MTBob

My wife and I are planning a 3 week car trip through Croatia beginning April 1. Starting in Dubrovnik we are planning on driving a loosely scheduled route north with probable primary stops in or around Korcula Isle, Hvar Isle, Split, Sibenik, Krka Park, Zadar, Plitvice Park, Pag Isle, Rovinj and Zagreb. (with unscheduled stops at other interesting places). Our intention is to book accommodations as we go, primarily in apartments or any other non-touristy locations. We'll have a GPS, cell phone and accommodation references from internet forums and friends.
Do any of you have suggestions or experiences that would help us with this type of trip?

yorkshire

I was disappointed in Pag--unless you have a reason for going there, you might add some additional stops in Istria instead. Also, if you are going to Plitvice, maybe skip Krka.
If I was going to do that trip with a car, I'd do additional research for some smaller places that require a car to get to. I am not saying there is anything wrong with renting a car, but if you are just going from main town to main town you don't get as much of a benefit from having the car--just the personal convenience.
My only other tip is to check the ferry schedules for the Korcula-Hvar portion (jadrolinija.hr).

eluckhardt

We arrived via bus in Dubrovnik and were bombarded with "sobe" offers. As we had not booked a room prior, we just kinda went with the flow and wound up renting a room in a local's home (sobe). Turned out great for us. We also stayed in a sobe in Rovinj and Hvar, though those were booked prior to our trip. So, I guess what I am saying is to keep an eye out for "sobe" signs if you find yourselves needing a place last minute.

kja

I didn't visit Pag, but did visit the other locations you mention and enjoyed each. I was glad I visited by Krka and Plitvice Lakes National Parks - although there are some similarities, I thought them different enough to justify seeing both. I second yorkshire's advice about checking the ferry schedules ahead of time. Enjoy!

MTBob

Thanks, I think we've found the right schedules for the islands we are planning on visiting, though the Jadrolinija website is pretty unfriendly. I'm curious how receptive apartment owners will be to spur of the moment lodging requests, particularly if the stay is for one or two nights.

Regarding Istria - would it be a good idea to stay in Rovinj and day trip from there to see the hill country? Or, should we plan on trying to find accommodations in other parts of Istria?

Thanks for all the comments, very helpful.

yorkshire

Spur of the moment is no problem, and in low season I don't think they will balk at 1-2 night stays (some have no problem turning away stays of less than a week--but that is a rarity).
Since you are driving you will not be meeting people at the bus station offering rooms, though you could linger at the ferry to meet some. Instead, note the locations of the tourist offices and head there upon arrival. They can book a room for you no problem.

MTBob

Do any of you happen to know where I can find a consolidated list of Tourist Information offices throughout Croatia?

kja

Try:

http://www.htz.hr/English/Destinacije/Odredista.aspx

Once you select a destination, you should find the tourist information listings.

christycruz

In between Hvar and Split, you could visit Brac. We really enjoyed Bol. We traveled in September and never had a problem finding a good place to stay. We often went to the TI office. People say they tack on a fee, but if so it's small. We never noticed a difference.