nannibray

We are planning a trip to Croatia and Slovenia next April and May. I will have an Atlas as well as maps from the car rental. Is it difficult to drive and also navigate? Should I get a GPS system? If so, does the GPS system WORK well? I drove in Ireland in 2007 and found the GPS system not much help in the smaller more rural areas. Are the GPS systems for Croatia and Slovenia accurate and easy to use?

If you don't recommend driving, What other transportation would we use? Has anyone done this area by train, bus, and boat? WE DON'T WANT TO TAKE A TOUR!!!

I must do BOTH the driving and the navigating myself. My husband's eye's are not good for reading small print.
Thanks to all! I REALLY want to do this trip.
Nannibray

julia_t

I can't say about Slovenia, but last October I drove myself around Dalmatia and through Bosnia to Mostar and back. I map-read and navigated myself and didn't bother with GPS.

I think if you stay on the main routes to places you will have no problems. The main roads are well-signed, and a quick look at a map in advance and remembering that at such-and-such a place you need to take the A40 or whatever, you'll be fine.

If you think you want to venture off the beaten track, then bear in mind that many of these roads are mountainous, may not be well-fenced or maintained and frankly are quite scary, especially when faced with cars driven by locals coming the other way on the wrong side! I considered taking a side-route to Mostar, was advised not to, and when I saw those mountains I realised I had been correctly advised, LOL! I found the road between Orebic and Trpanj on the Pelsjesac Peninsula spectacular, but quite challenging to my vertigo, and compared to the mountain roads that was a doddle.

I hope this helps you a bit, and don't worry about driving on the main roads in Croatia at all because it IS easy.

csandoval

I can't comment on Slovenia, but driving in Croatia was OK. Not easy/not hard. We didn't have a GPS systems, but we were relying on a good map and that made things much better. We drove from Dubrovnik all the way along the Dalmatian coast, up to Istria and ended in Zagreb.....I wish I could do it all over again.

LuvToRoam

Can't say about Croatia yet (leaving tomorrow for Croatia) but we were in Slovenia last year and found the roads, towns and cities very easy to navigate. There were two of us and that certainly makes it a little easier, but the maps and signage were good. We did not have a GPS for that trip; we are taking one along this trip (more because it is my hubby's new toy than actual belief in need). I think driving both countries is the way to see the small towns, back roads, etc. Have fun planning; it is surely a good 50% of the fun. I promise to post a good trip report when we return. We are gone until 9/22. Shirley, Waukesha, WI

maitaitom

Driving in both countries is easy. Our GPS did not work as well in Croatia and Slovenia as it did in Poland and Czech Republic. Roads are well marked in both Croatia and Slovenia. We drove from Dubrovnik to Trogir to Plitvice to Ljubljana to Bled and then back to Rovinj.

nannibray

Thanks everyone! I am encouraged and will do it. Shirley, I read your trip report on Slovenia and loved it! Good job.
Also, we were in Switzerland for 18 days this past June -July with a week in the mountains (Wengen) so perhaps we don't need to see the Julian Alps this trip.
Does skipping Slovenia make sense to you Shirley? Waukesha - Fond memories of my 4 years spent at MU in Milwaukee!

huddoshols

Hi Nannibray,Croatia and Slovenia is very easy to navigate and drive around. We only had a map,no GPS,you dont need it. We spent nearly 4 weeks through both countries. No problems at all. We travelled on coastal roads,Dubrovinik to Split and inner express roads,A1 down to Dubrovnik. Slovenia was very easy with a basic map. We went into Bosnia as well,too easy and worthwile for a night. We also did the Julian Alps,very beautiful if you are in the area and an easy drive. We have driven through much of Europe and found this trip quite relaxing to drive.

nannibray

Huddosnols -Thank you for the encouragement!! I MUST do ALL the driving as my husband's eyes are not too good. Having a car gives one soo much independence!.

What rental company did you use for the car?

I have investigated Auto Europe. The only negative is you have to pay a $4 surcharge per day for each additional country you visit.
We pick up and end in Croatia, but also want to go to Mostar (Bosnia) and Slovenia.

Did you go to Montenegro from Dubrovnik?
Am thinking of just renting a 1 day car to go. Otherwise, Montenegro has a $20. per day surcharge!! Don't want to pay that charge for all 14 days rental!!

huddoshols

We rented our car from Avis in Mainz,as we were staying there and returned it there. They were extremely helpful especially after every car company at Frankfurt Airport had said no. I think they are a family franchise. We didnt pay any extra to take it into each country. Croatia has very good signs for the major roads. If you are doing both driving and navigating,maybe write out the major route the night before. We didnt get time to go into Montenegro. You could do a day trip from Dubrovnik,there are heaps of tour places offering it down there. If you have time dont leave out Slovenia it is very beautiful.

nannibray

Thanks again, Huddoshols. Yes, we will definitely do Slovenia - 2 nights Bled, 1 night Ljubljana. Will do the Julian Alps drive if the weather is good. We will be there May 5 and 6.
QUESTION;
We leave Rovinj to head for Bled the next night. Is it too long of a trip to do the Julian Alps enroute to Bled from Rovinj? I doubt we will leave Rovinj before 8:30 a.m. (I don't want to get caught in the mountains at dark time!
Seem more efficient to do the Alps enroute to Bled.
Any opinion??

julia_t

Anoterh car rental company you could look at is

www.economycarrentals.com

I used them last year and found them very helpful. I paid an extra 50 euros for the cross border card to drive in Bosnia and Montenegro.

I used them because they had been recommended here, and also because they were pretty much the cheapest!

My requested was upgraded when I arrived, and in fact it was a little bigger than I would have liked but it was not a problem. They also do not charge extra for dropping-off in a different location, at least in Croatia. I would definitely use them again, and elsewhere in Europe too.

I am looking into renting a car for just a day when I am in Dubrovnik next week, and so far Best Buy are coming out top with a daily rate of as little as 47 euros per day (for a tiny car!) which includes a cross border card, so that might be your best option if you are going to Montenegro on a day rental. (I was advised on tripadvisor that they offer discount for cash!)

www.bestbuyrent.hr

If I rent from them I will post back and let you know, but I have asked my landlady for her advice.

designergigi

Hello, Nannibray

We were in Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia, and Montenegro a couple of times the last two years spending about 6 weeks with a car. The driving everywhere was very easy, some of the easiest we've found in Europe.
Just get a good map. The roads are well marked, however, and in decent condition. You will not want to get off the main roads in parts of Bosnia, however, as the mines are still being removed. Leave the GPS home, such annoying things. Getting off the main roads in Croatia is one of the best experiences you'll have. We found amazing gorges, hilltowns-not on a map, seaside spots all by taking that unexpected left turn.
We had a wonderful apartment in Rovinj for 10 days...just lovely little city.
Might I add, when arriving in Rovinj, go to the main gates(you'll see them at the right side closest to the sea), ask the guard to allow you entrance to drop your luggage. Do so and then exit the main center (just for the citizens) and park. You'll need some coins for the meters, so have them in advance. We purchased a roll from a bank and paid daily when we returned from a day out.
I have a good map of Rovinj that I could email you, actually.
There were wineries on the country side roads, just stop in and they'll fill your bottle for you.
We loved our two holidays there and may return fairly soon.
In Zagreb, we stayed in an apartment owned by an opera singer. We went to his show one night and thoroughly enjoyed it. There are some nice little museums in this pretty little capital city, too. Dubrovnik is wonderful, simply beautiful. Montenegro is very pretty, but, if you, I don't know that I would spend the time to go there choosing instead, one of the islands off the coast between Pula and Dubrovnik. BTW, it's a fair distance from Dubrovnik to Rovinj. There is a less traveled road that hugs the sea between Split toward Pula before you turn toward Rovinj. It was incredible, much like the Amalfi.
Sorry to ramble so, have a wonderful trip! You will love it!
Gigi

nannibray

JULIA - Where are you staying in Dubrovnik? I am considering www.villaragusa.netfirms.com or
www.dubrovnik-online.com/villa_adriatica. I LOVE the VIEW from Villa Adriatica but there were some complaints on Trip Advisor.
I will also check car rental on the sites you suggested. THANKS SO MUCH!

GIGI - Loved your post - Glad you rambled! More info helps me.
1)Where did you stay in Rovinj? We like the Porta Antica apartments. If you could, I would love the map of Rovinj. My e-mail is: [email protected]
Thanks for the tip on the roads in Bosnia! Don't want to "find" a land mine. We will only go to Mostar and spent 1 night. Also want to visit the Marian Shrine at Medjugorie.

"There is a less traveled road between Split and Pula ...much like the Amalfi coast"

In looking on my Michelin Map, would that be the road leading South from Rijeka - looks like E751? It is colored "green" (scenic: on my map so think that may be what you are talking about). thanks for the tip.

JULIA and GIGI - Is the trip to Montenegro worth the effort? Thought we would do it as a day trip while staying in Dubrovnik.

This is our schedlue as of now:

4 nights Dubrovnik (day trip to Montenegro)?
1 night Mostar and Medjugorie
3 nights Havar (or Korcula) any opinion which?
1 night Split
1 night Plitvice
3 nights Rovinj
2 nights Lake Bled, Slovenia
1 night Ljubljana
1 night Zagreb

Waiting to hear from you all.

julia_t

I am staying here...

http://www.dubrovnikapartmentsource....p?DASID=D01303

Only 2 days to go before I'll be there!!! Can barely wait...

Last year I stayed up on the hill above the Excelsior Hotel, so I had a great view of the Old Town, this time I wanted to be closer in and Room Karla is just outside the walls. It is also on a couple of other websites, but this one has reviews and a calendar. I emailed the owner directly via another website and she has been most helpful.

Villa Adriatica is in an excellent location and you do get a view across the harbour and out to Lokrum so that would be nice. There is a public carpark just across the road from there as well though I was told you can expect to pay around 20 euros a day for parking there. I think I would perhaps try to park higher up on the hill on the streets, and walk down.

The Ragusa apartments have good reviews and you are right in the heart of the Old Town.

Even though I had a car with me last year, I actually took a day trip with Elite to Montenegro. It was a long day, with a lot of travelling but we went after Kotor up the most amazing road with around 30 hairpin bends (I would not want to drive that!) and then on to Cetinje and back down to Budva.

I decided on an escorted tour because I had been reading some very negative things (some here but mostly on tripadvisor)about difficulties with the Montenegrin police, and as a single female traveller I became a bit anxious about dealing with this sort of thing alone. So I chickened out. However in retrospect I wish I had gone alone athough I would probably not have gone much further than Kotor and maybe Budva. Rick Steves has some good information in his guide. I am glad I have been up in the fantastic Montenegrin mountains but frankly it was way too much time on the bus.

And there was another reason for taking the tour - I had got a good spacious parking space on the drive right outside my apartment, and I didn't want to risk losing it LOL!

As to whether Monenegro is worth the trip, I would say yes. Perast and Kotor are stunningly beautiful, I'd love to visit those little islands in the fjord. Kotor is a delightful little walled town. The churches are lovely. I didn't go up on the walls because I only had an hour or so there. I didn't feel Budva was anything special, it was just another old walled town with expensive shops, a beach and a harbour full of flash yachts and speedboats owned by rich Russians who are buying up a lot of property along the coast. I have also read some nice things about Herceg Novi.

Go and spend the day around Perast and Kotor and you will have some wonderful memories of Montenegro.

jean253

We took a tour to Montenegro with Atlas which has a similar tour as Elite. It is a bit of a risk driving due to border restrictions & the buses are let through whilst cars are held up at times, MaiTaitom had this problem & turned around & went back to DBK.

uaz04

Glad you are coming, and having a car is the best choice for these countries. If you take a rental car in Croatia or Slovenia and do use GPS, make sure it is loaded with the AdriaRoute map [Slo/Cro/Bos], which is great in urban areas, fine for all major and most secondary roads, but sometimes weak in the most rural areas. I would not be without it, but I won't rely totally upon it either.
Do get to Montenegro and drive around the "Boka Kotorska" [Bay of Kotor] and and drive up from Kotor to Njegus - 24 kms of the most beautiful views imaginable. Of course, only do this when the weather is nice - it is often a different climate at the top. [For Montenegro GPS use SCGRoute, but for the "Boka" area you won't need it]
Since you will have a car and plenty of time - spend some of that in Istria. Don't worry about maps or gps there, it is best just to get lost amongst the small peaceful hilltop towns, vineyards and olive groves. It is hard to go wrong there, and hard not to fall in love with Istria. At any petrol station, you can buy a very large map of the Istria peninsula for which reading glasses are not necessary.
During April and May, finding a nice B and B is not at all difficult - except maybe in Dubrovnik, so you can feel free to adjust your schedule to the weather. April can be unpredictable, and this is when driving can get tricky, especially on narrow, winding roads.
Another option, if you get tired of driving so much -and your itinerary does involve a lot of driving - would be to put the car on the ferry and bounce up the islands and coastal towns. You can find the route and schedule online at www.jadrolinija.hr [also in english].
One more piece of advice from an American who spends a lot of time in the Balkans - don't be too much on the move to miss the warmth of the people and the local cultures. Each little region has its own identity and history, sometimes even subtle differences from village to village, and for me this makes this part of the world really come alive.
All the best.
michael

nannibray

Thanks uazO4!
Now I am feeling more confident and excited!

Still think I will NOT drive to Montenegro - it would be my FIRST day with the car and I think I may be a bit apprehensive - but will definitely consider a tour!

mlaffitte

This is secondhand information, but something you should consider ... My sister and her family did a self-drive in Croatia and Slovenia in June. They had no problems with rentals and driving conditions on major roads. HOWEVER, for the toll roads (I believe in Slovenia only) you had to buy a rather expensive weekly or monthly pass, even if you were in the country for a shorter time. They ended up buying a weekly pass because they couldn't figure out how to buy one for a shorter period, though surely this must be possible. You might want to inquire about this ... or perhaps other Fodorites can help.

uaz04

Driving on the motorways in Slovenia, as of July 2008, requires the purchase of a windshield sticker called a "vignette". It costs 35euro and is good for 6 months. For me, it saves money and time as I am traveling often through Slovenia. But for the tourist coming through Slovenia one or two times per year, it is more expensive.
The vignette can be purchased as soon as one crosses the border - there is a sign pointing out the office, or at many petrol stations.
There is a hefty fine for not having one, so don't forget. It could be that the rental company already has the vignette on the car - ask about this in advance.

Regarding your trip, I'm happy to help. I bought a house in Istria, where I spend as many weekends as possible, so I'll can answer any detailed questions you might have about that part of your trip.

There really is no reason to be nervous about driving to Montenegro, as long as you are verrry confident on narrow and curvy roads. Actually, I can understand anyone being nervous driving there...if not the narrow roads, sometimes just a light rain makes the roads super slippery due to the overhanging olive trees [ I watched 19 vehicles crash on the same curve in one 3 hour period - including the police cars and tow trucks!] I read others posts about Budva, and I would agree that is just a bustling tourist location. But the Bay of Kotor, and village of Perast, are definitely worth visiting - and do encourage your tour guide to drive you up to Njegus. I can send you pics if you like - it is one of my favorite bike rides in the world due to the view. There is also one of my favorite restaurants there - Catovlica Mlini - great food in an idyllic setting. For me worth spending a night on the 'Boka.
Again, if you want my favorite roads, towns and restaurants in Istria - I'm more than happy to oblige.

michael

tcreath

nannibray, not sure if you are still following this thread or not, but I thought I would chime in.

We stayed at Villa Adriatica and were so pleased. We had absolutely no complains, but you have to know what to expect. This isn't luxury by any means. The bathroom was small and it took a few minutes for the water to get hot enough to take a shower. But the views were amazing and the location superb...for us those two things alone were worth it. The owners basically stayed out of our business, which we prefer so that was fine.

As for driving, we drove in Croatia and Slovenia without any problems at all. Hubby was nervous, but it was super easy. We would rather drive in Croatia than Italy any day!

Tracy