How do you plan to get from Kotor to Santorini?
You need to do your homework.

Hi Bod,

Hmm... walk/swim?

I knew, I just knew that is the weakest part of the plan and of course it's the first one getting called out. Thanks for bringing it up. At this time, as you said... I need to do more homework regarding that part. Any suggestion?

How about the rest of the plan?

It will take ~5.5 hrs of straight driving from Rovinj to Split, where you can board the ferry to Hvar. A long day, for sure.

Alternatively, you can take the overnight ferry from Rijeka to Hvar (Stari Grad) but that means cutting one night from your 2-night stay in Rovinj.

Your trip seems so fast-paced,IMO, going end-to-end along coastal Croatia in 6 days with a side trip to Montenegro.Traveling between these places also take time, so there's not much time for you to savor the place.

Good Luck!

Fly from Dubrovnik to Athens then to Santorini.

For all the rest, use Google Maps to find drive times---these places are not close---you will need time.

Thanks Joy and Bob for your replies.

Bob, I am sorry I misspelled your name earlier. And I hope you know my remark of walk/swim is in fun.

I looked up the distance between these towns and Rovinj/Pula to Split/Hvar is the longest but it's only 174 miles. Not unmanageable, I thought... I've got to look into it further.

I do think that my plan has too many stops, not bad due the distances, but bad because we'd have to uproot and move too often. So... what can we skip.

Does Croatia or Greece airline fly Dubrovik to Athens? I looked into berlinair and germanwings and they don't fly there.

For travel times by car:

http://www.viamichelin.com/ or

http://en.mappy.com/

For travel times but public transportation, consult The Rough Guides.

Good luck!

Be aware of the absence of some of the ferry routes this year.
www.jadrolinija.hr

balkanology.com
good info looks crammed
might give up Bled for Plitvice NP
prettier anyway Zadar Split Dubrovnik.
Then make my way to Greecetravel.com Islands.
skyscanner.net for flight best in the short
time you have do not miss Oia ikies.com
my fav have fun!

Thank you all for the suggestions so far. They are so invaluable.

At this time I'm considering dropping Kotor/Dobrota off the trip. Keep Ljubljana/Bled. Spend those 2 days to stay longer in some of these places. This makes the logistics easier. Rent car in Zagreb, drop off in Dubrovnik, catch plane to Athens from Drubovnik to Athens/Santorini.

Does this modification make sense?

If you are taking 2 days off Kotor/Dobroto, maybe you can do this?

4/18 Zagreb
4/19 Zagreb
4/20 Ljubljana
4/21-22 Bled
4/23-24 Rovinj
4/25 Plitvice National Park
4/26 Split (or Trogir)
4/27-28 Hvar
4/29-30 Dubrovnik

I don't know your interests or what you'd like to do most during your vacation, but the above itinerary may give you some idea. You should not miss seeing Plitvice Park.

http://www.widerange.org/images/large/plitvickaJezera.jpg

Still long driving times, but at least you get to overnight on some of the places and rest.

Good Luck.

Thanks for that itin Joy. I like it a lot. Have heard/read so much about Plitvice (and my wife loves to hike - Me, I'm just her plodder so we want to do it.

Is there a central place we can stay 4/25, 26, 27, 28 to do Plitvice, Split, Zadar, Trogir together? We can skip Hvar too.

It can be done, at least the Slovenia/Croatian part. We did it as part of a ten week grand tour of Europe, starting in Germany and including Austria, Yugoslavia, Italy and Switzerland for the first five weeks, and the rest spent in France.

http://europetogo.yuku.com/topic/527/My-Grand-Tour-of-Europe

Where is a good place to stay near Plitvice?

Stay in the park in Plitvice. We drove there from Rovinj and arrived in the afternoon. We saw part of the park that afternoon after most of the crowds left and then saw the rest in the morning before the crowds arrived. Our boat over to the falls area in the morning was almost empty and when we left there was a line waiting for the boats. The hotel was plain but clean. It was worth being in the park. There was a good restaurant in the park too. It was a short drive from the 2 hotels.

I would not skip Bled or Rovinj. Split deserves a day. Hvar town can also be seen in a day. We arrived on the 4 pm ferry and departed at 4pm the next day. That was plenty of time to see the town, hike up to the castle, bike around the waterfront, etc. If you want to see the rest of the island you want more time.
For our trip, we started in Bled and then Ljubljana where we got the car. We stopped at the caves on the way to Rovinj which was a nice stop. Then on to Plitvice (which I might have skipped in retrospect). We have been to more spectacular falls but it is very nice. We dropped of the car in Split and took ferry to Hvar and then Dubrovnik. I would skip Kotor. We did a day trip there and it was beautiful but not worth 2 days. Check on the drop fee to pick up in Slovenia and drop off in Croatia. I think we paid an extra 250 euros for that. Getting around in April\May can be a challenge on the ferrys. Most of them don't run until the summer. Be sure to check the schedules if you plan to use them.

Thanks Detraveler. I think we'll rent a car in Zagreb, drive through Slovia back into Croatia and return it in Dubrovnik. Perhaps the 1 way drop off charge would not be so severe.

Seriously reconsidering the Greece part as that country's economy picture is just not making me happy. Unfortunate thing is that our return flight is already booked to leave Athens at 6AM on May 7th. Free tickets so we can't reschedule, no fall back position available.

"Seriously reconsidering the Greece part as that country's economy picture is just not making me happy. Unfortunate thing is that our return flight is already booked to leave Athens at 6AM on May 7th. Free tickets so we can't reschedule, no fall back position available."

I wouldn't be too worried about that. I would be worried on spending several hours to reach Santorini, then spending mainly only one full day. Time alloted for Athens isn't enough either on my opinion...

"I would be worried on spending several hours to reach Santorini, then spending mainly only one full day. Time alloted for Athens isn't enough either on my opinion..."

Yes Mariha, I hear you.

At this time, I'm revising the itinerary like this

4/18-19 Zagreb Regents Esplanade hotel
4/20 Ljubljana Antiq hotel is full = ???
4/21-22 Bled Grand hotel Plitvice
4/23-24 Rovinj Hotel Adriatic
4/25 Plitvice National Park Hotel Plitvice or hotel Macola
4/26 Split (or Trogir) Hotel Park Split
4/27 Hvar hotel = ???
4/28-29 Dubrovnik hotel = ???
4/30-5/3 Santorini Hotel Delfini Oia
5/4-5/7 Athens hotel = ???

I do plan to visit Nafplio and Thessaloniki while staying in Athens. Can they be day trips?

Nafplio is about 2+ hours on public bus. Frequent departures from Ktel bus station A on Kiffisou Avenue. There are many interesting sites near by Nafplion,I don't think you can take them all in. Town itself very scenic and pleasant anyway with lots to see, if possible try to visit at least Mycynae though.
For Thessaloniki faster to reach on intercity train than on a bus, haven't do this route for years though, so not sure on duration of this trip. Long one, and you really can't do Thessaloniki justice in a few hours. It is the second larger city in Greece after Athens with a very rich history.
I honestly think that you will not get bored in Athens. Just do some research before hand to check how to move among places, in what sequence to visit sites etc. Plenty to see and do there. In Athens I think been based on Monastiraki,Plaka or Syndagma areas is very convenient. Avoid seedy Omonia. You can simply walk to most major sites from the areas mentioned and among them too, or just use metro for a sort hop of 1-3 stops! You may want to check Cypria, Pan or Attalos hotels for Athens, or Metropolis and Faedra a bit more low budget.

Mariha, Can you give me names to a few more hotels that are higher class than the Cypria, Pan or Attalos within the same area, or in other nice neighborhood? We're willing to pay up to 250-260 Euro range

I've just made my first 2 hotel reservations of this trip. 2 nights at the Regents Esplanade in Zagreb and 2 nights at the Grand Villa Argentina in Dubrovnik. Please share your thoughts on these 2 hotels.

Interesting... found out that Croatia Air starts non-stop Dubrovnik-Athens on May 1. Before that there's no non-stop flight. Time to scramble yet again to put this trip together.

Sorry, I had no knowledge of the hotels on your other destinations, so I couldn't know what you are after and just mentioned some middle range hotels.
So, of course first of all NJV Athens Plaza, King George Palace and if you are willing to add a bit more on your budget, Grande Bretagne by Syndagma Square. Electra hotel, 2 minutes walk from Syndagma on the posh pedestrinized Ermou street. Straying a bit further away, good old Hilton is to be found only 2 metro stops away from Syndagma as Divani Caravel is (Metro stop Evaggelismos). Royal Olympic is near Acropolis metro stop and there are a few more options inside the historical center or very near by such as Fresh hotel,Athens Diamond, Athens Gate to name but a few : )

Mariha, I have chosen the NJV Athens Plaza and King George Palace as my 2 finalists for Athens. NJV is cheaper. Can you comment on these 2?

I need a few great suggestions for Santorini. The Hotel Delfini has ignored my request in the last 3 days. Thanks a ton.

If you are looking for a 5 star hotel in Dubrovnik, please check out the Villa Dubrovnik. It is located just a bit further out than the Villa Argentina, about 1/2 hour walk into the old town. All of the 50 rooms have a sea view, the deluxe also has a jacuzzi tub on the private terrace. If you do not want to stroll to town they do provide a boat transfer (weather depending) or private car.

Villa Argentina is lovely property, but do request a sea view room from the main building and about a 15 minute walk into town. I did stay at this property prior to retiring here 4 years ago.

Enjoy your stay here.

Both those hotels are situated within a few metres distance and they are both posh. There were rummers that King George's owner were seriously thinking to sell or close the property due to very high rent and many cancelations and damages due to the events on this area..But I think the have reconcider. Plazza might be slightly more secure option in case King George suddenly close and you are relocated, although I believe there is a very slim option for this. Sites such as booking.com feature comments from guests who have actually book through the site and stay in the hotels, so you might want to have a look on those...
I would wait a bit and see what happens with Villa Delfini,please be aware that most hotel owners on Greek islands need a vacations theirselves after the very demanding work all summer, so on winter they travel a lot to mainland and in general take it a bit more easy. Often they do not check their e-mails daily or even for a few weeks...
Is your heart set on Oia or you would concider elsewhere on Santorini too?

My heart is not set on Oia, although everywhere my research has taken me, that neighborhood sounds really nice. I would be open and grateful if you can tell me about any other area.

coolcamden, the Division I Ice Hockey World Championship is in Ljubljana 4/15-4/21 so there won't be as many beds available. I suggest you book a place soon.

Oia is artificialy gorgeous but still gorgeous on my opinion, but if your point is to enjoy a private sunset and spend time in the hotel, not walking around in town all day, why not look into areas such as Firostefani which is near Fira and is less zoo-like when cruise ship visitors arrive in hordes? You may even save some money without lucking on luxury... You can then visit Oia whenever you want, or even walk the Fira-Oia path to get some incredible views and photos. Imerovigli is a nice option too. Horses for courses I guess, but I am a bit tired of people thinking Greece is only about Oia and Santorini. If you go on Santorini, you may want to check other areas of the island as well.

We stayed at the Best Western Slon in Ljubjana and it was good. The room was small but the location was very good.
We liked the Hotel Luxe in Split for the location and the Riva in Hvar. We stayed at the Hilton in Dubrovnik using points so I'm not sure of the cost there but I bet April would not too high. The Hilton is right at the Pile Gate entrance to the old town which is really convenient.

In Rovinj we stayed at the Monte Mulini which is just beyond the hotel you are looking at. That place is wonderful. If you can get it within your price range I would go for it for sure. It is a bit out of town but they have great bikes for loan to guests which we really enjoyed. A morning or afternoon in Pula is good from Rovinj.

We stayed at the Grand in Bled which is a great choice.

I think Santorini looks great. We are going there in late May but we are dedicating 2 full weeks to Greece. We did a 2 week trip to Slovenia and Croatia last year which was really similar to your first weeks. With your short time in Greece and desire to see some other mainland spots, I might fly to Athens and go to Hydra rather than Santorini since it is a short ferry ride. With travel it looks like you will only have one full day in Dubrovnik which is a bit tight. If you only want to see the old town that should be fine but there are nice things to see in the area too.

I was thinking about your car rental...make sure the company knows you will be taking the car into Slovenia. We need a automatic toll thing in Slovenia and you want to be sure you have that on the highways.

Detravel, I am having a hard time locating a reasonable car rental agency. I was using cartrawler but it's not showing me very favorable rates.

Hi Detraveler.

OK, I looked at autoeurope for car rental. Good news, I think I can pick up the car at my Zagreb hotel (Regent Espanadale) and return it at the Dubrovnik airport. Also good news is the T&C of the contract said the car is OK to be in Slovenia and Croatia. But I can't seem to be able to declare my intention to go into Slovania.

So now you got me fretting...

We have been using hire cars for several years in Slovenia/Croatia and found that the rates just kept on changing. Because of this, we are using a different company nearly every time. We even found a difference in rates between US and Europe with the same company.

www.carrentals.co.uk
www.nationalcar.hr
www.oryx-rent.hr
www.vetura-rentacar.hr
www.novacarhire.com
www.economycarrentals.com

There is no automatic toll thing to travel in Slovenia, it is just a sticker you put on the inside of your windshield, it's called a vignette and it's the same system Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, etc have.

Rental companies outside Slovenia don't usually provide them, you might be lucky and the person who used the car before you travelled to Slovenia and the sticker on the car is still valid but that's not very likely.

You can buy the vignette at any gas station in Slovenia, also at many gas stations around Zagreb, especially on roads leading to Slovenia. It is only required for motorways and expressways. I advise you to buy it at the latest on the very first service area in Slovenia, afterwards if you are caught without one you will be fined (€150).

It costs €15 for 7 days.

Thank you for clearing up the driving vignette.

I am encountering a very very frustrating situation with the Grand Villa Argentina at this time. I have confirmed reservation for 2 nights stay on April 28, 29 at the rate of 236 euro per night. Upon find out that nonstop flights between Dubrovnik - Athens starts on May 1, I sent GVA an email requesting that they admend my reservation to add 1 additional night, April 30.

I received an email reply that they will charge me 278 for the additional night. A 43 euro more for this night. No reason was given.

I, and everyone on this earth, can still go on GVA's website and book 3 nights stay April 28, 28, 30 for 236 euro. Why are they adding a premium on me?

I have sent 2 emails inquiring this issue. No answer.

Grand Villa Argentina replied and said the 3rd day increase is non-negotiable. WTH??... So I cancelled the reservation.

Now I gotta find another nice hotel for Dubrovnik. Problem is the other 5* hotels there are owned by the same corporation that owns GVA. I don't want to patronize them at all any more.

Cancel the reservation and re-do it for three nights. Chances are that it will go through at the stated price with no premium for the third night.

If you still need a hotel in Hvar, we enjoyed the Park Hotel Hvar. We had a balcony overlooking the harbor which was very pleasant.

In Athens, we like the Electra Palace Hotel and Grand Bretagne. In Oia, Esperas. We stayed in apartments in Dubrovnik and Rovinj so can't help with hotels

Have a wonderful trip.

I did cancel the reservation. Still awaiting their acknowledgement of the cancellation.

I will not rebook. I don't want them to have any of my money. Time to start going someplace else. Perhaps the Hilton.

Hilton is booked. Hhmmm...

I've booked a stay at the Hotel Lapad in Dubrovnik. Has anyone stayed there?

Mariha, Can you comment on the King George compared to Athens Gate? AG is about 150 USD cheaper. I'm tempted to get it.