jellybellymelly

Am at the initial stages of planning a trip this September - was wondering if the itinerary below is doable for 11 full days? We are 4 adults; intending to fly into Ljubljana, and fly out of Sarajevo, but welcome any suggestions on the logistical aspects. Many thanks.

Not sure if we want to rent a car, so the itinerary below is on the assumption that we will not; if it will be extremely cost efficient to do so (one-way from Zagreb onwards), kindly let me know.

Slovenia (Days 1 to 3)
- Ljubljana Old Town, Ljubljana Castle, Triple / Dragon Bridge
- Postojna Cave
- Lake Bled, Vintgar Gorge
- Triglav National Park
- Logarska Valley

Zagreb (Day 4)
- Train from Ljubljana to Zagreb in the morning

Zagreb to Split (with Plitvice stopover) (Day 5)
- Will join a tour that does this one-way route; arrive at Split in the evening

Split (Day 6)
- Old Split, Diocletian's Palace, Pazar Market, Cathedral and Bell Tower of St. Domnius

Split to Dubrovnik (Days 7 - 8)
- by ferry or bus?
- City Walls, Old Town, Cable Car
- Island of Lokrum

Day trip to Kotor (Day 9)

Dubrovnik to Mostar (Day 10)

Mostar to Sarajevo (Day 11)

thursdaysd

That seems very fast-paced to me.

Not sure you have enough time for what you plan in Ljubljana - do you arrive on day one or day zero?

I did two nights/one day at Plitvice, but most people do one night.

If you haven't booked this yet look here for cruise ship arrivals into Dubrovnik so you can pick dates that minimize crowds:
http://www.portdubrovnik.hr/girica1.php

I would be inclined to do Kotor on the way to Mostar if you're not spending the night there.

Sarajevo deserves at least two nights and better three.

I imagine the drop off fee would be high for a rental car, if you can even take one into all these countries, but you can check that with the rental sites.

For ferry schedules go here:
http://www.jadrolinija.hr/en/ferry-croatia

There is no direct ferry from Split to Dubrovnik. It's probably too far for one day unless you fly.

jellybellymelly

Will aim to arrive at Ljubljana on day 1 but early in the morning. So technically we'll have 3 full days.

Don't intend to spend a night at Kotor. In that case will it be possible to do Kotor and Mostar in a day (spend the night in Mostar)? We will be lugging luggages with us so I suppose a car would be more convenient?

We could possibly do a one way drop off at Dubrovnik...is the coastal drive worth it?

thursdaysd

I travel with one carry-on size rolling case and a day pack, so lugging luggage is not an issue....

You need to check the times for ferries and buses. I took the ferry from Dubrovnik to Hvar, which took eight hours back then, and found it boring. The coastal scenery is very good from the bus - make sure you sit on the seaward side.

rtt0921

Regarding Slovenia, the plan is not realistic. The five bullet points you posted will take a day each, with the exception of Postojna, which can be done in half a day. However, this is all under the assumption you will be renting a car. If you will be relying on public transportation, Logarska Valley is pretty much inaccessible, the train and bus combo to get there takes at least 4 hours one-way from Ljubljana. Depending on where in the Triglav National Park you plan on going, you could have the same problem.

With 3 days in Slovenia, do the following: Go from Ljubljana Airport straight to Bled (the airport is halfway between Bled and Ljubljana), see Bled and the Vintgar Gorge on day 1. Spend the night at Bled, visit nearby Bohinj on day 2 (the only part of Triglav National Park you can realistically see within such a short timeframe). In the afternoon, go to Ljubljana, do some sightseeing if time allows and spend the night there. The next day, go to Postojna in the morning and spend the afternoon in Ljubljana (or vice versa, if you want to experience the Central Market in the morning). Spend another evening in Ljubljana and take the bus or train to Zagreb the next morning.

That's probably as much as you'll be able to see logistically without allowing more days. Despite easy public transport access to all the mentioned destinations, consider renting a car (and returning it before leaving Slovenia), it would end up saving you a few hours on account of shorter travel times and no more waiting times, something to consider given your limited timeframe. Given you are travelling in a group of 4 people, the price would end up being about the same, if not cheaper than using public transportation.

His_Dudeness

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...a-slovenia.cfm

Here's my trip report from a very similar trip done the other way around. I can't say whether your plan is or isn't fast paced as everybody travels differently. Since you have different day trips with bases you can simply slow things down if you like by dropping an activity.

Ljubljana was fantastic and we can't wait to go back there. Personally I would have passed on Mostar in hindsight.

kja

Your plan for Slovenia includes too much for the time you have. Consider your priorities in advance.

Split to Dubrovnik, bus or ferry: Personally, I preferred the bus – be sure to sit on the right as you head south! Others could easily have different preferences.

While I adored Sarajevo, I don’t see how it fits into this itinerary – but maybe I don’t understand? What is your departure city? What are your priorities for Sarajevo? (I gave it only 2.5 days and regret that I didn’t give it more.)

"will it be possible to do Kotor and Mostar in a day (spend the night in Mostar”

Not IMO. Not an option, at all.

Good luck!