What happened to the vehicle on Brač and how much did the towing cost?

A passenger van broke down in Supetar on the island of Brač, and the towing to Bjelovar, involving two towing services and a ferry, cost a total of €1,231.

How can I protect myself from expensive towing costs at the lowest price?

For as little as €17 or €18 per year, you can take out additional roadside assistance insurance (e.g., with Croatia osiguranje or LAQO), which covers towing and assistance in Croatia and Europe.

What is the difference between roadside assistance insurance and HAK membership?

HAK offers different membership tiers with fixed limits (e.g., €270 in the Start package) and includes extra benefits like tire changes, while insurers often cover towing up to higher amounts (e.g., Sava up to €3,000) or unlimited.

Do I need special coverage if I travel outside Croatia?

Yes, most basic packages are valid only in Croatia. For abroad, you need a European package, such as the one offered by LAQO (over 40 countries) or Generali (package for Europe). Check the terms before traveling.

Travel

Tow from Brač to Bjelovar: A Bill Over 1,200 Euros, Here's How to Protect Yourself

P.U. · 29. 07. 2026. | 4 min

The case of a passenger van that broke down on the island of Brač shows how expensive it can be without additional roadside assistance coverage, Klikni.hr provides an overview of options.

Summary

Towing a van from Supetar to Bjelovar cost €1,231 due to double flat fees, mileage charges and weight surcharges.
Insurers like LAQO and Croatia osiguranje offer roadside assistance coverage from as little as €17-18 per year, which also covers towing abroad.
HAK's Start membership (€40) provides coverage up to €270, while more expensive packages include a replacement vehicle and accommodation.
Before traveling, check territorial validity, coverage limits and terms of use, vehicle weight, number of interventions and operating hours.

Make 5MIN.hr a preferred source

A car breakdown far from home can turn a vacation into a financial nightmare. This is best illustrated by a case reported by Klikni.hr: a passenger van that broke down on the island of Brač cost its owner a whopping €1,231 just to be towed to Bjelovar, a bill inflated by fees that many drivers don't expect.

Bill Breakdown: Double Towing, Mileage and Vehicle Weight

According to Klikni.hr, the towing was done in two stages, one service transported the vehicle from Supetar to Split, and another towed it from Split to Bjelovar. As a result, the base flat fee for loading, unloading and the first 20 kilometers was charged twice, totaling €132. Added to that were surcharges for vehicle weight, which exceeded €350, and charges for each additional kilometer. The vehicle traveled nearly 500 kilometers beyond the first 20, at a rate of €1.19 per kilometer, meaning mileage alone came to over €580. On top of all that, ferry and toll costs added another €157.

How to Protect Yourself from Such Bills

Klikni.hr points out that mandatory third-party liability insurance does not cover roadside assistance or towing. When a driver lacks additional coverage, they are left at the mercy of market rates for towing services, which can be extremely high during the season. That's why it pays to arrange additional coverage when taking out your car insurance policy, for a nominal annual fee.

Insurance Offers: Prices and Coverage

According to Klikni.hr, LAQO osiguranje offers a Towing and Assistance option for €18 per year. It includes unlimited tows and interventions via partner Oryx and covers over 40 European countries with no extra charge. Croatia osiguranje also provides roadside assistance through Oryx for €17 per year.

Sava osiguranje has several tiers, and its premium package covers towing up to €3,000, hotel accommodation for up to four days, and a replacement vehicle for up to 72 hours in Croatia and 120 hours abroad. Generali (AS Direct) offers separate packages for Croatia and Europe, while Grawe's Mobil Hrvatska and Mobil Europa packages have a combined limit of €250 for towing and repairs, which can be quickly exhausted on longer routes.

An alternative is membership in the HAK (Croatian Automobile Club). The basic Start package costs €40 per year and provides coverage of up to €270 for roadside assistance in Croatia. The Optimum and Optimum Plus packages cost €65 and include higher protection, two annual tire changes, and the option of a replacement vehicle or accommodation in case of a breakdown. HAK increased its membership fees earlier this year, so it's worth checking current prices and limits before joining.

What to Look Out For When Choosing Coverage

Klikni.hr highlights several key points to check before opting for additional insurance or membership:

Territory: Does the package cover only Croatia or also abroad? For travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia or further, you'll need a European package.
Coverage limit: Some packages, like Grawe's, have a relatively low combined limit for towing and repairs, so it can be quickly exhausted.
Number of interventions and destination: While LAQO, for example, transports to your place of residence or another location of your choice (within the same distance) and allows unlimited tows, other providers may limit the number of interventions or only take you to the nearest authorized repair shop.
Vehicle weight: Surcharges for weight significantly increase the bill, which is especially important for larger family cars, vans and trailers.
Replacement vehicle and accommodation: It's useful to know whether you'll get a replacement car or hotel accommodation while yours is being repaired.
Operating hours: Check whether interventions on weekends and at night are charged at a higher rate, because breakdowns on the way to the coast often happen at those times.

First Step When Your Car Stops: Don't Call the First Towing Service

Experienced drivers, writes Klikni.hr, advise that in the event of a breakdown, you should first call your insurance or HAK, and only then agree to a service, and only after someone has clearly stated the price. On the hard shoulder, you are allowed to safely wait for the towing service you called yourself, and a few minutes of patience can save you from a bill of several hundred euros.