theatrelover

We have 3 weeks and I could really use some input into the preliminary itinerary I have put together for my husband and me to travel in mid-September. We love scenery and the outdoors and my husband loves taking photos (which take up time). Also, we don't like to rush.

Fly to Zagreb and stay 3 nights (the first day to recover from jet lag and the trip over) and then rent a car.

Drive to Ljubljana and stay 2 or 3 nights.

Drive to Lake Bled and stay 3 nights.

Should we then stay in the Julian Alps area (friends stayed 1 night in Kobarid) or should we continue on to the istrian Penninsula and stay somewhere like Rovinj for 3 nights or more?

Drive to Plitvice Lakes and stay 1 night.

Drive to Split area and stay there or Trogir for 2 nights.

Drive to Mostar and stay 1 night.

Drive to Dubrovnick and stay for 4 nights or so so we can do some day trips including driving to Kotar in Montenegro.

I thought about adding Hvar or Korcula but some of the stories about the time involved in dealing with the ferries has scared us off. Are they really so wonderful that we should go through the hassle and waiting time, etc.?

Thanks so much for any advice.

maitaitom

Here is my 2008 Trip Report (with photos). Chapters Eleven through Twenty-Three cover Croatia and Slovenia. It should give you some good ideas. Have a great trip. They are two wonderful countries to visit. Have some wine for me at the eighth wonder of the world...the Buza Bar in Dubrovnik.

http://www.travelswithmaitaitom.com/...nice_2008.html

bobthenavigator

Check out this trip report by the Go family---they are always good:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...d-slovenia.cfm

Andrew

Unless you have some special interest in Zagreb, three nights is probably two nights too many. You could do some day trips (by train or bus if you won't have a car yet) if you really feel the need to stay that long to start you trip there, but you would probably get bored just in Zagreb that long.

You might even use Zagreb as a starting point to Plitvice, as it's only 2 hours by car each way - could even be done as a long day trip, though Plitvice gets busy with tour groups. Your husband will enjoy taking pictures in the morning before 11:00 when the tour groups start piling in, so staying a night and seeing the park at first light is a great strategy (if you stay at a park hotel, you can get your previous day's park ticket stamped at the hotel to go in again without paying).

I stayed a night in Kobarid, too, mostly because I wanted to see the war museum and it made a convenient stop after driving same day from Bled over the Vrsic Pass. Kobarid is a nice little town but nothing amazing. If you do stay there and have extra time, see the nearby waterfall which is about a 10 minute hike.

Piran, Slovenia, is a really nice town on the coast; given the choice, I'd stay there vs. Kobarid no question. Piran is a beautiful town for photography (I am also a photographer). I did not make it to Rovinj, however.

Four nights might be too many in Dubrovnik, too - as you have a car, why not stay a night in Kotar?

I visited Korcula for a couple of nights - I didn't have a car in Dubrovnik so I took a bus (in October no daily direct ferry service between Dubrovnik and Korcula, only about 1X a week; not sure about September). Otherwise, you can take car ferries to Korcula via Oberic and Ploce (two ferries, look on a Google map of Oberic, Croatia) - not that difficult if you find out the schedules ahead of time and are prepared.

Korcula was nice, but I visited at the tail end of the season in October when things were pretty dead, but it's a nice place, worth a visit I think for sure if you can in September.

I did two separate trips to Slovenia and Croatia; click on my handle to find my two trip reports.

kja

I enjoyed my nearly 3 days in Zagreb very much, but it depends on what you want to see and experience. It has several good museums, a lovely botanic garden, some interesting neighborhoods, a beautiful cemetery....

Five nights for Ljubljana and Lake Bled could be a night too much, again, depending on what you want to see and experience.

I loved both Split and Trogir, but for very different reasons. I found Split dynamic and energetic and full of intriguing contrasts between the ancient and the modern. Stunning cathedral, several good small museums, one of the best fruit and vegetable markets I've seen, and a lovely cafe-filled seafront. Trogir is very small and charming and has some of the most amazing stone carvings you'll every see. It is VERY quiet in the evenings.

Even with a preference for traveling at an unhurried pace, 3 nights might be enough for you to visit both Dubrovnik and Montenegro, but if you want to add a day trip to Mljet that 4th night might come in very handy.

I enjoyed my time on both Korcula and Hvar. If you are interested in visiting one of them, just be sure to check the ferry schedules very carefully.

Although having a rental car would give you some options you won't otherwise have, it will almost certainly be an encumbrance in Split. There are good public transportation options for reaching Trogir, Mostar, and Dubrovnik, and I think you'll find it easier to find ferries to Korcula and/or Hvar that don't take cars than ones that do. So you might consider returning the rental car in Split. To visit Kotor, you can either join a tour or rent a car just for that one day.

It's a beautiful part of the world - enjoy!

theatrelover

First, thank you all for the quick responses and the wonderful information. I will spend the evening going over all of this and incorporating it into a new itinerary. You have all given me a lot to consider and great ideas. Thank you for taking the time to help me.

Maitaitom: I have been reading your blog of your trip to this area this afternoon and, besides loving the photos and all the very helpful information, you have given me a lot of laughs! When I have the time, I'll read the rest of your trips. You have a fabulous attitude and a wonderful way of writing about your travel. Thank you for all the laughs today.

rialtogrl

There are actually more car ferries to Hvar than non-car (catamaran) ferries... there are several a day to Stari Grad from Split, but they seem kind of expensive. I am going to be taking a car to Hvar next month, on the ferry to Stari Grad on Hvar island from Split, but the on the way back, from Sucuraj (in the far east of Hvar island) to Drvenik on the mainland south of Split. That ferry is way cheaper and shorter, and could be useful if you want to go to Hvar Island then make your way from there to Dubrovnik. I think Hvar a very special place, well worth a visit. I'll report back on the ferry experience if you'd like.

Maitai's blog is wonderful and I must have read it fifty times when I was planning my first trip to Croatia last year..

theatrelover

Thank you. I would appreciate you reporting back on your ferry experience if you wouldn't mind.

rialtogrl

Will do! I leave Hvar May 19, so it will be sometime shortly after that.

asilic

Hi, my name is Alen and I'm from Croatia, you haven't considered Gorski Kotar, hilly and also central part of Croatia? I'm asking because it's on your way from Istria to Plitvice and it would be shame to go around it and not stop to take some photographs. Anyway, if you want you can see some photography of that part by typing ZELENI VIR, NACIONALNI PARK RISNJAK, SPILJA LOKVARKA, BROD NA KUPI. You can go rafting or kayaking on river ''Kupa'' or hiking on ''Risnjak'' or you can go and take pictures of some of many views we have here. I can send you some photos if you like, some of them you can see on my facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sile.doo You can see on google maps where are the places I was talking about. And one nice thing is that you can feed the deers in Delnice, central town in area. Of course, if you're interested you can contact me and I would be glad to help you, it's easier if you have some local help

theatrelover

Thank you so much for your kind offer. Unfortunately, this trip has had to be postponed but I will keep your suggestions for when we do get to come to your part of the world.

rialtogrl

hi theatrelover -
I came back to report on the Sucuraj to Drvenik ferry experience - but it sounds like your trip is not happening now.. let me know if you still want those details.

theatrelover

Thank you so much. When I reschedule this trip, I would be very happy to have those details.