Help with recommendations in Croatia

Old Jul 6th, 2015, 12:15 PM
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Help with recommendations in Croatia

I have been looking forward to visiting Croatia for a very long time and it is going to finally happen this September. This site is always a good source of recommendations so I am posting this to enlist your help. I am looking suggestions on what to do and possibly where to stay. I don't necessarily need hotel recommendations but if you have them of course I will take them, but more importantly what towns you may recommend to stay each evening. Now before you tell me that this is not nearly enough time, I already know that, and I hope this will not be our only trip!

We will be coming from Venice on the ferry to Porac on Saturday, Sept 19th. We are picking a car up the next morning so we will need to stay there the first night. Any one stay at The Valamar Riviera Hotel? It looks like it is within walking distance from the ferry? In regards to the ferry, I have not booked my tickets yet, how far in advance do we need to book for late September?

Based upon what I have read, we should spend some time in Istria and explore Rovinj, Pula and Opatija. We are thinking about staying in Opatija on Sunday night. This happens to be our anniversary, so we would want to stay at a nice place - Hotel Milenij.

This is were I could really use help. We need to make our way down the coast to Dubrovnik for Wed and Thurs night. so where do we stop/visit on the way? Maybe an island off of Split? Not sure? There are so many and I am not comfortable with the ferry schedules to figure out taking a car on, etc and not sure it i worth it for one day? So maybe and island we can drive to or jut stay on the coast? Suggestions? My goal would be not to move hotels every night if we could help it..

Once we get to Dubrovnik,should we stay in old town or somewhere on the beach outside of the city? Or should we just stay there one night and take 3 days to travel down? We need to make our way to Sarajevo on Friday.

Like I said in the beginning, I know this will never be enough, but any thoughts you can give us would be most appreciated. BTW, we like history, beaches, good restaurants, outdoor activities, etc.

Happy for any and all recommendations.

Best regards,

Kathleen
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Old Jul 6th, 2015, 01:13 PM
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If you want to avoid changing hotels, you can either stay in Porec for your whole time in Istria or take a bus down to Rovinj and pick up your car there and stay there the whole time, but I have no idea where you plan to return the car, and if you plan to return out outside of Croatia, your choice of car companies will be limited (and be expensive), so maybe that limits your choices of places to pick up the car.

I didn't get to see Porec. I loved Rovinj. I enjoyed exploring the Istrian hill towns especially Grožnjan. I wasn't very impressed with Pula - I did a day trip and wouldn't have wanted to stay overnight there. I did only a quick hour tour of Opatija and enjoyed it but stayed over in nearby Lorvan instead. (I wasn't on my anniversary - I was traveling solo on the cheap.) Do plan to walk a few kilometers on the Lungomare, a nice seaside promenade that connects some of the seaside towns.

Do consider a detour between Opatija and Split/Dubrovnik over to the amazing Plitvice Lakes National Park. You'd probably find it easiest to stay over a night there. This may be my favorite place in all of Croatia, an amazing park full of waterfalls and huge turquoise-colored lakes. If you don't want to drive as far out of your way, north of Split there's another really nice park called Krka National Park - the highlight being the fantastic Skradinski Buk cascading waterfall.

On the way down, you can also stop in Zadar, Sibenik, Split, or one of the islands (perhaps Hvar is easiest), if you can work out the ferry schedules. Or, stay over in Split and take a catamaran over to Hvar for the day. It's really up to you. They are all nice towns (I haven't been to Hvar) in their own way. If you really want to stay on an island, try to work out going to Hvar.

I'm not sure I would drive all the way down to Dubrovnik just for one night. I would stay in or near the old town, but parking can be a challenge. If you want to stay near the beach instead, consider staying in nearby Lapad (where parking will be a lot easier). There is frequent bus service from Lapad into the old town if you don't want to drive in (I stayed in Lapad last time and took the bus over to the old town - very easy).

The drive up to Sarajevo is spectacularly beautiful along the river north of Mostar. Try to stop in Mostar for a few hours and see the amazing old bridge there. There's also a nice (much smaller) stone bridge in Konjic as you dirve up closer to Sarajevo, if you like bridges.
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Old Jul 6th, 2015, 02:03 PM
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I was confused so had to write a list:
Saturday Porec
Sunday Opatija (I don't know that I would splash out for a hotel I would barely have any time in--when do you plan to explore Istria?)
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday Sarajevo

Unless you have your heart set on Dubrovnik, I would not drive all the way there. There is plenty to occupy you in the north and center, including the wonderful Plitvice Lakes as Andrew suggested.
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Old Jul 6th, 2015, 02:38 PM
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I second Andrew's recommendations 100%. Word for word, it's what I would say.

What happens after Sarajevo? Where do you return the car?
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Old Jul 6th, 2015, 02:56 PM
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Thanks everybody! Great recommendations. We are starting in Venice then taking the ferry to porec on Saturday. From then there we will make our way south. We need to be in Sarajevo on Friday night. Yes we plan to drive through Mostar. We are flying out of Sarajevo on Sunday.
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Old Jul 6th, 2015, 03:06 PM
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Have you checked the price of renting a car in Croatia and returning it in Sarajevo? Usually the one-way drop fee is pretty steep when you return the car in a different country. If use one of the brokers like Kemwel or EconomyCarRentals, you might great a great price for a rental within Croatia - I did (about $12 USD per day over two weeks in May, including a cross border card, with a rental company called Oryx via EconomyCarRentals.)

You could drop the car in Dubrovnik (and then stay in the old town and not worry about parking a car), then take a bus to Sarajevo. Or take a bus to Mostar, leave your bags at the bus or train station (I assume you can, not sure), then take a bus or train on to Sarajevo. Even finding a private transfer from Dubrovnik to Mostar then taking a train later on to Sarajevo (if you dislike buses) might be a lot cheaper. Worth checking into. I might have done something like that, but I drove from Sarajevo into other towns in Bosnia then back to Zagreb.
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Old Jul 6th, 2015, 04:54 PM
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I, too, was confused by your timing -- assuming yorkshire has accurately summarized it, then I must say that I think you are being extremely ambitious. That said, it depends on what YOU want to see and experience, so all I can do is offer a few comments:

Porec is delightful; do try to see the basilica if art or architecture hold even the tiniest bit of interest for you!

Opatija, well ... my experience in Opatija was not very pleasant. I was there for a couple of hours just before/during sunset on a Saturday evening in early June of 2009. The bars and restaurants near the shore were competing with one another to see which could play their disco / party music the loudest and with the heaviest base. Street side shops were filled with junk, overpriced kitsch, and overly zealous sales staff. Sidewalks were filled with people who were already so drunk that trying to walk by or through them was a decidedly unpleasant experience. I did enjoy the Villa Angiolina, though -- that was worth seeing. And other Fodorites have had more pleasant experiences there.

I stayed in Lovran, which I enjoyed immensely, even though it shows its age. As Andrew said, do spend some time on the lovely Lungomare that extends from Lovran through Opatija (and beyond) if you do decide to stay in the area.

BUT if you are interested in visiting Rovinj, you might consider staying there for your anniversary instead. Just a thought!

I second the idea of stopping in the Plitvice Lakes National Park overnight if you can -- this park is, IMO, the single most un-missable of Croatia's many splendors. Not only are the lakes connected by travertine waterfall formations, each lake has unique microbiota, and as a result, the lakes and waterfalls are different colors. As I understand it, the best way to see that is to make a single, long loop through the park -- something on the order of 6 hours or more (including time for the boat that connects the lower and upper lakes). Unforgettable!

"Once we get to Dubrovnik,should we stay in old town or somewhere on the beach outside of the city?"

Your call. Do you want beach time or do you want to see why Dubrovnik is considered the "pearl of the Adriatic"?

"Or should we just stay there one night and take 3 days to travel down?"

It's a LONG way from Istria to Dubrovnik. I, personally, would not want to try to make that trip in a single trip. But only YOU can decide how to make this trip meet YOUR interests.

If you plan to drive through Mostar, consider staying overnight there -- it is so much more enjoyable after daytrippers leave!

And do leave yourselves enough time to visit lovely Sarajevo! I spent just short of 2 full days there, and regret that I shortchanged it.

If you haven't already done so, I recommend that you consult some good guidebooks (always a worthy investment, IME, or you can go to a library), decide on what YOU most want to see, and then marking opening hours on a calendar. Block in your transportation time, time to check into / out of hotels, etc., and then see how things fit together.

You will be visiting some stunning parts of the world -- good luck figuring out an itinerary that works for you!
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Old Jul 7th, 2015, 06:50 AM
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Thanks everybody. We did get a good rate from Sixt that allows us to take the car and return it in Bosnia. I know that this is not nearly enough time to see everything, so we will just have to go back! But we do need to make our way from Istria to Dub in 5 days. We plan on staying in the Dub area for 2 days and then 2 days in Sarajevo before flying to the states. My husband is former military and was stationed with NATO in Bosnia for a year so he is familiar with the area. I was thinking of skipping Plitvice Lakes National Park due to time restraints and really looking for advice about where to stop between Istria and Dub. I realize it is personal preference and I am doing my research, but was thinking that some of you may have a hidden gem or two that is a must see, stop on the coast. The lingering questions I have I how hard is it to reserve a car ferry? Is it worth it for a day or two? How long in advance do you need to reserve tickets, etc?
We are staying in Porec the first night because that is where we are picking up the rental car. We are thinking about spending the first full day exploring the Istria coast and it was recommended that we stay in Opatija due to its location.
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Old Jul 7th, 2015, 07:13 AM
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It is very difficult to make suggestions because Croatia is a slow place--less is usually more.
If Plitvice does not appeal, tell us what kind of place you are looking for. Zadar and Split are two of the obvious choices because of their Roman sites--have you ruled them out?
I don't think reserving a ferry is necessary a requirement in September, but I would not do it for only one night--you have to queue up in addition to the ride itself. I don't know the mainland as well so hope someone can offer suggestions--I think to maximize your time that should be your strategy--find one place on the mainland you wish to be for 2-3 nights. I would get your beach time then and stay in the old town in Dubrovnik.
For ferry info, see http://www.jadrolinija.hr/.
I did not expect to like Opatija as much as I did--I really just stopped there to break up a journey. It is certainly pleasant for an evening, but most people rave about Rovinj and the hill towns of Istria, which you barely have time for, whereas Opatija is a bit of an outlier--nothing like anywhere else I have visited in Croatia. I guess you will have time to explore Rovinj and stop over in Pula to see the amphitheater before driving on to Opatija (the drive along the coast is nice).
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Old Jul 7th, 2015, 08:21 AM
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I would spend your anniversary night in Rovinj - it is absolutely beautiful, with some very good restaurants. On Sunday if you want to see the Basilica in Porec, you will need to plan around Sunday mass - they do not let people in when there is a mass going on. I'd then just go directly to Rovinj, explore and enjoy the beauty there.

As for your drive along the coast I guess it depends on how long you want to be in the car. It is a long drive to Dubrovnik. It would be a long day, but Monday you could check out Pula and maybe even stop in Opatija and then sleep in Zadar. The following day, head to Split. If you have loads of energy then drive all the way to Split (with some sightseeing stops) on Monday and spend two nights in Split, or Trogir so that you have a full day there. I would not go to the islands with this amount of time.. save it for another trip.

Finally, stay in Dubrovnik outside the city walls, but find something with parking if you can.
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Old Jul 7th, 2015, 08:27 AM
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Thank you so much. This is such good advice.
I know that one day we will need to do a lot of driving. I have been looking at a map and reading about the following towns - Zadar, Tisno, Split and Makarska. Any knowledge of these towns? Rialoglr, I will look into staying in Rovinj and look at Trogir as well. And Sunday Mass at Porec on our Anniversary may be very nice!
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Old Jul 7th, 2015, 09:08 AM
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When I was in Rovinj in April, they were renovating the Hotel Adriatic right in the center of town. It was suppose to be finished in June and it looks like it is, and they have a special 25% discount for the rest of the year.

If you want to splurge, I bet that would be a good place to do it.

http://www.maistra.com/adriatic_rovinj

I think I would barrel through to Split or Trogir on Monday, and take Tuesday off from the driving.

Happy planning!
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Old Jul 7th, 2015, 01:05 PM
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Thanks again. While I know this will be a road trip vacation, you have all really helped me to focus.
Most appreciated. One more question, how far in advance do we need to book hotels? If we have a destination in mind but want to drive more or less on a particular day, would we have trouble finding a room that day?
We will be there the end of September.
Any suggestions for hotels in Dub? I was looking at places on Lapad. Any thoughts? Also, any thoughts on a GPS for the car?
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Old Jul 7th, 2015, 02:41 PM
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By the end of September, the vacation season is winding down in Croatia. You shouldn't have any trouble finding rooms near last minute unless you wind up in a town with some big event or convention that night. In May, I winged it in Croatia and Bosnia, sometimes booking the morning before arrival, sometimes just walking right up to a hotel front desk (and getting some cheap prices). Except for one night in Zadar, I didn't have trouble finding good deals, good locations (even in Zadar I got a good place after a last-minute cancellation).

But I would research various towns ahead of time, so see where you'd probably want to stay - what areas, maybe have a list of two or three desired hotels or sobes. That will save you time later.

If you use a website like booking.com (which I use a lot), you can book some hotels right now, as long as you choose the free cancellation option they usually offer (read the cancellation policies carefully). Obviously you'd want to book the first night you arrive in advance.

I presume you'll also have some sort of internet device with you - I consider that essential nowadays when I travel. And having a phone that works locally will be helpful as well. If you bring an unlocked smartphone (or unlocked old GSM phone that has the right frequencies for Europe), you can buy a local SIM card for it in Croatia. Or setup your home phone plan for international use. I have T-Mobile and got free data in Croatia and 20 cents/minute calls - very handy - with their Simple Choice plan.

I have a Garmin GPS and bought a Europe map card for it before I left. It was helpful for my trip there in May, but there were plenty of inaccuracies (more in Bosnia). Next time, I'll probably use my phone as a GPS (the phone I had in May was too slow to be used that way).
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Old Jul 7th, 2015, 05:46 PM
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Andrew...I've been traveling Croatia starting in he 70s when it was all Yugoslavia. During those days, reservations were not at all mandatory..more often than not, we'd walk into hotel and you'd think we would get the Presidential suite if they had one. It was so pleasant, but in many cases quite primitive in them there days.(Roads were bad to dangerous, potholes were ubiquitous. In post-Tito times and after the split up, things changed rapidly. Frankly, I liked the old days much more with a sense of adventure and wonder, scarcity of petrol and simple foods. and ocasional roadblocks.

Kaa:
Here below, I've posted some pics which may give you some ideas. The pics have a blend of pre-split (70's and 80's) and post split.('95-'96 and 2000's onwards) In Dub, I enthusiastically recommend a bit of a splurge for the Villa Dubrovnik (see pix before the massive renovation). Pics show Plitvice in early spring snow, and back in Tito times when there were few or no westerners about. You'll see the Old Bridge (Mostar=Old Bridge) before and after when it was destroyed.
stu
stu (I think that Villa Dubrovnik may have changed its name since the massive restoration.
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Old Jul 7th, 2015, 05:53 PM
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https://picasaweb.google.com/stuartt...Kq1odTr3IKLHA#

Enjoy your Croatian visit!!
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Old Jul 7th, 2015, 07:17 PM
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Andrew and stu. Thanks for the recommendations. Things are starting to come together. Can't wait for September!
Stu. Loved the pictures. Just showed the to my husband. He was with the NATO peace keeping forces in both Bosnia and Kosovo. He said Kosovo has not changed much!
Best,
Kathleen
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Old Jul 7th, 2015, 10:59 PM
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I think rialtogrl has given you some GREAT suggestions!

"I have been looking at a map and reading about the following towns - Zadar, Tisno, Split and Makarska. Any knowledge of these towns?"

Zadar -- nice laid-back university town; bits of stuff from Romans on through very recent installations (the "sea organ" and "greetings to the sun") -- a good place, IMO, for a brief visit -- BUT most accommodations are some distance from the sites, which are in an area in which cars are generally prohibited. That can make it a bit hard to see if trying to move quickly...

Tisno -- I know nothing.

Split -- I loved vibrant, energetic, dynamic, and utterly fascinating Split! AND Split is only 1/2 hour from lovely Trogir. That said, not everyone enjoys Split.

Makarska -- I've read good things about it, but didn't visit it. I think that if you make it as far as Makarska, you might consider going on to Dubrovnik. JMO.

In Dubrovnik, I stayed at -- and LOVED -- the Villa Adriatica, which still seems to get good reviews:
http://www.villa-adriatica.net

Hope that helps!
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Old Jul 8th, 2015, 12:30 PM
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I wouldn't be deterred from visiting Zadar due to parking issues or location of accommodation. As I said above, it was the only place I had any issue finding a place at the last minute, yet I still found a guesthouse (via Booking.com) in a perfect location a 5 minute walk from the forum and the sea organ, etc. The guesthouse owner also managed to find free parking for me in one of the very few free parking spots in town - she was going to give me her own spot but one opened up just as I arrived. (This is the kind of service you can expect sometimes from sobe and non-hotel types of lodgings in Croatia, FYI.)

And this was a very busy night in Zadar. I'd expect if not as busy (or your budget is higher than mine - I paid only about $65 USD a night in Zadar) you'd have no trouble finding a decent place in Zadar, in a good location. Just make sure you are clear on the parking situation.

Some years ago I stayed over in the town of Baska Voda in the Makarska area. It was a nice but not particularly memorable town. Makarska has a reputation as a beach resort area. At the end of September (I was there early October), I would expect it to be a bit slow and not very exciting. I too would probably push on to Dubrovnik instead of staying in Makarska - or in Zadar or in Sibenik.
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Old Jul 17th, 2015, 09:01 AM
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OK, thanks to all of your recommendations, we are ready to go!
I have decided to book accommodations for the entire trip in advance, because while it may be slower in September, I did not want to risk not having a place to stay and I feel that we good pretty good prices for the places we have selected. All but one is non refundable up to the day before or week of, so if we want to make last minute changes, we should be able to.
This is the plan:
Saturday Ferry from Venice - over night in Porec.
Pick up car and explore Istra seaside and hill towns on Sunday. Overnight in Opatiji and then longest travel day down to the Kastela area of Split. We decided to stay in an apartment close to the beach over Trogir or Split, but since it is right in the middle we plan on visiting both if time allows. We will be staying 2 nights here and have planned a winery tour and dinner at Putalj Winery. I have read such good things and have had conversation with Anton, we are really excited to do this. Has anyone else done this? The next 2 nights we will be staying in an apartment in the hills of Dubrovnik. We booked both of these apartments on AirBnB. Any concerns? They both have excellent reviews. On Friday we will travel to Sarajevo through Mostar and end out trip there on Sunday.
I know that for some of you, your initial thought is that this is going to be a packed agenda with too much on our plate, but due to limited vacation time and wanted to see as much as possible, along with our airport cities, we are doing the trip this way. We are seasoned travelers and have done this before. My hope is that we fall in love with one area of Croatia and come back to stay for a longer period of time in that area. Thanks again for all of you for your help and suggestions, I will provide a detailed trip report when we get back!
Kathleen
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