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Croatia, Slovenia & Bosnia Itinerary Feedback

Croatia, Slovenia & Bosnia Itinerary Feedback

Old Jul 18th, 2017, 12:10 PM
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Croatia, Slovenia & Bosnia Itinerary Feedback

Hello Fodorites,

My husband and I are planning a trip next May to Croatia, Slovenia and BH and would appreciate your feedback on our planned itinerary. I've researched and read lots of feedback on this forum from Andrew and kja as well as others which has helped tremendously in putting together our itinerary.

We are using miles to fly into and out of Rome and have 45 days. We plan to spend around 2 weeks in Italy and the rest in Croatia, Slovenia and BH. We are in our mid 60's and are very active and travel frequently in Europe but have not been to this area before. We hate 1 night stays but have included a couple of them here.

Your feedback would be greatly appreciated. We can add a day or 2 if needed and take away from Italy if you think we need more time in a particular city/town. Would you change or add anything to this itinerary given that we have about 27 days here.

Day 1-4 - Early May - Fly from Rome to Dubrovnik. Spend 4 nights in Dubrovnik with day trip to Kotor one day (we stopped in Dubrovnik on a cruise many years ago but only spent a couple hours here).
Day 5- 7- Hire a driver to take us from Dubrovnik to Sarajevo and spend 3 nights here.
Day 8 - Day a 2 day tour leaving Sarajevo that stops in Mostar overnight
Day 9 - Arrive in Dubrovnik late - overnight in Dubrovnik again
Day 10-11 Hire a driver or take shuttle to Korcula and spend 2 nights here
Day 12-13 - Take ferry from Korcula to Split and spend 2 nights in Split with day trip to Trogir one day.
Day 14-15 Take late ferry (4pm) from Split to Hvar, spending 2 nights in Hvar. We really only have 1 full day in Hvar since the ferry doesn't arrive on day 14 until early evening.
Day 16-17 - Take early morning ferry from Hvar back to Split, pick up car and drive to Zadar with a stop at Sibenik. Take a day trip the 2nd day to Krka National Park.
Day 18 - Drive to Plitvice National Park and overnight here
Day 19-20 - Drive to Zagreb, drop car and spend 2 days here
Day 21-22 - Train or bus to Ljubjana, spend 2 days here
Day 23-24 - Pick up car in Ljubjana and drive to Lake Bled for 2 nights; day trip around Julian Alps one day
Day 25 - Drive to Postojna caves & Predjama Castle, maybe Lipica Stud Farm, overnight in Piran
Day 26-27 - Drive to Rovinj but stop at Buje and/or Porec on way, 2nd day to Motovun or other hill towns
Day 28 - (early June) Return car to Ljubjana and arrange for driver or bus to Venice
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Old Jul 18th, 2017, 12:59 PM
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Stop in Hvar on the way from Korcula to Split, instead of backtracking. The catamaran will probably stop there anyway. There is daily catamaran service between Korcula, Hvar, and Split, year-round.

I'm curious as to why you want to hire a driver for Bosnia but not for Croatia and Slovenia? Do you fear driving in Bosnia, or are you just trying to limit your time driving? I found driving in Bosnia quite easy. The roads are quite good nowadays, even if still not quite as good as Croatia's.

Consider keeping the car after Zagreb, driving it through Slovenia, and return it in Rovinj at the end. That way, you won't have to worry about dropping/picking up cars and getting from place to place without one. And you can get from Rovinj to Venice by ferry (limited service in May, maybe one day a week?) or bus or private transfer - without needing to get back to Ljubljana.

The big advantage I see of not having a car in Zagreb and Ljubljana is that you don't have to pay to park it. And you can take a break from driving for a few days. But with a long rental in Croatia, the per-day cost may be lower to the point that it costs about the same to have the car all those days vs. two separate rentals. You can compare the costs, if it matters.

Or - return the Slovenia car near Koper instead of driving back to Ljubljana. Take a bus from Koper to Trieste and train from there to Venice.
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Old Jul 18th, 2017, 01:00 PM
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For the beginning of the trip, you might consider this alternate order: fly from Rome to Split, if you can find a good flight (or take a ferry from Ancona). In Split, you could day trip to Sibenik and Krka without a car.

From Split, catamaran to Hvar and Korcula, then catamaran or bus to Dubrovnik. Rent a car as you leave Dubrovnik, drive to Montenegro, then back through Mostar and Sarajevo. From Sarajevo, drive to Plitvice (maybe with stops in Jajce and/or Travnik) and then Zagreb (and maybe drop the car there to take a four day breather from driving - if you want!).

I liked having a car for driving around the Bay of Kotor - amazing scenery. I stopped numerous times for pictures. Not sure you really must have an overnight in Montenegro vs. a day trip, but it's easy to do, and you seem to have plenty of time to fit it in without rushing.
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Old Jul 18th, 2017, 01:47 PM
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Andrew,
This is great feedback. I had some reservations about driving in Bosnia even though I read your trip report about not having any issues. I will re-think this. Also, I like your option about flying to Split first. I need to re-work this. I do appreciate your comments and will re-consider the car for Bosnia. I like the idea of driving to Kotor and maybe spending the night there, then heading to Mostar and Sarajevo.

Also, I hadn't thought about dropping the car in Rovinj instead of driving back to Ljubjana.

I'll re-work and post again in the near future.

Thanks again!
Karen
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Old Jul 18th, 2017, 01:58 PM
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Karen, I first drove in Bosnia in 2009. I rented my car in Zagreb and returned it in Dubrovnik with just a night in Mostar. I was a little nervous about driving in Croatia (having last driven in France in 2002) but really nervous about Bosnia for some reason. I guess it sounded like some sort of a third-world country - but it turned out to be no big worry at all. (Biggest source of stress: fitting the tiny car into a very small parking spot in Mostar, but I let the guy from the hotel park it for me and just left the car there until I left town.) That's why I felt fine doing the much longer drive in 2015.

The drive between Mostar and Sarajevo along the river is really beautiful - though you would get this same view in a bus, train, or private car, I guess. In 2015, if you read that trip report, I drove from Dubrovnik to Kotor, to Tribeinje, through Mostar (didn't stop this time) to Sarajevo, then through Travnik and Jajce to Plitvice Lakes. I really loved having the car to stop in all the little towns in between, and some of the drive was really beautiful as mentioned above - also between Travnik, Jajce, and Croatia. And I am glad I got to see more than just Mostar and Sarajevo, which is all 99% of tourists seem to see in Bosnia.
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Old Jul 18th, 2017, 02:49 PM
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Andrew, I think you are convincing me that driving in Bosnia is just fine. I've driven all over France, Italy, and Germany and am quite familiar with trying to find a place to park and then parking in those small spaces (very stressful). I do agree that having a car gives you more flexibility to stop at the towns outside of the typical tourist places.
I need to read up on those places you stopped en route to Plitvice Lakes.

BTW, your photos are beautiful!
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Old Jul 18th, 2017, 04:04 PM
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Thank you for the compliment about my photos!

I spent only a night in Jajce between Sarajevo and Plitvice. I also spent half a day in rugged Una National Park en route to Plitvice - quite a contrast to developed Plitvice! But you could probably do Travnik and Jajce (or just one of them) as day stops between Sarajevo and Plitvice. I made some American friends in Sarajevo whom I met again in Plitvice, and they did the day drive instead. I didn't find Jajce particularly charming, but the big waterfall in front of the town gives it an unusual, dramatic feel - definitely worth a stop. Sometimes it's fun to spend a night in a town most people you talk to have never heard of!
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Old Jul 18th, 2017, 06:15 PM
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Should be a great trip! May is a lovely month in which to visit the area.

Here are a few thoughts for your consideration:

Even with a day trip to Kotor, 4 nights is a bit high for Dubvonik. But of course, it depends on what you want to see and do and your preferred pace.

No need to hire a driver to go to Sarajevo, unless that’s your preference – you can go by public transportion. Check rome2rio.com for your options, but be sure to check on anything you find there, as the site is not sensitive to seasonal variation. Keep in mind that the advantage of public transportation is that no one has to forego seeing the spectacular scenery – and the scenery is spectacular , but the roads require the driver’s attention.

You can use public transportation to get to Mostar, too. I’m glad you are planning to spend the night ther.

No need to go back to Dubrovnik before going on to Korcula.

You should be able to go from Korcula to Hvar without going through Split in between.

Hope that helps!
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Old Jul 18th, 2017, 06:26 PM
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And another option: Fly into Sarajevo, train or bus to Mostar, bus to Dubrovnik, bus to Korcula, ferry to Hvar, ferry to Split, and on from there.
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Old Jul 19th, 2017, 05:42 AM
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Thank you kja for your feedback as well. I appreciate both yours and Andrew's insights into this area and will re-work our itinerary. I'm thinking I would prefer someone else do the driving so I can see the spectacular scenery in Bosnia.

I will see about flights into Sarajevo as this might be a good option as well.

kja -we only have 3 full days in Dubrovnik if we fly into Dubrovnik since the flight doesn't get in until evening. We were thinking 1 full day to see Dubrovnik, 1 day for day tripping to Lokrum & Cavtat and one day for Kotor day trip.
Do you think any other town warrants more than 2 days (other than Sarajevo)?
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Old Jul 19th, 2017, 06:47 AM
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I would drop the full day in Dubrovnik. If you visited a number of years back you will be stunned by how crowded with cruise ship passengers it is now. Check this site to see which days have fewer/smaller ships:

http://www.portdubrovnik.hr/girica1.php

I agree with kja about taking public transport in BH - I used the buses as the train from Mostar to Dubrovnik left very early. You don't need a car in either town. Starting in Sarajevo is a good idea.

Don't know if you saw my TR for Macedonia, Dubrovnik and BH:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...omment-7418292

For my most recent visit to Ljubljana, which I love:

https://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com...ing-ljubljana/
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Old Jul 19th, 2017, 06:59 AM
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thursdaysd, thanks for the heads up about the mobs of visitors to Dubrovnik. It really makes for an unpleasant experience when a city is so crowded with tourists that you can't move around. I loved Florence years ago but in recent years have come to hate it because of the crowds and would not go back unless in the 'off off' season.

I'll check out your trip reports and also the link to the cruise ship schedules.
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Old Jul 19th, 2017, 07:15 AM
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The crowds in Dubrovnik are worst during the days. The town is much more pleasant by late afternoon once they leave and magical at night when everything is all lit up. So Dubrovnik isn't so bad as long as you plan day trips to get out of town most of your days there. The main thing you probably want to do during the day (unless you did it on your original visit?) is to walk the walls of the town.

Be sure to check out the Buza Bar in Dubrovnik, a great place from which to view the sunset!

I agree that you don't need or probably want a car in Mostar and Sarajevo - but having one lets you stop along the way, in little towns and other spots. Being able to do this added a lot of flavor to my Bosnian trip. There's more to Bosnia than just Sarajevo and Mostar. Taking a bus or train to/from Sarajevo makes more sense if you can fly into/out of there as a starting or endpoint, but I don't think there are any direct flights between Rome and Sarajevo.
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Old Jul 19th, 2017, 07:44 AM
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In Dubrovnik, to get out of the crowds just walk up the steps to the higher streets or go into a museum. Or go taste wine until you hear that ship blast summoning all the people to get back to the ship.

Most of the boat/tour bus people never leave the flat areas and 99.9% never go into a museum.

Sounds like a fab trip. If you can be in Ljubljana on a Friday night, Open Kitchen is really fun. https://www.visitljubljana.com/en/vi...n-food-market/
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Old Jul 19th, 2017, 08:16 AM
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Thanks for all the great insight and feedback Fodorites!

I need to re-look at various options taking into consideration all this wonderful information.
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Old Jul 19th, 2017, 09:09 AM
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I checked skyscanner.

Found one cheap non-stop flight on Vueling from Rome to Dubrovnk for a random date in May 2018.
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Old Jul 19th, 2017, 09:59 AM
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Driving in Bosnia & Herzegovina is absolutely fine.

I've been doing it as a solo female since 2007, and have been visiting places well off the beaten track, though I don't recommend taking the minor roads through the mountains - Stay on the main roads where possible.

If you click on my name, you should be able to track down my trip reports about driving in B&H, and some of the places I visited over serveral trips.
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Old Jul 19th, 2017, 12:51 PM
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thursdaysd: Yes I saw that flight on Vueling. They only fly on Tues, Thurs & Sat from Rome to Dubrovnik or Split. That is the flight we were thinking of taking since we arrive on a Tuesday. Re-thinking now about Andrew's suggestion to fly into Split first.

Julia_t: Thanks for your feedback. I'll check your TR's.
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Old Jul 19th, 2017, 03:54 PM
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Croatia Airlines is showing direct flights from Rome to Split next May also - pretty much every day it looks like. But the cost is quite a bit higher than Vueling. Then again, Croatia Airlines doesn't charge extra for much as I recall - they are more of a "traditional airline" than a "budget airline" so not sure how the prices may differ when you add in any extra fees Vueling may charge.
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Old Jul 19th, 2017, 05:57 PM
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“I will see about flights into Sarajevo.”

I did a quick search just now, and didn't see any direct flights from Rome. You could fly directly from Rome into Dubrovnik, Split, or Mostar and then take a bus to Sarajevo. The Mostar option is, IMO, worth considering. Either that or Split. Dubrovnik would, IMO, be less convenient than either of them. And I, personally, would continue to explore options for flying to Sarajevo, even if you have to stop somewhere -- once you consider the stopover and time for the bus, the times might make sense. To be clear, I haven’t checked and don’t know!

“We were thinking 1 full day to see Dubrovnik, 1 day for day tripping to Lokrum & Cavtat and one day for Kotor day trip.”

Could work! I didn’t visit Cavtat, and must admit that while I’ve seen many posters choose to stay there, I don’t remember anyone making a point to visit Cavtat. Doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be worth doing! So from my perspective, 1 day for Dubrovnik itself, 1 day for Kotor / Montenegro, and ½ day for Lokrum could work. Your call! I would NOT plan to be out of Dubrovnik all day every day. Despite the crowds, as rialtogrl notes, the museums are almost always (sadly) empty (and some are delightful), and of course some other sites worthy of a visit (if they are any interest you) are ONLY open during the day – not just the museums, but the monasteries and some of the churches. As for the walls, I started my walk 2 hours before they closed, by which time almost all the daytrippers had left. Perfect!

“Do you think any other town warrants more than 2 days (other than Sarajevo)?”

That definitely depends on your interests. I adored Split and would have loved several days there; others aren’t so enamored of it. I enjoyed several days in Zagreb and thought it seriously underrated, but others find a few hours there more than enough. BTW, note that many of Zagreb's museums and other sites close mid-afternoon on Saturday and don’t re-open until Monday, so timing really matters for that city. Bled and surrounds can easily take more than 1 day – it took me about 12 hours, without a break, to visit the castle and island, hike the Vintgar Gorge and the ridgeline above it, and walk around Lake Bled. So again, it depends on what’s on your itinerary.

Since so many of the people who have responded to you are arguing strongly for a car, let me offer the following comments: I fully agree that having a car can offer a freedom not otherwise available and a chance to see places that are not readily visited via public transportation, and certainly, there are times when I choose to rent a car, too! For your trip, I would think having a car would be an enormous beneft for your leg to include the Plitvice Lakes and Istria and also for parts of Slovenia outside of Ljubljana and Bled. But there are disadvantages to having a car, too. For example:For example:

- For one thing, some of those “oh, doesn’t that look charming!” places aren’t actually that charming, and by the time you get back on the road, you can end up with less time than might be ideal for visiting the places that were your priorities.

- For another thing, driving can be stressful – and I say that as someone who loves driving! But some roads are challenging, unexpected detours or GPS failures can be a bit daunting, and driving into cities (and finding parking) can make the last part of a long trip less than pleasant. And FWIW, I found driving on back roads in Croatia very stressful (the major roads were fine).

- Driving – or at least responsible driving – can also pose constraints on the driver. For example, the driver may be unable to truly enjoy spectacular scenery, as s/he needs to pay attention to the road -- sometimes, very careful attention (particularly so on the truly stunning road north of Dubrovnik)! And depending on how much one eats and one’s size and and how long one relaxes over a meal, even a glass of wine with lunch may carry risks.

- Driving is generally not a particularly green choice – and for some of us, that is a worthy consideration.

- And IMO, one of the best things about taking public transportation is that it sometimes gives you wonderful opportunities to interact with people from the area, or gain insights into local norms and traditions.

You’ll have a great trip, no matter what you choose!

And BTW, I forgot to mention yesterday that

...I believe that ferry schedules in the area change on or about 1 June, so be sure you are checking the RIGHT timetables when you think through your options for Hvar!

...And the Euphrasian Basilica in Poreč is really special.
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