest route uses the Ivanica (Gornji Brgat) crossing. Parking in Trebinje is much easier than in Dubrovnik.

By taxi

Possible, but agree on the price before you leave and ask if the driver can cross the border. For a return trip with waiting time, a private transfer usually works out better.

From Dubrovnik Airport

The airport is about 35 km from Trebinje, roughly the same drive as from the city. A transfer can pick you up straight from arrivals.

From a cruise ship

Trebinje fits easily into a port day. Plan your return with a good buffer before your all-aboard time, because border queues can grow in summer.

At the border

• EU citizens can enter Bosnia and Herzegovina with a national ID card. Everyone else needs a passport.
• Since 2025, non-EU travellers are registered in the EU’s Entry/Exit System when they come back into Croatia. The first registration takes a few extra minutes.
• The crossing is usually quick, but expect queues on summer weekends.

Money and phone

The local currency is the Bosnian convertible mark (KM, also written BAM). You can pay in KM, in euros or by credit card. Bosnia and Herzegovina is outside the EU roaming zone, so check your mobile data plan.

Once you are here, see our guide to things to do in Trebinje.